Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to make some comments about the maximizing northern employment program. As I stated many times in this House, I do believe that it is a very good program, it's one that is getting lots of good feedback from those who are able to take advantage of it, northern graduates, who need assistance to get their feet in the door, whether it be with the public service or in private sectors and also the nurses and social workers and teachers whose jobs are being guaranteed with GNWT upon graduation.

One area that I have been talking about that I think could have been addressed under this program that has not been addressed concerns the post-secondary students with disabilities. Mr. Chairman, I tabled a document in the House called "Information on the Northern Graduate Employment Programs". That is a component of maximizing northern employment. The reason why I tabled that is because it came into my possession, I think it is a publicly available document, but someone came to my office with an issue under that on a different topic and when I was reading through it, I noticed that in the section where it defines what northern graduates are there is a note that says, "The above would exclude disabled individuals who were attending specialized facilities outside the NWT immediately prior attending a post-secondary institution". Special consideration would have to be given to these

situations. I was curious about this section because I wanted to know what was available for students with disabilities under maximizing northern employment.

So, I've inquired about that and what I've learned is there is special consideration for those students who are northern residents but had to be in southern schools because of their disability. This does not cater to what I thought it might have meant, which would be to help those students with disabilities who get post-secondary education to come back and get help just like the other student. So, I wanted to bring this issue to the attention of the House as well as the Minister and whoever is working with this program.

So, I'm wondering if I could get information as to whether or not, when this program was being designed, was there any thought given to what we, as a government, could do to help those graduates, who get out of school and who have disabilities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.