Mahsi. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the department has a lot of programs in place to ensure that our graduates that leave high school do get into the workforce. The main one that we do have is we do have a 10-year strategic framework called the Skills 4 Success. We are looking at developing a concrete action plan to address those that will help improve employment success for NWT residents, and also close that skills gap for our employers and our residents that are looking for work, and help adjust some of those individuals from ages 18 to 24 that are not in the workforce, they're just out of school, so try to get them back into the workforce. So yes, the Skills 4 Success Strategic Framework and the action plan is in place to address those needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

How did Education, Culture and Employment determine which areas of employment to focus their efforts on?

Most recently, the department had developed a comprehensive labour and market information report and it got consultation from people across the Northwest Territories, so that's what we looked at where we needed to address those issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My second question is: When will the NWT labour market forecast be available to the public?

The department is happy to release this report so that all residents of the Northwest Territories can see where our actions are and what our priorities are. That report will be released next month. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. Oral questions. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.

My follow-up question is: How are local people involved in the Skills 4 Success Initiative Action Plan. Quyanini, Mr. Speaker.

I mentioned for the Skills 4 Success 10-year Strategic Framework, we are going to be developing some concrete actions. We are going to be consulting with our stakeholders across the Northwest Territories, and that includes Aboriginal governments, industry, business, and education, as well as other training programs. We will get out there and we will be consulting with our stakeholders to develop an action plan that is for Northerners and for Northern businesses.

Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As my Member’s statement talked about this morning, it was about process. Can the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs please explain the process used to get the Arctic Winter Games application process out to athletes across the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Mahsi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that they do have local and regional trials, and if they make it through the regional trials, if they get to the territorial trials, usually there's some criteria in place. I think if there's an international trip like there is at this particular Arctic Winter Games, there's an expectation that they would have passport applications and the ability to access passports as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I may have not heard the answer I'm looking for. I was trying to find out how in the process that information was getting out to the people.

There would obviously be information shared with the public as to the trials that are going on. I think the regional trials are normally run by the folks in the region. They have their way of getting the word out there. But again, there's an expectation that, and I believe on the Sport North website, there's also opportunities for knowing which trials are coming up. Being an Arctic Winter Games here, there's an expectation that all the athletes that plan to participate know of the trials coming up. I will review that, though, and see exactly how the call goes out for athletes wishing to participate or take part in the trials.

I'd like to ask the Minister, at this point in time, what role does the Municipal and Community Affairs staff have in getting this information out as well.

I can actually ask the Member that question in his former role, so I've got to be careful what I say here. ---Laughter

Our regional staff are all very involved in the Arctic Winter Games trials and the selection of athletes. It's actually a part of what they do and it’s part of what they believe in, supporting the athletes that are getting out there, so they would play a role in helping to organize trials and working to get athletes to the next level.

Mahsi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

I won't say anything bad about the Minister, if this was his response. I would ask the Minister: With this process of the Arctic Winter Games, will he commit to do a review of the selection process and how the team is made up and the government's role as part of it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will commit to the Member that I will have a discussion with the sporting sector as to the involvement of all those, including the Government of Northwest Territories, because we want to ensure that our selection process is fair and gives all those athletes in small communities the opportunity to participate in the games. I can say that from experience that two Arctic Winter Games ago we had 27 of the 33 communities that were actually represented by athletes. I think that's indicative of all the good work that goes on out in the regions, in small communities. I think it's also a good indication of the level of support that this government has given to the folks in the small communities. As we heard this spring, we also have a partner now with Canadian Tire who is supplying a lot of equipment to the Northwest Territories that we can give to the small communities. All these partnerships help and I see 27 out of 33 communities as a good indication of the level of support from all forms of those folks that are involved in the sporting sector. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I went on a little too long. Sorry.

Mahsi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier of the Northwest Territories. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission report has recommendations in terms of how do we address the whole residential school experience in terms of its impact in First Nations communities. The Government of Northwest Territories has been playing a lead role, which I commend, and I’d like to see the GNWT play a continued role at the national level. My question is to the Premier. There is great work with other partners at the national level and I wanted to ask the Premier if he could update this House as to what residential school survivors can expect in terms of the federal government's response to the TRC report and recommendations in terms of healing and wellness initiatives for residential school survivors. Mahsi.

Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Member for the question. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report is probably one of the major reports with regards to Aboriginal people and how residential schools affected them, and as the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, I'm the current chair of the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group. With the new federal government in place, they have placed working with Aboriginal people and Aboriginal governments as a top priority. We have always reached out to the federal government to participate in the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group, and I'm very pleased to say that when Minister Bennett, the Minister for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, was in Yellowknife we had the opportunity to meet. She specifically requested that the federal government be part of the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group. I see it as a significant opportunity for all of the provinces and territories, all of the national Aboriginal governments and the federal government working together, not only on truth and reconciliation, but on other important Aboriginal issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.