Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, many of my constituents are nervous at this time with mine closure because this will have an impact on their livelihood. So with that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister of ITI what specific long-term diversification initiatives is the department developing to ensure sustainable employment opportunities for regions like the Tlicho once Ekati and Gahcho Kue cease operations. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of ITI.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we certainly do have a diverse economy in the Northwest Territories. We do not have a diverse GDP. So a lot of our GDP still comes from diamond mining in the Northwest Territories, and we're working hard as a Cabinet to make sure that we're diversifying our GDP. That includes things like investing in housing to make sure that we have construction projects and we're continuing to increase our construction allotment from our GDP. We're investing in health care. We're investing in, for example, adding more schools to our capital planning for large infrastructure and increasing our small capital investments as well for school infrastructure. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, we're working as a Cabinet to ensure that we're streamlining our regulatory process to make it easier for -- and more efficient for more mines to come online. In addition, Mr. Speaker, we have other opportunities in the territory that are coming up or exist today. An example of that is Giant Mine remediation and making sure that I am working quite closely with, for example Tlicho Investment Corporation, on maximizing the opportunities that exist from that work out there to make sure that we have as many Tlicho and YKDFN residents from the Yellowknife area that are working on that project. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, well, I just wanted to tell the Minister that, you know, I think they need to start focusing on decentralization, give us more jobs. Mr. Speaker, what concrete transition supports such as retraining programs, apprenticeship opportunities, or partnerships with Indigenous governments, are being planned to help Tlicho workers who may lose their jobs in the coming years?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, through education, culture and employment we have a suite of programs that employers have access to in order to do retraining with staff. This can be something, you know, like upgrading programs but can also be more on-the-job training, so specific for certifications required for them to evolve into a new position. We're also pursuing more funding through the federal government specific to industries that have been impacted by tariffs. And this is one such industry that exists in the Northwest Territories that has seen impact because of tariffs from the United States. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what has the GNWT done to prepare for the potential economic and population impacts that experts warn could follow mine closures, especially in our smaller regional communities? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as an entire Cabinet, we have asked okay, where we can put some additional dollars that really not only achieve our economic goals in the territory but make sure that we're also achieving our social goals. We're at a point in time, Mr. Speaker, where we have to make sure that our investments are multi-use, just like our infrastructure, and so that includes looking at investments that speak to both our social and our economic needs in the territory, hence housing and health care investments, as well as investments in education.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, we've ensured that we're working quite closely with our partners, understanding that mine closures will have an impact in the Northwest Territories. We know across Canada that it takes many years to see a mine open and so the work that we're doing today in trying to make sure that we're doing short-term and long-term work as a Cabinet is work that really should have been done years ago, but we're up to the challenge, Mr. Speaker, in making sure that we're having these conversations with stakeholders so that people are aware of the programs we have available. We have a website dedicated to help after mine closure so that people have all of that information consolidated in one space, and making sure that as a Cabinet we're pursuing new opportunities for this entire territory. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.
