Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the last sitting, I introduced a motion to have any budget surplus be redirected to the Department of Education and the Department of Health. Mr. Speaker, last month when I was home in Iqaluit, I attended a public forum on education sponsored by the Iqaluit Education Authority. The meeting was well attended and many good issues were raised.

The Department of Education has received, I believe, three percent cuts to its base funding over the past two years. With the increased enrolments in our schools and the adequacy of staffing levels, the reductions have had a major and detrimental effect on our schools and children. Mr. Speaker, I have received several letters from teachers, I have spoken to educators and parents and in all cases, they are worried and angry about the quality of our education system. We have cases of teachers buying materials from their own pockets. We have stories of stress and burnout. We have stories of curriculum problems and the adequacy of the formula used by the Department of Education in allotting the budgets to our school boards.

Mr. Speaker, the government continues to answer these concerns with, give us examples, show us the evidence. It is not enough to raise these issues in the House. The government has no money, Mr. Speaker. The government continually tells us about reductions and cutbacks. Yet, our educators question dubious studies and money spent on other areas. Mr. Speaker, as an elected Member, we get defensive when confronted and questioned about these reductions and their impacts.

I know that the Minister of Education is attempting to deal with these issues, but more has to be done and that can only be accomplished with this House unanimously supporting and addressing the concern of crowded classrooms and of formulas that do not reflect the current staffing levels, allocations for curriculums, et cetera.

Mr. Speaker, I will table another letter today from a teacher in my riding concerning this. I can also table letters from students, parents and education councils on these issues. Will that be proof enough for this government to do something? Can the problem be fixed by putting more money into the system or should the government review the adequacy and the areas where the money for education is currently being spent? Mr. Speaker, later today I will address the Premier about the government's role and what the Premier will direct the government to do about these issues and serious concerns. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause