Inuvik (Mar 03/06) - Newly-minted Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington came to Inuvik last week to hear from community members about what they would like to see him push for in Ottawa.

"If we don't start (this pipeline) soon, we're going to be chasing them down south and it will be the same as last time," said Northwind Industries owner Kurt Wainman.

He was referring to the last oil and gas boom and bust scenario in the late '70s and early '80s.

"We'll go back to being the same town as the last time - the same bus station."

Wainman was not alone with his pipeline concerns and Bevington attempted to reassure those in attendance at last week's gathering among Inuvik business people at town council chambers.

"I've always supported the concept of the pipeline," he said.

However, Bevington qualified these remarks by saying everyone needs to work together.

"The North is too fractured and split up too much," he noted with respect to differing pipeline positions that are being projected by aboriginal groups up and down the valley.

"We need concerns here to project a good message to Ottawa to be supportive of what people do within the context of public interest."

Assigned as NDP critic for both Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Natural Resources and Energy, Bevington appears to be in a good position to lobby for Northwest Territories' interests in what he calls a crucial time.

"I don't think there's another constituency with more complex and important issues, from land claims to development," he said.

New North Networks owner Tom Zubko says he was pleased to see Bevington come to Inuvik so soon after the federal election, which saw the NDP candidate from Fort Smith unseat 17-year Liberal incumbent Ethel Blondin-Andrew.

"Your visit speaks volumes. That was a big complaint about the last MP - that we weren't seeing her," said Zubko.

"We want to see development, so it works for us."

Bevington also linked the importance of getting a better resource-revenue sharing deal from Ottawa with the pipeline.

"We're only getting seven per cent from the diamond mines. Look at Botswana's 50 per cent," he said.

"Maybe we don't want 50 per cent, but seven per cent seems a long way from 50."