Yellowknife, N.W.T. - The Northern Premiers Forum wrapped up in Iqaluit last week, but Premier Bob McLeod still had plenty on his mind following the meeting.

McLeod wanted to talk about the Arctic Council and the Northern Residency Deduction, two issues which were on the table at the meeting.

The premier said he and his colleagues from the Yukon and Nunavut want more details about what the federal government's plans are when they take over the council's chair in 2013.

"It'll be very important for us to have a formal role to play in that regard, and we feel that we can make a very important contribution, and that we are speaking for the Northern territories so we need to be involved."

When it comes to the residency deduction, McLeod said it needs to be indexed against the cost of living to make things fair.

"People in the Northwest Territories are paying a higher portion of their income for taxes than anywhere else in Canada, and while we're already burdened with a high cost of living."

He added there needs to be further discussion with the six other provinces that benefit from the deduction on how to best move forward.

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