HAY RIVER - The NWT's first all-candidates forum for the upcoming federal election was held in Hay River last week.

The five candidates in the Western Arctic riding appeared on April 14 before just under 100 people, who heard the politicians' views on a wide variety of topics.

However, one recurring issue - driven by Conservative candidate Sandy Lee - was whether the NWT would be better served by an MP in the governing party, instead of current representative Dennis Bevington of the New Democratic Party.

Lee thinks so, expressing confidence the Conservatives will likely form a majority government or at least a minority government after the May 2 election.

"Having an MP in the NDP party is not helping us," she said.

Lee said she likes Bevington as a person.

"I don't want to attack him too much, but his record does not stand for his position that he puts the interest of the North before the interest of the party," she said.

Bevington questioned how much influence a Conservative backbencher would have, noting a federal cabinet minister from Nunavut was unable to prevent federal cuts in the North.

"Nobody tells me to be quiet, and I think that's something that everybody here should understand about the nature of Parliament and the (Prime Minister) Stephen Harper government, which is the most dictatorial government that we have seen, especially with its own members," he said.

Bevington noted he is rated fifth among MPs in voting against his own party, including on issues such as the gun registry.

The most interesting interaction of the forum was between Lee and Liberal candidate Joe Handley.

The former colleagues in the territorial government - Handley as premier and Lee who served as MLA at the time and then later as minister of Health and Social Services - exchanged pointed and sometimes humorous barbs.

Lee pointed out a proposed but ultimately abandoned change to supplementary health care that introduced a means test for non-aboriginal people was signed by Handley as premier.

"Around the same time that you signed the bridge deal," she added, referring to the controversial Deh Cho Bridge over the Mackenzie River.

That drew the biggest reaction of the evening - laughter and a smattering of applause from the audience.

"We have to keep our presentations factual," countered Handley, noting the GNWT gave the minister of Health and Social Services - Lee - the authority to check the impact of changes to supplementary health.

Handley also took his own digs at Lee.

"Unlike other parties, and one other party in particular, I wasn't anointed," he said, referring to Lee's controversial route to the Conservative nomination.

The most interesting commitment of the evening came from Green Party candidate Eli Purchase, who noted the starting salary for an MP is $157,000 a year, while the average Northerner makes about $45,000 a year.

"So I'm promising that half of every pay cheque after taxes and half of every income tax refund I get goes to registered charities and community organizations in the Northwest Territories," Purchase said.

Bonnie Dawson of the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada emphasized the link between animal cruelty and violence against humans, noting the NWT has the highest rate of violent and domestic crime in Canada.

The forum, held at the community hall and sponsored by the Hay River Chamber of Commerce, touched on a number of other issues, including aboriginal self-government, economic development, devolution and support for seniors.

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