Mr. Chairman, just to comment on the setting of priorities. Let me just clarify that while we are spending up to $11 million on Maximizing Northern Employment, we have not forgotten early childhood and in-school programs.
In fact, in this same supplementary appropriation, there is a request for $2 million for early childhood that we have included in here. We also have legislation in place requiring us to act on lowering the pupil-teacher ratio at the school level.
However, the reality is that we have jobs out there today, and this winter and next year and so on, that we have to prepare people for. I appreciate the Member's comments. We will keep in mind the need to balance out our spending and get returns. We also want to put an emphasis on investments that we will be able to measure and know whether or not they will be giving us early returns. If they are not, then we will cease those ones.
In terms of the costs for the Social Agenda Conference, the $225,000 is not the full cost. The full cost is estimated at $325,000. The additional costs were funded from within the existing appropriations of the Department of the Executive and from the social envelope departments. Our estimate right now is $327,000 for the full cost of the conference. Thank you.