How much time is left after all the consultation, planning and strategizing for actually doing something?

"You have to find time," said Charles Dent minister of education, culture and employment.

Dent was just about to meeting with deputy minister Mark Cleveland, who said the only solution to the time crunch is a longer work day.

"In our office most of our executive staff start drifting in at about 6 or 6:30 in the morning and most are there by seven," said Cleveland.

"The solution is to organize yourself," said Dene Nation Chief Bill Erasmus, just before leaving for a conference in Deline.

"I have certain times when I can get work done," Erasmus said. "Noon hours the phone is usually quiet, or I get to the office early in the morning. When I'm travelling, flying on a plane, that gives me a chance to catch up on work."

Cleveland spends about 30 hours a week in meetings, about the same amount of time as Mayor Dave Lovell, who talked during a 10-minute gap between two of them yesterday.

Dave, say you've been in meetings all day, and the talk melts into a call from Mr. Sandman. What do you do to stay awake?

"Usually I'm chairing the damn things, so it's easier to stay awake," said Lovell.

Dent has a different technique for avoiding inadvertent power naps.

"What I do, and I do it almost as a nervous habit, but I also find it helps to keep me alert, is chew on ice."

Does it work?

"You haven't seen me fall asleep in the house yet, have you?" he said.

"Sometimes I'll get a coffee," said Erasmus. "A lot of the times if it starts getting dry, I'll try to include something to get it going again. Sometimes it get bogged down."

Dent said he had no idea how many hours each week he spends in meetings, but noted he'd been working for two hours yesterday morning when he returned Yellowknifer's call and had spent only 15 minutes of that time at his desk.

An attempt was made to get the labor point of view, but union officials were all, well, in meetings.