Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to repeat again, just for the record, that I think we have spent an inordinate amount of time in the last six to seven months trying gather support for the orderly transfer of the accord to the territorial government. Not just myself, but the Premier, the Finance Minister, Mr. Kakfwi and others, are optimistic. Mr. Irwin has indicated to me that he is prepared to move reasonably quickly. I'm optimistic that we can reach a reasonable consensus across the territories. I want to say that for the record because I think it is important that we continue to say it.

Mr. Lewis said earlier in his speech, and raised earlier today, the concern about the need for a sustainable development policy. We, in fact, do have one that was put in place in March 1993. I was advised by the staff because I asked the question when I went up the stairs. I would go as far as to say to you that we concede that perhaps we haven't implemented it or articulated it as well as we should and I want to ensure the honourable Member that I intend to do that post-haste.

In this policy, it does say, "The Government of the Northwest Territories will promote exploration, development and the use of mineral aggregate and fossil fuel resources in ways that maintain lasting social and economic benefits while maintaining ecological processes and natural diversity." Now, maybe that's a motherhood statement, but it does clearly say, I would suggest to you, that this government is an advocate of orderly development. As I said two minutes ago, I am concerned and will concede that perhaps we haven't articulated this policy well as a government, and I want to assure the Member that will change post-haste.

With respect to the Member's question about value-added jobs, I agree entirely with him. We have to be extremely careful that the demands that we place on the industry are not unreasonable because there is a cost component. Diamonds are of an international nature and they are generally in, if I can be frank about it, Third World economies which does create a problem when you look at the costs of operation in the Northwest Territories. We're not a Third World economy where we pay someone 25 cents a day to polish diamonds, like they do in India. So, I think there are some fiscal realities out there that we have to approach.

However, I want to tell this House that we are aggressively putting papers together and working on strategic development policies. We are evaluating where we think there is some potential for value-added jobs in this industry, whether it be a sorting facility -- similar to what we saw in Gaborone and Botswana when my colleagues and I travelled there -- or a polishing facility, and the value that comes with it. I do want to say that I'm told this mine is now going to cost $800 million in terms of capital costs. If the business community in the Northwest Territories is as aggressive as we would like it to be, surely to goodness at least in the front end and the building of it, there will be significant benefits accrued to not only northern business but to businesses in southern Canada, in Alberta, BC and Ontario.

In the long term, I'm told that there is somewhere between $200 and $300 million worth of spending on an annual basis and I would hope that the business community, the jobs and the disposable income would have a strong northern reflection to it. We certainly intend to take steps to work with the industry, not to impede its ability to make profits, but to enhance it with the development of some involvement of northerners, whether it is in employment training, job or service opportunities.

Mr. Chairman, I'm as equally concerned as others that we do not continue to be wards of the state and that we find a way to become less dependent on the transfers which the Finance Minister has mentioned, if I may suggest, until he is blue in the face. I really believe we are all in sync with this thing. I think that, generally speaking, the aboriginal groups are equally in sync. There are some distinct differences which we have to try to accommodate and I'm optimistic that we can. Thank you.