Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the whole area of community empowerment and the needs of the people in the community. Mr. Speaker, we speak about community empowerment allowing
communities to take on more initiatives. We do not spend much time talking about the needs of the community to take on these initiatives. I am talking, Mr. Speaker, in regard to the human resource development these communities need to ensure that the people who do take on these responsibilities have the adequate resources and the training that goes with those positions. Mr. Speaker, in a lot of our communities we have taken on initiatives with regard to community empowerment such as economic development officers' positions and with regard to the social workers, human resource and also income support positions. These positions are held on a part-time basis or the individuals who took on these responsibilities would like to have the training to take on these additional responsibilities this government hands them.
In the past, basically, most people within the government who had these positions concentrated on one effort. With regard to the communities, more and more responsibilities are given to these different portfolios and the individuals who have to deliver them. Yet, within this government, Mr. Speaker, there is money for the Government of the Northwest Territories' employees to take training to move on in different portfolios they have in regard to accounting, upgrading their skills to allow them to do a better job on behalf of this government.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the communities, it seems like it is the other way. We will give you the funding and the responsibilities but we do not have the money to train you. Mr. Speaker, I would say in light of community empowerment, block funding initiatives and other areas, that it is the responsibility of this government to ensure all people are treated equally, especially when it comes to training programs, regardless of whether it is in regard to human resource development that same aspect should be offered to communities when we empower them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause