Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we wind down session and Ministers turn their attention to upcoming meetings in Ottawa, I want to emphasize the biggest gap I continue to see in our economic strategy: northern education and research.

We don't yet have a cohesive economic vision but just looking at our federal engagement strategy, it's clear that our strategy is heavily focused on road and power infrastructure. Those are undeniably important and very responsive projects but, as I've noted in numerous statements in the past, we also need to be looking at investing in our people, fostering research and innovation, and building up our workforce, if we want an economic strategy that will benefit and fully realize the potential of our people. If we want to develop the North, we have to look at what we have to offer the world, Mr. Speaker.

The Northwest Territories could position itself as a unique northern research and innovation hub. We are leaders in Indigenous governance, high-latitude mine development and remediation, Indigenous-led conservation, and permafrost and climate change research, to name just a few. We could be stronger leaders in those sectors and grow others which are completely undeveloped right now if we could just muster the vision and foresight to build up our education and research capacity to fully realize this potential.

Looking at the recent throne speech, the new federal government sees the need for investing in research and innovation also. The Liberals have made promises with significant impacts for universities, including a commitment of $2 billion for student and seniors housing, and to build Canada into the world's leading hub for science and innovation. The Liberals have promised to invest $100 million over four years to attract leading researchers who have had their funding cut by the US government. Wouldn't it be incredible if we had the institution to attract some of those researchers to live in the Northwest Territories?

To build Canada strong, Mr. Speaker, the federal government is working to identify and catalyze projects of national significance. Projects that will connect Canada, that will deepen Canada's ties with the world and create high paying jobs for generations. I strongly believe that one of those projects should be a university in the Northwest Territories. We owe it to the people of this great territory to show them that we believe in the potential they have to offer the world and invest in them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.