James Hrynyshyn
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 14/02) - The NWT still wants Canada to ratify an international treaty to combat climate change despite agreeing to add a discussion paper opposing the Kyoto Protocol to a national workshop in Yellowknife Thursday.

Premier Stephen Kakfwi and Resources Minister Jim Antoine bowed to Alberta's request to makes its case for a slower approach to reducing climate-altering fossil-fuel emissions, according to a senior government official.

Public perception may be a problem, said Emery Paquin, director of environmental protection for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. "But in reality, it shouldn't signal any weakening in the GNWT position."

Paquin added that cabinet does not believe in stifling the expression of opinion.

Selected government officials, industry executives and environmentalists are meeting this month in each capital city to discuss how Canada can best meet the Kyoto goals.

The decision to include Alberta's presentation troubled several attendees at the Yellowknife session. Some argued it falls outside the scope of the workshop's mandate. Ecology North member Bob Bromley suggested Alberta present the paper at a later date, when everyone has had time to review it.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, fearing the province's oil-based economy will suffer if Canada agrees to cut fossil-fuel emissions by six per cent from 1990 levels within eight years, failed to convince every premier to include the paper in the workshops.

At Wednesday's workshop in Whitehorse, for example, Alberta's paper was not added to the agenda. "Alberta was welcome," said Joe Ballantyne, director of environmental protection for the Yukon government. "They chose not to make a presentation."