Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 15/02) - "Why oh why does it cost so much to fly?" asked Bill Braden Tuesday.

The Great Slave MLA said the price of a full-fare round-trip flight from Yellowknife to Edmonton has increased by 70 per cent in the last five years, rising from $1,180 to $1,708.50. Ten years ago, the cost was $830, he added.

"It seems competition between our two Northern owned airlines isn't doing much to serve this market, at least in terms of curbing increases to airfares," Braden said.

Transportation Minister Joe Handley said there is little the territorial government can do to reduce prices because the airlines are private businesses and air transportation largely a federal responsibility.

Handley said he was open to any suggestions on how to reduce airfares the airlines, MLAs or the public might have.

Handley said he will consider a suggestion Braden made -- allowing comment on airfares on a toll-free hotline set up for feedback on road conditions on Highway 3.

"There's a lot of opportunity for people to use up that air time for the air side," the minister said. Last time he checked there had been a total of four comments on Highway 3 conditions.

The number is 1-888-711-0321.

Lee retracts

Range Lake representative Sandy Lee lost another parliamentary run-in with fellow Yellowknife MLA Joe Handley.

On Monday, Lee said that by bringing a settlement with former senior staffers before the assembly for approval, Handley had provided "grounds for questioning his conduct."

The following day Handley said the comments called into question his motive and integrity and asked the speaker to rule the comments out of line.

Speaker Tony Whitford ruled in Handley's favour Wednesday and asked Lee to retract the statement. She did.

Lee was given the parliamentary equivalent of a game misconduct last year when she accused Handley and other members of the special committee on the conflict process of conspiring against the government. Twice this week Lee has asked Whitford to rule comments violated the assembly's rules. On both occasions Whitford ruled there was no violation.

Happy anniversary

With a little fanfare, the 27th anniversary of a fully elected territorial government came and went on March 10.

Tony Whitford noted the occasion and provided some historical context.

The speaker of the house said before the election of March 10, 1975, the territorial council was composed of 10 members representing all of the NWT and five appointed members.

The council was overseen by commissioner Stuart Hodgson. Whitford recalled Hodgson's words: "I am sure none of us are under any illusions that this is going to be clear sailing from here on for the rest of the journey," Hodgson said. "We have a long way to go with a new ship and, like any similar situation, it is a lot of trial and error."

Census doubts

Finance Minister Joe Handley said the government plans to double check Statistic Canada's NWT numbers.

"In our view, the census numbers are wrong," Handley said Tuesday.

The 2001 census reported a 5.8 per cent drop in the NWT population since the 1996.

Handley said the industrialization that has occurred in the NWT -- diamond mines and oil and gas exploration -- suggest to him the population of the NWT has increased since the last StatsCan head count.

The minister, who is responsible for the NWT Bureau of Statistics, said he is asking Statistics Canada to conduct a detailed review of census operations in all Northwest Territories communities. Handley said the GNWT will be doing its own population counts in select communities to check the accuracy of revised population estimates StatsCan is developing.

Money for businesses

Some of the money in existing economic development funds is going to be channelled toward business projects proposed by people under the age of 30, Jim Antoine announced Tuesday.

The Minister of Economic Development said $50,000 in funding will be earmarked for start-up funding for businesses proposed by young adults. The funding will flow through existing business development programs. More details on the initiative will be announced soon.