Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue has always been one of finding adequate funds to be able to develop our programs. We're not in a situation where we have ever had excess funds that we could throw around. Over the course of this government, we have been trying to get, for instance, the pupil/teacher ratio back to where it was back in 1984. An important thing like education, this government has been struggling to be able to get back to the standards that we had 10, 15 years ago before we had substantial cuts in our funding by the federal government. So it's been a challenge for us to increase funding. However, over the past two years, the department has been able to find an extra $30,000 a year to assist the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre over and above what their core funding has been. So we're aware of the issue and where we've been able to help out, we have moved to do that. We agree that it's time to move on increasing their core funding and it will be one of the priorities that is brought forward by the department for the new government to consider.
Charles Dent on Question 130-15(6): Arts And Culture Program Funding
In the Legislative Assembly on August 16th, 2007. See this statement in context.
Further Return To Question 130-15(6): Arts And Culture Program Funding
Question 130-15(6): Arts And Culture Program Funding
Item 8: Oral Questions
August 15th, 2007
Page 348
See context to find out what was said next.