Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (Apr 24/00) - The public tongue lashing three ordinary MLAs got from Premier Stephen Kakfwi has brought angry reaction.

Kakfwi's comments were published in the Slave River Journal last week. Following a public meeting in Fort Smith, Kakfwi (left) told the Journal that MLAs who don't change their attitude, "...are going to be left behind."

Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger said the comments were aimed at him and two others, and is outraged over the premier's comments, which he considers "veiled threats."

"This really came out of left field," Miltenberger said. "Sort of a political Pearl Harbour. He's made some personal attacks against me and some of my colleagues.

"He made thinly veiled threats against (Frame Lake MLA Charles) Dent, (Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Floyd) Roland and myself, making the implication that anybody who disagrees with him could potentially suffer some sort of retribution," he said. "The fact that he chose to go all the way down to my riding to attack myself and other members, is totally unprecedented."

Miltenberger said he's uncertain why the premier chose his riding to air his grievances and he feels his rights as an MLA have been violated.

"I feel he's trying to limit my freedom of speech. Last time I checked this is still a democracy," Miltenberger said. "This is not Cuba; he is not Castro."

Miltenberger said the premier has over-stepped the bounds of good statesmanship and even democracy.

"There's been a serious, serious transgression here, to some fundamental political principles that govern our legislature, some fundamental democratic principles that our whole Canadian society is based on and I have a real problem with that," he said.

He says Kakfwi's complaints that the MLAs have opposed him throughout the current sitting is totally unfounded.

He says the MLAs agreed with education reform, Student Financial Assistance, and the bill to address the Giant miners' pension issue. He says the comments and questions Kakfwi has described as negative are perfectly legitimate.

He says Kakfwi is being hypersensitive to the criticism of the regular members.

"What I see, is a minister who has wanted that job as premier for a long time and now he's premier, the buck stops at his desk; the hard questions come to him," said Miltenberger. "As minister he had only his portfolio to worry about and he could hide in the ministerial shadows.

"Now he's the premier, he has to stand out in the broad light of day and deal with those issues and I see he's surprisingly thin-skinned, very defensive and doesn't like to be questioned," Miltenberger said. "If a person wants only adulation and praise then maybe politics ain't the field; he better look at being a rock singer or something."

The MLA said he plans to conduct business as usual in the legislature.

"He has drawn a political line in the sand and I will fight to the bitter end for my constituency and for my right to speak as an MLA."

Premier Kakfwi denied that any threats were made and feels the members are just upset over losing their cabinet positions.

"There's no doubt they are disappointed, there's no doubt about that; it's a difficult adjustment, but we have to get beyond that -- there's a job to be done here," Kakfwi said.

He says the negative attitude of the former cabinet members is a personal position, not a political one.

"It is personal; I mean the animosity is there and I'm sorry about that," he said. "I think the community is aware of it, certainly the mayor and council are aware of it. We have assured everyone that this is not going to affect the way the government conducts business in that constituency."

Much of this latest dispute revolves around funding for the Western Arctic Leadership Program, based in Fort Smith. Kakfwi said he is reluctant to pursue any funding for the project because of the animosity from the regular MLAs.

"I would have liked very much to have stood up and said, 'Yes, we will find the money to continue the Western Arctic Leadership Program,' unfortunately, I have no idea of how the regular members are going to vote.

"I have no idea of even how Mr. Miltenberger himself would have voted on such an issue," he added.

"Leadership is not about being negative and disagreeing with everything. Leadership means reaching out, providing a plan and working to achieve real things," he said.

He said he's all in favour of opposition in government but feels the regular members have gone too far.

"I think it's gone way beyond that (opposition)," Kakfwi assured. "I want to be accountable and I want them to ask me why I spend money, why I make trips, why I manage the government the way I do and why decisions are made. That's accountability and I'm prepared for that."

As Inuvik's MLA, Roland agreed with Miltenberger, saying Kakfwi's comments have breached the democratic process.

"For him to say we'd better get it together, or we'll be left behind...that's a serious threat he's made," Roland said.

He said he's only looking out for the best interests of his constituents.

"In fact, at my last public meeting people said they thought I was doing a good job."

Dent is in the U.S. on personal business and could not be reached for comment.