Thank you, Mr.
Chair. I will be
supporting the motion. I believe that, you know, we do have capable people in these communities. We have people involved in the renewable resource boards in our communities. Also, there is a program, through the Natural Resources program through Arctic College, where people have graduated through that program and can slide into these types of positions.
I think it’s important that we do everything we can to enhance the presence of renewable resource staff on the ground. We’re talking about, you know, challenges we’re facing in regard to the numbers dropping by way of migratory species, in regard to caribou. We’re talking about different problems we’re seeing with global warming and the question about polar bears and things like that.
I think this is just as important as someone sitting in the office in Yellowknife. If anything, it’s probably more important for those people who go out on the land and depend on these people as guide support services, and also to assist in the harvesting that takes place in our communities.
I think this position is vital to the community, considering it’s only $180,000 for two positions. I’m not too sure if, looking at so-called specialist positions we talked about earlier for somewhere around $600,000…. I think that shows our priorities
aren’t in the right place. So with that, I will be supporting the motion.