Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to highlight a recent report by Greenland's Economic Council on the current state of Greenland's economy and recommendations related to economic transition and sustainability. I want to highlight this report as it relates to ECE's business plan goal of developing an economic vision for the NWT. There are some interesting parallels with what is highlighted in the Greenland report in our own economic situation.
The first aspect of the report I want to draw attention to is related to how the government can best strengthen productivity in the private sector. The report emphasizes the best way to achieve this is through transparency and stability of regulatory framework conditions and cautions against sustained tax financed support for business which it risks locking employment into supported activities.
The report also emphasizes the need for increased efficiency and focus in the public sector which can help to reduce costs and free up labour to support a broader economic base. The report argues this can be achieved through clearly developed goal requirements, well-defined management responsibility for achieving the goals with given budgets and follow-up on goal achievement.
The aspect of the report I would like to draw particular attention to is related to productivity gains from training. The report states that it is a crucial prerequisite for a more self-sustaining economy to increase the level of education in a population. Greenland faces similar challenges to those we face in the NWT, and the report emphasizes the gains which can be realized from all levels in the education spectrum, from early childhood through to post-secondary. I strongly agree with these conclusions and continue to emphasize the need for our government to place education at the forefront of our economic vision.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of ITI -- and sorry, I said ECE earlier, I meant ITI, but it is the same Minister for what it's worth -- has stated economic vision development will be a collaborative process which I agree with completely, but I don't want vision development to simply take the form of a What We Heard report. What I would like to strongly emphasize as we move forward with economic visioning is that we take an analytical and evidence-based approach to it, similar to what was produced by Greenland's Economic Council. I will table a translated version of the report in the House tomorrow for anyone who's interested in reading it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.
