Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the lead Minister on the Anti-Poverty Strategy, Mr. Abernethy, and I want to note that there are good things happening on the Anti-Poverty Strategy development. I’m told by my people, constituents and acquaintances, that good collaborative basis has been established in carrying the work forward. I’m also encouraged that there’s at least one roundtable, maybe a couple established to get together and discuss this as it develops.
The one thing that I am concerned about is that there is an inexplicable attachment to a December 2012 deadline. A pretty tight time frame, but seemingly to be achieved at almost any cost. Now, there’s plenty of time for Mr. Abernethy to consider business plans in September, so there’s lots of time for planning there. Given that perhaps another month or two would add to the value of it, can the Minister explain why there is such a tight adherence to this bizarre deadline for an integrative process that has been set and whether or not he will commit to ensuring the process is given the time needed, regardless of the end of the calendar year?