by Chris Meyers Almey
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 23/97) - There are no smoking signatures on a political agenda presented last week to federal election candidates for the Western Arctic.

Dene Grand Chief Bill Erasmus asked all five candidates at a Yellowknife forum to commit themselves in writing to improving the situation of First Nations, even though the Canada Elections Act makes signing such as document illegal.

While independent Wally Firth said he would sign -- and did, saying he was willing to go to jail for it -- and Reformer Mike Watt and New Democrat Mary Beth Levan said they would, Erasmus doesn't have any signed copies.

A story in last Friday's Yellowknifer incorrectly stated that all three had signed the document.

Erasmus disagrees with an Elections Canada official in Ottawa who said signing the document would amount to a violation of the act, which carries a fine of up to $5,000 and five years in jail.

The act states that it is an offence to sign "if the document requires the candidate to follow any course of action that will prevent him from exercising freedom of action in Parliament."

Liberal Ethel Blondin-Andrew said last week that she supports the agenda and has "a long history working for my people on these issues" but wouldn't sign Erasmus' agenda.

Tory Bob Dowdall said during the forum that he couldn't sign because he didn't have the authority to do so on behalf of the Conservative party.

Firth on Wednesday said he did indeed sign the agenda, leaving it to be picked up after the forum ended, but it never was and he suspects it wound up in the garbage.

Firth said he would sign another form and "would not hesitate for a minute."

Erasmus said this week he was not seeking a pledge from the candidates, merely asking for a commitment to implement the nine-point agenda.

It seeks, among other things, action on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, an independent lands claim tribunal and a new lands policy.

Erasmus says the agenda does not hamper an MP from doing the job and said the provision in the act is open to interpretation

"If I thought the agenda was impeding them as an MP I wouldn't have asked them to sign it."

To say the agenda is illegal is a copout and if a person takes that approach before an election, what would they do after the election, Erasmus said.