Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 09/01) - A mid-term cabinet shuffle leaves all but one minister with new portfolios.

New ministers will be overseeing four major portfolios -- justice, transportation, municipal and community affairs, and resources wildlife and economic development.

Finalizing the shift of portfolios was delayed until Wednesday, the premier said, by communications constraints placed on cabinet ministers scheduled to testify before the special committee on conflict.

Last June the committee sent Kakfwi and others scheduled to testify letters advising them that they should not speak to one another of the issues the special committee was dealing with.

"I have on two or three different occasions contemplated changes to portfolios," said the premier.

"But every time it was advised both by my staff and by the legislative staff that it could be seen to be interfering with the process of the committee, especially if it involved possible changes to Mr. Handley or Jane Groenewegen."

The highest profile portfolio to change hands was transportation.

Since being named to the portfolio almost two years ago, rookie cabinet minister Vince Steen has come under heavy fire from MLAs for the poor conditions of NWT roads, particularly Hwy 3.

Steen was also criticized for the effort to introduce a highway toll, an idea the government shelved this week.

The job of reintroducing a more palatable toll in February now falls squarely on the shoulders of Weledeh MLA Joe Handley. As minister of finance, Handley had a hand in the development of the toll and the measures the government introduced to mitigate its impact on the cost of living.

"As both finance and transportation minister it's clearly within my bailiwick," said Handley following the announcement.

"I want to meet with all the stakeholders here fairly quickly, next week if I can, or else we could just see this thing languishing and our roads falling apart."

Kakfwi said making the changes now will give ministers time to familiarize themselves with their new portfolios in time for review of the 2002-03 budget, which begins in January.

Minister	Loses	Gains	Keeps
Stephen Kakfwi	Energy and Hydro Secretariats	Status of Women	Executive Council, Intergovernmental Forum, Intergovernmental Affairs, NWT Power Corp
Jim Antoine	Justice	RWED	Intergovernmental Forum Aboriginal Affairs, Intergovernmental forum
Joe Handley	RWED	Transportation	Energy and Hydro Secretariats,Finance, WCB
Jake Ootes	Unchanged	Unchanged	Education, Culture and Employment
Vince Steen	Transportation	MACA	Public Works and Services
Roger Allen	MACA	Justice	NWT Housing Corporation, Public Utilities Board
Michael Miltenberger	Status of Women	No additions	Health and Social Services, persons with disabilities, seniors