Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 26/00) - Dave Lovell should learn to relax, said Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Robert Nault last week.

Responding to questions about his refusal to see the Yellowknife mayor during last week's visit to the NWT capital, Nault said Lovell overreacted to the turndown.

"Quite frankly, his reaction was somewhat unnecessary," said Nault, who read of Lovell's response to the reaction in a story in Yellowknifer.

"He would have gotten his time if he had, you know, just relaxed a bit," Nault later said.

Lovell took exception to being refused a meeting. He said he has never been granted a meeting by a visiting DIAND minister. The mayor noted he was the leader of the largest single constituency in the NWT.

Lovell this week was making no apologies.

"Yellowknife is a big factor in the North and that's got to be recognized," said the mayor.

Municipal leaders have a perspective on issues federal leaders should value, said the mayor.

Asked if he would be requesting another meeting with Nault when the minister returns in March, Lovell said, "It will very much depend on what has to be said ... I don't want to go in there and waste his time."

Repeating an explanation his assistants provided two weeks ago, Nault said the large number of requests and little time he had here meant some requests would be denied.

"We ended up with a significant amount of meetings with the constituents and people I have direct jurisdiction over," said Nault. "I have no jurisdiction over the mayor's particular needs. He's a municipal leader and certainly has his views, but I don't have any way of helping him, so I had to decide."

Nault added that he's left with the impression that most leaders up here think every visit to the North is his last. The minister said that is far from the case.

"I'll be coming on a regular basis. This region is going to need a lot of time and we have huge responsibilities here."