Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The whole idea behind a formula is to allow flexibility so that different communities can do things differently. When I talk to board chairs they tell me that they like the way it's being done. If the Member is getting it differently from the board chairs here, I'd sure like to hear that from them. In fact, they tell me I've been too prescriptive with the funding and put too many directives and limits on how the money can be spent; they would like more flexibility. Any formula that you come up with is going to be a compromise and it's never going to suit everybody, but what it does right now is it represents the best compromise we can come up with for school districts across the Territories.

In terms of putting a social worker in every school, I agree. In fact, I chaired a committee in 1993 that reported to this Legislative Assembly that every school should have a social worker. I don't disagree with that. But you know what? We've got $170 million that we've got to spend. We think that the formula that we have right now is the best way in which to divide that up among the schools. It allows the flexibility for those schools that see it as being extremely important to put in a social worker, and for other schools to put in a librarian if they see that position is important, as well. People can make those decisions at the local level. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.