Yellowknife (Dec 15/03) - Anyone reading Joe Handley's resume might conclude that his life has been spent preparing to be premier of the Northwest Territories.

Handley's career path is a smooth line through university and graduate school to senior administrator and the pivotal role of finance minister in the last legislature.

Acclaimed as MLA for Weledeh and then premier, Handley is the first to hold the top job in the territorial government without a vote being cast.

"I take that as 100 per cent support," Handley said after being sworn in Thursday afternoon.

A Metis born 60 years ago in northern Saskatchewan, Handley's first contact with the NWT was in 1979 as an education consultant. He worked closely with Nellie Cournoyea and Dennis Patterson, both former premiers.

In 1985 Handley moved into government when he accepted a job as deputy minister of education.

By 1999, Handley had served 14 years as a senior administrator and advisor in all the key ministries. He was nearing retirement and looking for a change that would keep him in Yellowknife.

Friends encouraged him to run for office. In the only election campaign of his political career, Handley ran on an activist platform and knocked off incumbent MLA Roy Erasmus.

"I often got frustrated with the amount of talk that goes on before things finally move ahead," Handley said.

"I felt quite strongly we had to stop a lot of the talk, make decisions and get on with things."

Until he was confirmed as premier, Handley said the defining moment in his political career was his first meeting with Paul Martin. They were both finance ministers and they understood each other.

"He was very clear: 'Give me a good proposal that makes economic sense and I'll drive it for you.' Over the four years it has paid off," Handley said.

Despite being close to its deficit limit, Handley said the territorial government was able to move ahead with critical infrastructure projects by persuading Ottawa to contribute more money.

Shortly after Handley's colleagues acclaimed him as premier, Martin called to offer congratulations. They arranged to meet in Ottawa in early January. Over the next four years, their understanding may be put to the test.

Handley and the 15th legislature have inherited the issues that dogged him as finance minister in Stephen Kakfwi's government: in the midst of boom times, the NWT is short of money for social programs, roads and bridges.

Devolution and an agreement with Ottawa on resource revenue sharing are at the top of Handley's agenda. Neither issue progressed as far or as fast over the last four years as the new premier would have liked.

"More money should be staying in the North; without that we're losing a tremendous amount from our economy," Handley said.

Believes in consensus

His cabinet is comprised of experienced MLAs, but is without a woman's voice.

"It would be nice if there was a woman for balance, but I don't see it as a problem," Handley said.

He is a firm believer in the the consensus governance system that filled five of the legislature's 19 seats by acclamation. He doesn't think a separate election for premier would be workable.

"The premier must be accountable to the legislative assembly. With a premier elected by voters at large, you could have one person's agenda determining the business of the government," he said.

Under the parliamentary system, Handley argues that "people don't really have a say in selecting the prime minister.

"There is a lot made of party politics, but I don't see it happening for quite a while," he said.

"It's very interesting that when Paul Martin spoke of his objectives as a new prime minister he said he wanted to build more consensus into the federal system while some people here are talking about going in the opposite direction."