Caroline Wawzonek
Deputy Premier
Statements in Debates
Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't know if my pages are the same as yours, but regardless, Madam Chair, I am familiar enough to be able to tell you that -- yes, sorry. Madam Chair, that is funded by the federal funding, and it was just a carry-over that was required because the federal funding simply wasn't spent in the last year, Madam Chair. It's ongoing work that is happening. The money is there from the federal government and needs to be carried over. I am not sure if the Member wants more explanation for that. I can certainly turn it over to Mr. Koe if he does.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to put a number to it, this is funding that will support 20 positions, including significant front-line positions as well as support staff to help ensure that the front-line workers aren't doing their own background administrative supports as well as support to develop cultural safety and curriculum development. As far as the recruitment, Madam Chair, part of the problem was just in the process. The authorities have developed a human resources recruitment and retention plan, and that is expected to make the process of recruiting and retaining staff more streamlined...
Thank you, Madam Chair. I actually asked Mr. Koe. I think it may not be very detailed. Some of it, we do, at least, have a list of the intended or expected activities in 2020-2021. If I could turn it over to him, please?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am not as well-versed to speak to the ins and outs of what went out in the last round of negotiations in a prior Assembly. I can say that this $650,000 is intended to be a temporary offset because of reduced revenues in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 in Western Canadian Lotteries, which are a significant source of revenue for multisport funding within MACA. That reduction in revenue was resultant from lower lottery purchases than usual, which, in turn, was the result, at least in part, of a fairly significant network outage such that there simply was no ability to have sales...
Madam chair, certainly, a percentage of the total carry-overs from subsequent years certainly, this is the largest percentage over the course of several other years. The average hovers at just over 12 percent. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I am getting the answer is "no" right now. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Nationally, departments of justice, provinces, and territories have all agreed that they would increase the use of alternative measures by 5 percent, or restorative justice by 5 percent, and we're no different from that. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to certainly aim higher than that; 5 percent isn't necessarily very much. Certainly, we are going to be looking, as we always do, as to how we can better continue to engage community justice committees, what we can do to make better use of those committees, and to encourage the use of alternative measures. Diversion numbers have...
Madam Chair, I don't know. I don't have a target date in front of me. I'm not sure if the Minister of ECE has that available.
Thank you, Madam Chair. If I could turn it over to the Minister of ITI, please.
Madam Chair, the largest number of the projects that are impacted here are the Investing in Canada infrastructure projects. Those are the ones that make up the largest chunk of this particular supplementary appropriation request. Thank you, Madam Chair.