Yellowknife (June 13/03) - Physician specialists and Health Minister Michael Miltenberger are being pressed to resume contract talks but there is no sign they are paying attention.

"The whole situation is on a downward spiral; it has become a pissing contest," Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee said Thursday.

"They have to get back to talking to each other."

Instead, the two sides found new fuel for the dispute that threatens to leave Northerners without the services of physician specialists who are threatening to resign if they do not have a new contract by July 1.

The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) has a message on its Web site that says Northwest Territories Medical Association is "asking Alberta physicians not to practice there ... until a new agreement is signed with the territorial government."

The government planned to hire temporary replacements for the specialists from Alberta and Miltenberger said the message "puts the (NWT) medical association in a very bad light and raises ethical considerations. "We will deal with this and all the issues it raises," he said Thursday.

Ken Seethram, acting president of the NWT Medical Association, said he sent letters to medical associations across Canada to advise doctors "that they would be putting themselves in a situation that undermines long-term care needs of patients in the Northwest Territories."

He agreed that is different from telling doctors not to come North, but said he would not ask the AMA to change the message on its Web site.

No talks are scheduled until June 28 and both sides blame the other for leaving the meeting to the last minute.

"July 1 is looming; the ball is still in their court," Seethram said.

Talks broke off last week when the physician specialists rejected the government's plan to reach a contract through binding arbitration.

Medical specialists have been without a contract for 18 months.

According to details released by the government, 12 specialists are paid an average of $314,000 a year and want $500,000 in the final year of a two-year contract. The government has offered $400,000.

The Yellowknife Seniors Society added their voices to Lee and other MLAs who are urging the two sides to resume talks.

"Specialist services must be available on a continuing basis," Society president Lauren McKiel said in an open letter.

Bill Braden, MLA for Great Slave, said "it's disturbing and disappointing that we're not ready to restart negotiations."

Brendan Bell, MLA for Yellowknife South, said "I think there is a will to resolve this issue but I don't think it's reasonable to think it will be resolved three days before the deadline."

Floyd Roland, MLA for Inuvik Boot Lake, said residents have to expect a certain amount of care. Has all been done (to resolve the issue)?"

Jane Groenewegen, Hay River South MLA, said "we need them, we want them, we appreciate them, but I don't know how that translates to cost. It has to be affordable to the government."