Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 10/00) - United we stand and divided they stand on top of us.

That was the main reason for last weekend's Northern premiers forum in Whitehorse, said NWT premier Stephen Kakfwi.

The forum was a chance for leaders from Nunavut, the Yukon and the NWT to discuss the problems common to the territories and adopt a co-operative approach in their dealings with the federal government.

"These issues are hard for us to resolve on our own with the federal government, we see a common approach as the most effective way to get the federal government to address our concerns," said Kakfwi.

The common difficulties discussed at the March 3-4 forum include health care, lack of infrastructure and housing.

"Generally, we feel the federal government does not give adequate attention to Northern government," said Kakfwi.

"We're looking at oil and gas and pipeline projects and we don't even have money for a single kilometre of road. It's almost ludicrous."

The meeting was also the first time since his election as premier that Kakfwi had a chance to meet with Yukon premier Piers McDonald.

Kakfwi said McDonald and the Yukon government have experience in resource revenue sharing negotiations which are valuable to the NWT.

All three territories are on different tracks when it comes to taking control of royalties and taxes from oil and gas and mining development.

The Yukon is a little further ahead than the NWT, and Nunavut has yet to begin the process.

"We think there's a lot to be learned from the Yukon, from looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the way they went about it," said the Kakfwi.

The forum was a follow up to a co-operation accord signed in Iqaluit last August.

The premiers are planning to meet again just before the May western premiers conference.