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. Mr. Speaker, I note that Aurora College has a newly appointed board chair. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister talking about the mandate. Mr. Speaker, how does the Minister plan to work in concert with the new chair to promote post-secondary investment in our territory? Thank you.
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.
