BEAUFORT DELTA - Following last week's funding announcement, federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq told reporters she has no working relationship with Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington, raising further questions about the MP's role in obtaining government funding for his constituents. Bevington said he supported the trades training programs.

"If I didn't support it, they would have heard about it," he said from Hay River last Thursday. "I think it's unfortunate that the minister would want to make that kind of statement. I think it just shows disrespect for the voters of the region if she deliberately wouldn't engage with the Member of Parliament from this region.

"I think she's probably trying to deflect some attention away from the poor decision they made about cutting off funding for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, which I questioned her about in Parliament two weeks ago."