Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 04/02) - Talk that the Northwest Territories will get $20 million in infrastructure cash has been called an insult.

GNWT Finance Minister Joe Handley told Yellowknifer the senior bureaucrat in charge of the $2 billion federal infrastructure program is recommending to Industry Minister Allan Rock that each of the territories get $20 million.

The territorial government has asked for $133 million.

"This certainly is not a recognition of the economic potential in the NWT. If that's all it's going to be, it is an insult to the NWT," Handley said.

"It's certainly a big disappointment. It's not entirely surprising given the political agendas going on in Ottawa right now," he said, blaming Prime Minister Jean Chretien for using infrastructure dollars to bolster his legacy aspirations.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem was even more direct.

"It's a political dollar amount, not an economic dollar amount. It's based on, there's one seat in each of the territories so let's give them a little bit and keep them happy," he said.

Federal infrastructure spending plans have not been finalized, and Handley has intensified lobbying efforts. He spoke with federal Finance Minister John Manley on Wednesday and will meet Manley and Public Works Minister Ralph Goodale next week.

For pipeline projects

The $20 million would only go toward 50 per cent of any project costs, even though the GNWT had asked for two-thirds funding.

Handley said he was told that the money would also be earmarked for pipeline-related work, immediately trotting out a wish list of infrastructure projects.

"The bridge (across the Mackenzie River), work on the bridges along the Mackenzie winter roads and the Dempster highway would be where the money would go," he said.

The news is redoubling commitment among Northerners to seek a new deal for resource revenue-sharing for the territory.

"Politicians and bureaucrats always tell you you're doing a good job and they're in your corner. But the minute you leave their office it comes down to counting the votes and we don't have them. We've got to find a way around that," said Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Dave McPherson.