Legislative Assembly of Alberta the 30Th Legislature Second Session
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 30th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Families and Communities Ministry of Education Consideration of Main Estimates Wednesday, March 10, 2021 9 a.m. Transcript No. 30-2-10 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 30th Legislature Second Session Standing Committee on Families and Communities Goodridge, Laila, Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche (UC), Chair Sigurdson, Lori, Edmonton-Riverview (NDP), Deputy Chair Dang, Thomas, Edmonton-South (NDP),* Acting Deputy Chair Amery, Mickey K., Calgary-Cross (UC) Carson, Jonathon, Edmonton-West Henday (NDP) Glasgo, Michaela L., Brooks-Medicine Hat (UC) Gotfried, Richard, Calgary-Fish Creek (UC) Lovely, Jacqueline, Camrose (UC) Neudorf, Nathan T., Lethbridge-East (UC) Pancholi, Rakhi, Edmonton-Whitemud (NDP) Rutherford, Brad, Leduc-Beaumont (UC) Sabir, Irfan, Calgary-McCall (NDP) Smith, Mark W., Drayton Valley-Devon (UC) * substitution for Lori Sigurdson Also in Attendance Hoffman, Sarah, Edmonton-Glenora (NDP) Support Staff Shannon Dean, QC Clerk Teri Cherkewich Law Clerk Trafton Koenig Senior Parliamentary Counsel Philip Massolin Clerk Assistant and Director of House Services Sarah Amato Research Officer Melanie Niemi-Bohun Research Officer Nancy Robert Clerk of Journals and Research Officer Warren Huffman Committee Clerk Jody Rempel Committee Clerk Aaron Roth Committee Clerk Rhonda Sorensen Manager of Corporate Communications Jeanette Dotimas Communications Consultant Tracey Sales Communications Consultant Janet Schwegel Director of Parliamentary Programs Amanda LeBlanc Deputy Editor of Alberta Hansard Transcript produced by Alberta Hansard Standing Committee on Families and Communities Participant Ministry of Education Hon. Adriana LaGrange, Minister March 10, 2021 Families and Communities FC-413 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 10, 2021 I would like to note the following substitution for the record: Mr. Title: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 fc Dang as deputy chair for MLA Lori Sigurdson. [Ms Goodridge in the chair] Before we begin, I would note that in accordance with the recommendations from the chief medical officer of health, Ministry of Education attendees at today’s meeting are advised to leave the appropriate Consideration of Main Estimates distance between themselves and other meeting participants. In addition, as indicated in the February 25, 2021, memo from the hon. The Chair: I would like to call the meeting to order and welcome Speaker Cooper, I would remind everyone of committee room everyone here this morning. The committee has under consideration protocols in line with health guidelines, which require members to the estimates of the Ministry of Education for the fiscal year ending wear masks in the committee rooms and while seated except when March 31, 2022. speaking, at which time they may choose to not wear a mask. I would ask that we go around the table and have members A few housekeeping items to address before we turn to the introduce themselves for the record. My name is Laila Goodridge, business at hand. Please note that the microphones are operated by and I am the MLA for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche and the chair Hansard staff, and committee proceedings are being live streamed of this committee. We will begin to my right. on the Internet and broadcast on Alberta Assembly TV. The audio- and videostream and transcripts of meetings can be accessed via the Mr. Dang: Good morning. Thomas Dang, MLA for Edmonton- South and acting deputy chair of this committee. Legislative Assembly website. Those participating virtually are asked to turn on their camera while speaking and to please mute Mr. Neudorf: Good morning. Nathan Neudorf, MLA for your microphone when not speaking. To be placed on the speakers Lethbridge-East. list, virtual participants should e-mail or send a message in the group chat to the committee clerk, and members in the room are Mr. Smith: Mark Smith, MLA for Drayton Valley-Devon. asked to please wave or otherwise signal to the chair. Please set your cellphone and all other devices to silent for the duration of the Michaela Glasgo, MLA, Brooks-Medicine Hat. Ms Glasgo: meeting. Ms Lovely: Jackie Lovely, Camrose constituency. Hon. members, the standing orders set out the process for consideration of the main estimates. A total of six hours have been Ms Pancholi: Rakhi Pancholi, MLA, Edmonton-Whitemud. scheduled for consideration of the estimates for the Ministry of Education. Standing Order 59.01(6) establishes the speaking Ms Hoffman: Sarah Hoffman, Edmonton-Glenora. rotation and speaking times. In brief, the minister or a member of Executive Council acting on the minister’s behalf will have 10 The Chair: Now we’ll go to the members participating virtually. minutes to address the committee. At the conclusion of her remarks When I call your name, please introduce yourself for the record. a 60-minute speaking block for the Official Opposition begins, Brad Rutherford. followed by a 20-minute speaking block for independent members, Mr. Rutherford: Good morning. Brad Rutherford, MLA, Leduc- if any, and then a 20-minute speaking block for the government Beaumont. caucus. Individuals may only speak for 10 minutes at a time, but time may be combined between the member and minister. The The Chair: Mickey Amery. rotation of speaking time will then follow the same rotation of the Official Opposition, independent members, and then the Mr. Amery: Good morning, committee members. Mickey Amery, government caucus, with individual speaking times set to five MLA, Calgary-Cross. minutes for both the ministry and the member. These times may be The Chair: Richard Gotfried. combined into a 10-minute block. On a final note, please remember that all conversations must flow through the chair at all times Mr. Gotfried: Good morning. Richard Gotfried, MLA, Calgary- regardless as to whether or not speaking times are combined. If Fish Creek. members have any questions regarding speaking times or the rotation, please feel free to send an e-mail or message to the The Chair: Due to the current landscape that we are in, all ministry committee clerk about the process. staff will be participating in the estimates debate virtually. Minister, With the concurrence of the committee, I will call a five-minute I will ask that you please introduce yourself and any of the officials break near the midpoint of the meeting; however, the three-hour who are joining you who may be speaking on the record. clock will continue to run. Is anyone opposed to having a break? Wonderful. We will co-ordinate with the other group to have a Member LaGrange: Happy to do so. With me today I have Andre Tremblay, deputy minister; Brad Smith, assistant deputy minister, break at the midpoint so that we’re not, both groups, going for a financial services; Emily Ma, director, budget and fiscal analysis, break at the same time. financial services. I also have representatives from my ministry Ministry officials, at the direction of the minister, may address who are ready to help me answer any of the questions that may the committee. Ministry officials are asked to please introduce come forward: Paul Lamoureux, acting assistant deputy minister, themselves for the record prior to commenting. Space permitting, program and system support; Jeff Willan, assistant deputy minister, opposition caucus staff may sit, appropriately distanced, at the table strategic services and governance; Tracy Imai, chief of staff for the to assist their members; however, members have priority to sit at deputy minister’s office; Chris Bourdeau, communications the table at all times. director; Richard Arnold, acting executive director for the K to 12 If debate is exhausted prior to the six hours, the ministry’s fiscal oversight sector; and Alysson Blaine, manager of policy and estimates are deemed to have been considered for the full time strategy, deputy minister’s office. allotted in the schedule, and the committee will adjourn. Points of order will be dealt with as they arise; however, the speaking block The Chair: Thank you, Minister. and the overall three-hour meeting clock will continue to run. FC-414 Families and Communities March 10, 2021 Any written material provided in the response to questions raised Alberta students deserve a world-class, high-quality education, during the main estimates should be tabled by the minister in the and that starts with stable funding for school authorities. As you Assembly for the benefit of all members. know, this upcoming September we will enter the second year of The vote on the estimates or any amendments will occur in the new kindergarten to grade 12 funding model. Our commitment Committee of Supply on March 17, 2021. Amendments must be in to stable and predictable education funding is why we introduced writing and approved by Parliamentary Counsel prior to the the model for the current school year. It means the enrolment meeting at which they are to be moved. The original amendment is changes have less of an impact on funding, and it supports to be deposited with the committee clerk, and as a courtesy an appropriate planning for school authorities, who will receive their electronic version of the signed original should be provided to the funding commitment letters well ahead of the school year. The committee clerk for distribution to committee members. 2021-22 funding manual will be posted and each school authority’s I will now invite the Minister of Education to begin with her funding profile will be provided by the end of March. opening remarks. Minister, you have 10 minutes. The education funding model is a simplified, flexible system that has fewer funding envelopes and reporting requirements. These are Member LaGrange: Thank you so much. Thank you for joining all characteristics that the system told us they wanted to see. It also us today to discuss Education’s 2021 budget and main estimates. allows us to take concrete action to put education spending on a As everyone knows, we are in the midst of an extraordinarily more sustainable path for the long term.