Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 12, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A visit from Liberal leader Stephane Dion brought out party faithful of all ages in Yellowknife, but no new candidate for the NWT.

"I'm still waiting for the recommendation for a candidate in the Northwest Territories," the opposition leader said during an informal public meeting at Birchwood Gallery on Friday.

Opposition leader Stephane Dion makes a statement to the audience at Birchwood Gallery in Yellowknife. Dion was on a whirlwind tour of the Northern territories last week, in which he hit Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Cambridge Bay. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

"Don't worry, you'll get a real good one," he said to a round of laughter from the 60 people in attendance.

Dion was on a whirlwind tour of the northern territories last week, bouncing from Whitehorse to Yellowknife to Cambridge Bay. The trip fulfilled a promise to make good on a trip to the North cancelled in October.

Lana Roeland, president of the Western Arctic Liberal Association, said no candidate would be announced until at least the new year.

"We have two very strong prospective candidates," she said.

"It's just a matter of a having a nomination meeting."

"And no, we will not release their names."

During his off-the-floor speech, Dion laid out what a Liberal government could offer the North and the people of Canada - with a distinctly environmental theme.

"We need sustainable development," he said.

"The Arctic is the world's barometer," he added. "If we save the Arctic, there is hope for the planet."

Attendees asked questions about the Kyoto protocol, the Northern residency tax deduction, land use planning and federal input into infrastructure. Dion answered all of the questions in turn, and made a slew of promises along the way.

"I think after 20 years, an adjustment is well overdue," he said of the Northern residency tax reduction. He also made promises to implement Kyoto targets, bring forward land use planning, and reinstate the Kelowna accord.

As for massive infrastructure projects such as the Deh Cho Bridge, which has received no federal funding:

"In the next election, we'll come with a strong platform on infrastructure," he said.

"And maybe through that we'll address your bridge."

Attendees included Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee; former MLA Bill Braden; News/North Cece Hodgson-McCauley, founding chief of the Inuvik Dene band; as well as artist Graeme Shaw, whose work was on display in the gallery.

Following the Northern tour, Dion was scheduled to attend an international conference on climate change in Bali.