Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, it has been over a year, Mr. Speaker, since the business plan has been completed and the request has been in the department, and we've asked time and time again for their assistance and to keep this moving forward. It is a time sensitive issue, as one of the interested parties is willing to sell outside the region and that's not something the community or the region wants, Mr. Speaker. So I would like to get the Minister's assurance, Mr. Speaker, that he will continue from hereon in a time sensitive manner and secure and assure the consortium that the government is behind them, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Bell.

I can give the Member and the consortium that assurance here today. We think that this is an absolutely perfect way for the region to be able to take care of some of the business opportunities that are going to come their way. Lots of activity will be forthcoming because of the development in the regions, and it would be an absolute shame to see that business go to southern businesses. I'm also aware of the Member's recent request for some help in order to further cement an expression of interest with one of the proponents. We had hoped that the business proposal would be finalized, the details could be flushed out, so that we could make a decision on a business case. I hear the Member saying that it is very time sensitive. So I'll have to consider that when making a decision on whether or not we're prepared to forward funds to one of the proponents in order to ensure that they are willing to wait until we have this proposal finalized. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm just curious as to the process the department used over the past year to help this Nahendeh Air proposal move forward. Earlier last year I spoke and said let's get somebody from the department identified to work with the groups, to help them through the proposal stages, and at this time I'm here again asking the department look, there was a process here, we asked for your assistance. What happened on your end because from the community level, from the proponent's side, they are doing the best that they can, Mr. Speaker? Will the Minister continue his assurance that he will help the proponents fill out the proposal and get them to the department so that they can act and make the best decisions possible? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to work with the region and I will ensure that my department knows that this is of highest priority. I could take the Member through our understanding of the timeline and the various steps and the correspondence back and forth and the discussions between our department and the consortium. I don't know if that would be helpful. That's my perspective, standing here today. Clearly, from the Member's line of questioning, that would not be shared by Chief Norwegian and by the consortium. So I'm willing to sit down and discuss this with the Member. I can show him the information that I have, but this is of highest priority and we will move forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad to hear the Minister speak about it being a high priority, because it is, indeed, a high priority for the communities because deal breaking is imminent and I don't want to see this deal fall through. It doesn't make our government look good when you have the opportunity to create a deal and then we miss that opportunity. It already happened once, as my honourable colleagues keep speaking about, and I don't want to see this happen in our region, particularly something of this much importance that has the backing of all the chiefs, of all the communities, of all the regional members. I strongly believe and I strongly think that our government should continue and make this dream a reality for the Nahendeh Air proposal. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. I didn't hear a question there. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions this afternoon are for the Honourable Brendan Bell, the Minister of RWED and responsible for the GNWT's diamond file. One estimate has it, Mr. Speaker, that some 200 people, including families, are involved in the sorting and cutting and polishing industry here in Yellowknife, using Canadian diamonds to make Canadian jewellery. But if you want to go and buy this, you have to pay 10 percent more than anywhere else in the world and that's not really a very good situation. My question, Mr. Speaker, is has our government considered John Duncan's private Member's bill in Parliament -- Bill C-259 -- and are we in support of it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The short answer is yes, we have and, yes, we are supportive. I think we've had some discussion around this with committee. I believe the Member would be aware that I've written Finance Minister Goodale and essentially expressed our sentiment that this, indeed, as the Member has put it, this tax should be axed. It has been around since 1918 and is the last luxury excise tax on the books. We don't think it makes sense. The entire industry doesn't think it makes sense. It has been one of the tenants of the National Diamond Strategy. The Retailers Jewellery Working Group did a survey of all their members who overwhelmingly supported the notion of doing away with this tax. So we continue to further that position and do intend on making a presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance, the federal committee reviewing this bill. They have not yet set the meeting date, but, when they do, we will make sure we are there to make a presentation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has volunteered quite a bit of information there. I appreciate it and it's, thankfully, no surprise that we are behind this bill. I wanted to ask further to this, the NWT has shown leadership in the formation of a National Diamond Council and I wanted to see if the Minister could tell us are other provinces, which are undoubtedly going to be involved in the diamond trade as well, also behind this excise tax amendment and are they also signalling their approval for this amendment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can think of no jurisdiction that would not be in favour of doing away with this tax. Obviously the federal government is the concern here at this point. The Member indicated the amount of potential revenue loss to the federal government. We think that would be more than offset by the creation of jobs and potentially by the people who don't report coming back from other countries and don't submit the taxes that are lost to the federal government. So industry is behind doing away with this, and all of the provinces and territories are. It is a matter of impressing this on the federal government and having them sort of cede to the wishes of everybody in jewellery. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not expecting the Minister to speak for the Minister of Finance for Canada, but I'm wondering if he might be able to tell us from his perspective what are Canada's or does the Department of Finance in Ottawa continue to have objections? I understand that that committee has twice heard recommendations to amend this act; it has twice refused. Why are they continuing to do so? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Bell.

Despite continued lobbying from the Canadian Jewellery Association over the past four years by this government, my predecessors have written numerous letters to the federal government and they have not conceded at this point. It is our understanding that this was potentially coming out a couple of budgets ago and didn't make the final cut. We were very disappointed by that. We're hopeful that we can move this agenda forward and we think the National Diamond Strategy might be the vehicle that can bring together all of the interests of both industry and the provinces and bring the adequate pressure to bear, but the holdout, obviously, is the federal government who are holding all the cards in this one. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Health and Social Services and it's with regard to a lack of youth shelter that can remain open after midnight. Mr. Speaker, I was first informed about this need over the holidays at Christmastime, and I did write to the Minister, but I have not heard back from him. So I would like to ask the Minister about what programs there are available under his guidance that could benefit those between 15 and 18 who find themselves homeless after midnight on any given day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.