Madam Chair. Once again, as Mr. Ootes has mentioned, we run the risk of repeating comments and questions that were asked by your fellow MLA's. My comments reference similar statements that Mr. Ootes made, along with Mr. Picco, and so on.
My prime concern, when reviewing the sessional statement, refers to job creation. I note in the statement, I believe it states that there was great progress made regarding job creation. That may be true in the western arctic and it may be true, more in particular, to the BHP project, near Lac de Gras, but I can assure you that little or nothing has happened in my region, where we have the highest unemployment per capita in the country, at times running up to 75-80%.
We are, at this point, working our way into the second year, this thirteenth Assembly, but still, to my knowledge, there is no strategic job employment plan that has been finalized and presented. With reference to mining, it is true that there is some activity in my area, but we are certainly years away from the establishment of a mine. That will certainly bring us into the year 2000 or more. We cannot afford to wait for the mining industry to do what needs to be done right now, and that is to create more employment, or employment period, for the people of the Kivallivik, and of Nunavut, in general.
I would ask the Premier, what can he offer that will lend some comfort to the people of the Kivallivik? As I indicated, a mine is maybe in the near future, but we are still talking years away.
I will close off with this final comment. We have been concentrating this last year on taking jobs away and layoffs because of our budget situation. In Baker Lake alone, which used to be the regional centre for social services for the Keewatin, as of the last month or so, there are 4 PY's that are eliminated. It is no longer the regional centre. Those PY's are either gone, or have been located to Rankin. So, as you can see, the end result for my region, and the view does not look very good--once again I ask the Premier, what can you offer to provide a level of comfort to the people of the Kivallivik, and to Nunavut, in relation to job creation?