Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bill 8 and would like to report that Bill 8 is ready for third reading. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A critical missing connection must be made between the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative and the planned review and renewal of the Early Childhood Development Framework. The Education Minister informs me that a draft discussion paper on the ECD Framework is planned for June, with working group meetings in September. Stakeholder consultations will begin in January 2012, with the final product for the 17th Legislative Assembly. Meanwhile, the Minister’s Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative is well underway, with a product likely in this Assembly.

This puts the...

Does committee agree to the bill as a whole?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. We have before us, committee, Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Local Authorities Elections Act. Open for general comments. Any general comments? Detail? Is committee agreed?

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. I would like to ask the Minister now if he would like to bring in witnesses.

Thank you. Go ahead.

I don’t have any further questions. Thanks to the Minister for that commitment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for the comments from the Minister. I’m happy he appreciates what I’m trying to bring forward here and will try to address it. I still haven’t heard him address the scheduling difficulties, because there are two different tracks here. Decisions apparently will be made on Aboriginal student achievement earlier.

Will the Minister commit to reviewing this situation and briefing the Standing Committee on Social Programs at the earliest opportunity on how the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative and early childhood development reviews will be integrated before any...

Thanks to the Minister for those remarks. There are two problems with that approach, of course. First is that the early childhood development review has not been complete so we’re dealing with old information. Second, the Minister, in his briefings, has told me that the early childhood aspect of the review of Aboriginal student achievement focuses on schools, daycares, mandatory kindergarten for five year olds, optional kindergarten for four year olds. Even the family and student support focuses on things like family counsellors and tutors, access to school computers. These are way too late...

A comprehensive early childhood development plan is the essential first step to improve Aboriginal student achievement. Until we have early childhood plans in place, the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative will be lacking critical answers. Let’s not short change the vital early childhood issues by rushing to early decisions on formal schooling aspects of Aboriginal student achievement.

I will be asking the Minister of ECE questions on this. Mahsi.