Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, Mr. Speaker, I wish to once again visit the issue of value added industry and the diamond mining companies. Even though, Mr. Speaker, I note that BHP has exceeded their northern hiring and purchasing quotas as outlined in their socio-economic agreement, I cannot help but feel they are not willing to walk that extra mile with northerners. The north needs to diversify. If we continue to rely on a resource-based economy, our own economy will also continue to be subject to market fluctuations in the resource sector. The recent layoffs at the local gold mines are a prime example. What the diamond mining companies have to realize is that we are fighting for jobs for all northerners. We are fighting to stabilize the economy of our city, impacted by government cutbacks and mine layoffs.
Mr. Speaker, I am confident that the honourable Ministers Todd and Kakfwi are doing everything they can to lobby the federal government and the diamond companies to ensure that as much value-added industry as possible stays in the Northwest Territories. My honourable colleague, Mr. Todd, has gone even further, by stating that the GNWT would initiate a tax regime that could choke a mule if the Northwest Territories does not get a reasonable share of the secondary diamond mining spin-offs required. I am opposed to the introduction of a tax. I would much prefer, Mr. Speaker, to see jobs created and have the employees paying taxes to the government. We need one or the other. Taxes from the diamond producers or jobs for northerners.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the diamond mining industry does not like the thought of any more taxes, and most certainly, not the kind that would choke a mule. I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if the diamond mines would consider selling to the Government of the Northwest Territories or a similar organization, a Crown corporation, some of the run of mine product so that Crown corporation could in turn sell those run of mine product to employers who would bring that industry to the Northwest Territories so that we could get a start on a diamond cutting and polishing industry and the related industries that that would create. Mr. Speaker, we have to look at the innovative solutions to ensure that as much of the secondary diamond mining industry stays in the Northwest Territories for the benefit of all northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause