by Mark Sproxton
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 02/97) - A businessman from Wrigley assumed the position of Reform's Western Arctic candidate Wednesday.

New to politics at the federal level, Mike Watt grabbed hold of his new duties with both barrels loaded and pointed at the incumbent.

"She's definitely vulnerable on gun control," he said of his Liberal challenger. "She didn't listen."

"The Reform message is strikingly different. I'm here to vote for what the folks say."

A 10-year veteran of the District Education Authority in the Deh Cho, Watt spent much of the nomination meeting asking what direction people thought the campaign should take.

Overwhelmingly, they said stick to the Northern issues.

With that, Watt pledged to work for Northerners, not the party.

"Reform is the only party that believes in recall," he said. "I'm there to do a job, not suck up taxpayers' money."

While committing himself to working on the Northern aspects of the federal election, Watt had to take a shot at the Liberal's strategy to begin spending more money.

"No matter how much we want to spend, whether it's on day care or a royal commission, we can't do it until we get a handle on the debt," he said.

And the seven-year Reform member had a definite opinion on why the election was called only three and a half years after the last one.

"Why did the Liberals call the election?" Watt asked. "Because it's a party without new ideas."

At the meeting, Reformers said funding for the candidate is critical. They said money is needed to counteract the well-oiled and well-financed Liberal machine.

Watt won the nomination by acclamation. The Reform Party will use a side office at the Polar Bowl for its campaign headquarters. Phones and fax machines are currently being set up in the office.