Amittuq MLA Mark Evaloarjuk asked the government Tuesday to urge the federal government to pay a debt now 30 years overdue.

Evaloarjuk said four Hall Beach residents are still waiting to be paid $4,000 for moving 30 graves in the community in 1968.

In response to Evaloarjuk's requests, Premier Don Morin agreed to meet with him to get details of the issue this week and write a letter calling on the federal government to pony up within seven days of the meeting.

Thanks for nothing

James Rabesca, MLA for North Slave, thanked Yellowknife Centre MLA Jake Ootes for his help in a quest to get fair funding from the Municipal and Community Affairs.

Rabesca added, however, he got no support from the other three Yellowknife MLAs.

"Mr. Ootes sees the entire picture, where I guess my other colleagues from Yellowknife do not," said Rabesca, who went on to note Rae-Edzo "contributes millions of dollars" to the Yellowknife economy each year.

Earlier this session, as a result of Rabesca's protest that the community of 2,000 was underfunded, MACA agreed to examine and remedy the situation.

Move the plants

Two Eastern Arctic MLAs said they want to move power plants located in the middle of communities.

"I notice here in Yellowknife and in bigger communities, like Iqaluit, the power stations are way out of town," said High Arctic MLA Levi Barnabas.

But Charles Dent, the minister responsible for the NWT Power Corp., all but killed any hopes of relocating plants in small communities.

"I don't know what it would cost to move the power plant in Arctic Bay," said Dent, "But I do know that moving the one in Hall Beach will cost $4 million. The people who'd have to pay for that are the people who live in Hall Beach."

Dent said the costs of such a move would have to be absorbed by power users in the community requesting it.

Pastor put off

Yellowknife's Stanton Regional Hospital on Jan. 23 refused to allow Rev. Paul Bauchman to visit sick and injured people in the hospital.

Responding to concerns raised by Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger, Health Minister Kelvin Ng said he found the incident "disturbing."

Ng said he would take up the matter with Stanton's heath board to make sure Bauchman is never shut out again.