Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the constituents of Fort Smith for electing me as their MLA. It is an honour to represent my amazing community in this government body, and I will do my best to advocate for the interests and constituents of Fort Smith. Now, without further ado, I am going to jump right into talking about the issues. My statement is directed to the Minister of Education.

Mr. Speaker, historically, Fort Smith has been known as the educational capital of the NWT. Aurora College in the NWT has flourished and grown from the humble beginnings in Fort Smith into now having a presence in almost every community in the Northwest Territories. The question we should be asking is: how do we chart a course which protects jobs in the community and continues to build towards a polytechnic university which benefits all students in the NWT?

Mr. Speaker, along with maintaining the Aurora College Headquarters in Fort Smith, we must develop a plan that continues to grow Aurora College and the academia of a polytechnic university. To date, the plan does not address the real issues. Aurora College is suffering from a lack of enrolment during the transformation to a polytechnic university. Where is the transparent plan for how Aurora College will survive while the transition of a polytechnic university materializes?

Mr. Speaker, Aurora College in Fort Smith has grown from the ground up into its present form and has developed a proven, unique relationship with the culture and traditions of the people of the NWT. Mr. Speaker, I say with conviction that the Headquarters of Aurora College, as well as the future polytechnic university, must remain in Fort Smith, a community which has a proven track record of growing education in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.