Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you. This is the budget session, Mr. Speaker, and I've already been told that we have lots of people who are great at analysing things. So, I would like to ask the Minister, instead of adding to the public service, did he consider the possibility of seconding somebody from somewhere else inside the government so we wouldn't have to increase the costs to this government of adding more staff?

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that Mr. Lewis and some of his colleagues from Yellowknife want to see an orderly, expeditious development of the mineral industry. I believe this position enhances that, it doesn't take away from that. It provides us with the expertise to provide advice to the industry so it can hopefully avoid some of the delays we have seen recently because the industry didn't address all the issues the RERC wanted, and that was the BHP application. I suppose we perhaps could have considered secondment. We didn't and that's why it is in the budget. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you. I have a question, Mr. Speaker, for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism and it also has to do with diamond mining. I'm not as concerned as my colleague about the process or about this particular position, but what I am concerned about, though, are what steps the department has taken to look at the possibility of value-added jobs, whether they are in a sorting facility or in a cutting factory. At the end of the day, what my constituents are worried about are some real jobs and some real benefits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're currently doing some of that research and investigating under the Department of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, actually. I believe we've hired some of the top knowledgeable diamond people in the world and I say that without risk of being questioned on it. Right now we have these people working on evaluating, sorting, polishing, et cetera. In the reports they are doing for us, they are showing us the net fiscal benefits should these activities take place.

Again, if it were to be viewed that some of this work could be done in the north we would, once a decision to develop a diamond mine has been made, have to sit down and negotiate with the mining industry to determine what we could do in the north. But, it is certainly our intent to encourage and prepare documentation that shows that some of this work can be done. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister is aware that estimates have been done about the loss of government jobs in Yellowknife because of Nunavut, and they are somewhere in the order of 300 jobs. My understanding is that a sorting factory could probably provide 100 to 150 jobs, so it could be a very significant addition to Yellowknife, if that's the way it comes out. My question to the Minister is, has the Minister made it clear to BHP that our government will aggressively pursue these value-added opportunities to stay here in the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have explained to BHP -- as a matter of fact, I met with Mr. Hickman earlier last week -- that with or without an accord, if there is no value-added fiscal component to this development that we are going to be heading towards a difference of opinion about whether this development should move forward or not. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you. To follow along the same line of questioning, I, along with other people, have a real concern because the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs has that responsibility and I'm not convinced they hold dear the interests of the Northwest Territories as deeply as our government does. My question to the Minister is, has the Minister made it very clear to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs that we consider it imperative that we have some of these value-added opportunities here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would hope that we have made it clear. I've certainly spoken to the Minister about the issue of the mineral accord, in general. We all know that, to some extent -- and only to some extent -- that diamonds are driving the agenda a little more aggressively than perhaps it has in the past. We've indicated to him at some length -- not only myself, but my colleagues, Mr. Pollard and the Premier -- that we would like to see significant value-added benefits accrued from this development. I want to reiterate what I have said on a number of occasions. These are northern diamonds, therefore some benefits should accrue to northerners. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Dent.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Mr. Dent.

Mr. Kakfwi.