Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 14/02) - Premier Stephen Kakfwi said he is optimistic the federal government will give the GNWT's Strategic Infrastructure Proposal a green light after meeting with cabinet ministers in Ottawa this week.

Stephen Kakfwi: Confident he will be hearing an answer to his proposal by the end of the summer.-

The GNWT is asking the federal government to contribute $133 million from its $2 billion Strategic Infrastructure Fund to build roads and a bridge over the Mackenzie River.

Last week, territorial Finance Minister Joe Handley expressed trepidation upon hearing the news former federal finance minister, Paul Martin had been sacked.

He was worried whether or not his replacement, John Manley, would be as supportive of the North's needs as his predecessor was.

Kakfwi, however, said his meeting with Manley was a positive one.

"When we met with him last month, he was very keen on receiving a proposal to put federal investment dollars into infrastructure," said Kakfwi.

"Bridges, and maintaining, rebuilding, improving the existing the highway system so that the diamond mines would have roads that are capable of bringing the heavy trucks in that resupply them, as well for oil and gas companies up and down the Delta to continue getting more access for exploration programs."

Frame Lake MLA Charles Dent and Mackenzie Delta MLA David Krutko also accompanied the premier on his latest trip to the capital.

Although Kakfwi said it appeared cabinet ministers were supportive of the GNWT's proposal, he added that he is still worried that the recent cabinet shake-up may result in a free-for-all among Liberal MPs seeking infrastructure dollars for their own constituencies in exchange for loyalty pledges to the prime minister, Jean Chretien.

"I'm concerned it might just get totally political," said Kakfwi.

"That the infrastructure money might just get used simply to gain political support from sitting members of Parliament, which would then be just 'political strategic money.'"

Nonetheless, Kakfwi is confident he will be hearing an answer to his proposal by the end of the summer.

"I think we'll be getting an answer within the next two or three months," said Kakfwi."