Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Feb 23/01) - Jane Groenewegen might be forgiven for feeling a little persecuted. Her four days of intense grilling during budget deliberations did not appear fun.
Her run-ins with Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger are starting to take on legendary status. At one point during the proceedings, Finance Minister Joe Handley slipped out of the chamber and quietly remarked on the "level of tension" in the room.
Miltenberger was unapologetic about the whole affair. "Statesmanship and diplomacy," he said, "are much better attributes for a cabinet minister than petulance and crankiness."
Transport Minister Vince Steen is next on the hot seat, as the whole house debates the budget, department by department.
MLAs want relief
Two Yellowknife MLAs are calling on Finance Minister Joe Handley to expand the government's proposed heat relief program.
Charles Dent and Brendan Bell say the government should extend the heating rebate program to include residents whose annual income exceeds the government's income cutoff line.
The government is basing the program's cutoff on the territorial core need thresholds, which vary from community to community. In Yellowknife the core need threshold is pegged at $72,500, according to officials in Handley's office.
Handley told the house that the government wants to make sure that "administration is kept simple" to ensure checks get sent out by the end of March.
Dent and Bell want Handley to offer relief on a sliding scale to homeowners that are above the threshold.
Allen launches initiative
Youth Minister Roger Allen launched a new program this week to give territorial youths the opportunity to expand their horizons.
The Youth Exploration Program, a partnership between the Territorial Youth Association and Canadian North Airlines, will provide low-cost airfares to young people in the territory participating in various activities.
