Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Often in this House we have talked about a knowledge economy, but it occurs to me today that we might need a refresher on what exactly that means, as it is a relatively new concept as a source of economic focus. The knowledge economy today is recognized as a major driver of productivity and economic growth in Canada and all across the world.

It is defined as an economy in which growth is dependent on the quality, quantity, and accessibility of the information available rather than on the means of production. Employment in this economy is characterized by strong demand...

Just for the record, Mr. Chair, the business planning is scheduled for November, so I suppose we'll have to wait potentially into the New Year before we see that plan. I eagerly await it and hope that there's some nice good news for Yellowknife, because airport wait times and the quality of facilities have been a live issue in this Assembly, and they remain unresolved for the most part. Thank you very much. Nothing further.

Thank you. I thank the Minister for that. When is the plan coming forward and to be published?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I note that this area of the department includes airports. Where can I find the Yellowknife Airport infrastructure item? Thank you.

This is why I made the statement. What Aurora Research Institute is doing is good, solid research that is advancing scientific knowledge, but what a knowledge economy is, is using the skills and expertise of these hubs to build economic opportunity, and that is exactly what we are talking about. It cannot just be up to ITI. I think we are hearing about a lot of good work that is going on in the natural resource economy, but we need to focus on building a knowledge economy.

What the Minister is saying is not quite right. I am wondering if he will commit to developing a knowledge economy strategy...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement, I talked about the knowledge economy. In the future, when we look at how technology is changing Canada's economy, we can see that, where new technologies have been introduced, there is a demand for highly skilled workers, particularly highly skilled information and communications technology workers. I would like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if the department has a plan to harness potential information and communication technologies, and what they are doing about that field and how it can transform our economy. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nothing further.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to the Minister for that detailed response. Unless I am not seeing this clearly, are these fence projects in this capital budget? The two items I spoke to were a security control system integration and building security control system renovations. Are the fences this control system renovations item, or are they the security integration? Am I missing something? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and that's good news, and I hope that policy continues as we move forward. There are a number of Kam Lake businesses that are quite skilled in this field, and it's good to see work flowing directly to northern manufacturers and northern businesses; it creates growth and jobs in our communities. I'd like to thank the Minister again for taking the Housing Corporation in this direction and investing in the NWT. Nothing further. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Of those 45 units, how many have been completed? Thank you.