Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about the Skills for Success Initiative whose focus is to improve employment success for NWT residents, close skill gaps for in-demand jobs and respond to employer needs. This initiative is driven by labour market evidence, best practice research and information, and stakeholder input and feedback. Just with that last little statement there, that leads to this last couple days where there is actually a symposium going on as we speak.
We have territorial, Aboriginal and municipal governments, education and training partners, industry, business, NGOs, students and apprentices all meeting and finding out how we can create an action plan to increase the employment in the Northwest Territories, as well as the training and education for residents to take these jobs when the economy picks back up in some of the areas.
Actually, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with some participants over the last couple of days who are attending this forum. Especially after yesterday, the first forum, everyone is saying it’s a really good symposium with a lot of good information and some very strong statements from our own Minister and our leaders within the communities and within government. However, when we get into those discussions, we have to talk about the realities. It’s all good and fine to say things are going to be good in a symposium or a conference, but we’ve got to look at the realities of what’s actually out there throughout the Northwest Territories in our regions, in our communities.
I just wanted to highlight some of the discussions that I’ve had. We continue to have high unemployment rates, especially in the small communities. We have a slow economy and it’s not only in the Northwest Territories, it’s across Canada and globally. So, we have other jurisdictions who are looking to get some of the jobs up here, while our own residents need the training to fill those positions.
Housing was brought up as an issue for some organizations, and I had a good discussion with some members from back home saying we have jobs and we can’t fill them because we can’t house them. In Inuvik you can buy a house because the economy is so slow, but housing is an issue as well as looking at office space. As stated and addressed in the 2014 NWT survey of mining employees, one of the big barriers that is affecting us right now is the high cost of living.
I will have questions for the appropriate Ministers when I get the opportunity later. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The world, including we in the NWT, has come to a fork in the road. We must all choose. The choice will affect what kind of world we live in and leave for our children and grandchildren. We can choose to ignore the science telling us that continued fossil fuel extraction beyond 20 percent of known conventional reserves must stay in the ground. We can ignore the respected voices telling us that economies based on fossil fuels are not sustainable morally, financially or ecologically from Pope Francis to Mark Carney to the Rockefellers. We can ignore the mounting evidence of damage caused by fracking and other fossil fuel extraction leading to adverse health impacts and disastrous climate change, contaminated lakes and rivers, poisoned aquifers and earthquakes, or we can choose a path less travelled. One million dollars invested in renewable energy creates three to four times as many jobs as does oil and gas.
Renewable energy production is hitting its stride worldwide. Denmark broke a world record for wind production by getting almost 40 percent of its overall electricity from wind in 2014, breaking UK’s record of 25 percent of total production. On a day in December 2014, Germany reached 50 percent of energy demand from solar and wind.
The Globe and Mail reported in December that Canada’s green energy sector had grown so quickly and is so vital to the economy that it now employs more people than the tar sands; good, sustainable jobs immune to the cycles of boom and bust associated with fossil fuel extraction. Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia have seen their capacity to produce pollution-free electricity increase by eight gigawatts in the past five years, allowing one more Canadian household a minute to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy.
In that same period, investors have moved $25 billion into the sectors, spurring a 37 percent employment increase in renewable energy industries. Wind, solar, river and biomass capacity nearly doubled. This is momentum.
An economy based on renewable energy focuses benefits locally, as opposed to giving them to shareholders from afar. It provides equitable benefits, as opposed to a few big winners and many losers. A renewable energy approach creates self-sufficiency, addresses the cost of living, improves our health and engages families and their communities and their land.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.
---Unanimous consent granted
In the words of an economist, “The solution to both climate and economy is worldwide conversion from fossil fuels to renewables.” This massive conversion program will lead to powerful economic growth, less economic drag from energy costs, higher revenue for treasuries and strong employment drivers.
So, here we are at the fork in the road, choosing between a path that continues to destroy our planet and offers only a few local boom and bust jobs in return, and a renewable energy future that holds a promise of healthy, lasting jobs and a sustainable economy. Which do we choose? Our people, our children, our communities await our decision with bated breath.
I will have questions for the Premier. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
