Yellowknife (Oct 18/06) - The United States Consul General for the west and north said the United States is watching the outcome of the Mackenzie Gas Project very closely.

"What's important is bringing more resources onto the market," Thomas Huffaker said at a Rotary Club meeting Thursday at noon. "It's not about getting caught up in whose pipe it is."

U.S. Consul General Thomas Huffaker spoke at a Rotary Club luncheon on Thursday. - Jessica Klinkenberg/NNSL photo

Huffaker said that this was his first visit to the Northwest Territories, and added that he was happy to be there.

"This is a very comfortable part of the world for me," he said.

Huffaker had previously worked in Ottawa, but temperature-wise, he could relate to Yellowknife as he had spent some time in Russia as well.

Huffaker also spoke about the booming diamond development in the North.

"We're very excited about the diamond developments that happen day-to-day here," he said. "You've already come from nowhere, and now you're third in diamond production in the world."

Huffaker waded into the controversial debate between the United States and Canada regarding the thawing Northwest Passage, which could be used for shipping in coming decades.

"This is an issue that Canada and the U.S. disagree on. We are on record saying that there are some passages in the Northwest Passage that are on international waters," he contended.

Yet he said it's not an issue that the Americans are trying to "push."

He said he was glad to see Harper promising a stronger presence of Canadians in the North in response to the Northwest Passage debate. "We're a supporter of the federal government's push."