SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Last week, MLAs asked Premier Floyd Roland what role he played in a mysterious panel that recently came up with the Declaration for the NWT.

Roland said he was invited to Blachford Lake Lodge in April to sit down with representatives from the political arena and the business community to draft a vision for the future of the NWT.

"I originally wasn't going to go but thought, well, if there's a discussion about what might happen or what the possibilities are in the territory, I thought I might as well see what's being said and who's attending," Roland said, May 27.

He said his involvement in the group was limited to discussing what the government was doing. He said he didn't offer any official position on statements being made, since he had not talked with cabinet or the legislative assembly before participating.

Bob Bromley, Weledeh MLA, said Roland briefly discussed the trip at a caucus retreat in April.

"He said he hadn't attended as a premier, he had attended it on his own," said Bromley, adding it was his - and other MLAs' - interpretation that Roland paid for the trip himself.

On May 27, Roland admitted to using taxpayer money to pay for his attendance.

"I would, from the Executive side, ensure that we paid our ticket and not be held accountable to anybody else outside of our environment," Roland said, May 27.

When it was revealed Roland had in fact put in an expense claim with the department of the executive covering the costs of the trip, Bromley said his participation became a different animal.

"Then it becomes government business and government business - especially on topics such as that - should be open and inclusive and transparent and accountable," he said.

MLAs asked Roland for a little more information about the trip in the legislative assembly during session.

Jane Groenewegen, Hay River South MLA, said she wanted to hear a report from Roland about the trip, citing Yellowknife Mayor Gord Van Tighem's reporting back to city council.

"I hope that the premier has a good and solid understanding of the fact that when he goes out and attends a forum like this as the premier, his mandate comes from us and that we need to be in the loop as to what's going on," she said.

Bromley had concerns with the apparent lack of aboriginal and shortage of women representatives on a group that claims to encompass the values of all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Roland was travelling to Inuvik Friday and was unavailable for comment.