Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know I only asked about this yesterday, but I'd like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if she has any updates for this House on the Northwest Territories nominee program. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no updates today. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide us with guidance on how we should reach out to people who have been coming to our offices concerned about this program now that this is -- there's some hope that the program could be expanded -- or extended that we can get those numbers back. People continue to ask, so. And it's good that this information's out there so people know what's at stake. So can the Minister give guidance on what we should be providing back to our constituents who are worried about this program -- about their spots coming to an end and having to leave the Northwest Territories with their families. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day here, we're talking about people, and this is a very, very emotional subject for people who live in the territory. 99 percent of the people who are part of our nominee program are people who are already living in the Northwest Territories, and people who do apply to the nominee program as -- for those potential spots have to have worked in the territory with an employer already. So those are people that are already living in the NWT, they're contributing to our communities, they are friends, they are neighbours, they are Northerners. And so this is a very, very difficult, difficult time. So I absolutely expect that most of us will be getting outreach from people who are worried about getting a spot and maintaining the North as home. And so I wanted to start off by saying that because I think it's really important to acknowledge the emotion and the heart that's involved in this. And I appreciate the Member, and multiple Members from the other side of the House, for taking these phone calls. People can certainly always call our immigration office. They can speak as well to Minister McLeod -- sorry, our MP, our Member of Parliament. And I know that our Member of Parliament, immigration is 80 percent of what he fields in his office here in the Northwest Territories. So this conversation's very important. But I also want to be cautious in that we're not giving people false hope given how important this is to people of the Northwest Territories. But I can assure the Member that I will continue to advocate. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know the Minister is on the same page but I already -- I knew much of that response because that's what I've been telling people as well. We are all very compassionate. We want things to work. But to me and to many others, it seems like a power is in our hands to make a decision and bring back these spots and also welcome asylum seekers into the Northwest Territories and support them from these -- you know, places that they've fled from, give them new lives in Canada, and support population growth in the North and our workforce as well. The power's in the Minister's hands. Why isn't she taking it to make a decision and bring our numbers back up, help these families out, help asylum seekers out. Seems like a win-win to me. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Because the federal government hasn't yet told me what is involved in the deal, what it is that they are asking of us, and what it is and how they are supporting residents in return. So that's the information that I'm waiting for. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.
