Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve heard the Minister of Finance’s priorities stated in

his budget address today. Today I will take my two minutes and add some of my priorities, review some of my priorities that I will pursue in the upcoming budget debate.

At the top of the list is implementation of the recommendations of the Child and Family Services Act review. We heard more evidence of this urgent need on this morning’s news with the extremely sad report of a teen suicide and the coroner specifically urging action on the committee’s recommendations.

Action on housing. We urgently need a comprehensive, cross-departmental strategy for sustainable housing as a social program and an engine of local economies and to build our housing stock on sustainable, energy-efficient practices. Sunsetting of federal funds makes this even more pressing.

We must move now to achieve science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets supported again by cross-government action including new renewable energy projects and progressive work towards a smartly designed carbon tax. A listen to any news report will confirm the urgency of this action. I suggest that creation of a climate change mitigation and adaptation department be forwarded to the 17th Assembly for consideration.

We need a position in the Executive to support the capacity and vital work of the volunteer sector.

I look forward to the establishment of our Heritage Fund. Let’s kick-start that fund with a progressive resource tax to get full value from resource extraction until devolution six to eight years hence.

Extension of supplementary health benefits to those now lacking coverage. Cutting pharmaceutical costs through joint buying is a priority and can help recover these extra costs.

Further, critical investments in child care and early childhood development. Actions on the recommendations on the No Place for Poverty workshop. The grassroots workshop gave us a program of priorities and actions. Let’s get going on that wisdom with actions to usher this work into the 17th Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve heard the Minister mention some of these items and I’ll be bringing up the rest during debate.

Mr. Speaker, money is tight and we are flirting dangerously with our debt limit. We need a Program Review Office that actually produces a much more effective prevention and comprehensive, coordinated, cross-government action than we have…