Jason Unrau
Northern News Services
Friday, May 25, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie was in Yellowknife last Friday where he and NWT Premier Joe Handley renewed the intergovernmental accord between the two territories.

"The signing of this is another demonstration of what we call good governance," said Fentie. "It promotes the fundamental principle of working with neighbouring jurisdictions."

First signed in 1999, the Yukon-Northwest Territories Intergovernmental Relations Accord promotes co-operation on several fronts including economic development, tourism, infrastructure, trade and resource management and development.

"This has been the basis for a lot of co-operation between the two governments," added Handley.

On matters of economic and resource development, Fentie reiterated his government's position on the competing pipeline projects: Alaska's North Slope project, which will run through the Yukon, and the NWT's Mackenzie Valley Gas Project.

"We believe both are viable and both are needed and take no issue with the sequencing," said Fentie. "We support the NWT and their efforts and ensure Yukoners will benefit from the Mackenzie pipeline and in a manner of reciprocity we would ensure NWT residents would benefit from the Alaska project."

As Yukon already has a revenue sharing and devolution deal with Ottawa, Handley said he has and will continue to gain insight from Yukon's dealings as the NWT edges closer to getting its own agreement.

And when the deal between Ottawa and the NWT is finally struck, Fentie said he would be seeking equity for his territory.

Currently, the Yukon receives 10 per cent of the value of resource production within the territory. Following the 2007 federal budget, Handley is confident the NWT can receive up to 50 per cent of the resource royalties, which last year amounted to $220 million.