Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week, the Northwest Territories, through the Minister of RWED, played host to the national diamond strategy, a round table discussion, Mr. Speaker, that was co-chaired by a Minister from Quebec. The discussion was to see what kind of policy and developmental strategy could be undertaken to advance the diamond industry on a national scale. I am very supportive of the moves taken by this government to show leadership in that area. The NWT, of course, is the third biggest producer now. We are also leading the country in establishing secondary industries with sorting, cutting and polishing. That’s an area of concern for me this morning, Mr. Speaker.

Unfortunately, it comes from comments made a few weeks ago by the mining industry itself. The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, the Canadian Institute of Mining and the NWT and Nunavut Chambers of Commerce issued some of their comments related to a national diamond mining strategy and it was something I was disappointed to see. They criticized this government for its input into supporting the development of secondary diamond industries. In fact, I think they weren’t very well informed. They call the support we are undertaking a subsidy of this issue.

In one of their other recommendations, Mr. Speaker, they suggested the expense that they incur voluntarily through things like social support agreements and impact benefit agreements should be allowed as tax breaks. I really found this a contrast. On one hand they say we are subsidizing and trying to establish a secondary diamond cutting industry, but they are saying that they deserve a break from the taxpayer for these other kinds of expenses.

I just wanted to draw the attention of the assembly to these contrasts. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask unanimous consent to complete my statement.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to complete his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Braden.

Bill Braden

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spent most of my life so far in the Northwest Territories. Mining is very much a part of my life and my family. I like to think I am a friend of the mining industry, but when these kinds of statements come out that are critical of the attempts that our government is making to establish a new industry here in Canada and show some leadership, I am disappointed. I just wanted to put that on the record that I think the mining industry still has some tuning up to do on its own front to consider its role in the long-term development of not only the diamond industry in the Northwest Territories, but in Canada as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause