Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much. When it comes to e-learning, I did visit the Sunchild e-learning program. A great initiative. I tried to get that same type of programming not only for youth but young adults in Fort Liard, but at that time there was a bandwidth issue, so we weren’t able to pursue it any further. I know there are still some issues in the smaller communities with bandwidth and that once those are addressed we can certainly move forward with the e-learning program on a small scale.

I’m certainly supportive of e-learning. I’ve seen the value of it. Like I said, I visited the Sunchild Reserve...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my number one constituent, my partner, Lucyanne Kendo, and my step-daughter, Brittany Jewel. Welcome to the gallery and to the proceedings. It’s great to see you here. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Finally a government document that references Highway No. 7. All kidding aside, Mr. Chairman, of course I have been using my favorite two words trying to get resolution over getting Highway No. 7 reconstructed and I know that it is very, very expensive. In the capital planning that we approved last fall, we are certainly making strides towards it and I just want to highlight it once again so we can keep paying attention to it. It is part of the Deh Cho Trail, the loop that goes from BC and all the way around to the Alberta border close to Hay River. It makes...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. When it comes to income support with the federal Minister’s recent announcement about increasing the amount of insurable hours, has the department done an assessment yet? It will affect the income support of people if it’s harder for people to get on, something like that.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to advise that when it comes to junior kindergarten in the communities, I have had constituents that are very supportive of it and it is something that we need in the communities, especially small communities, because the stats for progress in writing and reading is so low. In fact, it is so low that the department actually cancelled those Alberta achievement tests, but that is another story.

I certainly support junior kindergarten. I think that will give our younger preschool children a leg up as they enter our schooling system. It’s too bad someone already...

Just in terms of capital planning, I know that we review that in the fall time, so what is the time frame of continuing to press forward with the capital planning for small schools like Trout Lake? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, that’s fine. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, this is in regards to some numbered questions here. Projected in the main estimates are liquor sales of $48.5 million, cost of goods sold, $16.9 million and last year we had $47.5 million in sales and cost of goods sold as $17 million, so what the numbers here are saying is that we are buying cheaper products or something there. We like to drink $1 million worth, so somehow we must be buying bulk sales but we are consuming the same product for almost $1 million less. Can I get an explanation on that?

Thank you very much. I just wanted to get right into the financial shared services and amalgamating people into the financial shared services. I’ve been trying to find some documentation on this from the last time the committee had an update on it. I think it was just before our election in 2011, so I don’t know if P and P have had an update on where financial shared services is going.

The original intent, of course, was the logical thing to do was when we split the Department of ITI and ENR and there were some similar functions so we just kept shared services. I’ve spoken earlier in the House...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I certainly look forward to that research that the Minister wants to do and see what other resources are there that can assist these organizations.

I’d just like to know if the convictions for drinking and driving have increased. I think it was during the last review, I’d like to ask the Minister, has it increased? Thank you.