Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak today about employment in the service industry. I know from talking to a lot of local business people, local businesses are having a very difficult time attracting and keeping prospective employees.

I suppose there are various reasons for this, some of them good, some of them bad. Certainly, to some degree, it is a good problem. There is a lot of competition. Many people are employed in the mines, for instance, and making very good wages, Mr. Speaker. On the other hand, on the flip side, housing concerns are preventing us from drawing from a larger pool of people.

However, there are some optimistic signs. There was an article in the media today about a pre-employment training program sponsored by the HRDC. This particular program prepares people with disabilities for the workplace. Obviously, Mr. Speaker, many times likely these people had been on the income support rolls previously, and this is one way that they are able to get off those rolls. It teaches life skills, resume writing and helps to build self-esteem.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know how many of us are aware of this, but about 13 percent of the local population is disabled, and because of programs like this that the HRDC is sponsoring and the desire of these people to prepare for employment, many of them will be working and that is a great sign.

The next session for this program starts in March, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to urge potential workforce participants and also employers to contact the HRDC to learn more about this valuable program. Thank you.

-- Applause