Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 02/05) - An unconfirmed report that Ottawa offered to buy a 20 per cent stake in the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline spread like wildfire last week through the legislative assembly.

Industry Minister Brendan Bell said he was "very happy" with the news, which surfaced in the Thursday edition of the National Post.

Bell could not confirm the rumour, though.

The Northwest Territories does not have a seat at the bargaining table with Ottawa and the companies behind the $7-billion project, he said.

"We do not have anything official. We read the same news as members do," Bell said during question period.

Bell said the story was evidence that earlier media reports of a "doomed pipeline" were premature.

Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan denied the rumour last week. A spokesperson for Imperial said the company is not looking for new partners in the project.

Access road on back burner

Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay tried Tuesday to drum up support for a road that would link his industrial riding to Highway 3 and give drivers another route out of Yellowknife.

Ramsay pointed to two military accidents last year that forced officials to close the highway, a decision that created headaches for drivers and stopped the flow of food and fuel into the capital. In the most embarrassing of the slip-ups, a missile plummeted from a CF-18 fighter onto the Yellowknife Golf Club.

"What if something major happened at the Yellowknife Airport?" Ramsay asked. "From a public safety standpoint, this road... has to be addressed."

The thoroughfare would run behind the airport and likely connect Highway 3 with Deh Cho Boulevard.

Transport minister Michael McLeod said his department has a design for the road - which would cost about $4.5 million - but there is no word on when construction might begin.

"This road will get built when it is decided who is going to pay for it," McLeod said.

That's all folks

The latest session of the legislative assembly wrapped up Thursday afternoon.

It will reconvene in February when the government will unveil its 2006 budget.

In the meantime, MLAs are expected to haggle over what items will be included in the nearly $1-billion document.