Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 17/02) - The territorial government cannot sustain the pace of development in the NWT without a significant federal investment in highways, says Premier Stephen Kakfwi.

Premier Stephen Kakfwi: territorial government will have to slow development if no significant federal investment is forthcoming. - NNSL File Photo

Speaking by telephone from Ottawa Monday Kakfwi said the territorial government wants a $100 million slice of the $2 billion infrastructure pie the federal government unveiled last December.

"Unless we get that we're going to have to slow down vehicles, slow down the momentum on diamond mines and pipelines and oil and gas activities," said Kakfwi. "We can't sustain it."

Kakfwi stated the NWT case to Prime Minister Jean Chretien at a meeting Monday.

That was one of a series of top-level meetings in Ottawa this week. Kakfwi, deputy premier Jim Antoine, and Finance Minister Joe Handley flew to Ottawa to follow up on a suggestion made by Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Robert Nault at the Northern Mine Ministers Conference here two weeks ago.

"He mentioned (federal infrastructure minister) John Manley is developing the criteria (for distributing the $2 billion) now and that we should try to lobby him," Antoine said last Friday.

"We immediately started trying to line up meetings."

Yesterday, Kakfwi, Antoine and Handley met with federal Finance Minister Paul Martin. Antoine was also scheduled to meet with Environment Minister David Anderson and address the standing committee on aboriginal affairs and natural resources.

No meeting with Manley was confirmed by deadline.

Territorial leaders are hoping the federal government will not follow its past practice of distributing funding on a per capita basis. Under that criteria, the territorial share of funding amounts to the same a small southern city could expect.

The NWT contingent also reminded the federal government of the aging Non-Renewable Resource Development Strategy. Requiring $235 million in federal investment to go with $100 million from GWNT coffers, the strategy is a four-year blueprint for highway, training and economic development.

The strategy is aimed at allowing the NWT to take advantage of mining and oil and gas development.

But it was the benefits to Canada the NWT politicians were drawing attention to.

"Our argument is we're offering Canada a better bang for their buck, so to speak," Antoine said.

"We're arguing that an increase in the national GDP should be a criteria for investment in infrastructure projects."