Mr. Boutilier: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wasn't sure if . . . [interjection] To the person across the way who said, "Quack, quack," you look like a duck.

Having said that, I spoke to students today from my constituency, three high school students. We've heard the government say that education is an investment, not an expense. As a follow-up, schools are being closed, programs are being cut, yet there's a contradiction: the government is blaming school boards. To the Minister of Education: can you please explain this contradiction? Why are you blaming school boards for the lack of funding by this government?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, I don't know of any school in that particular member's jurisdiction that's been closed. In fact, we're trying to open them as fast as we can. The reality is that we have school boards in this province, and we have school boards in this province because we believe that the connection to the local community is a very important part of the educational process. If we're going to have school boards, we cannot be constantly second-guessing the decisions that are in their purview to make and taking those decisions out of their hands just because people don't like the decisions that are being made. They have to balance it, and they have to make tough decisions.

Mr. Boutilier: Yes. Thank you. Given the comments by the Minister of Education I want him to commit to this Assembly that he will not cut education in Edmonton or in Fort McMurray or in any one of the MLA's constituencies. Because he believes education is, in fact, an investment, not an expense, why don't you cut somewhere else, such as your own salaries, the 33 per cent you're giving yourself?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I don't know where this hon. member has been for the balance of the session that's happened so far when we've spent time talking about it. There are only two budgets that I know of — there may be more — that have gone up in this province. One is health, and the other is education, clearly indicating to the public of Alberta where this government's priorities are.

Mr. Boutilier: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that he says that education is an investment, yet universities are being cut back, programs are being cut back, schools are being closed in his very own constituency, my question is: commit to this House that there will not be any further cuts to schools, laying off of teachers because of the commitment to education to those three young people that are in the gallery.

Mr. Hancock: What an absolute absurdity, Mr. Speaker, an absolute absurdity. Will I commit to this member that no teacher will ever be fired? It's just a few short years ago when we heard: how do we make sure that we have the best possible teachers, and how do we make sure that those that aren't the best teachers find other things to do? It would be absolutely absurd to guarantee to this member that there would never be any change in life or any change in the world. What I can say is this: education is a priority for this government. We've increased the funding, and all school boards have had access to that money.