Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am totally in support of this motion. I haven’t had many dealings with the Mine Training Society and I haven’t had dealings with any of the other organizations receiving ASEP funding, but the dealings that I have had with the Mine Training Society have been very positive. My experiences have shown that they are a highly successful organization and, as has been mentioned, they’ve used the federal dollars they have received to leverage matching funding for their partners over the years.
The partners have matched $16.5 million or so with $18.7 million since the inception of the program in September 2004. There are eight partners and I’d just like to mention them because I think they are contributors to the success of the program: Tlicho Government, Lutselk’e Dene First Nation, North Slave Metis Alliance, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, BHP Billiton, De Beers Canada – Snap Lake, Rio Tinto – Diavik Diamond Mines, and GNWT Education, Culture and Employment.
The Mine Training Society as well as leveraging funding has adapted their programs and their training over the years to adjust to the needs of our economy and a changing work environment. As was mentioned I think by Mr. Abernethy, they have contributed hugely to providing skilled labour to the diamond mines that are looking for that skilled labour. They have provided employment after training for almost 600 Aboriginal Northerners and that doesn’t include the other organizations using ASEP. Right now the Mine Training Society is experiencing a huge interest in the Underground Miner Training Program. I think they’re probably going to have intakes for quite some time to come, in order to take advantage of all the interest that’s out there.
I believe that we absolutely need to get an extension to this ASEP federal funding. I know that the same program can’t be extended but a replacement program can be devised and can be put in place, and this government must do everything that it can to ensure that funding for NWT organizations is put in place.
It’s been mentioned that it sunsets in March of 2012. That gives us about a year. I have to urge our government, especially ECE, and I’m very glad that Minister Lafferty is in support of this motion, but we have to begin to lobby and negotiate with the federal government to get the ASEP program re-profiled and brought back with a new name.
This funding helps our residents to be successful and contributing members of our society and it provides lasting benefits to our communities. It also helps our economy, and that’s been well stated by Mr. Abernethy. We cannot afford to let this program sunset without a replacement. I think it will have extremely negative effects on all of us.
I urge all Members to stand in support of this motion. I certainly will be.