The Northwest Territories is in no hurry to become a province, but it does want more control over its land and resources, Premier Joe Handley told a diplomatic gathering in the North on Tuesday.

With two operating diamond mines, and two more in the wings, the territory wants a better deal with Ottawa for a bigger share of the revenue, said Handley in his address to 65 Canadian ambassadors meeting in the Yukon's capital, Whitehorse.

Northwest Territories Premier Joe Handley wants to improve the territory's deal with Ottawa, but says there's no rush to make it a province.
(Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)

"What we are really looking for, as a first step, is to give us a fair deal on resource revenues, on the permitting, the approval of the development," said Handley.

"We need to have more of the revenue coming here and we need to have more of the province-like authority."

Reaching consensus in Nunavut

Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik talked about the challenges of governing such a large territory inhabited by only 30,000 people.

Using the consensus style of government, with no political parties, means during budget debate all 18 MLAs can ask as many questions as they want, he said.

"It can be frustrating at times," said Okalik. "Those days you wish you had party politics."

However, he said, under this system it is particularly satisfying when consensus is reached.