With regard to the latter point, while International Trade Canada does indeed take care of the trade aspects in general, and while Industry Canada has the legal responsibility or statutory responsibility, shall we say, for the manufacturing industry, the actual on-the-ground practice has been--certainly in our group, and I'm talking only about the mining sector--that we have been fairly involved in promoting the area of equipment and supplies internationally. Industry Canada seems to have vacated the area, and it seems as though International Trade Canada is not truly involved, other than providing funding for trade shows and matters along those lines.
One of the reasons we get involved is that in order to fully appreciate the use of certain materials or certain equipment, and so on, you have to have some in-depth expertise. We have mining engineers, metallurgists, and people who understand the operational aspects, so it makes it a little easier to communicate and to be able to promote some of the equipment and supplies or, for that matter, some of our interests, because they're able to communicate more effectively with their counterparts in whatever country they're dealing with.
I will give you another good case. When there was a problem in Guyana with the Omai tailing spill, we actually sent a team down there to look at the problem, to analyze it, and to give ideas on how to solve it--and the same thing in Kyrgyzstan. Although we don't have a full capability to do these types of things, we did try to respond.
On that aspect, though, in a way, those responsibilities are spread out in the context of statutes, but in reality we're very much involved, although in a very limited way. In fact, as a result of our budget cuts, I had to eliminate the business development division, which is the group that was taking care of the equipment. So it's gone. We just can't do it anymore.
In relation to the diamond issue, yes, you're absolutely right, almost all of our diamonds are rough diamonds. The Northwest Territories did try to establish a diamond cutting and polishing operation. That has been extremely difficult, and in fact, I think they went into deficit and I believe the company has closed. But there are a few in Canada, and the question of an exchange is on the table right now. I know the Government of Quebec has been promoting it very strongly. On the other hand, we don't necessarily have everybody onside. But it is an issue currently being considered and discussed, at least up to a point. That's all I can tell you.
If I were to talk about a strategy, I'd have to look at Aber Diamond. Aber bought downstream. They bought into the jewellery business. When you start at that end, if you look at your cost allocations within all of the activities, then the fact that you cut at a more expensive rate within Canada becomes a very small percentage of the overall price of the final product. So Aber actually is in the position to do what I would call diamond cutting, but because they went way downstream, it becomes a small portion in terms of affecting their profit.
Even though they can cut for $70 a carat in Antwerp and we cost $400, that's peanuts in terms of the overall jewellery. It depends on how we approach it.
Anyway, the issue of a diamond exchange is something.