Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 324-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2015-16, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 324-17(5) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We’d like to continue with Tabled Document 324-17(5) and then the bills as listed in the order on the Order Paper: 56, 59, 62, 63, 64, 69, 45, 49, 60, 61, 65, 68.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I can’t go there. When this report comes out, I’d like to ask the Minister, if it’s going to go to the 18thAssembly, will it be made public? Will it be available to the teachers’ union, the NWTTA? Will it be available to Members of this House, or is it simply going to be a report that is going to sit in the department? Thank you.

I’m laughing because it’s ridiculous that a report generated by the 17thAssembly has been delayed almost by three months now, such that anything that’s in that report is now being sent off to the next Assembly. In my mind it’s ludicrous. That’s why I’m laughing. I’m not quite sure where to go from here.

To the Minister: If this is being sent off to the 18thAssembly, what does he expect in terms of an impact on the Junior Kindergarten Program? Not the details, but when does he think there’s going to be any kind of an impact on the Junior Kindergarten Program? Obviously, not for the school year ’15-16, but is he expecting impacts in the school year ’16-17? Thank you.

In October of ’14, we were advised that the report would be completed in July of 2015, which gave the current 17thAssembly Members, particularly the Standing Committee on Social Programs, an opportunity to review that report.

I’d like to ask the Minister, when was it decided that this would be punted to the 18thAssembly? This is news to me. I had fully expected to see this report before the end of this Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I’d like to follow up on my statement. In my statement I referenced a review of the Junior Kindergarten Program that was to have been completed in July of this year. There’s been no indication that that report is anywhere near completion.

I would first of all like to ask the Minister if he could provide an update to me and to the House with an update on the review of the Junior Kindergarten Program and when we might expect to see it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. About 12 months ago the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment promised, in this House, a review of the Junior Kindergarten program. Oh, that phrase sounds kind of familiar. Promised in this House. I’ve heard that before.

The Junior Kindergarten review was to be in done in July of 2015, and at the time of the announcement, I thought it was an ambitious timeline. Education, Culture and Employment has had a very full plate the last couple of years with Education Renewal Initiative and all the other reviews that they have been, and are, doing. But I took the Minister at his word and waited for notice of completion of the Junior Kindergarten report.

With all ECE is doing these days, when July came and went and there was no indication to either committee or Regular Members that a report was coming, I wasn’t surprised. I heard rumours suggesting the report might be done by the end of August, then the end of September. Well, we’re into October now and still no sign that a Junior Kindergarten report is on the horizon.

Obviously, the expected report is not going to have any impact on junior kindergarten operations for this school year. Obviously, there’s not going to be an opportunity for this Assembly to see the report and comment on it before the 2015 election, and that’s too bad. The 17thAssembly Standing Committee on Social Programs and several other Members invested considerable time, effort, thought and advice to government on the subject of junior kindergarten. All that experience will now be lost when it comes time to review the promised Junior Kindergarten review report, if it ever comes.

I know departments are busy. I know this report was intended to be comprehensive and so would take more than a bit of time. But the government should not make promises it cannot keep. I sincerely hope that Minister Lafferty’s promise is not as hollow as that made for the Deh Cho Bridge Project review.

I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, too, would like to comment on this extraordinary expense and I have to say that in hearing that we were spending up to $29 million for a low water surcharge, I wasn't surprised. I can't argue with this particular expenditure, I can't argue with the dollar amount, but I can argue the process. As was stated by Mr. Dolynny, Members really didn't have any opportunity to consider this expenditure before it was complete. Sure, there was a letter from the Premier dated August 31^st. I think Cabinet was well aware and the Premier should have been well aware that Members were not meeting at that time. We weren't scheduled to meet in committee until about the middle of September. I think Cabinet is well aware that we don't see correspondence immediately, that it's sent out.

Also, in late July, early August, I think there was an article in the paper, an interview with NTPC suggesting that we had low water and suggesting that there was going to be a requirement to spend the money. So again, I wasn't surprised when I read that this was coming, but I really feel strongly that we needed to be better informed as Regular Members.

So this particular expenditure, and I have to say again, this is $22 million, which is pretty much the full amount of what is putting us in the hole in terms of our reserve. Again I reiterate that we need to plan better, particularly in terms of our electricity, but in terms of expending money in general. Thanks, Madam Chair.