CBC: The deputy prime minister says Ottawa hasn't made a proposal to Imperial Oil for financial concessions on the Mackenzie gas project. Anne McLellan denied a media report this morning that the federal government has offered to buy 20 per cent of the $7 billion project in exchange for concessions the pipeline's backers are looking for.

ANNE MCLELLAN: I've got to tell you, when I read that headline this morning, I was probably as surprised as everyone else. Absolutely no proposal has been made to Imperial in any form in relation to any fiscal enhancements.

CBC: McLellan says there's a long list of so-called enhancements on the table, but nothing has been decided. She says the federal government sees the Mackenzie Valley pipeline as a private-sector project. She says Ottawa has shown its support for it by committing half-a-billion dollars to a socio-economic fund for communities in the valley.

McLellan says its now up aboriginal organizations and gas producers to come up with access agreements. Imperial Oil has set itself a deadline of November to say whether it's ready to begin public hearings on the project.

CBC North Radio