Yellowknife (Oct 25/04) - Emblematic of growing frustration among MLAs on the absence of a revenue-sharing agreement for the NWT, one member went so far as to call Prime Minister Paul Martin a thief.

"There's no Robin Hood giving back to the people," said Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins.

"I think the Prime Minister should go to jail for the way he is stealing from us."

Speaker of the House Paul Delorey immediately asked Hawkins to retract the statement and the MLA agreed, offering an apology to Martin.

Regular MLAs joined forces during the session to criticize Ottawa for a system that sees the vast majority of royalties flow into federal coffers.

One by one, the MLAs sounded off on the revenue-sharing agreement, which Great Slave MLA Bill Braden and others described as "colonial." He said over $2 billion worth of resources exited the territory last year, twice the annual budget of the GNWT.

Last year, the federal government received $200 million in resource revenue, compared to $8 million for the NWT, said Braden.

"This is a remarkably disturbing and demoralizing state of affairs," he said.

"The shareholders of these corporations benefit from our resources, but in the meantime they get the profits, Ottawa gets the royalties and we have to (deal) with the social programs."

Following the completion of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, the current formula would see $27.1 billion in royalties over 30 years head to the federal government and $900 million to the NWT, said Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen.

"It bugs me to see the amount of wealth that is flowing out of the NWT," said Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya.

"Some of the smaller communities are like Third World countries.

Why are we struggling with all of our resources?"

In response to the criticisms, Premier Joe Handley said the territorial government is working closely with Ottawa to reach a deal on resources.

Handley was scheduled to travel to the nation's capital this weekend to meet with Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Andy Scott.

Handley said he planned to raise the issue of resource-revenue sharing.

"I'm confident we have the attention of the federal government," Handley said.

"We have to make sure our issues stay on the radar screen."

The resource revenue-sharing deal has been hampered by land claims and devolution talks, Handley said in response to criticisms that his government was moving too slowly.

"We want to move ahead, but there are two other parties," Handley said, referring to the federal government and aboriginal organizations.

Handley also said it was important to have an equitable arrangement on the table.

"We will not sign a deal that is not a good deal," Handley said.

Hawkins urged Handley and Finance Minister Floyd Roland to carry a simple message to Ottawa.

"Our milk is not free. It's time to buy the cow."