I am pleased to rise to day to inform this honourable house about a new partnership to promote literacy in our province.

The Department of Education has provided the Rotary Club with $10,000 to expand the hugely successful Rotary-Read-Along beyond the Northeast Avalon to other areas of the province. Since its inception in 2003, the program has seen volunteer Rotarians and community leaders read to more than 5,000 children. It has also provided $60,000 worth of books to school libraries - books that feature provincial content, and local authors and illustrators.

Literacy promotion requires the dedication of government, business and community partnerships. Programs must reach those most in need and must respond to individual challenges.

The funding for the Rotary-Read- Along builds on significant investments this government is already making in literacy. I am pleased to report that there is $1.3 million more being spent on literacy grants and programs today than when we first formed government. As a result, literacy programming, including Adult Basic Education, is available in a greater number of locations and therefore to a greater number of people.

As you know, government is working to develop and nurture an environment which promotes literacy for all people. Working with partners like the Rotary Club, we can cultivate a culture of learning which is critical for our self-reliance and economic growth. We can help create a generation of readers with the ideas, talent and determination for success.

It is unfortunate that the federal government has decided to reduce funding to local literacy projects and I have been actively lobbying both the minister responsible for literacy and our provincial MPs to reinstate the funding that has been cut. And I will continue to do so. I am not prepared for the federal government to walk away from their responsibilities.

We will remain unwavering in our support of literacy promotion, because there should be no barriers to learning.

2006 11 27                       2:00 p.m.