Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the Minister for a more thorough response, I appreciate that. Needless to say, whatever model we decide to take for providing court security services, there are occasions where Sheriff's officers are asked to do things that the act doesn't enable them to do. Is the department looking at correcting that through amendments to the various pieces of legislation that govern Sheriff's officers and their powers in the courtroom? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's not really helpful I suppose, but are we to assume then we'll have status quo for the next -- for the life of this government or are we going to be looking at something -- I only say this because I know it's a complicating factor in our relationship with policing in the Northwest Territories. It was a perennial complaint at the RCMP and the business of court is sometimes frustrated by the lack of available RCMP members, as the department well knows.

I would like to see a more proactive stance than I guess we're not sure of what decision we want to make. And I appreciate that that's where we're at, but I would strongly recommend putting a bit more emphasis on how we're moving forward on this issue, as I am concerned that it's limiting police resources when we have able-bodied sheriffs who can do the work themselves if they were given the proper support and training. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was remiss not to ask this under the court services section. I note the funding has not changed significantly for the sheriff services division. I'm wondering if the department can indicate what the long-term plan for that division is in terms of training and additional duties. There has been some talk, I know discussion with the RCMP about the sheriffs taking a broader role in prisoner escorts and court security. Is there any plan on the Department's side to actually move forward on that? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Dechinta's not an idea, it's a real institution. It's producing graduates; it's doing very good work. It isn’t an untested project. This is something that's clear and measurable. They have a business case, it's very well thought out. I think it's time to act on these issues and stop speculating through action plans and strategies. Will the Minister make those commitments to bring forward funding by the next business plan and bring forward legislative changes the next sitting of this House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

es, I would appreciate if the Minister could provide that information to me. Ms. Speaker, the recent Labour Market Study that the Minister referenced showed a real need for more post-secondary educated workers here the Northwest Territories. Dechinta does not have the ability to grant credentials despite its high success rates. Will the Minister commit to bringing forward legislative changes by the next sitting of this House?

I appreciate the Minister's comments; however, I didn't hear a solid commitment, but I'll move on from there. In their business case, Dechinta's looking for $5 million. I note that we fund Aurora College to the tune of around $32 million. Can the Minister give us some stats on the success rate of people who take Aurora College programing? We know that Dechinta's sitting at 100 per cent success rate. What are the comparable stats for Aurora College and are we getting value for money for that $32 million that we currently invest in Aurora College? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Core funding for Dechinta Bush University will create 156 jobs in their business proposal. The vast majority of these jobs will be in the smaller communities and regional centres. Will the Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment commit to providing additional funding in the next departmental business plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, an increase in university graduation is directly tied to GDP growth, poverty alleviation, and rise in real income, and we have a responsibility as a maturing jurisdiction to offer the ability to pursue such a degree here, at home. Dechinta has already taken the first steps, the hardest steps, and this government should now assist them with the funding and accreditation to climb even further in their pursuit of achieving a knowledge economy that we can all share and participate in. We need this if we are to attain a truly sustainable future for all peoples of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, both on the hustings and in this House, I've spoken about the NWT's need to evolve into a knowledge economy. That is the key to breaking the boom-and-bust cycle that prevents the North from transforming into the long-term sustainable economy we are all working so hard to build. Though this government avoids taking the steps required to achieving this, luckily, a group of Northerners is already taking the caribou by the horns, so to speak, in actively building our knowledge economy.

Since its inception in 2009, Dechinta Bush University Centre for Research and Learning has become a flexible, innovative, and responsive institution that is filling the need for a northern university. It should be noted, Mr. Speaker, that Canada is the only circumpolar country without a university in their northern territories, yet the demand for one has long existed and only keeps growing. Last year alone, Dechinta had 104 potential applicants and a mere 30 spaces. They're receiving three times as many applications as they have funding for and cannot meet this ever-growing demand for potential students. Moreover, 97 per cent of those students who are able to attend are Aboriginal, and 72 per cent are women. And, Mr. Speaker, they have an astonishing zero per cent dropout rate and 100 per cent program completion record. They have built this successful record almost purely on their own resources, tenacity, and devotion to higher learning. They could do so much more for our students and our economy if the government supported them with more resources and legislative change.

Dechinta's commitment to building a knowledge economy is unparalleled, and their graduates are already participating in achieving that shared goal, with all of them either having pursued higher education or have entered the labour force. Breaking that down even more, Mr. Speaker, 49 per cent pursued further post-secondary and 57 per cent are employed, 97 of these in the NWT labour force. This clearly demonstrates they are quickly becoming a major contributor to our future economy and social growth, yet they could do so much more. If Dechinta was given both core funding and recognition under the Education Act, they would create 158 new jobs with 153 of those jobs outside of the capital. Mr. Speaker, I speak unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted