From the early days, Mr. Chairman, our department has recognized that we need to address not just the hydrocarbon development and the mining development, but training in all areas of possibilities.
We developed a human resource development plan. That went to the federal government. We tried to get some money from them to help us out. So far, we are continuing our effort in that whole area to see if we cannot get the federal government to participate.
My ADM had participated and is continuing to participate in what we call an action team that consisted of RWED, ourselves, the federal government through DIAND, HRDC, the aboriginal groups and industry. The action team was going to move forward to request funding from the federal government through our human resource development plan. That all came to a screeching halt last September because of the need for the federal government to put money into the security issue.
We are continuing that. I am trying to revive that so we do get support for it.
Secondly, Ms. Allen is a participant in a team on the pipeline itself. A group has been formulated. Industry is the chair of it. Our two departments are part of it. Federal departments are part of it, and the aboriginal groups are part of it. That is to take care of looking at training and benefits of building the pipeline itself.
We need to go beyond that. Yes, there are opportunities that will be spin-offs, as you have referenced, that we need to say how do we get the training for those people? That is where I go back to I need support funding from the federal government. We as a territorial government have continued to put some money into this, to the tune of $7 million a year, which we started last summer, the Maximizing Northern Employment, because we have to build capacity for our own people.
Is it enough? Well, it is a lot of money for us, but we could use more. That is where I need the help from federal input here. Thank you.