Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 06/03) - It's been a long year for Premier Stephen Kakfwi.

He survived two confidence votes in the legislative assembly, presided over a government resting on pins and needles over uncertainties with the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, and a looming deficit in next year's budget.

Stephen Kakfwi: "Our fiscal relationship with Ottawa is very inadequate."

Nonetheless, Kakfwi remains upbeat. He plans to run for premier again.

News/North: Okay, it's been a busy year. You survived two confidence votes, saw Kyoto (Accord) ratified, pipeline talks are ongoing. Let's start with the positives -- what was the highlight for you?

Premier Stephen Kakfwi: I think the positive was actually June, July and August, travelling to different communities. I think part of the meetings and celebrations, and the events that were taking place across the territory. Especially in June, we had the Living History Society that put together this incredible celebration that just came out as a report today (Dec. 19).

Despite all our differences with age, culture, language, and perspectives, somehow we've gone through an incredible 25 years.

N/N: What was your most trying time this year?

Kakfwi: On a personal level, the confidence votes were trying, but they're part of the job. You just have to live through it and take it as part of the job.

N/N: The economy is growing, the cost of managing it is growing with it, and now we're running a deficit. How are we going to pay for it?

Kakfwi: Well, when we took over office there was a deficit.

We were going to be broke within a year.

We had an ambitious agenda that we set out with the members of the legislature, and now we're three years down the road.

We've done the right things, but we're also looking at a deficit again because (Census Canada says) there's been a loss in population, so it affects our (financing) formula. So no matter how well we do -- we got the best economy in Canada right now, we have very little unemployment -- yet this government is going broke.

Our fiscal relationship with Ottawa is very inadequate.

N/N: Was this deficit avoidable?

Kakfwi: I don't think so. I think if we were economically depressed we'd still be spending money trying to find ways to stimulate the economy, increase employment, and take care of our social issues.

The fact that we have diamond mines opening and operating, a pipeline and oil and gas development happening ... our economy is doing incredibly well (but) we don't have any additional money coming in for all that.

In fact, we're spending more to just meet the needs.

We should renew it (the formula financing agreement), we should look for something different, we should look for something that will fiscally benefit us with economic development happening.

N/N: If there are any program cuts, do you see them happening on the social side, or in economic development?

Kakfwi: There's going to be some additional funding coming in from Ottawa for health, so that will help a little bit.

We're still hoping to find some infrastructure money, and there will probably be some resources coming from Ottawa to help the North and aboriginal people prepare for a pipeline, and oil and gas development.

This will hopefully offset the deficit to a certain extent, but the fact is, until we get a revenue sharing agreement in place this government and the aboriginal governments that are coming into recognition will never be able to govern adequately.

N/N: Are you still confident the pipeline will be developed?

Kakfwi: Well, in January 2000, the aboriginal governments met and said that's what they wanted: a pipeline.

As a premier, it's been one of my strongest, most confident messages -- taking that to industry and Canada -- and said, "We're ready for a pipeline, we're ready for development. All we want is some benefits."

My sense is that Ottawa has waited far too long to respond decisively. They've hummed and hawed, and been distracted by their own distant agenda.

I hope they don't miss the boat because, you know, aboriginal people have been united, and now it's (the pipeline) starting to unravel a bit.

So, Ottawa may have blown it. We might blow it ourselves if we can't keep it together and keep the level of optimism and confidence up that's required.

N/N: You've been premier for three-and-a-half years now. Are you satisfied you've reached the accomplishments you've set out to do when you became premier?

Kakfwi: Well, I'd like to be modest and say I think I've done far more than I thought was possible, but I also know of the things I've done, some things I wouldn't do again.

Some things I know I can do better. I can't complain. Nobody asked me to take this job. I asked for it and got it. I was the most surprised person in the world with the level of support I got in the first confidence motion (last March) because I've never seen myself as a populist.

This last session again, the support was overwhelming. I think people were mixed about it (last October's confidence motion). I think some people thought they needed to know more, they needed some sort of debate, but in the end, people reminded me that I said last year I was not going to leave, I was not going to quit. I couldn't be a quitter.

I have to stay and people wanted the reassurance.

N/N: There's a lot of talk in the media these days about (Prime Minister) Jean Chretien's legacy. What kind of legacy would you like to have as premier?

Kakfwi: What we all need to do is appreciate all our differences and work on the things we can do together.

Again, I go back to the celebration in June. The 25-year celebration was all about that. Twenty-five years ago, we were galaxies apart: The Dene, the business community, the non-aboriginal people, the government of Canada, industry.

Over 25 years, so many of us -- knowingly or just by a gut feeling -- by having the best intentions in the world have bridged those differences and have come up together.

Everybody feels good, people in Yellowknife feel good, Hay River, (Fort) Simpson, Inuvik, Colville Lake, people feel good.

There's no longer that fear and loathing of 25 years ago.

N/N: You made some very frank comments after the last confidence vote about your leadership, your personality. One of the things you said was that you need help from other MLAs getting your message across. Have you received that help?

Kakfwi: A lot of the MLAs that were very critical of me this last session, I've had discussions with them. I don't have any animosity about it. They do what they believe is right. I think the thing to do is keep moving, to build on the things we have.

N/N: We're less than a year away from a general election. Do you still plan to carry on as premier into the next term?

Kakfwi: I've said, starting last summer, that I will offer to continue to be premier again, and I want people in the Northwest Territories to know that.

Again, it's because of the first confidence motion that I had that people asked me not to quit -- to stay on and continue serving because the support is there.

I've said I need to make sure that my family is with me, that I have the support of my constituency, and also have a good medical checkup, which is something I do before every election. I think I was not understood very well the last time.

N/N: Yes, there was some confusion...

Kakfwi: 'Oh ya, man, are you sick or what Steve,' you know?

Yes, but before every election, about four months, five months before I enter a campaign I've made a habit of going to get a medical checkup. Just a thorough medical checkup to make sure I'm not terminal or anything before going into an election.

N/N: One more question, what's the future of your singing career?

Kakfwi: It's something I enjoy doing, being different.

Hopefully, there's some more songs coming out. We did the CD with three little songs on it. People have been asking for copies of that.

N/N: What's your favourite song?

Kakfwi: I don't know. There's a song called "Every Grain of Sand," which was a song I sang at a church here on request right after the confidence vote. The words of it are all about going through trying times and facing the meaning of life, being part of the greater plan of the universe, and facing your Maker. But I have a lot of favourite songs.