Just a short comment. Since this is our first process convention and it's with Bill 74 with both our government and Indigenous groups, I too want to thank all those that participated. I think it's a first step in ensuring that we hear from the people that are keepers of the land.

I also want to know -- I also want to say that we all know that this was a bad forest fire season, a terrible one. I mean, I was -- some of us were away five weeks for evacuation. We know that there's going to be a What We Heard report, hopefully. I just want to ensure that when we do that, there is public consultation because, you know, after the Fort McMurray fires, there was -- there was a report done but without public consultation. So I want to ensure that, for the record, that we have public consultation, that everybody who wants to see change or wants to have a change in policy, that they are able to attend a public meeting in most of the communities. You know, it was an eye-opener for a lot. People have been predicting this for years, and other leaderships have been predicting that this was going to happen. And it happened. And it was a perfect storm. There's still no rain hardly anywhere. It's very dry. There's drought. And in closing, I want to make sure that we do public consultations, and we listen to what the experts tell us, especially the experts of the land, and that's the Indigenous people.

And I want to also thank all the people who participated in this report, and because it's our first process convention bill I think it's extremely important that we congratulate the people that sat at the table and tried to mediate through these really different and difficult decisions that were put in this bill. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a Government of the Northwest Territories public service announcement dated September 27, 2023 titled "Public Service Announcement - Have your say on the delivery of an Indigenous Environmental Studies and Sciences Diploma Program". Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide assurances that the existing and highly regarded ENR technology program is not going to be dissolved or replaced as a result of this new program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, Fort Smith is the education capital of the NWT. Our community is proud and honoured with this distinction. Therefore, I am sure people can understand Fort Smith's concern with anything that might threaten the ENR technology program at Aurora College Thebacha campus. Can the Minister provide clarity on what exactly this new environmental program will be, which campus will it be offered at, and whether that will in any way undermine or threaten the ENR technology program in Fort Smith? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with an upcoming territorial election happening very soon, does the Minister believe that the timing of this new environmental-based program is questionable and that it should instead wait to be introduced until after the election? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as mentioned in my Member's statements, Trent University's applying to provide a new program of Indigenous environmental studies and sciences at Aurora College starting in the fall of 2023. Can the Minister of ECE explain who's pushing for and leading the efforts to introduce this new program at the college? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize the grand chief of the Tlicho, Jackson. I'm sure that he's finding it easier to make decisions in one day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to speak about the future polytechnic university and some of the actions taking place at Aurora College as it transitions into a territorial university.

First of all, Mr. Speaker, I want to once again reiterate that there are several positions within Aurora College that are currently on loan to the Yellowknife campus but, in fact, they belong to the headquarters office in Fort Smith, and that includes the office of the president. All of the positions in question are entitled to be based in Fort Smith, and they must be returned as soon as possible. In addition, Mr. Speaker, one of the pillars of the 19th Assembly has been for our government to decentralize jobs and services away from the capital and back into the small communities and regional centres. We are not properly serving the people of the NWT when we have everything concentrated in the capital.

Moreover, Mr. Speaker, last week, on September 28th, the Government of the Northwest Territories announced that it is seeking input on a post-secondary institution application that would deliver a new diploma program on Indigenous environmental studies and sciences beginning in the fall of 2023. The program is being put forward by Trent University and is being developed in partnership with YKDFN.

Mr. Speaker, while I certainly do support the people of the NWT having more program options to consider for post-secondary at Aurora College; however, I do not want new education options to be coming at the expense of existing programs that the college delivers. I am worried specifically how this new program might affect the world-renowned environment and natural resources technology program that has existed for many years at Aurora College Thebacha campus. I do not want the ENR technology program to be threatened, undermined, or replaced. Period. I especially do not want to see Fort Smith lose yet another highly valued and popular program that is taken away from our community. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

In closing, Mr. Speaker, given our current circumstance of an upcoming territorial election happening very soon, I want to urge the college itself, along with the minister of ECE, to hold off on rolling out this new program at this time. I believe it would be a better decision to wait until after the next government is formed in the 20th Assembly before any new major programs or changes occur within Aurora College. I will have questions for the minister of ECE later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

(audio) because things change. People change. After the next election, things change. Thank you, Madam Chair. That's all I have, too