We recognize that the high cost of energy is one that is going to affect all of the people of the Northwest Territories. We will be rolling out a very extensive program that is currently under development. Any of these kinds of suggestions will be undertaken.

I can add that the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation is looking at those kinds of suggestions as to how we can help people who can’t afford to buy wood stoves but would like to utilize them. We are taking all of these into consideration as we go forward. We’ll be bringing them forward as part of the business planning process...

We do have a number of initiatives underway. The primary one is the Energy Efficiency Incentive program, and that’s part of a program we had last year.

This year we’ve revised the program substantially. We’re focusing on home heating. We have a number of initiatives there. One is that we’re providing a rebate for purchase of wood stoves, because the use of wood stoves is one of the easiest ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We also have rebates for wood pellet heating appliances and for high efficiency oil furnaces.

Also, in the communities that are in the Member’s riding fuel is disbursed...

Mr. Speaker, I too would like to recognize a constituent of mine, Mr. Everett McQueen, and his two daughters, Wynter and Montana. I can’t tell who is who because they’re twins, but it’s nice to see them here.

Mr. Speaker, further to my Return to Written Question 34-16(2) I wish to table the following two documents entitled 2008–2009 Position Reductions and Summary of Active Positions and Growth. Thank you.

Document 79-16(2), 2008–2009 Position Reductions, tabled.

Document 80-16(2), Summary of Active Positions and Growth, tabled.

Mr. Speaker, further to my Return to Written Question 19-16(2) I wish to table the following document entitled 2008 Summer Student Employment Start Dates.

Document 78-16(2), 2008 Summer Student Employment Start Dates, tabled.

We will be working in the next few months or so to lay out our approach to how we will be undertaking this review and how we will be laying it out over the next year. My plan is to take this approach and discuss it further with the standing committee.

I should also point out that we’ve been working very closely with other jurisdictions that have diamonds, and we’ve been able to share the benefit of our expertise with our sister or brother diamond-producing provinces. I really think that with this review we will be able to take a very creative look at the way we deal with diamonds in the...

The Government of the Northwest Territories’ diamond policy framework was established in June of 1999. This policy facilitated the development of a diamond manufacturing industry in the Northwest Territories. Certainly, the policy needs to be reviewed and updated. As a government we will be reviewing the current strategy. We are quite prepared to look at the suggestions that have been made by the Member and work very closely with the standing committee so we can improve and update our diamond policy.

An equity position in a diamond facility is certainly something we’re prepared to look at. We know other provinces have done that in different sectors, and this is an area we can look at. I believe it would have to involve stakeholders in the diamond industry, but this is something we are prepared to look at.

We’re prepared to look at any options that would improve and increase the benefits to the Northwest Territories. One of our primary objectives is to see the allocation for the Northwest Territories being fully utilized in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With regard to access to diamonds, since the diamonds were first discovered the diamond industry has been one of the big success stories for the Northwest Territories. We’re now third in the world in production of diamonds, behind Russia and Botswana. We’re even ahead of South Africa. Part of the issue is that we are a territory, so the federal government owns the resources.

The problem we had as a government was how to receive benefits from the diamond industry itself. The government of the day was able to successfully negotiate with the diamond companies, which was...

Thank you Mr. Speaker. We are just undertaking a review of our rates for parks, and we’ll certainly consider having a reduced rate for seniors.