Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just following up on the Diamond Jenness school. There have been two technical review studies done since 1980; 1996, I believe, was the last one. I know for a fact that this thing has been on the drawing board in the past, has been scheduled in regard to our capital planning process, and it continues to keep being bumped forward versus trying to do something with it. I think it is important as a government that we do everything we can do to bring this project to fruition or allow it to see the light of day.
There are some major technical challenges to that facility. It is 35 years old. I have gone through the facility myself and also have seen the reports that have come out on that facility. I think we have to do everything to ensure that we have a quality of education, also ensuring that the safety and well-being of the students and the teachers are our first priority. Especially with facilities which are 35 years old, there are a lot of health issues surrounding it in
regard to the types of materials that were built 35 years ago. Now a lot of those materials are registered as hazardous materials.
I’d like to ask to the Minister again, knowing this has been previously approved and now it has been deferred forward, knowing the amount of work that has been expended over the years in regard to the amount of study, the amount of reports, the amount of assessments…. There were plans in place to look at alternative space while the construction took place; I know that took place. So a lot of dollars have been expended on this project, a lot of work done by Public Works and Services. I’d like to ask the Minister: do you have the cost breakdown on how much money has been expended to date on the Diamond Jenness School, and why is it that it continues to be bumped ahead?