Thank you, Mr. Chair. We currently have three communications staff positions.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Testart.

Thank you. How many policy analysts, policy positions, are within that line item, policy, legislation and communications, on page 31? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister Moses.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Testart.

Thank you. Does the department feel that this is a sufficient complement of staff to succeed in its legislative agenda as it is currently envisioned and adequately consult and communicate that legislative agenda with Members of the public and the standing committees as appropriate? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Deputy Minister Haener.

Thank you, Deputy Minister Haener. Mr. Testart.

Thank you. Just on the matter of the Education Act, in particular vis-a-vis communications, there was a change in instructional hours that was negotiated between the Teachers' Association and the government. Now, that change needs to be reflected in legislation. However, that is coming late in the day to legislators, so are those kinds of realities being properly understood by the department, and are we going to catch those in the future? I think it is very important we remember the very important role that standing committees and elected officials play in reviewing legislation and ensuring that this legislation is the best possible legislation it can be, so is that properly envisioned by the work that policy, legislation, and communications is doing within the department? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. During the whole negotiation process for the instructional hours, we did have staff at those negotiations, so they knew what needed to be coming out of those meetings that was going to impact the Education Act. They knew the legislation that was going to be coming forward. I will go to my deputy minister for more details.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Deputy Minister Haener. Although the time is up, but it is the answer, so go ahead.

Thank you, Deputy Minister Haener. Members? Go ahead, Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just in response to the deputy minister's last answer, there are some significant loose ends around instructional hours at this point, specifically whether there are enough hours for the high school courses to count toward the diploma and be equivalent to Alberta.

Given the fact that the department had months of lead time -- I think the first MOU was signed in September -- where is the problem here in trying to give the information to the primary stakeholder here, which is the parent? I mean, the students often are too young to be considered the primary stakeholders, although that is not the case in high school, but it is parents who fill up my inbox and my phone message system saying that they do not understand what is going on. They do not feel like they are getting the information they need. I guess I am looking for more than just an intention to change. There needs to be change, actually. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As this is a piloted project for the next three years, each school will develop their own plan in terms of instructional hours. They are working on those right now. They should be done, each school should have their instructional hours plan developed, by the end of March, so my suggestion to you, as any parent approaches you, ask them to go and speak to the principal or the superintendent on how this is going to roll out in the specific school's plan.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to the Minister, but that completely misses the point. This is an agreement between the GNWT and the Teachers' Association. The onus is on the GNWT to communicate with parents about the MOU that they reached with the Teachers' Association and to be proactive in telling them what this project is about, how it is going to be evaluated, and what impact it will have on their kids. I mean, up to this point there are no clear answers on this from the government, and I believe that it is the government's role. It is not good enough to say, well, each school needs to respond to this. This is direction being given by the government. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have tried to use numerous outlets, such as the media; we have information on our websites; there was a technical briefing. For further details, I will go to my deputy minister. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Deputy Minister Haener.