MR. ANDREW YOUNGER: Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. Earlier in the day (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. Hold on, I can't hear the member.

The honourable member for Dartmouth East has the floor.

MS. WHALEN: Can the Minister of Finance tell all members of the House today how many of his caucus colleagues addressed teachers and concerned community members at these rallies? (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER: It's not within the minister's portfolio. Do you want the question redirected to the Minister of Education?

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Today's school board report highlights the need to ensure that we have a quality public education system across all Nova Scotia, including our rural areas. The students there are concerned about getting a good education, wherever they live in Nova Scotia. So I ask this question on behalf of Mrs. Black's Grade 12 students at Springhill High School.

Before we start Oral Questions Put By Members today, I would like to remind all honourable members of this Chamber that the use of BlackBerrys, laptops and other electronic devices are not permitted during Question Period, so they are to remain off during that time.

We do have lots of cameras in the Legislative Assembly for me to check afterward to see who is on their machine or not. Just to let you know that I did have some requests about use on all sides of the House and I will enforce that rule very stringently starting today.

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE: Madam Speaker, on a point of order. The member who has the floor not speak to what the Progressive Conservative Party might or might not do - he is speaking about something that has absolutely nothing to do with this bill, which is a violation of the rules of the House.

MS. PETERSON-RAFUSE: Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and his Party do not understand the role of Community Services and the role of the RCMP. (Interruption) The role of the RCMP is to investigate (Interruptions).

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. The honourable Minister of Community Services has the floor.

MS. PETERSON-RAFUSE: The role of the RCMP (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. The time allotted for the Oral Question Period has expired.

MR. EDDIE ORRELL: Mr. Speaker, last week the NDP rolled out their votes and pork-barrelling-first plan. We know about one vote that didn't get bought. Some parents in Eastern Passage have questions. In an e-mail, one Eastern Passage mother was concerned that at the same time the NDP Government is making education cuts, they have $15 million laying around to create a high school. She said something is wrong when you are faced with laying off teachers but are putting millions of dollars into an unnecessary school.
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MR. SPEAKER: Before I move on to Government Notices of Motion, I've reviewed the petition submitted by the honourable member for Truro-Bible Hill. Unfortunately, all the petitions must bear original signatures - photocopies of petitions and printouts of Internet petitions are not acceptable. It's been ruled on many times in this House of Assembly, so I rule this petition out of order.