Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too will be supporting the motion. I think it’s very important. I have stood up in the House many, many times to talk about the low employment rates in the communities. The GNWT has responded to provide an employment program that’s gone into our base that will continue on. A program such as that could support this program, and these programs could work together and be very positive for the economy in the small communities. Obviously I support it.
I think also not only the employment but all the positive aspects that result from people being employed, people being trained for employment, and any long-term employment has positive impacts on the cost of living across the small communities when people are able to access cost of living items because they have income. Also the cost to government, I think a program such as this supported by other programs of the Government of the Northwest Territories saves on all kinds of things. The cost of social services should go down. The cost of income support should go down. The cost of health should go down. The cost of housing should go down. All of those things are also a factor when we support an initiative such as this.
We’re also supporting ourselves, the GNWT, and we can see far-reaching places in the GNWT where we will save money and make life better for the people of the Northwest Territories.