Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've heard more about junior kindergarten than any other issues in my 14 months as an MLA. There are people in Hay River who are philosophically opposed to junior kindergarten or believe it is not needed in Hay River, but I found that most residents are in support of JK. Only if it's fully funded, however.

Today, we heard from the Finance Minister that junior kindergarten will be funded by the end of this Assembly. While I'm glad to hear that the government has moved from its position of drastic underfunding, I'm still concerned about the adequacy of this commitment. I've seen various estimates for the cost of implementing JK, all greater than the amount committed today. It's also unclear if that amount includes all the costs associated with the renovations and equipment that will be needed to accommodate four-year-olds. For schools that expect only two or three JK students, there are minimal costs associated with implementing it. However, for Hay River there are significant capital costs, operating costs and logistical challenges. In a CBC article today, the Minister is quoted as saying that although the committed to fund JK by the end of the Assembly, school boards can apply for the money and receive it in the fall; however, I'm not convinced it'll be that simple.

School boards have to keep a small amount of money in the bank, a rainy day fund, so if there are unforeseen circumstances they can still make payroll, keep the buses running and keep the schools opened. I've been told my multiple school boards that these are the funds that ECE wants school boards to dip into to top off JK funding, and I'm concerned that ECE will deny the additional funding unless the school boards do so.

Mr. Speaker, I'm trying to get a handle on this JK situation, but it's turning into a he said, she said situation. I'll have some questions for the Minister of ECE later today and hopefully we can clear some of this up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.