Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 25/00) - With leaders from every region of the NWT on its executive and three consecutive election victories behind it, the Western Arctic Liberal Association is unquestionably the team to beat this election.

Tonight in Yellowknife the association will officially kick off its campaign to elect incumbent Ethel Blondin Andrew to a fourth consecutive term as the Western Arctic MP.

Blondin-Andrew's team includes president Ted Blondin, campaign chair Lynda Sorensen as well as membership director Sandra Wowk.

Sorensen is an example of the well-connected group of people behind Blondin- Andrew. The former MLA has been Sahtu MLA Stephen Kakfwi's executive assistant for years and is currently the premier's chief of staff.

More importantly than their GNWT connections, not always an asset in a federal election, are the association's connection to aboriginal groups.

Blondin is land claims manager for the Dogrib Tribal Council. The executive also includes Metis local presidents Albertine Rodh and Bill Enge (respectively Deh Cho and Yellowknife).

On Monday the association executive had announced it has appointed Ernest Pokiak as its new vice-president. Pokiak, a former GNWT worker and mayor of Tuktoyaktuk, will further add to the campaign's regional appeal.

If the connections were not enough, the Liberals also receive the kind of financial support their rivals can only dream of.

Last election Blondin-Andrew received a total of $101,397 in contributions, more than twice the amount received by her nearest rival. Blondin-Andrew came to within $623.33 of the campaign spending limit.