Harper leaves north promising fiscal progress

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's week-long tour of the North left northern leaders with food for thought.

Harper left Yellowknife on Friday after visiting a military base, attending a mine opening in Nunavut and meeting with territorial leaders.

Harper's messages were clear: he wants to protect northern sovereignty and promote resource development in the north, making it vibrant, progressive and prosperous like Alberta. Harper's vision is also ofa north that isfiscally independent.

"Devolution and resource revenue sharing are two sides of the same coin," Harper said Friday.

"If Ottawa is going to give the territories more responsibilities and more control over their destinies, the territories will obviously need greater revenues to meet their new obligations."

But questions remain abouthow exactly northerners will benefit from fiscal independence and more development.

Sharing resources

When asked about those arrangements, Harper would not give a firm timeline, except to say that he's hoping to sit down soon with the provinces and territories.

Harper said talks with the provinces on equalization payments are closely linked with a new deal on resource revenue sharing for the Northwest Territories.

Northwest Territories Premier Joe Handley said he is optimistic Harper can strike a deal with the territory by next year.

"He didn't say that was impossible," Handley said. "I think he realizes as well that he's probably looking at an election in a year or so. So I think he's wanting to get on with it."

The federal government is expected to appoint a new negotiator for devolution soon.

Handley said his government will be speaking about the territory's position with the Aboriginal Summitwhen it gets back to the table this fall.

Harper's priorities in wrong place: NDP MP

Meanwhile, Western Arctic NDP MP Dennis Bevington said the prime minister's visit to the north was an indication of the region's increasing importance to Ottawa. But Bevington said he felt Harper's priorities for the north were in the wrong place.

"He spoke to the need to move ahead with the plans of corporations. I don't think that's acceptable to northerners," Bevington said.

"I think northerners recognize that our plans should come first and our needs and desires should come first in the development of our resources."

Bevington said rather than focus on resource development, Harper should pay attention to issues such as roads and infrastructure, as well as land claims for regions such as the Dehcho.