Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 01/02) - MLAs may strike a powerful new committee that would examine ways to ease the disparities between small and large communities.

Capital spending by community over the last 10 years, per capita (four highest and four lowest funded communities) High Jean Marie River $100,038 Wekweti 59,182 Trout Lake 53,250 Sachs Harbour 52,431 Low Tuktoyaktuk 7,453 Rae-Edzo 7,316 Yellowknife 6,988 Hay River 6,779 Notes: Per capita spending = total capital spending for last 10 years divided by 2000 census population; capital spending includes MACA block funding and NWT Housing Corporation expenditures; does not include capital projects paid for by municipal property taxes. - Source: Financial Management Board

by Northern News Services

Mackenzie Delta MLA David Krutko was one of four regular MLAs who led the charge.

"You're penalized for having a small population, and the same thing applies nationally," said Krutko. "When we go to Ottawa pounding on their doors for money for highways, social programs, housing and whatnot, that's the exact argument we use with the federal government."

The territorial government has been lobbying Ottawa for years to abandon its practice of distributing programming and infrastructure dollars on the basis of population.

Tuesday's debate on the merits and drawbacks of the committee revealed MLAs representing large communities have a very different take on the issue than their small community counterparts.

Yellowknife MLA Brendan Bell acknowledged inequity does exist in the facilities and services, but added, "I think that's a fact of life you would see anywhere across this country."

Bell noted many of the facilities in larger communities have been paid for by residents through municipal taxes. Though the town is booming now, Inuvik MLA Floyd Roland recalled that as recently as three years ago the town was grappling with tax foreclosures and businesses shutting their doors.

"There's been quite a turnaround, but that turnaround has been driven by the private sector, not the Government of the Northwest Territories," Roland said.

Roland noted that, even in the throes of economic decline, Inuvik was not eligible for some programs the government delivers, because they are aimed exclusively at communities that do not assess property taxes.

Tu Nedhe MLA Steven Nitah said some programs, while not aimed explicitly at small or large communities, benefit only the larger ones.

As an example, he cited the fact that smaller communities have no way of accessing the additional $1 million in daycare subsidies the government is proposing because they do not have any buildings to house daycare centres.

Premier Stephen Kakfwi said cabinet will not participate in the debate or vote on the motion to establish the committee. He said because the motion deals with how the government is kept accountable, it is inappropriate for cabinet to participate.

MLAs deferred voting on the motion while they informally consider whether a special committee, which would have sweeping powers, is the proper mechanism to address the concerns of outlying communities.