Dr. Swann: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Government utilization policy is forcing school boards to drain the city core of schools in favour of the suburbs. At the same time, cities like Edmonton and Calgary, in keeping with the government's own land-use framework, are trying to reduce urban sprawl and revitalize their cores, which is hard to do without good schools to attract people to the core. To the Premier: will the Premier commit to an expeditious review of these contradic­tory education and municipal policies before real damage is done to core neighbourhoods in Calgary and Edmonton?

Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, it's not government policy that determines whether a school is closed or not. It's a question of what the most appropriate educational opportunities for students are. School boards have a responsibility to make sure they use their resources well to make sure that they have the best opportunity for students, and they do a good job at it. Edmonton public school board, with the city centre school project, closed some schools, yes, but made sure that the receiving schools provided a better educa­tional opportunity for the students in that area.

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that the last Minister of Education mentioned reviewing a school closure situation in 2005 and nothing happened, will the Premier end the empty promises and temporarily halt school closures in Edmonton and Calgary until this review is done?

Mr. Stelmach: As the minister mentioned, Mr. Speaker, we're going to do what's best in the interests of the education of the children.

Dr. Swann: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. They're clearly not talking to each other in the government. Given the government's policies for school utilization are on a collision course with munici­pal development, why won't the Premier take this issue seriously and put in place a school utilization policy that actually works with our municipalities instead of against them?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I can let the hon. member know that I have had many, many conversations with school boards and with mayors and municipalities about how we can better use our schools both as a school facility and as a community facility. We're working very closely with them in terms of how surplus school properties can be utilitized, how they can be maintained where necessary in order to be reused as a school when the neighbourhood regenerates. All of that work and that communication is actually happening.