N.W.T. premier calls it a day

Northwest Territories Premier Joe Handley announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election, opening up the race for the territory's top job.

Handley, 64,announced his decision to leave territorial politics Wednesday afternoon, at the start of the last legislative session before an Oct. 1 territorial election.

"After talking it over with my wife Theresa and my family, I have decided it's time to seek new ways to serve the people of the territory, and I'm formally announcing I will not seek re-election this fall," he said.

"I'm glad to see so many people here to celebrate that," he added as MLAs laughed.

Handley was first elected MLA in the Yellowknife riding of Weledeh in 1999, after he had worked 14 years as a deputy minister in the territorial government. He had served as finance minister, transportation minister and the minister responsible for the N.W.T. Power Corp. while he was MLA.

Following the 2003 election, in which he was acclaimed in Weledeh,Handley became the Northwest Territories' ninth premier. The premier is selected afteran electionamong MLAs in the territory's consensus government, which has no political parties.

In his statement to the legislative assembly Wednesday, Handley said he is proud of what his government has accomplished, including working towards more self-determination for the North and getting the ball rolling on a permanent bridge over the Mackenzie River.

"After listening carefully to the people who elected us, we stated at the outset our primary goal is to achieve greater self-reliance through shared responsibility as a territory, as communities, as individuals and as northerners," he said.

"In the past four years, we have worked to meet this goal by designing programs that provide residents with a hand up, not a hand out."

Handleyadded, though, thathe is frustrated he was unable to secure a resource revenue sharing deal with Ottawa for the N.W.T.

Handley — who first came to the N.W.T. from Saskatchewan in 1985 — quelled speculation that he may move back south by announcing he and his wife will stay in Yellowknife, where his two grown children and their grandchildren all live. However,did not give any details on what he will do when his term as premier ends.

"The North is in our hearts. It's where our family, our closest friends reside, and it's our home," he said.