Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 22/01) - They came, they gushed, they left. So concludes Yellowknife's first Liberal's Northern and western caucus meeting.

Twenty-two MPs, along with the national executive, several senators and Ontario MPs all descended on Yellowknife to meet Northern politicians and aboriginal leaders and discuss devolution, revenue sharing, and economic development.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien faces the media shortly after arriving at Weledeh Catholic school to attend the Liberal Northern and western caucus barbecue Monday evening. - Robert Dall/NNSL photo

The most prominent face to be seen during the three-day conference was that of Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who arrived midway through the meeting late Monday afternoon.

Neither the onset of fall nor protesting government workers outside Weledeh Catholic school -- where the caucus moved their invite-only barbecue after being rained out at Fred Henne Park -- appeared to dampen the prime minister's impression of the city.

"It's good to be back in Yellowknife, it's a place I have known since 1968," said a triumphant Chretien after meeting with NWT Premier Stephen Kakfwi Tuesday morning.

"Look at the city here, a shortage of labour, and new buildings all over the place. I've been here when it was much harder."

Chretien has made only one visit to Yellowknife since elected prime minister in 1993, and Mayor Gord Van Tighem was happy to have the chance to meet with him and draw attention to local concerns: the deteriorating state of the Ingraham Trail and the unpaved portion of Highway 3 into the city.

The Giant Mine cleanup debacle also played heavily in Van Tighem's meeting with Chretien, a point he reiterated earlier in his meeting with the caucus.

"We encouraged cleanup at Giant mine," said Van Tighem, who explained that without a plan, intended projects such as a boat launch and marina at the site cannot proceed.

"Let's have the intergovernmental debate stopped, and get on with the remedial process."

On Monday, both Environment Minister David Anderson and Natural Resources Minister Ralph Goodale insisted that the federal government takes the Giant Mine cleanup seriously, but offered no timeline.

"Obviously a lot of work has been done and is continuing to be done both by DIAND and independent consultants," said Goodale.

"It needs a solution. All of our best available minds are analysing the options and making a selection for what is the best route forward."

Gun control not on agenda

What was most noticeable about the issues presented before the caucus members were those that were not discussed.

While oil and gas development and devolution of power to aboriginal governments had most cabinet and caucus members engaged with the media, few wanted to discuss more controversial items such as gun control legislation and changes to formula funding for the territories.

"Gun control was not on the agenda," said Western Arctic MP and host Ethel Blondin-Andrew. "It didn't come up once."

Likewise, population-based formula funding, which provides the bulk the NWT's budget, left most members skirting around the issue.

Premier Kakfwi, in his meetings with Chretien and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stephane Dion, who had called for increased funding two weeks ago at the First Minister's Conference in B.C., seemed reluctant to make a clear stance.

"In the NWT we want our fair share of the resource revenue, but we can't keep it for ourselves," Kakfwi said on Tuesday.

The prime minister later deferred to his cabinet ministers.

"I'm not here to negotiate what is the job of the finance minister and the minister of Northern affairs," said Chretien.