Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to take steps to close the skills gap using the Skills 4 Success strategic framework.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories understands the importance of early childhood development, and has been focused on developing and implementing programs and services for families with young children for the past few years.  Healthy development during the first few years of life is crucial for lifelong success.

I would like to share today some of the positive funding changes we are making in early childhood development.

YELLOWKNIFE (May 20, 2016) – Premier Bob McLeod announced the following changes to the senior ranks of the territorial public service today:

Check Against Delivery

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.  It is my extreme pleasure to join you today to talk about what the future holds and how we can get Northerners working to ensure this wonderful territory we call home thrives and prospers. 

YELLOWKNIFE (April 20, 2016) – The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) released today new labour market information on NWT jobs in demand over the next 15 years. This critical information will help northerners make informed decisions so they may maximize the NWT employment opportunities that are and will be available over the coming years.

YELLOWKNIFE (March 7, 2016) – Alfred Moses, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment has committed to a comprehensive review of the 2008 Directive on the Enrolment of Students in French First Language Education Programs before the end of the 2015-16 school year. 

Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to providing quality early childhood development programs that will help our children reach their full potential.  We want our youngest citizens to have the best opportunity to become healthy, educated, successful adults who are well prepared to embark on meaningful and rewarding careers.

Mr. Speaker, this is Education Week.  It is a time to focus on how our education system supports our students to gain the knowledge and skills required to live productive lives and to recognize the teachers that help them achieve their personal, academic and career goals.

Good morning.

I am thrilled to be here for Pink Shirt Day, and I would like to thank MLA, Julie Green, Yellowknife Centre and MLA, Kevin OReilly, Frame Lake, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada for organizing today’s event on this important issue.

Bullying is a complex and serious issue that can have devastating effects on our children and youth. Bullying is unacceptable and we are one of the jurisdictions across Canada actively standing up to stop bullying.