Thanks, Mr. Dent. Mr. Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. What have we done in the last month? I've instructed the department to develop a fast-track agenda. Hopefully, if we can get all parties to the table, we've set what I think is a fairly aggressive agenda for ourselves that we hope we can accomplish a mineral accord and an oil and gas accord by the end of this year. Discussions are under way with Mr. Irwin, and discussions are currently under way with Mr. Rayner and others with respect to how we can proceed from where we left off in 1992.

The intent is to move forward with the oil and gas accord, which is basically in place, to add minerals to it and, hopefully, with the support of this Assembly and with some kind of protection and to ensure that we protect the interests of claimant groups et cetera, we can move forward and come to a satisfactory conclusion by the end of this year. I'm optimistic we can do it. I think the momentum is there, the opportunity is there, and it would be foolish to not move quickly. Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Todd. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Mr. Todd.

I support the initiative by the Finance Minister, Mr. Pollard, for a one-window approach. Mr. Pollard has had extensive discussions with Mr. Martin, the federal Finance Minister. We are going to Ottawa next week. While you're at the Arctic Winter Games, we'll be toiling hard on your behalf. The meetings are set up, as I said, with the federal Ministers in an effort to bring this issue up the priority ladder. I feel confident that provided we have unanimous support in this House and we can address the concerns of aboriginal claimant groups, we can move forward with this accord. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. It is well known that the Metall project at Izok Lake, which was a base metal project, has been shelved, put on hold now. It has clearly focused all the mineral exploration and potential into the diamond area. I'm encouraged that the possibility of these precious gems being available in the north end of the Slave geological corridor, which is near Coppermine, of course. However, I understand that the diamond industry is totally different from other forms of mining that we're accustomed to in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister at this time if he and his department recognize this difference. Thank you.

I'm terribly sorry. I didn't quite catch that question. My headset isn't working.

Would you like to restate your question since it's your question, Mr. Ng?