Glen Abernethy

It’s a great program and thanks for that information. The last question I have relates to some questions that were asked earlier this week and last week. A lot of this program depends on some promises that were made by a previous Premier, that all northern graduates in teaching, social work and nursing would be guaranteed an offer of employment. Is this government still committed to that promise and can the northern graduates in nursing, social work and teaching continue to expect that they’ll have some support to obtain employment in the Northwest Territories upon their graduation? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 133-16(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2011-2012, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week and earlier this week there’s been a lot of talk in the House about northern students, particularly in the areas of nursing, teaching and social work, and the grad placement programs that are in place. I believe these programs are funded out of a fund called Maximizing Northern Employment which is part of Human Resources. I’m wondering if the Minister can confirm whether that funding is going to continue to exist in 2011-2012 and where that funding comes from. Is it federal or GNWT funding? Are there any plans to cancel the program in the future or is it...

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Polakoff.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last seven years the Mine Training Society, which is a partnership between industry, Aboriginal and public governments, has been training Aboriginal Northerners so that they can obtain long-term, meaningful and well-paying jobs in the mine and mine services sector. The Mine Training Society was originally an initiative of the Government of the Northwest Territories. It started 15 years ago as an adhoc committee put together by the Minister of Education of the day, Charles Dent, along with the Chamber of Mines, Diavik Diamond Mines, Yellowknives Dene First...

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister McLeod.

That’s great and I think that’s going to help a lot, but what about programs like PATH that are encouraging people to outright buy their own homes? I had a constituent who had a concern about the fact that there was only one intake and she didn’t know what the market looked like so she didn’t apply, and I think I’ve shared that information with the Minister. In scenarios like that where markets do fluctuate in some of the larger centres, alternate intake dates or even two intake dates a year would have significant value in assisting some of these people just because the timing doesn’t always...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank all of my colleagues who spoke in support of this motion. It’s great to see Members on both sides of the House in support of such an important motion.

The ASEP program is a nationally managed, opportunity-driven and project-based program that promotes increased participation of Aboriginal people in major economic developments. It achieves this through a collaborative approach of Aboriginal, private sector, and provincial and territorial partnerships. The program supports multi-year training strategies developed by Aboriginal organizations and industry employers...