The provincial government, even though we have significant resources and savings, is choosing to cut many of the agencies that, as you indicate, are very stretched already. Adults with developmental disabilities are taking a $10 million cut this year. Unfortunately, that wasn't announced many months ago. This $10 million cut has to be implemented in the last quarter of this fiscal year, so agencies have been just told in this city yesterday that they're cutting $3 million to all the agencies that serve adults with developmental disabilities. They have to make those cuts now, and they've been told to brace for 10% to 15% cuts for next year.
The staff in this province had been promised a 5% wage increase. These are staff who are already earning incredibly low wages. Usually front-line staff working in group homes can make $12 or $13 an hour, $15 an hour at most. And they were told that they weren't going to get that 5% wage increase this year. They're going to get a 0% increase. There are 18,000 people who work with adults with developmental disabilities in this province. In the last couple of years they've had a 40% staff turnover rate, so the agencies are constantly recruiting staff. The staff are not necessarily able to be well trained, so the quality of service is declining.