Check Against Delivery
Thank you for that kind introduction. It's great to be back in Alberta, where the economy continues to grow at an unprecedented pace. According to a Statistics Canada study, Alberta's current boom is the largest a province has ever achieved. Between 2002 and 2005, Alberta's gross domestic product rose by an astounding 43 percent.
When officials in my department began to plan my trip to Alberta, I insisted they try to arrange an event such as this luncheon, for two reasons. The first is to extend my thanks, on behalf of all Canadians, to the hard-working entrepreneurs and business people who contribute so much to this country. The second reason is to follow-up on the Meet the North Conference, and to share my views on how we can overcome the challenges associated with Alberta's red-hot economy.
I'm sure that challenges with regard to human resources and infrastructure are everyday concerns for many of you. And I recognize that these issues can affect your efforts to expand businesses and launch new projects.
While I lack your firsthand experience with the problems caused by rapid economic growth, I am certain that broad collaboration is needed to solve them. Effective solutions absolutely require the active engagement of every party-all levels of government, along with public agencies, industry associations, private companies and Aboriginal people.
Today, I will describe some of the valuable partnership efforts underway and share my thoughts on how we can sustain a thriving economy. I'll also outline the Government of Canada's plans for development in the North- a topic that I suspect will be of particular interest to Edmontonians. After all, this city plays a crucial role in supporting projects to develop oil sands, Northern diamonds, oil and gas.
There's no doubt the Prime Minister appreciates the importance of the North. This past summer, Prime Minister Harper travelled to all three territories and outlined his key objectives for the North. It was an honour for me to accompany the Prime Minister for part of this trip, and it was a pleasure for us to meet with Northerners and listen to their concerns. We held lengthy discussions with entrepreneurs, attended the opening of Nunavut's first diamond mine, and visited the northernmost permanent settlement on earth.
This government's plan to foster prosperity in the North focuses on three crucial areas: sovereignty, resource development and standard of living. Several initiatives in support of each goal are already underway, such as our Navy's exercises in the Arctic this summer, the creation of a socio-economic fund for the Mackenzie gas project and investments in Northern housing and infrastructure.
I'm convinced that addressing these priorities will strengthen the North's capacity for economic, social and political development. It will also stimulate economic activity in the rest of Canada-particularly in gateway cities such as Edmonton.
While the opportunities for growth are clearly present, we must be aware of the difficulties we are facing as well. According to the Canada West Foundation, a shortage of labour is the most significant threat. The Conference Board of Canada predicts the shortage will only get worse. Meanwhile, the province and several regional governments are doing all they can to increase the workforce.
Of course, the biggest factor behind the labour shortage is the incredibly rapid rate of economic growth in this part of the country. And while we clearly don't want to slow down growth, we must alleviate the problem in other ways. We can, for example, tap into under utilized sources of labour-such as Aboriginal communities. We can also provide training opportunities so that more people can qualify for jobs that require advanced skills. And we can make the strategic investments in housing and infrastructure needed to attract and sustain a larger workforce in Alberta and the North.
Canada's New Government has taken action on all these areas, working collaboratively with a range of partners to design, fund and implement several programs and initiatives. This government has invested heavily in physical infrastructure, such as roads, sanitation systems and communications technologies. During the summer, the Government of Canada finalized an agreement with Alberta to twin highway 63 up to Wood Buffalo. Yukon, paved the last leg of the highway between Hay River and Yellowknife, and expanded delivery of broadband services to remote communities. Other recent federal investments will upgrade water-treatment facilities in Whitehorse and Carmacks.
This government is working to enlarge the labour pool in Alberta and the North in two ways: one, by establishing a coherent system to recognize the credentials of foreign workers, and two, through programs that aim to increase Aboriginal participation in the mainstream economy.
While many of these programs strive to make it easier for Aboriginal peoples to find and keep jobs, others are aimed at potential employers, and make it easier to hire and train Aboriginal workers. I encourage you to take advantage of these programs.
The hiring of new workers is creating an increase in demand for housing in the North and some parts of Alberta. This government has responded: its inaugural budget committed up to $300 million to housing in the North.
It is no coincidence that the largest resource-development projects underway in Canada-oil and gas development, and diamond and nickel mines-all employ large numbers of Aboriginal workers. These projects benefit from reliable sources of motivated workers who live nearby. And these advantages are available not only to Syncrude, Diavik and Voisey's Bay Nickel, but also to companies operating in other sectors and provinces.
Aboriginal peoples have a significant stake in the largest project ever proposed in the North-a pipeline through the Mackenzie Valley. Should the project proceed, it is widely expected to further contribute to the economy in this part of the country.
I am currently working with the GNWT, industry and
Aboriginal groups to mitigate the impacts of the MGP as exemplified by the creation of a $500 million impact fund.
Since early 2006, a panel of experts has been conducting public hearings for the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project, and will continue until March 2007 throughout communities in the Northwest Territories; northern Alberta; and in Whitehorse, Yukon. The panel will evaluate the possible impacts of the project on the environment and the lives of the people in the proposed project area. They will also review applications for three gas field development plans, a gas gathering system, a gas pipeline system to Norman Wells, and a natural gas pipeline to the Alberta border.
We all have roles to play in filling the current gaps in labour, infrastructure and housing. We must work together to meet these challenges. Industry, for instance, must recognize the advantages of hiring and training Aboriginal peoples. The Government of Canada must foster the partnerships needed to ensure adequate physical infrastructure and regulatory capacity. Groups such as the Chamber of Commerce must continue to present events such as Meet the North, where people can pitch ideas, share contacts and discuss strategies.
There is good reason to be optimistic about the future of the economy. Oil and gas prices are high, and demand is strong. More Albertans and Northerners than ever before have the skills and expertise needed to participate in development projects.
I'm confident that with the eager collaboration of all parties-governments, private companies, Aboriginal organizations, regulatory and environmental review boards-we can overcome the challenges we face, and ensure enduring prosperity for Albertans and for all Canadians.
Thank you.
