Yellowknife (July 07/04) - Premier Joe Handley says it's time for Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew to stop bickering with Northern politicians before a serious rift develops between her and the territorial government.

Handley was responding to recent comments made by Blondin-Andrew to the media, where she accused the premier and other MLAs of working against her during her election campaign for a fifth term to the House of Commons.

"You know, it wasn't that many months ago she was phoning me saying she will never speak to (former premier) Steve Kakfwi again in her life and all that kind of stuff," said Handley.

"At one time there were rumours that he was going to run (against her). She was phoning me to hear what I heard and what I knew. She considered him the worst guy on Earth and then the next week she was okay," the premier said.

"In my view, Ethel needs to sit down and talk to me, to caucus, to the politicians of the North, and see how we can all get on stride."

Blondin-Andrew's biggest problem in the last election was not so much that some MLAs were working against her, Handley said, but from a desire for change among voters.

"You stay in politics too long, eventually people view you as a liability," Handley said.

Handley has tried numerous times to get in touch with Blondin-Andrew since her narrow election win June 28, he said, but she hasn't returned any of his phone calls.

Handley says he wasn't aware of any rift between her and his government before the election.

"But she's going to create one if she continues to name people, because some of the people that she named as working against her are good Liberals, and I include myself in that category," said Handley.

As for Blondin-Andrew's assertion that she didn't receive questions from the territorial government on Liberal policy towards the North until the day before the election, Handley insisted Blondin-Andrew should've known he was looking and waiting for the party's position, noting that two other federal parties found time to respond.

"There was short notice, but I held off waiting for Northern issues to come up (from the parties on their own). They didn't, so I decided to do a letter," said Handley.

"I sent it to everybody at the same time. She chose to ignore it, which is always dangerous to do that."

Blondin-Andrew wasn't the only one miffed at Handley for comments made during the election campaign. Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay took exception with Handley's comment that he found the Reform/Alliance element of the Conservative Party "scary."

Ramsay served as a national co-chair for the Conservative Party campaign during the election.

"It's garbage, it's fear mongering," said Ramsay.

"We're mainstream and we're moderate."

Handley said he has since spoken to Ramsay, and now considers the matter resolved.

Blondin-Andrew's assistant phoned Yellowknifer to say she would not provide any further comment.