Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Social Programs met with the Minister and his officials on March 16, 2000, and offers the following comments on the review of the department's interim appropriations.
Income Support and Disability Payments
The committee is very concerned about the adequacy of income support for residents with disabilities. Committee members have been told that the amounts available were no longer in line with benefits available to disabled residents of other Canadian jurisdictions. The committee was pleased to hear the Minister commit to reviewing the amounts provided by other Canadian jurisdictions for disabilities under income support programs. The committee looks forward to reviewing this survey with the Minister and working together with the department to adjust income support levels for disabled persons should it be warranted.
Committee members are also concerned that there has not been an adjustment made to the food basket price, which is used to determine the dollar amounts for income support, in quite some time.
Members of the committee were somewhat pleased to hear that there will be a review of the food basket price in the upcoming fiscal year. However, members would prefer to see this review done sooner than later so that the impact of potential increases to income support payments might be examined in conjunction with the business plan and main estimates.
Adult Basic Education Funding
The committee members are extremely concerned that the majority of funding for basic adult education programs sunsets at the end of March and that there are no apparent programs to replace this funding. Committee members cannot fathom how this government expects residents to take advantage of employment opportunities in our burgeoning resource sector with the minimal education levels that exist in some of our smaller communities.
There may be some validity to the department's argument that money for adult basic education did not have to be in the interim appropriation because these programs are not typically offered in the summer months. However, committee members strongly believe that this lack of available funding come April 1, 2000, may impact on the ability of smaller non-governmental organizations to survive until such a time as funding may be forthcoming.
Committee members believe that the issue of adult basic education is so important that it merits the same consideration shown to the Working Together Program and should be included in the interim appropriation.
Digital Communication Network, ArdiCom Ltd.
Committee members heard from the Minister that the department spends approximately $2 million in supporting the digital communication network. Whether the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment moves to a charge back model and makes other departments pay their fair share of the costs involved does not affect the stated issue that there is insufficient bandwidth to meet the needs of government.
The committee strongly recommends that the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment work in conjunction with the Department of Health and Social Services and the Financial Management Board Secretariat to resolve the issues with the digital communications network.
Special Needs in the Classroom
In light of the proposed increase in special needs funding encapsulated in Bill 1, it is apparent to committee members that the department must develop policies and a formula to ensure that the increased funding is dispersed wisely and equitably to all district education authorities. Committee members hope that the formula could take into account the tendency of families with children having learning disabilities to migrate to "magnet communities".
Committee members look forward to reviewing the formulas and policies that the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment develops to ensure the equitable distribution of special needs funding. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.