Jack Danylchuk
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 25/00) - Every neighbourhood has its coffee row, those havens from the daily grind where a faithful corps of regulars gather to analyze and dissect current events.

In downtown Yellowknife, it's the Diner, a dark, smoky room where the comment is as hot and strong as the coffee.

The consensus among Diner regulars the day after Prime Minister Jean Chretien dissolved the 36th Parliament, was that the election call for November 27 was not the best idea to come from "le petit gar de Shawinigan."

"They're making it real obvious that this is a magic show for the voters," said Alex Debogorski.

He pointed to Chretien's abrupt recruitment of Newfoundland premier Brian Tobin and the tax cuts promised in last week's mini-budget.

An avowed Conservative who leans toward the Canadian Alliance, Debogorski nevertheless confessed that "up until a couple of months ago, I thought that the Liberals were doing a good job.

"But they are making it so obvious they are buying votes."

Trevor Teed and John Coumont shared the table, if not Debogorski's politics.

They too found the election call tainted with arrogance.

"There was no immediate need for an election," said Teed.

"They could have waited for another year, but the Conservatives would have died and eliminated a party to vote for."

Coumont said the vote split on the right is the only reason Chretien called the election.

"It almost assures a Liberal in," he said.

"But when Chretien goes to vote himself, will he be able to find the polling station?"

Coumont was outraged by the failure of Liberal MPs find the correct room for a meeting last week with the Auditor General.

Their memory loss silenced criticism of the government's money-management.

"That was downright crooked, a slap in the face for every Canadian," Coumont fumed.

Merlyn Williams said that he isn't ready for a federal election.

"I haven't had time to think about it; we've just come out of a municipal election. People are tired of elections." Williams wants more federal money for the territories, through changes to the per-capita funding formula or increased grants; an end to "over-regulation" that has throttled mining development and "settle the land claims.

"Settle the land claims and give the natives what they deserve," he said, as he ticked off the issues that are foremost in the North.

Teed is peeved with the Liberals over gun control, but believes that they are most likely to move ahead on native land claims, "and land claims are vital to development of the North."

Omar Ahmed listened and nodded as the talk swirled about the table.

A hard rock miner, Ahmed said that he doesn't know much about politics.

He thinks more should be done to ease the way for exploration and mining companies.

"They are the ones that takes the risks, that spends the money and creates the jobs," Ahmed said.

Knut Rasmussen thought Chretien should have held off until next year.

"It's a waste of money and time," Rasmussen said, convinced that in the absence of a unified opposition vote, "the Liberals are going to win."

The only dissenting voice belonged to Roy Desjarlais.

"Absolutely, there should be an election," he said.

"Canadians should take advantage of the opportunity to make a change. Kick the bastards out."

For more reaction to the Liberal mini-budget please see page A19