Well, royalties work out to roughly 12.5 percent for diamonds, I believe. That is on the gross value of the diamonds. That is after they have recouped their capital cost. The companies are beginning to pay royalties now. You can just take that as 12.5 percent and I am rounding it off when I say $600 million worth of diamonds in the last year out of Ekati. So 12.5 percent of $600 million gives us close to $150 million. That is only in royalties.

In addition to that, companies pay corporate taxes based on their profits. We will be getting a percentage or an amount this coming year for corporate taxes from Ekati Mine. So will the federal government be getting federal corporate taxes. Any corporate taxes are going to be on top of those royalties.

The same applies on the oil and gas industry, although the royalty structure there is different than it is for minerals. It varies depending on quantities and so on.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, when we talk about this money that might be available in royalties should we take over ownership, is there an expectation by the Minister that there will be an agreement with our northern partners that would see those royalties flow to Northerners for programs and services? Is there an expectation that there will not be some offset to the federal transfer payments when that happens?

I guess I am trying to get a sense of what sort of net increase are we expecting if we take over ownership? Is it 100 percent? Do we expect that we will be able to take on the advantage of all of the royalties or are we looking at something where, with the current tax increases for instance, we get only 20 cents on the dollar because of the offset in the formula? What can Northerners really look forward to here in the future in terms of benefiting from these royalties when we do take over ownership?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chairman, I do not think realistically, and from anything I have heard from the federal government, that we can expect to keep 100 percent of the royalties. That would be the same deal that Alberta has. The federal government have been clear that they do not want to create "have" jurisdictions in the sense of wealthy jurisdictions within Canada while someone else is considerably poorer.

I do not want to bias the negotiations that will happen but I would expect that there is going to be some kind of split between Ottawa and ourselves on royalties. I do not know whether it will be two-thirds to the North and one-third to Ottawa or 50/50. I do not know. It is really hard to suggest anything for the public that they should expect right now, other than we expect to keep a share. We are going to start the negotiations saying that we want 100 percent, not the same deal as Alberta has because of our infrastructure needs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. General comments. General comments. Hearing none, what is the wish of the committee? Does the committee agree that Ministers' Statements 30 and 31 are concluded?

What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Dent.

Mr. Chairman, I move we report progress.

There is a motion on the floor. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? I am sorry. We do not have a quorum so I will ring the bell.

-- Ringing of the Bells

For the benefit of the Members who were not in the room. We have a motion on the floor to report progress, which is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. I will rise and report progress.

The House will now come back to order. Item 20, report of the committee of the whole. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Ministers' Statements 1-14(4), 3-14(4), 4-14(4), 30-14(4) and 31-14(4) and would like to report progress. Ministers' Statements 1-14(4), 3-14(4), 4-14(4), 30-14(4) and 31-14(4) are concluded. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the committee of the whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Do we have a seconder for the motion? The honourable Member for Nunakput seconds the motion. All those in favour, please signify. Thank you. All opposed? Thank you. The motion is carried.

Item 21, third reading of bills. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 13.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 13, tabling of documents. Are there any nays? There are no nays, Mr. Steen, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you colleagues. For some reason or other, Mr. Speaker, I was not paying attention at the time the item was called but I have two documents to table. One is a letter dated October 9, 2001 from the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk concerning amendments to the Wildlife Act. It indicates council's opposition to the changing of the residency.

The second item I have, Mr. Speaker, is a letter dated October 26th from Tasoon Trapping in Tuktoyaktuk indicating their support for Premier Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a series of communiqués, letters and e-mails that have come in from members of the public and from religious leaders, chiefs, mayors, the Inuvialuit, Metis, Dene, business leaders, spiritual leaders, as well as other people in the private sector, the investment sector, in support of myself as Premier. I would like to table that to share with Members of the Legislature. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 13, tabling of documents. Any further tabling of documents? Item 21, third reading of bills. Mr. Krutko, you had your hand up earlier on.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 14.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 14, notices of motion. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may proceed with your notice of motion, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 14, notices of motion. Any further notices of motion? Item 21, third reading of bills. Item 22, orders of the day. Mr. Clerk.