Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be back in the House as a Member of the18th Assembly. I am looking forward to working with both my new colleagues and returning Members over the next four years. As I have done in the past, I would like to update this House about some of the noteworthy activities taking place in my beautiful Deh Cho constituency. In December, municipal elections were held across NWT. I would like to congratulate the new Mayor of Enterprise Craig McMaster and the new Mayor of Fort Providence Sam Gargan, along with their new hamlet councils. Our number one job as a government is to make life better for the residents in our communities. With the right support and encouragement, every person can make a contribution. When you look at the numbers, clearly there is room for improvement. The 2014 unemployment rate in the NWT was 10.6 per cent. In the Deh Cho, the unemployment rate is almost double the NWT average at 19 per cent. It bothers me to hear reports that my constituents qualify for mining jobs but cannot get hired because of Impact Benefit Agreement provisions that are too restrictive.
I also hear that some of our aging and most experienced forest fire workers are challenged by national standards for physical strength tests. This makes no sense to me. Here, where the needs are great and jobs are short in supply, these people should be working if they feel they are willing and able. I am also disturbed by the GNWT's growing trend of bringing in modular capital projects instead of ones that are locally built and provide much needed jobs in our communities. If the government is saving money, but putting our own people out of work, are we really doing our job?
Education is another area where Deh Cho communities face challenges. The percentage of NWT residents with a high school diploma is 74 per cent. In the Deh Cho, it is 47 per cent. Why does this matter? Because in the NWT, the employment rate for people who have a high school diploma or greater is 76 per cent. Without that diploma, the rate drops to 38 per cent. People who get an education have almost a double chance of getting a better paying job. The number of Deh Cho families with a total income of less than $30,000 is 32 per cent, double the NWT average.
Our people who are struggling just to feed and shelter their families need more help than they are getting. When people don't have work, educational opportunities, or adequate housing, they lose hope. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted