Mr. Speaker, the NWT has been sustained since time immemorial on the traditional economies of First Peoples who harvested the fur, fish, timber, and other natural resources that our land is rich in. But as our economy has grown, so has the needs of our labour market, and immigration has become an important part of our story. This is how the Northwest Territories has built a diverse community that it boasts today, because of this welcoming nature of our people that has encouraged migration from every corner of the world. From France to the Philippines, Lebanon to India, these people come to partake in fur trading, mining, commerce, contracting, health care, and more. Indeed, the North has always had a need for hardworking skilled labour, unique from the rest of Canada, which is why it was so shocking that the NWT Nomination Program collapsed in recent months.
Last year, the program began to strain under the weight of so many applicants, first closing temporarily last July and now this year shutting down at the 11th hour thanks to a massive cut in available permits from the federal government despite a huge backlog of applicants who were expecting to submit their paperwork that very night. Now I am hearing from business owners in my riding, who are telling me their plans to expand, have had to be put on hold while concern continues to pour in from frontline workers that departments can't find employees who can support our services. Community leaders and constituents are reaching out almost daily in growing fears as the date of work permit expirations creep closer and closer without any certainty that their paperwork will be processed in time. Collectively, they describe these circumstances as nothing short of chaos.
Mr. Speaker, our government did not build this program up for it to come crashing down overnight. The federal government must recognize that this is not the right way to treat families who want to live here in the NWT. Their human rights and rights as workers must be upheld. I am calling on our Minister to take action, and I know she is passionate about the subject as well, but to take action and ensure that this program will not only be back up and running but will be expanded to meet our growing needs. Let's stand up for northern businesses and show the Prime Minister this program has been a success and prove to local businesses that our priority is their growth and give hope to new Canadians that they are respected members of our community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.
