Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In November 2010 I went to Ottawa to meet with Minister Finley to talk about the federal government’s plan to continue the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Program. At that time, Mr. Speaker, she did not make any commitments.

Minister Finley explained that the federal government was focussing on the implementation of the federal framework for Aboriginal and economic development. Mr. Speaker, this framework includes the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy. The focus is on demand-driven skills development and fostering partnerships with private sectors.

There are seven assets, organizations or agreements with Aboriginal governments in the Northwest Territories. The Aboriginal Skills and Partnership Fund, this funding is intended to complement asset funding to support specific

projects. The establishment of a new regional economic development agency for the North, CanNor. Both the Mine Training Society and the federal government are also undertaking respective evaluations of the ASEP funding. It will be important to see the results of these evaluations to determine the actual impact of ASEP funding in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, officials from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment have contacted the Government of Nunavut and also Yukon. To date, the other territorial governments have not been approached by their respective ASEP partners, unless they did just recently, to lobby the federal government for their successor model and have not taken any initiatives related to continued ASEP funding. However, Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to developing Aboriginal people, improving their partnership in the labour market.

In addition to being a partner in ASEP agreements, ECE invests in several programs and initiatives aimed to improve Aboriginal participation in the workforce, including Aurora College, ALBE, trades, labour market training, certificate, diploma and also degree programs, apprenticeship and occupational certification and also labour market programming. We are also working with the three diamond mines and ITI on an MOU for northern workforce initiatives. The MOU working group is currently looking at strategic options for mine training in the Northwest Territories. The department also works with labour market stakeholders, including industries and asset partners through regional training committees.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with labour market partners in the Northwest Territories and our colleagues in Yukon and Nunavut to ensure Northerners have access to training opportunities that lead to employment.

Mr. Speaker, I support the motion to call on the Government of Canada to announce a successor program to ensure that the NWT organizations working in partnerships and involved in training can carry on the great work that has been taking place in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.