'Let's get back to work' - Nadli
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Dec 01/00) - Michael McLeod was not complaining about Monday's election results.
The Deh Cho MLA was quite pleased to learn Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew was voted into her fourth term in office.
"In the last couple of months that I've been MLA, she's been very receptive and we've had a good working relationship," McLeod said, adding he was glad to see his home community of Fort Providence vote to Liberal.
McLeod said he intends to continue to pursue federal support for aboriginal language initiatives, a Mackenzie River bridge, training and planning for oil and gas development and devolution of powers to the NWT.
"So there's lots," McLeod said. "And it's very important that the Deh Cho Process continue. That's a given."
Deh Cho First Nations Grand Chief Michael Nadli's wants to ensure self-government negotiations continue.
"The election results were good, but the work still needs to be done. We still have some outstanding issues," Nadli said. "Let's get back to work here guys."
He said he's hoping the Robert Nault will again be made minister of Indian and Northern Affairs (DIAND).
"I think we have a good standing relationship with minister Nault. He's got a very keen interest for the Deh Cho Process," Nadli said. "For consistency purposes it just makes sense to retain the person that was the minister. If the federal cabinet is shuffled then we have to go through the whole process of educating this person."
In Fort Liard, Joanne Deneron expressed frustration with the inability to find out the election results in the NWT.
"It's really, really tough for small communities to stay in tune," Deneron said. "It's sad ... In this day and age with technology as it is, how can we still be back in the dark ages?"
Ultimately, the outcome was no real surprise, Deneron said. "It was not a shock at all ... but there was no need for an election. That's what I feel."
She also said some people may have sacrificed their stance on issues like the gun law in order to vote for the favoured candidate from the favoured Liberal party.
