Prince George, B.C. – The BC Conservative Party has offered up a five point point plan to end the government-teacher’s dispute.

Leader Dan Brooks says its as follows:

1. Victoria should drop its appeal of the latest ruling by the Supreme Court of B.C. (Bill 22 which was ruled unconstitutional because it stripped the union’s right to negotiate class size & composition).

2. The province and teachers should sign a new, five-year contract that provides salary increases of 1.5% per year.

3. The province should provide the teachers with a $2,500 signing bonus, payable in equal installments over a two-year period (Victoria offered a $1,200 bonus in June, the BCTF is asking for $5,000)

4. The issue of class size and composition should be addressed through the province’s Learning Improvement Fund.

The Fund’s annual budget should rise incrementally in equal installments, from $75 million in the current fiscal year to $150 million in 2017/18.

5. The outstanding issues of past grievances and future benefits should be sent to mediation to be concluded by the end of the 2015/16 fiscal year, with new allocations to address these issues starting in the 2017/18 fiscal year.

Brooks says reaction to his plan has been positive.

“It’s been very positive. I think people expected me to come out and call for the destruction of the union so the massive reaction has been wow! This is the conservatives talking some common sense.”

And as a father of seven girls (four of which are 12 and under and in the public school system) he’s not a fan of the province’s $40 a day plan.

“As a parent it’s highly offensive. To somehow suggest you’re going to take that money and give it to me for daycare as opposed to putting it towards resolving the dispute is just ludicrous.”