Mr. Speaker, women and girls are often overlooked and disrespected in terms of the trades. Will the work on the Whati transmission line lead to the creation of new GNWT jobs in the Tlicho region and if this is the case, what sort of positions would be tailored for young Indigenous female apprentices? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have an answer here. What I would like to suggest is that I'm going to commit to get an answer, and a proper answer. I think that's an exceptional question. Typically, when a project comes forward of this magnitude, there will be some analysis done about potential jobs that are created, and it would include an analysis under GDA, plus it would include an analysis of whether or not there's a gender component to it in terms of who gets affected or who may benefit. So in the current cases, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest this is the exact time where I'll commit to bring back to the House further information so that we can, in fact, commit properly to making sure that the community's fully engaged and that every Member and every resident in the Tlicho region can see themselves reflected in this project. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. So last March, before the end of our last sitting, the Minister committed in this House with regard to the future of community learning centres, and quote, we're going to provide a critical path and the timeline, and we're going to do that by the May sitting, Mr. Speaker, which is a pretty quick turnaround, but it is an important item and we're happy to make that commitment.

So can the Minister explain what is the status of this critical path and timeline that was promised with regard to the community learning centres? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we were all gearing up and packing up our computers to walk in here today, Members would have received an email from me with a letter that outlined what that critical path and timeline is. And in addition to that, there is a deadline in the letter by which time I would appreciate feedback from committee so that we can further this conversation together. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So my next question is when will funding be confirmed for programs to be able to move forward? If they are to move forward, how soon can we confirm that and get things going. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

BHON. CAITLIN CLEVELAND: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within that critical path, there are some item that is education, culture and employment is able to fund from within through money that they retained through the MOU that they did have with Aurora College, and there are additional items that would require additional funding. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So how is the Minister prioritizing continuity of access to programs, such as the Literacy Outreach Centre in Yellowknife? In other words, when will staff and students know whether programs will be offered again this September? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, the letter that I've sent to committee outlines both a short-term response acknowledging that, you know, adult learning is very important in communities, and then also longer term conversation about solutions that would take us far beyond our short-term solutions. So in terms of what that looks like, I am asking committee first to respond back to the letter so I can garner their thinking and their perspectives on this. I need to reach out to Indigenous governments to advise them of short term and long-term solutions that we're looking at here, and then from there, we'll go out publicly and be able to share it with everybody. So I'm hoping that all of this can happen in short order and hoping that committee can also prioritize responding to the letter as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the federal government is looking to build Canada into the world's leading hub for science and innovation. What opportunities does the Minister for ECE see for the NWT in that ambitious commitment? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I'd say in everything that we've heard come out of the new Prime Minister, there is an undercurrent of an education foundation, whether we're talking about trade, whether we're talking about bolstering our economy or our production across Canada. All of that has an educational foundation to it and a diverse expectation for our education system as well.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, to infrastructure funding, we also heard about the importance of economic resilience, growth, and also supporting reconciliation in the words from this new government and from our Prime Minister.

So there are multiple ways that our post-secondary education system can support the federal mandate, and I very much look forward to having that same undercurrent in education in all of my conversations that happen next week. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister perfectly segued into my next question. I was going to ask, Mr. Speaker, how is education going to figure in our upcoming federal engagement knowing that this changed mandate has come about; how are we going to centre our post-secondary education and education system in general in our negotiations with the federal government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly any time that we are writing to the federal government, speaking to the federal government on the phone, or having virtual conversations with Ministers -- I hosted a virtual FTP earlier today with a federal Minister on the line, two federal Ministers on the line, and so any of these opportunities are great for relationship building, and we carry those forward in conversations about post-secondary as well.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, the Aurora College board of governors does have a deliverable mandate item that's found in the mandate agreement that is due in 2025, and that is their federal engagement strategy. And I have offered to support them in that any way that I can, including travelling with them to Ottawa. But a lot of our post-secondary institutions also have their own relationships with the federal government and have been very successful in garnering investment in the territory with their relationships. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. So, Mr. Speaker, the new board chair and I do have a very close working relationship. We are only ever a text message away, and I can say we are not shy to text one another often. We've already met multiple times since he assumed this role, and I very much appreciate his energetic drive and the vision that he brings to this role. I really look forward to working with him and the entire board of governors as we advance the mandate agreement for the transformation of Aurora College. Mr. Speaker, I can say that the board chair is not shy about forming their own relationships and has a long history of doing so, both in business and through their other involvement with different organizations. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, small business owners in Range Lake are being hit hard by tariffs. I'm hearing some unfair costs as high as $80,000 that they didn't have to pay before. Some are even leaving their goods in the US to avoid tariffs, hoping for a break if there's yet another arbitrary change of what's going on. So Range Lake businesses need financial support to offset the tariffs. Will the Minister commit funds -- Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment commit funds to support northern owned and operated businesses as they are -- as they navigate these changing trade relationships? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of ITI.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at Industry, Tourism and Investment, we certainly believe in supporting northern business, and we are very transparent about who we support in the territory. We have multiple different programs across the department, and we publish the contributions to business through our contributions agreements very, very transparently, and certainly happy to look for any form or mechanism that we continue to support business in a greater way in the territory. Thank you.

Thank you. I think the issue is not that we don't support businesses; I know we support businesses. But this is a very specific prop moment challenge. They're meeting -- the Yukon government has set aside $2 million for this. Will the Minister bring forward an appropriation specifically to cushion northern businesses who are paying additional costs due to tariffs? We've seen other jurisdictions do this; it's time we did it as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.