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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Accusations of government secrecy reignited in the legislative assembly Monday, this time over a proposal by Premier Floyd Roland to enter into a $1 billion cost-sharing agreement with the federal government for infrastructure.

Roland told MLAs that a cost-sharing agreement could be used to fund a Mackenzie Valley highway linking the Beaufort-Delta with the rest of the territory.

Floyd Roland says a cost-sharing agreement could be used to fund a Mackenzie Valley highway linking the Beaufort-Delta with the rest of the territory - NNSL file photo

MLAs learned of the proposal on Sept. 29 after the premier forwarded them a letter from Prime Minister Stephen Harper following a meeting between Roland and Harper in Inuvik Aug. 28, where the premier pitched a 10-year infrastructure deal to the prime minister.

Harper's letter to Roland offers assurances that the federal government remains committed to ultimately reaching a devolution agreement, and also addresses the infrastructure proposal called Building the Northwest Territories, Strengthening Canada.

"Ongoing discussions between our officials should continue in order to ensure a better understanding of the proposal," wrote the prime minister.

The "framework," as Roland calls it, drew questions on why MLAs and aboriginal governments in the territory were not informed about it a month after his meeting with Harper - and how the territorial government would fund its share considering recent warnings that a tax hike may be needed to cover a $40 million shortfall in the territorial government's budget.

"There's a lot of questions that need to be asked. The premier made mention of a Mackenzie Valley highway," said Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay.

"The last government made a decision to build a $170-million bridge that we don't need, with money we don't have, to make things more expensive here."

Some MLAs were particularly irked because they were in Inuvik attending a health and wellness camp when the premier met with Harper.

Roland admitted that he should have informed MLAs sooner about the proposed deal but he insisted he didn't have "an opportunity to share that with members" at the time.

He said the cost-sharing infrastructure proposal with Ottawa came about after it was decided to put a devolution and resource revenue agreement "on the back burner" when it became clear the territorial government wasn't going to get what it wanted from Ottawa.

"Members know that I've talked to (Harper) a number of times, trying to get a deal with the federal government on, for example, the Mackenzie Valley highway," said Roland. "So putting those together, looking at an infrastructure plan, it's a framework that's been put out there, floated out there, and we're working on trying to keep that door open."

More details about the proposal will be made available to MLAs following the results of the federal election, Roland said.

Several MLAs said the lack of details on the cost-sharing deal is just another example of the premier's reluctance to share information with MLAs, dating back to a concession agreement signed with the developers of Deh Cho bridge - guaranteeing a bailout if the bridge project fails - just three days before the territorial election last October.

"He says he's just trying to engage some discussion with the federal government but we don't know any details," said Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy. "That's what I want. I want to know what, I want to know how it's going to impact us. We don't know any of that."

Yesterday, Roland told Yellowknifer that if successfully concluded, the infrastructure agreement would likely be a public-private partnership similar to the Deh Cho bridge project.

"This is something we're going to put forward as a proposal between the federal government, ourselves as well as the private sector depending on the type of project it is," said Roland.

"We haven't come up with a percentage yet of what would be our share."