Mr. Speaker, through the different forums that we participate in as a government, the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Premier and the Minister of Finance encourage industry who are doing the oil and gas exploration and developing a pipeline, to work with the different First Nations, the different regional organizations that are out there and the different companies in the North. We need to have a cooperative approach. Through the different organizations we are working towards that. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie Valley pipeline in particular is going to be a huge project, along with the existing oil and gas exploration that is already happening. It is a big challenge for all of us to respond to the growth and the impact scenarios that are presented by the oil and gas industry in the Northwest Territories. We would like to benefit as much as we can from these developments and there are a number of different initiatives that we are taking, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that there is continuing work being done to identify areas where people can be trained or hired. Business opportunities are going to be there for the businesses of the North. There are going to be possibilities that equity is going to be there. We are working on all those different scenarios. It is a multi-faceted type of approach that we are taking. The producers that we are working with and the explorer groups are very cooperative, and I think we are developing some very good working relationships with them to make sure we maximize the benefits of the project, particularly the pipeline, if it is going to be built. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, it is a challenge. We have two diamond mines operating and a third one is going to get fired up in a number of years. Already there is a very high demand for skilled labourers at both the mines and there is going to be additional demand on people once the pipeline is built. In the future if the pipeline is built there is going to be a really high demand for skilled labour to work in construction of the pipeline. Through the department's cooperation, we are monitoring what will be required in terms of training and education, and there is a working group in place to look at that. We are aware of the areas. The mining companies are training their own people. I don't know if it is going to switch over to the pipeline, but the pipeline companies themselves are only now beginning to look at how we can work together to get the different skilled people in place once this pipeline is going to be constructed. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the diamond mining companies have their own hiring policies and procedures in the different training programs they have. They have socio-economic agreements, impact benefit agreements with the surrounding First Nations. However, they also have been approached and have people working at the mines from other than the immediate surrounding areas, like Hay River and Fort Smith. I think that, if they were approached, they would also look at other places in the North. As the Minister, in our department we asked these questions and I think they might be open for it, but they were approached by Fort Smith and Hay River to see if they could have people from these communities work at the mines and they made arrangements for that to happen. So I do not see why other communities in other regions could not take the lead as well and open communications with the mining companies to see if, for example, the Mackenzie Delta people that you represent, honourable Member, if they want to work there perhaps they might be open to that. Thank you.