NNSL (Jun 15/98) - Any questions on the new gun legislation and how it applies to you? The answers as close as a toll-free phone call -- to New Brunswick. As long as you speak English, French or Inuktitut.

According to the Miramachi-based Canadian Firearms Centre, any people who speak one of the territories other eight official languages will be left to depend on an interpreter for their information.

And a conflict between the territorial and federal government over the new gun law is not helping matters any.

Because it has joined forces, along with Saskatchewan and Manitoba, to side with Alberta in its court challenge of the new law, the government is having nothing to do with it.

Since 1978, when the current legislation went into effect, the territorial government, like provincial governments, assumed responsibility for administering the law in the territories.

The reasoning behind having the GNWT administer the legislation is that it could use some discretion in applying the law.

But because of the court challenge, that's going to change, at least for the next three years, the length of time the RCMP has been contracted to administer the gun law in the territories.

"Our government has said we cannot get involved, we can not speak on behalf of the legislation, we can not even hand out pamphlets," said Emily Overbow, the chief firearms officer of the NWT.

"The (territorial) government has said that as soon as the new legislation takes effect, we are no longer delivering the program."

On July 9, the federal government officially takes over responsibility for issuing firearm licences and permits and Overbow's staff becomes civilian employees of the RCMP.