Adam Johnson and Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 28, 2008

YELLOWKNIFE - The premier returned from the annual First Ministers conference with what many MLAs consider to be bad news on the issue of devolution.

"If there's no way to move ahead on this issue, we would look at putting it on the back burner," said Floyd Roland.

The First Ministers conference gives provincial leaders the chance to air their issues on the national stage, as well as gain some face-to-face time with the prime minister.

Roland said before the trip that his mission was to champion devolution and resource revenue sharing - the territory's long-standing battle to gain control over resource royalties similar to what provinces hold.

However, he said his short discussion with Prime Minister Stephen Harper barely broached the topic.

He spoke with Harper "under the umbrella of working together," rather than on devolution and resource revenue sharing specifically.

"It went well," he said of his first meeting with Harper, where he talked about the federal government's role in funding infrastructure and the NWT's role in Northern sovereignty.

When he first became premier, Roland said he would take a "stronger approach" in his relations with the federal government.

"I really believe that Northerners need to benefit from the development of the resources here in the North," he said during his opening statement in the legislative assembly.

Inuvik Twin Lakes MLA Robert McLeod said he would like to see devolution talks press on.

"If we just put it on the back burner and don't speak to it we're not going to make any progress on it," he said.

McLeod said the Northwest Territories lost $254 million in payments to Ottawa last year.

"A huge part of it is our ability to make major decisions in co-operation with aboriginal governments. Right now Ottawa makes all the major decisions in the Northwest Territories as far as lands go. It shouldn't be," said McLeod.

Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley, however, said he agrees with the premier.

"We need to get our house in order to be much more effective when we talk devolution," he said.

Devolution talks stalled under the previous government's watch as it was unable to get all of the territory's aboriginal governments - some of whom are negotiating their own resource deals with Ottawa - on board.

Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy said he doubted devolution would end up "on the backburner," but presenting a united front might ensure the best possible resource-sharing deal.

"We don't want to end up like the Yukon," he said. "Their deal isn't that great."

Roland said the NWT can take a stronger role in Canada, through sovereignty initiatives or building further highways through the territory.

"We can turn a corner and become a more self-sufficient jurisdiction," he said.