Calvin Pokiak

Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Charles Dent. As I indicated in my Member’s statement regarding the $15 million available under the ASEP Program, there are two facilities that can be used in Tuktoyaktuk as a satellite Aurora College training. Mr. Speaker, I did have a chance to speak with the campus director in Inuvik earlier this month and she did show a lot of interest with regard to a satellite office in Tuk. My question to the Minister is will the Minister explore whether these funds may be allocated to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the recent application by Imperial Oil and the Aboriginal Pipeline Group to construct a Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline and the formation of a joint review panel, it is imperative that this government maximize the amount of available training so that residents are ready for the jobs that will be available.

Past experiences with Dome Petroleum and the construction of the Norman Wells pipeline in particular have shown the Northwest Territories to lack qualified residents and the necessary infrastructure to meet the needs of the oil and gas industry. Sadly, Mr...

Thank you very much. It’s good to see that he will go ahead and follow along with your education individual there. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister guarantee for sure that Tuk has been utilized as…(inaudible)…years ago? An example is Dome Petroleum’s base. They had what they called Tuk Tech and they operated out of the two camps during the Dome days, which worked out very well. So will the Minister again guarantee that he will be able to work hard with his department to have some satellite training outside of Inuvik? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Walter Goose from Holman. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. At this time is it the committee’s wish that the Minister bring in his witness or witnesses?

Clause 2.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.