Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague Ms. Bisaro yesterday, rose in the House to talk about our Summer Student Employment Program. Mr. Speaker, I think this is an extremely important undertaking of this government to provide opportunities for our students to come back to the Northwest Territories to work for the summer. We talk about our wonderful Student Financial Assistance Program and, yes, that is there, but, Mr. Speaker, if they can supplement the cost of their higher education by working for this government during the summer, it is very important. Mr. Speaker, I was surprised the other day to open a local newspaper and see an advertisement from the Government of Saskatchewan recruiting students in a northern newspaper to come and work for the Government of Saskatchewan. Obviously, they know that there must be some merit in introducing students from other jurisdictions to their province, and they’re probably thinking ahead, and thinking that if they came there to work for the summer and quite liked the place, they might stand a chance of attracting them back at some future time in their life after their education is completed. Mr. Speaker, I think that any students that we can give jobs to for the summer is very good value for money. We get the work done by these young,

energetic employees; we support them in the pursuit of their higher education goals; they develop connections and relationships in the workplace environment that may lead to future employment prospects for them; and we realize some return of service for SFA investment and earlier education investment. Mr. Speaker, I believe that every returning student who is an indigenous Northerner should be treated as a priority hire by this government. Mr. Speaker, later today I will have questions for the Minister of Human Resources about the hiring policy and I hope, as well, Ms. Bisaro’s questions yesterday about the potential for students being hired on the basis of family connections is something that’s going to be looked into, because I don’t want our government to do anything that could potentially discourage our students from feeling like this is their home. This is where they will belong and they will be treated fairly by this government when seeking employment. Thank you.