Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is no better way for a government to ensure healthy people and vibrant communities than to support a growing economy. This creates jobs, gives our residents the ability to support themselves and their families, and allows them to lead productive and fulfilling lives.
Right now, the future is bright for Hay River's economy. There are hundreds of job opportunities on the horizon. If all goes well, the Pine Point Mine will create 320 jobs, and the Pellet Plant, the new long-term care centre, and opportunities in manufacturing will create another 60 jobs each. This is good news, but only if we can make the most of these opportunities. We need people who are trained and able to take advantage of these jobs and the spin-off jobs that come with increased economic activity. We must ensure that entrepreneurs who want to build new businesses or grow existing ones have the support they need to make it happen. We need to encourage people to come north and to make Hay River their home.
Small business owners are not looking for handouts. They want this government to help them help themselves. I have heard about their difficulty attracting skilled labour to the North and the barriers they encounter when trying to bring in foreign labour, especially when dealing with the federal government.
They have told me about their challenges with the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and the red tape associated with obtaining the necessary labour market impact assessments. I am told that because of Hay River's location potential employers are expected by the federal government to pay wages similar to those offered in the oil sands and the diamond mining sectors. This is ridiculous, Mr. Speaker. It only underlines what we already know, that the federal government does not understand the North.
I have also heard from small businesses and labour about the difficulty they have navigating the apprenticeship system and helping their employees to navigate it, both for current apprentices and for those who want to apprentice. In our mandate, we have committed to "increase the number of immigrants working in the NWT" by "implementing an immigration strategy that prioritizes streamlining applications processes, increasing awareness of immigration programs, and consolidating our administrative supports." The GNWT has also committed to get more educated and skilled young people into the labour market by matching employer needs through improved career development supports.
To achieve this, we need more support through ECE to capitalize on the potential jobs coming to Hay River. The career development officers in Hay River are doing what they can, but the office is understaffed for the current demand, let alone the increasing demand on the horizon. Instead of bureaucracy and red tape, we need the GNWT to be innovative on how it delivers on its mandate commitments, and, simply, we need more bodies in the ECE office in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.