Neither does a big international player, like Leviev need handholding or lobbying by this government to find a foothold in the NWT. Mr. Speaker, in the Canadian diamond industry, all of these players are big players in the international scene and I believe they have the power and wherewithal to do their own fighting.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that the diamond producers who have made billions of dollars in investments in the northern economy have earned the right to say who they are prepared to do business with and I believe, for reasons other than just the supply of rough diamonds, the northern producers have concluded that they don't want to enter into a commercial relationship with the Leviev Group. In this free-market country, I believe they have the
right to make such a business decision and there's really no place for government to do that.
Mr. Speaker, may I seek unanimous consent to finish my statement?