Trying to sidestep the minefield here a little bit, I don't think there is any question it certainly is problematic.
The kinds of cuts that are being sustained now by regional and national organizations as a result of budget 2012 cuts will absolutely have an impact. Our core funding has gone down by about 50% in the last six years. Our project funding will probably take another 30% cut next year, so the ability to hire staff to prepare these briefings and engage with organizations will be greatly diminished.
It's not just us. That's my personal example I can speak to. It's even worse for some of the regional bodies that have gone from about $2 million budgets down to $500,000. We've seen massive layoffs in Saskatchewan recently and I think we will see that across the country.
It's absolutely going to have an impact on our ability to analyze, to participate, and to advocate in the way that we have.
We get asked all the time why continue to push and engage in an environment where on one hand they're offering to work, and on the other hand they're taking away your basic capacity to do anything. It is a real challenge.
The national chief made a decision that we need to work hard on the work. There are all these challenges around us. We're going to continue to focus on our priorities. We are seeing some results in the education, or we believe we'll see some results in education. This is another example where we need to push to be very clear.
There is no question, we operate in a challenging environment. It is not going away. This isn't really a partisan thing. The 2% cap, frankly, which froze education funding and froze funding to other health areas and other recreation and housing areas, was implemented by a different coloured government than the one that's here today. In our view, we need to work with whatever government is there, and work in whatever challenging environment is there.
Yes, it's problematic, but we're going to do the best with what we have.