Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 26/01) - The Cuff report is "fundamentally flawed," concluded a committee reviewing the $500,000 study of the health system.

"Accepting the Cuff recommendations will mean a 180-degree policy shift by the government," wrote the standing committee on social programs. Echoing the concerns voiced by MLAs and others, the committee said not enough consultation was done on the report.

Good and bad news

A downturn in the Canadian economy is costing the North dearly, Finance Minister Joe Handley reported.

"In the past few months alone the forecast revenue yield from our formula agreement over the current and next three years has declined by over $100 million dollars," said the finance minister. The funding agreement with the federal government links funding to economic activity in the rest of Canada and the population of the North.

At a recent constituency meeting, Handley publicly questioned Statistics Canada's population figures. The bad news erases some good news Handley offered less than a year ago.

Then he announced that a federal re-interpretation of the funding agreement provided the North with a $100-million windfall over last year and this.

Law too slow on same sex

There is no excuse for government foot-dragging on legislative changes that would allow members of same sex couples to adopt children, says Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee.

"I know there are legal beavers in the government who could do this, who have no problem producing a hotel tax and highway toll tax in no time flat," Lee said this week. "I'm sure it's a matter of priorities."

Premier Stephen Kakfwi said a changing the law to allow members of same sex couples to adopt their partner's child would require a review of 35 pieces of legislation. Kakfwi said changes to the legislation will have to await reviews of the Adoption Act and Family Law Act currently under way. Lee said that's not good enough.

"This is not as hard as it looks,"she said.

Plowing priorities

When the snow falls, Hwy 3 drivers are left to their own devices, says North Slave MLA Leon Lafferty.

According to Lafferty, said Highway 3 drivers are easy to identify: "They are the ones with the bulging eyes and sweaty palms."

Since the first snowfall, last week, two of Lafferty's constituents have had rollover accidents on the road to Yellowknife.

Transportation Minister Vince Steen assured Lafferty Hwy 3 takes priority over the Ingraham Trail. Steen agreed to provide highway maintenance records for the last six months.