Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Census Canada released results from a 2006 survey yesterday which seems to more accurately reflect the demographics of the NWT population. I’d like to acknowledge the Stats NWT for doing the work they did in assisting Census Canada with the work. When we get our funding per capita, every head counts, obviously, Mr. Speaker, and this also just shows you why we need to do more things in the North, not in Ottawa, to get the things done right.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things that emerged from the 2006 Census is that Canada now gets most of its population growth from immigration and will continue to do so in future. If this is the case, I don’t believe our country as a whole is doing enough to prepare and plan for what this means to us in all aspects of our Canadian life. This is especially true for the NWT where we also experience a huge influx of immigrants from all over the world.

Last fall, the application to the federal government to get a small amount of funding for an immigration support centre in Yellowknife was denied. We don’t even have enough staff at the immigration office to answer most basic questions about immigration or other related issues. Just last month, I read an article from the Deh Cho Drum about someone in Fort Simpson who was asked to travel to Inuvik to be sworn in as a Canadian. Obviously, someone in Ottawa does not know how much it costs to go to Inuvik or how far it is from Simpson.

Mr. Speaker, even in Yellowknife, over 200 people had to wait over two years, after going through all the necessary procedures, just to be sworn in as Canadian citizens because we don’t have enough Canadian citizenship judges in Canada. Mr. Speaker, this doesn’t go anywhere near all the issues that we have raised about accreditation of foreign-trained professionals to be able to be employed in jobs that they’re trained to do, skills that we could use in the North, that continue to be unfilled in some of these jobs.

Mr. Speaker, as is the case with every other thing we face in the North, Ottawa doesn’t understand the extent of the needs of the northern immigration population from over 140 countries who live in Yellowknife and NWT. Mr. Speaker, as someone who was given everything she has from the singular privilege of being an immigrant to Canada, I worry about what our future holds for us. If we are going to maintain and grow our population by immigration, we need to implement a plan. Mr. Speaker, may I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement?

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, if we are going to maintain and grow our population by immigration, we need to employ a plan that would bring new and old people together and raise everyone to an equal playing field. Territorially and nationally I believe this is a sleeper issue that will challenge us a great deal as a nation unless we pay attention to this at the level it deserves. I’d like to urge this government and the federal government to address these issues, not just as an issue of number of votes, but an issue that is important to our economic and political future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause