Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, am going to go down the path of the polytechnic.
Mr. Speaker, the future of education in the Northwest Territories lies in providing more options for our young people. I support the establishment of a polytechnic university, Mr. Speaker, but my reasons are not about new jobs and development, the investment, or the economic boost for Yellowknife. Yes, those things are certainly beneficial, but a polytechnic university represents so much more.
Mr. Speaker, what are the broad influences that will shape our territory over the next generations? We are an Indigenous territory on a journey toward self-determination. That requires all Northerners to take part. We need an economic engine that allows our communities to thrive and flourish while supporting diversification of our economy. We are no longer in a little glass bubble. Globalization is upon us, and we are affected daily by circumstances that play out around the world. Innovation and technology will bring forward numerous opportunities while also creating challenges and disruptions. Of course, climate change will continue to impact our lives in perpetuity.
We know these are the forces that will act on our society. How must we respond? Building our education system is about establishing our values as a society and infusing them through our system, including the post-secondary level. Our youth must have the greatest opportunities to succeed on a personal level and to contribute to society as they enter into the workforce that so desperately seeks northern-educated talent.
A polytechnic university will not only benefit our own residents, Mr. Speaker; an institution like this will establish a place for us in the growing field of circumpolar academic research and technical discovery. It will attract people from around the circumpolar world, coming to study, research, and teach. It provides us a foothold to participate at the frontlines of globalized knowledge and about the northern world.
Mr. Speaker, establishing this institution is about our self-determination as a territory, creating the kind of society we want the Northwest Territories to be. This is how we will truly realize our goal of a robust diverse economy. This is how we will make innovation possible and achieve authentic excellence. This is how Indigenous communities will set their own direction and flourish.
A polytechnic university may not hold the answers to every question facing our society, Mr. Speaker, but it will help prepare us to create inventive and original responses to the many challenges we face. Thank you, Mr. Speaker