Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 07/99) - The Northwest Territories' Premier is proposing a Northern advisory panel to help the West take more control of its non-renewable resources.

"We deserve this control. It's an opportunity to decrease dependency on (the federal government). Working together we can make this change," Jim Antoine said at a recent NWT Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

The panel, to include government, aboriginal and business leaders, would "build an economic strategy paper" and would ask the NWT Chamber of Commerce to participate, he said.

Antoine also said Northerners will have to work together if this "ambitious" goal is to be accomplished.

"A united voice is a force to be reckoned with by Ottawa."

"Over time, the entire NWT will be composed of land claims. For the NWT this means sharing powers (and) establishing partnerships with aboriginal government."

Sharing and controlling resources is a "sensitive topic, but we have to deal with it."

He also said, "It doesn't mean we need to reach agreement on all (NWT) issues."

Under the current financial structure, the greatest share of the NWT's non-renewable resources go to the federal government, he said. Any increases in NWT tax revenues are offset by a decrease in federal transfer payments, he said.

The GNWT is eager to negotiate a change to resource funding with Ottawa because of a looming deficit. Under the current fiscal environment, government will not have enough revenues to support existing programs.

The 1999-2000 budget's operating deficit was offset by surplus money. But that surplus is gone.

"It's clear we need to find new sources of revenue."