Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for his introductory comments. I would like to start by noting an increase of 3.3 percent for this department. That’s sort of on the low end, which I am appreciative of. Zero is even better. The first thing I noticed was a reduction in the early childhood development of $200,000. To me this is a real priority, which I’ve highlighted before and I know the Minister is aware of that. I also see that there is a review plan of the early childhood and family literacy training and plans to improve that the following fiscal year. I am happy to see that. So I guess I am wondering what we are cutting out of Early Childhood Development Program there or $200,000. I am concerned about that.
Just going through, there are many things I do appreciate; the $150,000 investment to increase the hours of operations for small community libraries. That seems like a good investment to me. I am hugely supportive of the additional dollars for the arts, $700,000 bringing the annual budget next fiscal year to $2 million for arts and cultural contributions. I think it’s well demonstrated the economic return that you get back from those investments, so I think we’ll see that.
I note the $300,000 for collections and museum archival materials. I wonder, I’ve had a number of constituents ask about displays related to the Residential School Program and the impacts thereof, especially aboriginal people who are concerned that their young children are unaware of the implications and import of that issue. I’m hoping there might be some thinking along that line.
I also appreciate the $600,000 investment in literacy. I’m wondering if that’s an addition to the literacy program. I also think that’s an area where dollars spent are a true investment, that give us good return both economically and otherwise, health and so on. So a good way to address a broad range of our goals and objectives.
The proposing to increase our support for apprentices and women in apprenticing and aboriginal people, I’m very supportive of those things. I notice that we have two apprenticeship training officers who I think each are trying to sort of administer 100 apprentices. I think things are starting to burst at the seams there. I note that those officers...and I can’t even tell you, are they Public Works and Services or...I’m not sure where they’re housed. There’s getting to be a rapid turnover in those positions, so hopefully there’s some broader cross-department thinking to address that end of things and make sure those dollars stay effective.
The increase for immigration support, I know we seem to have taken it away from one of our non-government organizations that works with immigrants and I’m hoping that this new interest in supporting immigration will, in fact, re-establish support to organizations such as the one in Yellowknife that does such important work that is, apparently, closing its doors or close to it.
Under the income security remarks that the Minister made, further work on consolidation of income security, the department has rationalized its income security programs under a common policy framework and are going to introduce a new benefits structure to encourage greater self-reliance. That’s something that I’m interested in but I’m not sure exactly what this means, so I’d appreciate some further explanation of what that’s all about. That’s all I have, Mr. Chair. Thank you