Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the most exciting opportunities for the future in the NWT is the development of a polytechnic university. I am proud that we are taking steps towards making this a reality.

Earlier this week, the Minister released the Strategic Framework for Post-Secondary Education in the NWT. In that framework, I was happy to see the next steps include a strategic plan for Aurora College and an implementation plan for its transformation plan into a polytechnic university. It recognizes that an effective, sustainable institution will remain the central pillar of our post-secondary system.

Mr. Speaker, the world is changing in many ways, and a polytechnic institution is what we need to keep up. It will provide many opportunities for northerners in the growth of a knowledge economy and the development of a capable and versatile northern labour force.

It will support partnerships with other northern institutions, and create a hub for the creation and exchange of ideas among governments, industry, NGOs, and academia. It will reflect our traditional knowledge to create culturally relevant, academic, and applied learning. This will support our growth in culture and language, Indigenous governance, and land-based learning. It will help the NWT take its place at the forefront of academic, circumpolar research, and innovation. It will provide opportunities for our youth in a variety of streams geared to the needs of the growing northern economy. It will foster a culture of creativity, create new approaches to societal challenges, and create a vibrant conversation across the territory.

A polytechnic university will have many benefits for communities throughout the NWT. As a Yellowknife MLA, I believe that Yellowknife has many of the unique conditions that would allow it to support a polytechnic institution. Yellowknife can support the critical mass of a faculty, research, investment in students that will make a polytechnic institution thrive. It has human and civil infrastructure. It is the centre of all levels of government, and much of our business and industry.

Mr. Speaker, the attention of the world is increasingly on its circumpolar regions. A polytechnic university will help move the NWT into a leadership position, providing the tools we need to meet many of the demands facing us as we move into the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.