Coral Harbour (Mar 06/06) - He may be new to cabinet, but Nanulik MLA Patterk Netser doesn't have to move his desk in the legislature very far.

Patterk Netser, MLA for Nanulik, is the newest member of the Nunavut cabinet. He doesn't have a portfolio yet. - Kent Driscoll/NNSL photo

With 18 seats and eight cabinet ministers, Netser was already on the cabinet side as deputy speaker in order to balance the house.

Netser was voted to cabinet last week by the other MLAs, beating out James Arreak, MLA for Uqqummiut. Netser takes the place of former cabinet minister Peter Kilabuk of Pangnirtung, who resigned from cabinet at the end of January to spend more time with his family.

Netser hopes that he isn't just there to balance the house, he hopes to balance the cabinet as well.

"I've been getting a warm reception from everybody, but we will see what happens. I talked with the premier and we had a frank discussion (last Wednesday). He was happy with it," said Netser.

Netser won't receive his cabinet portfolio until the next sitting of the legislative assembly, but when asked which portfolio he would want, he wouldn't say.

"I can keep a secret, so I will,' said Netser, with a chuckle.

Netser said he ran for cabinet to represent "non-decentralized communities."

The new cabinet minister said he wants to bring government jobs to locations that haven't received any.

"I've observed the cabinet, and there is nobody who represents the non-decentralized communities. Those of us who represent those communities, we are usually the first ones to suffer," said Netser.

Netser represents two: Chesterfield Inlet and Coral Harbour. For his swearing-in ceremony on March 3, he expects friends and family from both communities to be in attendance.

While he may bring another Kivalliq voice to the cabinet - he joins Levinia Brown and David Simailak on cabinet - the Kivalliq is where he would like to first start juggling jobs.

"The new trade school (in Rankin Inlet), I think we can make provisions for it to be spread out. you don't have to have it all based in Rankin Inlet. It wouldn't take too long to fix that," said Netser.