The Conservative government is interested in the targets and objectives highlighted in last year's Kelowna Accord on aboriginal issues, Jim Prentice, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, said Friday.

'We support the targets and objectives,' Prentice told a press conference during his visit to Whitehorse.

'We know that important work has to be undertaken relative to housing, social services, education, the building of capacity, infrastructure amongst aboriginal Canadians.'

Prentice said he has already clearly indicated that in his capacity as minister he does feel the Kelowna Accord is important.

The $5-billion Kelowna agreements were reached late last year between aboriginal leaders and the then-Liberal federal government.

The accord aims to close the gap between first nations and non-aboriginal Canadians in the areas of health care, housing, education and economic development opportunities over the next five years.

The minister stated his government has only been in office for approximately 45 days and, though committed to moving forward on Kelowna, needs time to do so.

'We are taking all of this into consideration and we will continue to move forward as a Conservative government,' he said.

Premier Dennis Fentie had said prior to Prentice's visit discussing the objectives highlighted in the Kelowna Accord would be a priority.

After the meeting, however, Fentie stood by Prentice's request for some more time to settle into Ottawa.

'Forty-five days in, we've got to give them the opportunity and the time to put it all together, but there's no hesitation in saying they are firmly committed to closing those gaps,' Fentie told the Star.

Fentie said during their private discussion, Prentice indicated a clear commitment to closing the gaps for Yukon first nations.

A special emphasis was placed on housing gaps, said Prentice.

'Minister Prentice and his government have clearly committed to addressing the issues that have been brought up in Kelowna,' said Fentie. 'We're going to start moving ahead on those issues.'

Mike Smith, chief of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, said he has concerns about the implementation of the Kelowna issues in the North.

'We look at the Kelowna Accord with a lot of suspicion,' Smith told a news conference Friday.

Smith said Kwanlin Dun is concerned the Council of Yukon First Nations will agree to allow for the federal funding that will come to the territory under the Kelowna Accord to be administered by the Yukon government rather than individual first nations.

'The reason why it's a concern is because of the Yukon government's opposition to all the initiatives we've put forward,' said Smith.

The territorial government has been at odds with Kwanlin Dun since it stated it wouldn't participate in the commission on the Alaska Highway pipeline, the chief added.

Smith also said he doesn't believe Fentie would be representing the true concerns for first nations to Prentice on issues contained within Kelowna.

'Premier Fentie is going to tell the minister what Yukon wants to do in terms of the pipeline, in terms of the Kelowna Accord,' he said.

The accord has addressed aboriginals in the North as an afterthought, Smith said.

'Basically, they are talking about closing the gap between first nations and Canadian public South of 60 and then, as an afterthought, said ,North of 60 we'll set aside $50 million to look at that issue.''

Smith said he wants to see the same resources put into closing the gaps in the North as in the South.

Fentie, however, maintained the North and the South need to be addressed separately.

'The North has to be treated differently and we've been making that case all along,' said Fentie. 'It has to be implemented differently in the North than in the South. We have to address it on an on-reserve and off-reserve policy issue.'