Yellowknife (June 04/04) - With the entry of David Krutko into cabinet, Premier Joe Handley shuffled ministerial responsibilities, Wednesday.

Krutko (Mackenzie Delta) will be responsible for the NWT Housing Corp. and the NWT and Nunavut Workers Compensation Board. To join cabinet, he had to resign as speaker.

Transportation Minister Michael McLeod gained municipal and community affairs.

Finance Minister Floyd Roland is now responsible for the NWT Public Utilities Corp.

Hay River North MLA Paul Delorey was named speaker.

The changes were made necessary by the removal of North Slave MLA Henry Zoe from cabinet.

Provincehood not on NWT agenda

Premier Joe Handley and cabinet voted against a motion to pursue provincial status for the Northwest Territories.

Handley said the government will focus on devolution negotiations "until it's proven that it's just not getting us where we want to be."

Current federal funding agreements are better financially for the territories, he said.

Handley said they take into account the higher cost of providing programs in the North, probably providing three times as much money as equalization payments would under provincial status.

One rate, no way

The GNWT has no plans to move to a one-rate electricity pricing system, Premier Joe Handley said Monday.

As the only area of Canada without one-rate electricity pricing, Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche asked the premier if he was willing to implement one.

The government subsidizes the cost of electricity in outlying regions back to Yellowknife rates for the first 700 kilowatts, which Handley said should be enough to run all but larger homes.

Violence act getting set

Twenty-four hour access to emergency protection orders when there is a threat of family violence, should be in place by early 2005, said Justice minister Charles Dent.

The RCMP, YWCA, the Health and Social Services department, the Native Women's Association and the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority will all be part of the implementation.

NWT licence confusion

NWT driver licences are being criticized for their authenticity as identification documents down south, says Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins.

More than one constituent has had trouble using their NWT licences as identification while travelling, Hawkins said.

The GNWT department of transportation is working with other North American jurisdictions to develop more universal standards, Transportation minister Michael McLeod said.