Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the Member is very well aware, coming from the Sahtu, regarding the concern in the region about the pipeline delays. The new date we are talking about is 2014, Mr. Speaker. It is a concern to all northerners. This project will be a pillar of our economy in the future, we believe. It will spur additional exploration and development in these regions. But the Member is right in that we need to ensure our people are ready to take the jobs that will come their way. We have always insisted this project must do a number of things, but, first and foremost, it must benefit northerners, Mr. Speaker. We have negotiated a $21 million training fund in the socio-economic agreement. Mr. Speaker, we know those funds don't start to flow until the project is a go; so in the interim, I am working with the Minister of ECE. We have an Aboriginal Skills Employment Partnership program that marries up industry, government and aboriginal organizations to roll out some training not just for pipeline construction, Mr. Speaker, that is in a few years, but we are more interested in developing a workforce that can take advantage of the 50 or 100-year industry we are creating around oil and gas exploration. So it is on us collectively as northerners to meet this challenge. Yes, we will work to put the programs in place to make sure northerners are the beneficiaries of these jobs. Thank you.
Brendan Bell on Question 36-15(6): Maximizing Resource Development Employment Opportunities
In the Legislative Assembly on March 14th, 2007. See this statement in context.
Return To Question 36-15(6): Maximizing Resource Development Employment Opportunities
Question 36-15(6): Maximizing Resource Development Employment Opportunities
Item 6: Oral Questions
March 13th, 2007
Page 52
See context to find out what was said next.