Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my statement, and questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
My first question: What immediate relief and support measures can the Minister commit to providing the Norman Wells and Sahtu region to address the educational and economic impacts of the Imperial Oil closure as well as the Jordan's Principle gaps? Thank you.
Thank you, Sahtu. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has a suite of workforce development tools, working with existing employers to help do things like retrain, support through wage subsidies, and also ensure that we're helping businesses kind of shift their existing practice. In addition to that, industry, tourism and investment also has funding programs for people who want to start up businesses or who want to expand the existing practices and knowledge base through networking and skill development as well through the SEED program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very glad that I am getting some supports here. As my statement had mentioned on March 16th on the SEED, business side impacts by the ESSO closure, I am more specific to the students and the school impacts.
My second question there, Mr. Speaker, is what specific actions the Minister is taking to work with the federal government to restore or protect Jordan's Principles in the Sahtu region. Mahsi.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by saying that Norman Wells residents can rest assured that the delivery of junior kindergarten to grade 12 education in Norman Wells will remain, will be uninterrupted, and that access to high school programming will remain in the community. So that is not at jeopardy.
In regards to Jordan's Principle, we continue to advocate, not just myself as education Minister but also as a Cabinet, given the impact does absolutely have an all-of-government impact and all-of-Northwest Territories resident impact. In addition to that, I continue to work with education Ministers from across the territory given that we know the territories are absolutely built different and have a different ability to react and absorb changes to the Jordan's Principle program. With the announcement that happened yesterday, both from a political level and a departmental level, we've reached into the federal government to find out exactly what this announcement means, if they're changing criteria, if they're going to go back to working directly with schools, and how we can make sure that northern families are served by this announcement as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister for the reassuring potential of the incoming funding.
Mr. Speaker, situations like this needs more than three questions. But my last question is will the Minister commit to joining me and Norman Wells for a town hall to address the Imperial closures in the community underneath the portfolio of ITI and at the same time at a town hall to address the impacts of our education system, particularly our school and children and the teachers that come on in delivering education security. We need some supports from the Minister saying yes, I will come, but we'll iron out the logistics. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is absolutely right. Conversations like this take absolutely more than three questions and also making sure that the residents that we are trying to speak to are at the table is incredibly important, and I would be more than happy to travel to the Member's constituency and specifically Norman Wells. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from the Dehcho.
