Kakfwi says he's keeping an eye on the big picture
Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jan 01/01) - There were a few bumps on the road, but Stephen Kakfwi cruised through his first year as premier of the Northwest Territories.
 "A big challenge, aside from moving the agenda along, is to make sure you still have a sense of humour at the end of the day" -- Premier Stephen Kakfwi |
News/North: What have you learned this first year?
Kakfwi: I have learned to appreciate the fact that every moment, every day, every hour that I have the opportunity to serve as premier is valuable.
I want to do a good job. I try to be more measured. It's unlike any other job I've had. I'm not just a member of the cabinet, I'm the head of the cabinet. That's new to me. For 12 years I was a member of cabinet and this is the first time I've had the opportunity to serve as premier, and it's different, let me tell you.
N/N: How is it different?
Kakfwi: You are responsible, for the cabinet -- you're not just a member of the ball team, you're the captain.
When I started, I kept the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. When I looked back on my planner, I hadn't had a day off since I got elected January 17.
It was time to move the department to somebody else. We did a tremendous amount of work.
A big challenge, aside from moving the agenda along, is to make sure you still have a sense of humour at the end of the day. To make sure that you have something to offer to your children, your wife, your constituents.
N/N: How well do you think you've done finding that balance?
Kakfwi: I've started exercising, in a haphazard way. I try to find at least two good jokes a week. My trips are not so long. Often I come home a day or two early. My son is so very happy to see me. He didn't expect me and I came back in time to see his Christmas Concert. When he saw me it made his whole week.
N/N: One of the short-term goals of this assembly was to make sure there was enough resources to support government operations and self-government operations. Are those resources there now?
Kakfwi: When we started, we said the government was going to go broke in two years -- Floyd Roland called it "hitting the debt wall."
The fact is it is further down the road. Good things started happening as soon as we were elected and continue to do so -- doesn't that sound like a line out of the Natural Party.
We have good economic growth in Canada; municipalities are spending and that effects our funding formula. There are companies operating up here, there are people getting jobs -- we've seen a lot of good things happening.
I can't say we made all the good things happen, but good things have been happening. And people are generally optimistic good things will continue to happen -- partially because I say so, but also because that is the best attitude in the world to have.
N/N: Another goal was developing a greater role for Northern governments in setting resource policies. Are we closer to that?
Kakfwi: I think so. Aboriginal governments and the government of the Northwest Territories do not accept at all that Ottawa should control the land and resource development in the Northwest Territories, but they do.
It's important to get devolution discussions moving along and discussions on revenue sharing. All aboriginal governments -- well, not all -- and this government have agreed to do that. That's a substantial development.
We're not just saying we want to get along better together, we are getting along better together.
N/N: You talk about the importance of being positive; you say there were only high points this year. Is this a new Stephen Kakfwi, or is this the way you've always been?
Kakfwi: It's my first term as premier and I intend to enjoy it and I intend to focus on the positive. I don't intend to let other people distract me from the things I want to do.
I don't want this government getting mired in petty negative little things like what does a contract say, what does this job really entail, allegations that I broke a law.
The News of the North published a title one time, back in 1988 or 1989 when I was Minister of Education. The headline was "Kakfwi charged."
I was not charged criminally. There was an allegation by the education society of Inuvik that I was not following some regulations. As a result of it my daughter, who was a little girl at the time, the entire class teased her, saying "Your dad is going to go to jail."
I find that negative. I never forgot it. That's how I find newspapers sometimes. I try to say, "Look, there's roses here and you can enjoy them, or you can look under the dirt to see if there's some garbage."
There's enough people out there that are going to dig through my garbage to see what they can do to get me mired and distracted, and I ain't going to give them the pleasure.
