Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 23/99) - Things appear to be warming up between the city and the territorial government.

For the first time in at least the last eight years, the premier, minister of finance and staff met with city council to brief them on territorial plans and issues and answer questions.

"It's an absolute breath of fresh air that the premier would take the time to build consensus," said Mayor Dave Lovell.

Attending the Tuesday evening meeting were Premier Antoine, principal secretary Richard Bargery, Minister of Finance Charles Dent, city administrator Max Hall, finance director Robert Charpentier, the mayor and all of council except Coun. Dave Ramsay.

Lovell said the meeting began with territorial representatives briefing council on western finances, the importance of raising more revenue as well as improving social well-being and restructuring the NWT's fiscal relationship with Ottawa.

Giant Mine, diamonds, block funding and electoral boundaries were briefly discussed, said Lovell.

Private meeting

The meeting was closed, but no one knows at whose request.

Held in a city hall boardroom, the unpublicized meeting lasted about two hours, said Lovell.

Asked Tuesday if the meeting would be open, city staffers said since Antoine called the meeting it was up to him to decide whether it would be open or closed.

Minutes later a spokesperson in the premier's office said the meeting was closed, "at the request of the city."

The spokesperson did not know who at the city made the request. Neither did the Mayor or administrator Max Hall when asked Wednesday.

"I think it should have been closed, for sure," said Lovell Wednesday. "Would you rather it have been held over at the legislative assembly?"

Members of council have noted they are held to a much higher standard of accountability than other levels of government and public bodies such as school boards.

"I think the city should be held to a high standard (of openness)," said Coun. Peggy Near. "But I think every other public body should be, too."

Near said there were portions of the Tuesday meeting that could have been public, but there were matters Antoine addressed that could have harmed the GNWT's position in negotiations with claimant groups and the federal government.

The rules of openness are still being defined, Near noted.

"Who's responsibility is it to say whether a meeting is open or closed, and is that dictated by where the meeting is held?" asked Near.

The only public mention of Tuesday's meeting occurred at committee meeting Monday, when Lovell asked, "Is tomorrow night's meeting still on?"