Jason Unrau
Northern News Services
Friday, June 1, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Territorial premiers call it their 'Northern Vision', but the document released last week outlining shared priorities for the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon presents a united front to the federal government as the north strives to move away from dependence on Ottawa.

"By ourselves, I'm just one voice amongst 13 premiers so by building this unity we represent northern Canada," said NWT Premier Joe Handley. "As three premiers we have clout and credibility and we've got the vision."

Part of this vision includes a request for $2.5 billion in federal cash over five years, an amount the premiers believe will address infrastructure shortfalls in the region.

"For us it's the Mackenzie Valley highway, Nunavut is looking at developing a transportation system out of Manitoba and the Yukon has talked about a railway that connects Alaska to the rest of North America through the southern part of its territory," added Handley.

The arguments for improved infrastructure are many, including improving access to remote communities, to pave the way for future development and to address northern sovereignty, another plank in the premiers' vision for the north.

"Sovereignty is more than ships an soldiers, it's also maintaining viable communities so people want to live there," said Handley.

On the revenue sharing and devolution front, the Yukon and Nunavut will be watching NWT negotiations with the federal government closely. Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie has already said he will revisit his territory's revenue sharing scheme with Ottawa if the Northwest Territories can get a better deal and Nunavut because it lags behind the NWT on this matter.

When asked if this posture could hurt the Northwest Territories prospects, Handley was more concerned about getting a deal done before more development took place.

"In principle (the federal government) wouldn't cut a better deal with one territory and leave another hanging out there. Whatever deal they make for us they know it will have implications for the other territories," Handley said. "I just think that time is now because once that pipeline is built and there's more mining going on, it gets tougher and tougher for the federal government to let go."