Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Aug 04/00) - A regional police force continues to be a sticking point, but Beaufort/Delta self-government talks continue to make progress.

Bob Simpson, chief negotiator at the Beaufort/Delta Self-Government Negotiations Office, says the concept of a separate police force has been deemed an "outstanding issue" and that politicians will have to discuss it.

He said he was offered a force with the authority to enforce Beaufort/Delta laws, with members having about the same authority as bylaw officers.

"We're too far apart (on the issue)," Simpson said. "It'll have to go to the politicians to sort out."

Another outstanding issue, he said, is plans to "set up a regional college so we could set up our own programs."

Simpson explained such an institution would be separate from Aurora College, "but recognizing that college systems and universities have a high degree of interaction.

"You don't want to set up a program that has no accreditation with anybody else, so we would more than likely work through the Aurora College board of governors and ensure we met their standards, and we would get credits for our students through them and other colleges and universities."

Nevertheless, Simpson said the negotiating session went well.

"We completed quite a few things, child and family services and adoption, income support, dispute reduction, social services, pretty well all those were completed," he said.

"We have what we call a conceptual agreement on guardianship, trusteeship and wills and estates, financial arrangements, and own source revenue," Simpson explained.

The next bargaining session occurs in September, as a new federal negotiator is being appointed.

"September we'll probably complete quite a bit," Simpson said.

"We only have after the September session what we call general provisions. We'll have community or municipal infrastructure, and their programs and services -- that's kind of like municipal services," he said.

"We won't have a lot of subjects, we'll probably have about a half dozen that we're going to be negotiating. So we should be able to wrap those up by the end of November.

"And then depending on where those outstanding issues are at, we may be able to look at an agreement in principle in December, I hope."