N.W.T. finance minister sees opportunity in 'shared vision' with feds

While debates over federal transfer payments and medicare dominated national news headlines, the North also took part in provincial/territorial finance ministers meetings in Ottawa earlier this week.

N.W.T. Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek said meeting with the new federal government was a positive experience.

"They want to see the North succeed," she said. "They understand that we have a large Indigenous population that they also want to see succeed and have strong partnerships with, so ... I think this is a real opportunity for both governments."

Wawzonek said her main message to the federal government wasthat the territory is prepared to be "creative" and "flexible" when it comes to federal funding, especially when it comes to major infrastructure projects that could help build a future economy.

At a roundtable Tuesday with all of the ministers and federal counterparts, Wawzonek spoke about some of the potential investments in the territory.

"The idea of nation building has come up a few times since then and that was certainly the approach that I wanted to take," Wawzonek said. "We need some investment, continued investment from the federal government and one that will be nation building in its scope and in its intent."

Among the priorities of the territorial government are making progress on three major infrastructure projects: the Mackenzie Valley highway, the Slave Geological Corridor and the Taltson Hydro project.

The territory is also facing a significant housing crisis.

Debt ceiling optimism

Wawzonek said the subject of the territory's debt cap didcome up. Currently, the territory's debt ceiling is set at $1.3 billion. While this meeting "wasn't the right time to be going with a laundry list of items," Wawzonek is optimistic the territory is in a good position to see the federally-imposed borrowing limit raised.

"Right now, all the federal borrowing that we do has been done responsibly," she said. "We're still able to service our debt, we're maintaining our fiscal responsibility policy, and we intend to continue that."