Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, like I've said before, in my time here today, there would definitely be -- I could find many ways to spend money, and my husband always says I'm definitely very skilled at it. But I would need to evaluate that to make sure that at the end of the day we, as a department, are getting the biggest return on our investment and ensuring that we are spending money as responsibly as possible in tune with the priorities of this Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think that this is -- this program's exactly that. It's a great return on investment if we get it working correctly. And I know regional centres were added in the past because they were -- there were issues getting the money out the door, but I think that that's not a reason to cut it. That's a reason to retool the program so we can get the cash flowing to where it needs to go. So I mean, since the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight has issued its report where they're calling for this funding to be restored, I have received messages from local administrators and community members in small communities who have supported this move and have said that this is really important funding. I've spoken to previous and former Ministers, former Members, who remember how when this program came about and how important it was and want to see it reinstated. So, I mean, is there a way to change the Minister's thinking on this and to reprioritize employment in small communities and maximize these dollars rather than cutting them away? Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, like the rest of my colleagues, I am definitely always willing to have conversations. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Range Lake.

Thank you. Well, I mean, I guess we'll continue to have that conversation but, you know, I think it's important that we find -- that we develop a policy that works for the entire Northwest Territories. And this is a good policy. It's good for -- it's one of those areas that, you know, we -- the Yellowknife Members don't have to do much to ensure that there's investment in Yellowknife, right. So we have to look -- we as an Assembly have to make sure we're looking at ways to invest outside and make sure we're maximizing economic activity because the default is headquarters, right, and we -- that was the debate yesterday. And I'm not going to -- I'm not going to reflect on that. But Members were here. So, you know, it's just when you -- when you have a debate like that and then you see a cut to this, you start to wonder, like, when we're doing reduction exercises, are we looking at taking money where it's most needed in those small communities outside of the centres rather than looking at ways we can reduce our comfort levels in headquarters or other regional centres where they're buttressed by more funding, more resources, and more staff. So I don't support this reduction. I want to see it restored. I don't know if I can support this budget if these cuts to small community support programs continue. There's another fund we'll get to another department. It's just disappointing to see this when so much work in previous Assemblies has gone -- have gone to developing these programs and delivering these programs. You know, there's been working groups, small community working groups that were kind of given ownership of these funds to make sure they could be directed into their communities. That was in the 18th Assembly, which I was a part of. But I know that wasn't the only one that made these things happen. Mr. Chair, you have spoken about the need for this as well when it comes to your riding. So this is a bit of a speech, but I think it's an important one to hear, you know, and we can all support this regardless of where we represent. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll take that more as a comment. And I'm going to go to the Member from Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay, you know, these are -- a lot of these programs and services, it's very important for many of the small communities. And I know when I -- a lot of our young people always -- when they're talking -- you know, in high school, they always -- a lot of them have said, I want to work at the mine, you know, because we know that post-secondary is not for everybody so a lot of them said, I want to work at the mine, you know, make money and maybe from there, I'll -- you know, like, they'll get their trades, you know, into trades program or, you know, get an apprenticeship through mining for trades. So a lot of them have said that. And here I see trades and occupations wage subsidy went down. I think my colleague said that it went down to 922, so it's a -- well, it's not a huge but it's a decrease, you know, to $922,000. Can the Minister explain why there's a reduction in that budget for this upcoming fiscal year? Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister to the question.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the department was able to look at the last five years of that spending line item and able to identify that over the last five years, typically $150,000 of that subsidy was not spent. And so I would absolutely love the opportunity to go over budget on that line item this year and would challenge my colleagues to help me find employers willing to help us do that. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.

I'm sure if you approach Tlicho Investment, they will be happy to fill the positions, you know, because we know that trades, we really do need trades and we emphasize that with our young people that, you know -- because many of the trades people that we have right now, they're passed retirement age but there's nobody to come after them. So it's, like, they're still working, you know, like -- and a lot of them are saying that, you know, like, they want to retire but there's nobody to take their job. So, and I'm very grateful, thankful for the housing for having the -- you know, the scholarship programs for trades. So I'm just wondering, so $150,000, why not turn that into a trades -- a scholarship program to -- so that our young people can enter, you know, a trades program. I think that's maybe -- maybe that's the right way, I don't know. But if you don't know what to do with that, you know, like -- a scholarship program, we need scholarship program for trades program. And housing, you know, has that already but I think we need to open it up for the Northwest Territories to attract more young people to enter that -- to trade -- trades program. So I'm just wondering will the Minister, you know, do something about that to maybe create more scholarship program. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Member might be happy to know I just did meet yesterday with the CEO of Tlicho Investment Corporation. So we have a very close working relationship and are able to work in partnership with one another to find out ways that we can support one another's goals, and we definitely have some shared ones.

In addition to comments around scholarships and such, ECE definitely does support the education funding requirements for students that are entering into trades. Just like we -- through a different funding pot but similar to how we support students who are wanting to go to post-secondary institutions in a Bachelor of Arts or science program as well, and so that is definitely something that we value and we see as important. With this funding pot here, it is definitely one that is prescribed to wage subsidies, which is a very important requirement of people going through their education programs as well. So, for example, while a student is doing an apprenticeship might be in school 12 weeks or -- during -- 12 to 16 weeks out of their years, they do have a requirement to then go back to their employer and complete a certain number of hours after that, or leading up to that as well, depending on, and so this is another way that we can continue to support as they -- support them as they move through the required hours and years of their apprenticeship. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I know there are some people -- some young people that I know that went to work at the mine and got their journeyman in millwrights and electricians and welding. You know, those are really greatly needed, and it would be nice to see more, like, in mechanics as well and plumbing, which we're lacking in a lot of small communities. So that is good. It's good that they're meeting with Indigenous government or Indigenous government or organizations.

The career development training, and I know it's not that much, but I just want to know what happened to this department. Did this funding went somewhere or, like -- or just this program is no longer needed?

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, can I please pass to the assistant deputy minister Mr. Saturnino. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the ADM.

Thank you. I'll go back to the Member from Monfwi.

Thank you. Thank you for the informations. And Skills Canada, I know that is one of the -- you know, like, few years ago but I know due to COVID and the other emergency that, you know, happened in the Northwest Territories. So I know that there -- I don't know how -- I know there was not too many participants in that within the last few years. So Skills Canada, can the Minister explain -- or is this program still being used? Because we haven't heard too much about it for the competition. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.