Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So we're certainly always making sure that we're getting the best bang for our buck. This was an RFP that was recently awarded, and so certainly still going through that process on a regular basis and so this contract was recently awarded and went through our procurement processes.

It's worth noting, too, that over the -- this is certainly not the norm. You know, our royalties over the last ten years have looked as wonderful as $62 million and then, unfortunately, this year it's far lower. I certainly hope that diamond commodities will turn around but that's not something that is predicted in the next little while here. But we certainly are constantly looking forward to making sure that we are getting the best bang for our buck. And ultimately -- and I've lost my train of thought there.

Yes, the answer to the Member's question is yes, we are always looking to get the biggest bang for our buck. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess my final question on that is is there much competition in this sector of diamond valuators? Do we have, you know, various firms that are bidding on this kind of a contract, or are we kind of stuck with just one option in this case? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's a very specialized expertise. These are people who, you know, look at -- they're very skilled at their work, and they travel far and wide to come to the North to do this work. And so certainly when we put out RFPs, we're looking at multiple companies. Unfortunately, like many businesses, our costs do keep going up.

We have had requests from diamond mines to increase their valuations. And what that ends up doing is increasing ultimately their paydays in order to make sure that they continue working on their cash flow at a difficult time for diamond mines. And what we've said to them in this case is that we will certainly ensure that we are making the process available but we as a government won't absorb the costs of that. And it's one where even though it is -- this is difficult because this is the year that we're looking at, it's really important that we don't look at this cost in isolation because it's largely the same cost with some forced growth year over year over year. The industry has kind of a set range of where they fall in this kind of cost market and what this role demands, as far as like what funding it calls for, but it's really important that we consider the revenues over the lifespan when that contract is over the lifespan as well. And unfortunately, with commodities like this, there are amazing years, there are not-so-great years. And we're in a not-so-great year. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. All right. I'm going to go to the next Member on my list is the Member from Great Slave. My apologies. Okay, there's no further questions. Seeing none, seeing no further questions, committee, I will now call the departmental summary.

Industry, tourism and investment, operations expenditure summary, total department, 2025-2026 Main Estimates, $66,004,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the chambers.

Committee, what is the wish of the committee from the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move the chair rise and report progress.

Thank you. The motion's in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Thank you. Motion carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiliideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Tabled Document 275-20(1) and, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole will be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiliideh. Can I have a seconder? I'm going to pick on my friend from Hay River South today. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? None. Motion carried.

Report of Committee of the Whole. Third reading of bills. Orders of the day, Mr. Clerk.

You done good. Colleagues, this House stands adjourned until Tuesday, March 11th, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 5:59 p.m.