Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The role of Regular Members in setting spending priorities is one of the most important features of consensus government. When we insist on changes to budgets, Regular Members are expressing their highest priorities and we expect government to act. This government has failed miserably in that over the last year and I am fed up.
Last year Members prioritized $1.25 million targeted to finalize an Early Childhood Educator Program at Aurora College to graduate fully qualified professionals. Also included were developing community family centres and supporting community early childhood programs for young families. We have now learned that of the hundreds of thousands approved for training development, very little was spent, program development was limited and the program is now stalled.
At the community level, funds committed to family centres were held until the end of the fiscal year and then dumped quickly out the door. Hundreds of thousands are apparently being reallocated in the last weeks of the year for quick and inappropriate expenditures relative to the purpose for which they were intended.
The budget was passed in June. ECE dithered over it until November before even issuing a call for proposals. Today the money is being hustled out on last minute, bulk small purchase items in a mad rush to spend it before it disappears.
Last minute expenditures include internally duplicating the program that has already been contracted out by ECE, a program that has been in place for over a decade. Now even the museum is being told to spend early childhood dollars.
This wastage is precisely what gives government the bad reputation we often have. Let’s not forget the ECE money was moved from Inclusive Schooling, so that program suffered for what gain to early childhood development?
We set priorities. Cabinet drags its feet and continues on with its own agenda. What’s the point of consensus budgeting, Mr. Speaker?
How can we have any faith in Cabinet to take direction from the will of the House with performance like this? Where were the updates and debate over reallocation if necessary?
I will be urging committees to demand spending priority work plans from Cabinet with actions, milestones and progress reports.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I will be asking for an internal audit of how the government has performed in carrying out the Members’ amendments of past budgets, and I will seek advice from the Auditor General on the propriety of taking the money that Members vote for one cost and spending it on another. This has got to stop.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
