Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a shipment of vaccine being shipped to Gjoa Haven tomorrow. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you. I was busy looking at my note, I did not get what the response was. I understand that people and dogs were vaccinated around Christmas time. It is also my understanding that there was an outbreak of rabies in Gjoa Haven. What is the status of that, is the problem still there? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure what started the outbreak and I would be pleased to check into it for the Member. I will check with the Department of RWED as well as the Department of Health. I would be pleased to give that information directly to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for Mr. Todd, the Minister of Finance. My question to the Minister is, I understand the mining companies do not like the idea of additional taxes. I would ask the Minister if he would make some comment on that from the perspective of what else would they be prepared to work at or assist the people of the north if they do not like the taxes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, nobody likes taxes and that is all understandable. I do not like taxes, but the reality of life is that countries like Canada, democracies, run on taxes and we need to ensure in this country, the Northwest Territories gets its fair share of the coming developments that are taking place around us. Perhaps, in my earlier comments in my enthusiasm to demonstrate my determination of our taxation, I inadvertently used the term, to choke a mule. It certainly was not my intention at the time to frighten investors. It was merely to demonstrate the sincerity and seriousness that I saw and the need for northerners to access their appropriate share of developments. Taxes are one option and, of course, Mr. Kakfwi, our Minister of RWED, is the lead Minister in looking at all the other economic opportunities that should or will hopefully unfold with the diamond development. Some of the areas, as you know, that we are looking at, Mr. Kakfwi is discussing with the industry is the diamond valuation sorting facility. We are also looking at the possibility of accessing the rough, so northerners have the capability to access rough at a reasonable price so they can do the kind of value-added industry that we believe, does not require subsidization and can, in fact, be done.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, I am told that some of this value-added stuff is being done in New York. It is being done in Tel Aviv.

It is being done in Antwerp, et cetera, so the argument I constantly hear by others, about the need for subsidization, I think really, it requires further examination before one makes those kinds of comments. This government's objective is to protect the interests of northerners. That is why they elected us. That is why they put us in the positions we have. I, for one, along with my colleague, Mr. Kakfwi, intend to do that.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for those comments. On the question of costs, I, along with some of my colleagues in this House, had the opportunity to see first hand some of the opportunities that would be available to the Northwest Territories from value-added industries that could go onto diamonds. I found Antwerp and London to be extremely expensive so I support the Minister when he says the north may not be that expensive to perform some of these added values. Could the Minister tell me if the idea of a Crown corporation or similar organization purchasing diamonds and selling them, themselves, has been floated with the mining companies and what their response is? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

It is currently being discussed amongst Cabinet and amongst the industry as one option we may wish to consider. Again, as I stress, Mr. Kakfwi is not here today. I am working with him in partnership to try to come to, if you want, a consensus as to what the bottom line should be for this government and for the people of the territories. I would suggest that some form of access to the rough diamonds should, in my opinion, as is done in every other jurisdiction in the world, be in the hands of northerners. Whether it is through a government agency or through the private sector, that is yet, I believe to be determined. Certainly the principles of accessing the rough or a percentage of the rough to northern peoples, surely is not only a right but it is good corporate business.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just cannot understand why, if a company has a product that it wishes to sell, it could not offer that for sale to any organization who wishes to buy? My question to the Minister is, will he continue with Mr. Kakfwi to pursue that with the company and his government to ensure that we can set up an organization to ensure that this happens and that we have some control over producing jobs in the secondary industries. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

In fairness to the current company, the course of discussions underway, BHP, I believe, has said that they are prepared to provide access to the rough diamonds to northerners and to Canadians. I should qualify that. They are prepared to do that. We just have to work out, I think, a system as to how that is going to occur. Certainly, as I said, Mr. Kakfwi and myself are trying to prepare along with my colleague, Mr. Dent, a common position that this government can take, that we can pursue with the industry, at the same time balance that out with the need for the industry to remain competitive for it has a right to a return on investment as we have a right to expect that northerners get the maximum benefit from this industry, that after all the diamonds are northern diamonds. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is in regard to my earlier Member's statement on FAS/FAE. My question to the Minister for Health is, does the Department of Health have a strategy to deal with FAS/FAE other than identifying the problem? For example, we do not have any specialists. Do they have a strategy in place? Thank you.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand right now, the department actively works with communities in identifying potential projects which are incorporated in FAS/FAE prevention component. As you know, not that long ago we also worked with the FAS/FAE working group in assisting them in developing a video that has been translated and sent to communities and schools across the Northwest Territories, which also outlines some of the prevention supports for caregivers and for parents of FAS/FAE individuals, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my earlier statement I did talk about prevention and the money that had been given to Pauktuutit. My question was on after we have identified the problem, what do we do for these people? I understand for example, in my region there is no specialist, no audiologist, no speech pathologists. If the nurse identifies them at the hospital or the nurse's station, there is

Mr. Ng.