Ontario Hansard - 24-June2004

Ms Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock): I rise today to draw your attention to a matter that I believe the Minister of Education needs to address. We wrote him to express our support for the students and families of Carden and Dalton in their efforts to continue to send their children to schools within the Simcoe County District School Board.

On March 9, Garfield Dunlop and I wrote to the minister, asking for help to resolve the student busing issue. We asked the minister for assistance. We asked him about a 2003 regulation, introduced by the Progressive Conservative government, that was to be reintroduced and considered by cabinet this past spring.

On May 3, I asked the minister a question in the Legislature. He replied, "I undertake to the member opposite that we are exploring that now and will report back to her further on our success, in terms of both dialoguing with the board and looking at how provincial rules may have brought a part of this situation about."

Garfield Dunlop has also been working very hard to try to resolve the matter for students. He has also risen in this House to mention it on several occasions.

It is now June 24, and still we have heard nothing from this minister. The parents and school boards have heard nothing from this minister. Calls to his office have only confirmed for us that our letter has been received and a response is being worked on.

It is time to start putting students first. The parents, students and school boards are all waiting for the minister to respond. It has been almost four months. The school year is drawing to an end and still nobody has any more information than they did in March.