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.