Check against delivery.
Thank you for the kind introduction and for your warm welcome.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to be here in Edmonton.
I'm also pleased to see so many business people, industry representatives, Aboriginal leaders, and elected officials here. What I'm going to talk about is important to all of us.
I'm talking about our government's number one priority, and the number one concern for Canadians: economic growth and creating jobs for middle-class Canadian families.
I'm happy to say that on both fronts Canada is in good shape, especially when we look at the situation facing countries around the world. We have fared better than most in weathering the economic storm of recent years.
On August 31, Statistics Canada announced that the Canadian economy grew 1.8% in the second quarter, representing the fourth consecutive quarter of economic growth in Canada.
Our continued economic growth, and the nearly 750,000 net new jobs created since July 2009, is encouraging signs that our government is on the right track for the economy.
Indeed, Canada's economic growth in the second quarter was the strongest compared to all other G-7 countries.
But the global economic situation remains fragile and uncertain - especially among Canada's key trading partners, Europe and the United States. As an open trading country, we aren't immune to these global challenges.
That's why we continue to work hard to implement Economic Action Plan 2012, which includes measures to grow our economy.
Alberta's economic foundation is strong and together we can keep it that way.
The Alberta unemployment rate remains at 4.6% and jobs continue to be created, with over 5,800 positions created in July alone.
According to the provincial finance ministry average weekly earnings in Alberta are among the highest in the country, up 4.1% over last year.
It is no wonder that Alberta remains the land of opportunity for so many. In the first quarter of 2012, your net interprovincial migration was over 13,000 people and net international migration was close to 9,000 people.
Despite this, the province expects a labour shortage of more than 110,000 workers over the next decade, with potential shortages in virtually every field, from the skilled trades and service industries, to engineering, tourism, and health care to name just a few.
A labour shortage could stall economic growth. That's not good for you, nor is it good for Canada.
Our challenge is straightforward: How to fill future job vacancies with skilled workers and allow economic growth to continue.
Our government has taken steps to support youth employment and give young Canadians better opportunities to develop the skills that are required for today's labour market.
Last week we unveiled a new approach under the Youth Employment Strategy that will help approximately 3,000 young Canadians find jobs in high-demand sectors of the economy.
The initiative will help address labour shortages by equipping youth with skills and experience, and creating opportunities for them to start careers in high demand fields such as the skilled trades.
Today's youth are tomorrow's workforce; by investing in them we are helping contribute to Canada's long-term growth, competitiveness and overall prosperity.
But this is only part of the solution. The answer to Canada's long term labour needs must include Canada's Aboriginal population.
The Aboriginal population is the fastest-growing segment in the country, increasing at twice the rate of the broader Canadian population. By 2026, it's expected to rise to more than 1.5 million, with 40% of that number under the age of 25.
According to a recent Conference Board of Canada report, over the next five years alone, some 155,000 Aboriginal people will reach working age.
This represents a tremendous opportunity for Aboriginals, for Alberta and for Canada. Especially when we consider the consistent demand for employees in the natural resource sector of the province, and the proximity of so many Aboriginal communities to those projects.
Given their proximity, Aboriginal communities are ideally placed to contribute to and benefit from large economic projects.
Yet when you look at social assistance levels in Alberta, it is clear that this opportunity has not been fully tapped.
Currently, the on-reserve dependency rate – that is, the percentage of people living on reserve who receive income assistance – sits at approximately 41% percent. Contrast that with the provincial dependency rate of just over 4%.
This is an issue that we must address, together. Doing nothing is not an option.
Seizing on the untapped potential of the young Aboriginal population will break the cycle, contributing to healthier, more self-sufficient Aboriginal communities, and help to address the province's labour needs.
In 2009, when our government launched the Federal Framework for Aboriginal Economic Development, we committed to better coordinate and focus federal actions on the specific obstacles that limit Aboriginal participation in the economy.
For instance, we have committed to doing more to encourage those on Income Assistance, who can work, to access training and, more broadly, to improve the incentives for labour market participation.
We also invest more than $400 million annually in direct funding for Aboriginal skills development and training.
Last year, our government introduced the First Nations Financial Transparency Act to allow First Nation community members access to the information required to make informed decisions about their leadership and to provide investors with the confidence they need to enter into financial partnerships with First Nations.
Now that the legislation is before the House committee, we hope to see it passed into law soon.
And we've invested in modernizing the lands management regimes for First Nations so that they can unlock the potential of their lands and natural resources.
We've expanded the First Nations Land Management Regime to include more First Nations from across Canada. We also developed a new funding formula for the regime, and we've refined the application process.
The regime replaces approximately one-quarter of the Indian Act and allows participating First Nations to assume management of their reserve land and resources so that they may pursue economic opportunities and operate at the speed of business today.
Sixty First Nations have already stepped up to take advantage of this new regime, including Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, just west of here. As a result Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation is beginning to develop its own land codes, which will allow the Nation to more quickly and effectively pursue economic opportunities and create jobs.
Our government also reaffirmed our commitment to responsible resource development, a key driver in Canada's economy. Our 'one project, one review' policy streamlines the review process, allowing companies to operate at the speed of business, while enhancing environmental protection, ensuring sustainable development, and providing additional resources for meaningful Aboriginal consultation.
Fundamental to the pursuit of economic opportunity and a good job is a good education. Since 2006, our government has built 33 new schools on reserve and carried out major renovations to 22 more. In the past year our government invested $269 million in education funding to support First Nation and Inuit students in Alberta.
Last March the Northland School Division and Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council announced a partnership that will see them share education programming and resources. Our government supports this partnership because it will lead to greater access by First Nation students to the kinds of education supports and resources available to other students in Alberta.
We have also set aside an incremental $175 million for on-reserve school infrastructure across Canada, including two recently announced new schools, and an additional $100 million for literacy and numeracy programming. This is on top of the $1.7 billion we spend annually on First Nations K-12 education. In the coming weeks we intend to announce our plans for the incremental funding committed in Economic Action Plan 2012.
But funding alone won't improve education outcomes for First Nation students. That's why our Economic Action Plan commits us to introducing a First Nations Education Act that will establish the structures and standards to support a strong, accountable education system on reserve.
It's also the reason we have signed memoranda of understanding with First Nations and governments in five provinces, including the Government of Alberta and the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs for Treaties 6, 7, and 8.
The partnership agreement in your province will lead to improvements in the quality of education for students in band-operated schools and First Nation students who attend provincial schools, and allow students to transfer between First Nation and provincial schools without academic penalty.
The partnership is designed to promote collaborative work among First Nations, my department and the province on initiatives that will see First Nation students achieving the kinds of educational outcomes, levels and successes of all other students in Alberta. Of course, government doesn't have all of the answers. That's why we are closely listening to and working with organizations like the Edmonton Chamber, as well as other organizations in the private sector.
For instance, senior officials from my department have completed a series of six regional roundtables that brought together senior leaders from Canada's Aboriginal communities, natural resources industries, and provincial, territorial and federal governments to identify and discuss obstacles to greater Aboriginal participation in major mining, oil and natural gas projects. At these regional roundtables, including one held in Calgary, participants shared best practices and developed solutions to help eliminate barriers to better economic and labour outcomes.
Together we are making progress in creating the conditions for Aboriginal people to achieve the prosperity they seek and that Canada needs. But our work is not done.
Together, let's make sure more Aboriginal teens graduate from high school and move on to higher education and to programs that provide the skills they require for the jobs they need.
Let's empower more First Nation communities by removing obstacles that prevent them from playing their vital role in our country's long-term prosperity.
Let's help more Aboriginal people get fulfilling jobs and start meaningful careers.
We all have a role to play in achieving these important goals. Let's keep Alberta's economy going strong for many, many years to come.
Thank you.
