Debates of August 23, 2011 (day 16)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Premier and I’d like to ask some questions with regard to the Anti-Poverty Strategy or the development of, or maybe I should say lack of development of.

I’d like to ask the Premier initially if he could advise, give us -- the House -- an update or advise the status of the report on the Anti-Poverty Strategy discussion paper. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Member will be happy to hear that, in fact, I’ve just signed off a letter to forward the discussion paper to the Standing Committee on Social Programs. Thank you.

I am very pleased to hear that. I want to thank the Premier for that response. It’s coming at the last hour, but better that it come than it not come at all.

In this next period through the election period and through October until the next Assembly gets up and running, I’d like to know whether or not there are any activities relative to the development of this paper or the Anti-Poverty Strategy planned during the next several months. Thank you.

The work that we’ve done in forwarding the discussion paper to committee, we’ll await their response. Clearly, as I’ve indicated to Members, this will be part of the transition that we will be preparing for the 17th Assembly.

Thanks to the Premier for that. That was my next question, was relative to the transition document from the government. I’m really pleased to hear that it’s in there. It’s really unfortunate that we couldn’t have had greater work done in the 16th Assembly. What kind of a priority is assigned to the development of an Anti-Poverty Strategy in the transition document to the 17th Assembly? Thank you.

The transition document itself will cover quite a number of areas: the work that we’ve been doing as the 16th Assembly, the work that’s ongoing. This will fall into that category of ongoing work and put it before them. I can’t weight a priority of the next government, but it will be part of that document of transition and a commitment from the 16th Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier. I would sincerely hope that all candidates in this upcoming election will seriously consider whether or not they can pledge to make the Anti-Poverty Strategy a top priority in the next Assembly, should they end up here.

To the Premier, I don’t know whether he can answer this question or not, but since the paper has just gone to standing committee, can he give us any indication of when the paper might be released to the public? Thank you.

The work that we’re doing by handing it over to the committee for their initial look and being part of the transition I can’t commit to a public release. We would have to, as we transition this to the next government, leave it to the new government to decide if they will distribute it publicly after hearing from the committees in the 17th Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.