Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, it's a policy framework of this government. In the early days of BHP through the different arrangements that we made, the government of the day developed this framework policy to try to develop a secondary diamond industry in the North. Instead of having all the rough diamonds go to Europe and out of our hands, we developed a policy and now BHP Billiton have agreed, through an MOU, to supply 10 percent of the diamonds from their mine to manufacturers here in the North. Diavik also has signed an MOU on that and we are working on De Beers. They have also agreed to do that as well. In this framework agreement, there is a requirement for the northern manufacturers to cut and polish the diamonds here in the NWT. That is the arrangement. As for the length of it, we have no time frame on that.
Jim Antoine on Standing Committee On Governance And Economic Development Comments
In the Legislative Assembly on March 4th, 2003. See this statement in context.
Standing Committee On Governance And Economic Development Comments
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 3rd, 2003
Page 503
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
See context to find out what was said next.