Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When I referred to the necessity to sometimes provide small amounts of help to existing businesses to make them viable, make a difference, or make or break; I think of the Business Incentive Policy, and I noticed that no one has brought it up here today, not even my friend from Nunakput. Can the Minister please tell us, Mr. Chairman, what the current status of the application of the Business Incentive Policy is at this time? Thank you.

Thank you. The Minister for the Department of Public Works, I think, is still responsible for applying the Business Incentive Policy. I am responsible for looking at changes to the Business Incentive Policy, and I am still in the process of doing that. As soon as there is some time and the work diminishes a little, perhaps after the session, we will go to Cabinet for a discussion on the proposal on changes to the Business Incentive Policy.

I should point out that for communities like Hay River and Yellowknife to call level one communities, there is economic spinoff benefits to the government giving more support to level two and level three communities. Places like Kakisa and the Hay River Reserve, Providence, the more money is generated, the more jobs that are generated in those communities, the more money flows into Hay River and Yellowknife as a result. So there is a very direct benefit to level one communities from the effort that the government is making in level two and level three communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that is the case and Hay River does, in fact, hope for and encourage the economic development of the surrounding communities. We do appreciate the business that those communities do bring into our community. With respect to the economic benefits and spinoffs from the diamond mining operations which are in place now and the ones that will be in place in future, I have obviously had discussions with the Minister on previous occasions and have found that his approach to the distribution of those benefits to be very open-minded and very fair. The issue of the diamond sorting and valuating facility is one that keeps coming up, although it is only one component of a much larger range of possible benefits. Could the Minister provide any kind of indication as to what role his department will be playing in facilitating the distribution of the benefits derived from the new Mineral Sector Development? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, as a Minister and as a government, I think we are primarily focused right now on trying to help bring to the attention of the federal government that there are many, many economic benefits that Canada can gain through the diligence and attention of the federal government. For instance, they can insist that an valuation facility be located off site in a Canadian community, not a mine site. They can insist that royalty payments to the Canadian Government and Canadian people be made in kind, that Canadian diamonds should be sold in Canada. Those are some of the things that we think the Canadian Government can insist on and provide for in legislation and through its discussions with diamond producers.

So that is the primary focus right now. If we can get that, then I would think that we can then get the Canadian Government to agree that an valuation facility for the purposes of sorting and also for marketing, should be located at a community in the Northwest Territories. We do know that there are people who buy diamonds, who cut and polish diamonds who produce jewellery from diamonds, are prepared to invest in a community in the north, to set up shop here, to train people and to do it without any government incentive and that there are people who think it is very economical to be able to buy diamonds right here and to cut and polish them, and sell them, again to retailers.

We are in the primary focus right now trying to find out, and if there is not any, to help define what the national position of the federal government is. Our position, of course, is that we have to maximize the economic benefits of diamond production right here in the Northwest Territories and that we have to engage people from the diamond industry and ask them to come forward with proposals on how our communities, not only Yellowknife, Hay River and the larger centres, but the smaller communities as well, can benefit from diamond mining. As a Minister, that is really where we are at in this regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I find the Minister's comments very reassuring, and I know that he will continue as he takes the role of leadership on this issue of economic benefits from the mineral sector. I know that he will continue to look at ways where as much the government can, they will see that there is a fair distribution of those benefits. Mr. Chairman, I think we will take your advice. I think that was three or four questions I was at. If I have any further, I would delay them until after the break. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I shall also save my response until after the break.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, I cannot say that we have actively sought out other jurisdictions and compared notes, but it is something that our staff are monitoring. The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Department of National Defence are collaborating in the cleanup of these DEW Line sites and weather stations. It is at the staff level that most of the cooperation and sharing of information is taking place. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I am aware of the program and the report. No, I have not read it. Most reports of that nature are usually provided to me in the form of a briefing and depending on the number of questions, I have the details provided thereafter. I know that the federal government is now, hopefully and shortly, will appoint a new chairman for the Polar Commission, which has been an excellent agency that has been actively encouraging the federal government to do something about airborne pollutants and other pollutants that are affecting the environment, the wildlife and the people of the Arctic.

The Arctic Ambassador, as well, Mary Simon, has made it a lifelong quest of hers to do everything she can, to addressing the international forum to ensure that the arctic concerns in regard to the environment and pollution are addressed in the International Forum. While we do have growing concerns about airborne pollutions, about the levels of PCBs and mercury in the arctic food chain. We also have some recent developments that will help us draw attention to those situations to help us try to give her some support and assistance in addressing them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The federal government recently asked me to head the federal delegation of that meeting. In later consultations I decided that it would be more appropriate if we asked the Arctic Ambassador to head the federal delegation, of which I was quite willing to concede. I know that it is an important issue. It is one in the international forum. The Office of the Arctic Ambassador needed to develop its own profile and presence in the international community, and this was another way to enhance that. I think the federal government had that mind in making that suggestion, and I was quite happy to comply. I have not, to date, personally received any update on that meeting, but I am sure the information is available. Thank you.