Check against delivery.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen.
It is a pleasure to be here today. I am happy to see so many familiar faces.
This conference is a great opportunity for people to share knowledge, to network, and to explore the opportunities that Canada's major projects present for Aboriginal communities.
I know many in this room share our government's priority: jobs and economic growth.
I'm pleased to say that on both fronts Canada is in good shape, especially when we look at the situation facing countries around the world. Overall we have fared better than most in weathering the economic storm.
Since 2006, the federal government has worked hard to support the security and prosperity of Canadians, and to promote business investment and innovation.
We continue to implement Economic Action Plan 2012, which includes measures to grow our economy. Our Government also understands the financial pressure on entrepreneurs, and we recognize that Canada's entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy, driving innovation, creating jobs and fueling economic growth. That's why last year, Prime Minister Harper declared 2011 'Year of the Entrepreneur.'
And that's why we are proud to support the second Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Conference and Tradeshow and to contribute to providing a forum for Aboriginal businesses, industry representatives and government officials to come together.
We believe that Aboriginal participation in the economy is the best route to healthier, more self-sufficient Aboriginal communities.
Our Government is taking concrete steps to create the conditions for young Aboriginal people to find and keep meaningful jobs.
Through investments in community infrastructure, education and training, we are equipping Aboriginal youth with the tools and supports they require to pursue the same opportunities for jobs and economic self-sufficiency available to all Canadians.
Ensuring Aboriginal youth are prepared for the work force is increasingly critical, not just because it's good for Aboriginals, but because it's good for Canada.
While Canada has weathered the economic storm of recent years, we cannot become complacent. In the coming years we will be faced with a key challenge: how to address looming job shortages, especially in the skilled trades, so that economic growth can continue.
For instance, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce forecasts job shortfalls of 163,000 in the construction industry, 130,000 in the oil and gas sectors, and 10,000 in the steel trades over the next decade. Similarly, the mining industry is facing a shortage of 140,000 workers.
There is an opportunity here that must be seized.
The Aboriginal population is the fastest growing segment in the country, increasing at twice the rate of the broader Canadian population. By 2026, it is expected to rise to more than 1.5 million, with 40% of that number under the age of 25. According to the Conference Board of Canada, over the next five years alone, some 155,000 Aboriginal people will reach working age.
This represents a tremendous opportunity for us to address Canada's labour needs, while also improving the socio-economic conditions for Aboriginal youth.
Ensuring that the country has a skilled labour force starts with making sure that the work force of tomorrow gets the education they need today.
That's why in Economic Action Plan 2012 our Government committed $275 million in new funding for First Nation education to improve on-reserve schools and education outcomes. This is in addition to the approximately $1.5 billion we invest each year in First Nations K-12 education, and the approximately $200 million per year we invest in the construction and maintenance of education facilities on reserve.
We also invest more than $400 million annually in direct funding for Aboriginal skills development and training.
In Economic Action Plan 2012 we committed to doing even more to encourage those on Income Assistance, who can work, to access training so that they can participate in the work force.
Currently, the on-reserve dependency rate – that is, the percentage of people living on reserve who receive income assistance – sits at approximately 23% in Ontario, compared with the provincial dependency rate of just over 6%. This isn't unique to Ontario, either. Across the country we see Income Assistance rates on reserve exceeding provincial rates, including in provinces where the demand for labour continues to grow.
Take Alberta, for instance, where the on-reserve dependency rate is about 37%, versus the provincial dependency rate of 2.0%.
This is an issue we must address together so that Aboriginal youth have the same opportunities and choices as other Canadian youth. Doing nothing is not an option.
Seizing on the untapped potential of the young Aboriginal population will help break the cycle of dependency, contributing to healthier, more self-sufficient Aboriginal communities while also addressing the country's growing labour needs.
I'm pleased that we're making progress. For instance, in Saskatchewan my department has invested close to $10 million since 2007 to support over seventy active measures projects, including multi-year capacity building initiatives with five Tribal Council partners, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies and the File Hills Employment Centre.
We also created a Senior Steering Committee that engages First Nation leaders to help guide active measures initiatives. This forum now includes the leadership of five Saskatchewan Tribal Councils, representing more than half of the province's First Nations. This is one example of an approach that is working well and will help us achieve our shared goal of seeing more Aboriginals taking part in the labour market.
Clearly, though, we need to do more and now is the right time to do it. Our Government is prepared to make the necessary investments, but to succeed we need willing First Nations to work with us. Together, we can ensure that the next generation of Aboriginal youth gets the training they need, and the jobs they want.
The resource sector presents a tremendous opportunity. Already my department's Major Projects and Investment Funds Initiative has contributed over $22 million, from 2008 to 2012, to support Aboriginal participation in 87 energy and resource projects such as hydro, mining, renewable energy and forestry. These contributions have helped create over 400 jobs and leveraged over $307 million from public and private debt and equity financing sources.
In addition to these investments, our government has been hard at work modernizing legislation in order to allow First Nations and Aboriginal organizations to operate at the speed of business.
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 land 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.
Sixty First Nations have already stepped up to take advantage of this new regime, including Beausoleil and Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nations in Ontario. As a result, these First Nations are beginning to develop their own land codes, which will allow them to more quickly and effectively pursue economic opportunities and create jobs.
Through these initiatives, we are putting in place the building blocks for future success. These foundational pieces will help prepare communities to take advantage of new opportunities available to them.
Speaking of communities, I'd like to highlight a valuable new feature of this year's conference: a new community participation support program funded by the Aboriginal Human Resource Council and some provinces, that was established to bring leaders from smaller communities located close to potentially active major projects to this conference. I would like to applaud this initiative – it is with this type of partnership and sense of enterprise that we will achieve great things.
When it comes to major projects, our government takes its duty to consult with Aboriginal groups very seriously. We endeavour to meet our legal duty to consult through meaningful and direct consultation with Aboriginal communities to ensure that Aboriginal views are taken into consideration when making decisions on projects that could adversely affect their rights. Economic Action Plan 2012 committed $13.6 million to support Aboriginal consultation under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. This will assist Aboriginal groups to effectively participate in consultations related to environmental assessment of major natural resource projects.
In order to further enable businesses to seize opportunities, our government has reaffirmed its 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.
The key to success in every one of the areas I have talked about this morning is partnership. We must all work together to build a future where Aboriginal people share fully in the prosperity of this great country. No one person or organization can do it alone.
I invite you to take full advantage of the opportunities offered at this conference to meet future partners, share information and learn from others.
Thank you.
