Yellowknife (Apr 20/05) - Territorial premiers say if a federal election comes this spring, they expect whoever wins to honour Ottawa's commitment to a Northern Strategy.

Yukon and Nunavut premiers Dennis Fentie and Paul Okalik met with the NWT's Joe Handley in Yellowknife over the weekend for the third premiers' forum in three years, with the fate of the Northern Strategy at the top of their list.

The premiers expect to deliver their vision for a Northern Strategy to Ottawa in June, a month widely expected to see the country occupied by a bitter election fight as opposition parties try to capitalize on scandalous revelations from the Gomery inquiry.

Handley said the three territorial governments want to complete the strategy as soon as possible.

"We're making every effort to complete the strategy before there is an election, whether it's late this spring or next fall," said Handley.

"If we have that strategy done then I think there's a fairly firm commitment the next government will have to follow through on."

Ottawa also committed to spend $120 million through the Northern Strategy over three years, divided equally between the three territories.

Fentie agreed the timing of a possible election is worrisome, but believes the momentum for the strategy is strong enough that no other party that comes to power will have any choice but to accept it.

"Regardless of where this situation goes in Ottawa we're going to forge ahead," promised Fentie.

"We expect, whatever the outcome, to receive the same commitment that was put on the table when we negotiated the recent health accord, because the Northern Strategy became an element of that."