Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to bring attention to an issue that is very frustrating to some Northerners and indeed myself. Mr. Speaker, with the advent of increased development in our territory, we need to ensure that we have an educated workforce that will be able to meet the demands of development. In addition, Mr. Speaker, there should be a strong commitment from our government to recruit and develop a northern workforce. Mr. Speaker, the government's maximizing northern employment program is a good initiative that goes a long way in addressing the needs of our northern workforce. However, it appears that there is more work to be done. Mr. Speaker, I am still hearing of instances of educated young Northerners who have attempted to return to the North and put their skills to use to no avail. I have read volumes of literature, Mr. Speaker, about our government seeking qualified nurses, teachers and other professionals.

Mr. Speaker, on the flip side, I am well aware of instances whereby a northern graduate teacher has done all the right things in applying to our district education council and our local schools for gainful employment. Mr. Speaker, these same northern graduates then wait patiently and they are not even favoured with a reply by the district education council that their resumes have been received, and that they have to find out through contacts in the school systems that teaching positions have been filled and they weren't even considered.

These graduate teachers that I speak of, Mr. Speaker, are born and raised in the North, yet they find themselves unable to return to the North and teach. I find this totally unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. We must, as a government, do everything in our power to encourage our young people to return to the North after graduation.

Mr. Speaker, I do believe it is high time that we ensure that our northern graduates are truly given priority in hiring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause