Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my statement on trades training, my questions are to the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. What is ECE doing to ensure that trades training is tailored to regional and communities' specific labour market needs? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. As I mentioned, that's the only question I had on this activity. Mahsi.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I received a number of communications and a letter from the regional leadership in the Sahtu sharing their frustrations of the announcement made to close the learning centres. And I don't see a need -- I will support this motion. I don't see a need to give money to an operation that's going to shut their doors. But as previous colleagues have said, come back with a plan and we'll reinstate that funding. There's different conventions and different options to appropriate that money there. But ultimately, there was a plan that was drafted to keep the doors open in these...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that information, that reply. My next question to the Minister is there are federal programs and industry partnerships that could further enhance trades training in the NWT. What steps is ECE taking to maximize these opportunities and create training opportunities in communities? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, trades training: Mr. Speaker, this is an exciting and prosperous initiative in all sectors and more importantly capacity building readiness for our regions and communities.

Mr. Speaker, allow us to go where the puck is going to be. This prepares our game position for workforce capitalization and community qualified service providers. Mr. Speaker, we, the GNWT, have the authorities, together with supporting resources, programs, community labour market plans, options for our federal counterparts to support their programs. Mr. Speaker, the tools in our toolbox...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I recall a number of years ago the two Indigenous organizations there, the GTC and the Tlicho, acquiring substantial amount of training funds through Skills Canada, and I thought that was quite complementary to the training plan that they outlined in the article there. And I'm just wondering if there's some departmental efforts in acquiring a partnership for accessing some of the Skills Canada funding available? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Minister there for mentioning bridging the programs to the people. And I think that's recognizing a gap and here's a bridge to challenge that gap. I see all these unique programs, and I look at what's your Beaufort Delta or Deh Cho or Sahtu regional trades strategy. We can no longer deny that we really need trades. But how we're going to get there, let's think about going above and beyond the budget. Looking at the budget, it's an operational one. Yes, we have these career individuals, but if we're really not doing enough on the promotional side recognizing...

Thank you, Madam Chair. My question to the Minister is on the seniors' home heating subsidy. I'm, first of all, glad to see an increase. And the qualifications for this program is really concerning to a lot of recipients; I'm like many other MLAs from the region that hear these concerns. And it's always the fact of the threshold qualification. The recipients are exceeding the threshold qualification by doing something they've always have done in their past by earning extra money here and there as a pensioner and selling their crafts and/or doing part-time work only to find out that they don't...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu winter road season is critical to the region's resupply. Trucking schedules must be maintained. More importantly, the winter road itself must be supported by sufficient resources for efficiencies, trucking turnarounds, etcetera.

Mr. Speaker, the original truckload estimates destined for the Sahtu were in the neighbourhood of 1,000 loads. This includes essential supplies such as fuel products, not only to our government but the private sector as well, household staples, grocery inventories, and project materials. Mr. Speaker, I know of several...

Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you to the Minister for that reply. As I recall there, I said it was really a substantial amount of training dollars. I was quite surprised that it was into the several millions of dollars for their training plan. So I thought to myself when I seen it here -- and if you're having discussions with the federal level, I'm quite fine with that there. I just see an opportunity, and I'm just wondering if the Minister is on it, which I take it she is, to acquire a maximum amount of capital there for our training plans. Mahsi.