Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to also send out my happy Valentine’s Day to the people. Somebody sent me a note here and it says, “I love you.” Whoever that is…(inaudible)…
---Laughter
…(inaudible)…also to my lovely wife, and I certainly send my love out to the people in the Sahtu, especially people from the Sahtu who are in the gallery and are friends. I want to say that.
I want to get on with my Member’s statement now after all these heartfelt sentiments I’ve said.
Keeping jobs in the North is my concern today. Industry and the Government of the Northwest Territories signs economic agreements before the production phase of any mining projects. Industry
agrees to use their best efforts to define priorities and keeping employment targets. Sadly, these targets fail to be met. We hear many explanations: lack of skilled workers, people unwilling to relocate to the Northwest Territories, addictions limit workers’ employability. However, only two mines include the Sahtu in worker points of pickup. People in the Sahtu have to travel to Deline or Norman Wells, if not Inuvik or Yellowknife, in order to work at one of the diamond mines. Oil and gas exploration is taking place in the Sahtu, but in the meantime, people have to work and need to work. They need to develop skills and experience so they can benefit from future opportunities closer to home.
Engagement with industry is, so far, the way we have chosen to hold mines accountable to the socio-economic agreements. Government makes an effort to work with industry that, in turn, has some expectations from this government. There are many areas where we can work as government with industry, to increase the presence of northern hire. We need to invest in a skilled workforce. If someone can’t get hired because of addictions, that person needs assessable treatment options. We need to teach life skills and help people experience a better, cleaner way to live. We need to reduce the cost of living to make the Northwest Territories a more attractive place to live and work. We need good employment incentives. The Canol shale oil play can be an economic game changer.
How do we hold industry to account for the ways they work with people on our land? How do we ensure we get the most of the socio-economic agreements and negotiate in the future by making these agreements work today? We need to work for a common goal and find the best solution for people and industry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.