NUNAVUT - Former premier of the Northwest Territories Dennis Patterson was appointed as Nunavut's new senator last Thursday.

"I see this appointment in the senate as an opportunity to build on that experience and be an advocate and a voice for northern interests on parliament hill," Patterson said. "I look forward to working with Leona Aglukkaq (Nunavut MP) and the Prime Minister to apply the benefit of that experience to issues of the day."

Patterson currently lives in Vancouver, but said he plans to establish a base in Ottawa.

According to the Constitution Act, senators must be residents of the area they represent, an issue Patterson says he looked into when he was appointed.

"It's actually a question that I asked when I was honoured to be first approached about this appointment," he said. "I'm told that over the years, the interpretation of that section has not been literal and that there are many precedents of senators being appointed who have had their primary residence outside the area represented, provided they have connections with that area."

Patterson said he has owned a home in Iqaluit since 1987.

Patterson served as MLA for Iqaluit and, until being appointed senator on Thursday, was the chief negotiator for the devolution file of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

"I see this appointment in the senate as an opportunity to build on that experience and be an advocate and a voice for northern interests on parliament hill," Patterson said.

Patterson said he will be addressing NTI's lawsuit with the federal government in his role as senator.

"What I would like to do is use the position of influence that I expect to have in the senate to assist in resolving the long standing implementation issues that were the cause of the NTI lawsuit," he said. "I would love to work to see those issues resolved and I don't believe that litigation is the best or the only solution to those implementation issues."

Patterson said he played an active role as a volunteer when Leona Aglukkaq ran for MP.

"Because I had been MLA for Iqaluit for 16 years or so, I offered to help her out for a week or so when she campaigned in Iqaluit at the end of her campaign," he said.

"We went door-to-door and we did some communications in the riding and visited some key Inuit and other leaders in the community."

President of the Kivalliq Inuit Association Jose Kusugak said while he had hoped Nunavut's next senator would be an Inuktitut speaker, he supports Patterson's appointment.

"We would have loved to have another senator who could actually converse and speak at public functions and to individuals in the Arctic in their first language, that goes without saying," he said.

Kusugak said even though Patterson lives in Vancouver, his time spent in the Arctic made him well aware of the issues.

"I know he has as much knowledge of the politics of the Arctic as anybody else," he said. "I think we will work very well with him, there's no question about that at all."

James Eetoolook, first vice president of NTI agreed.

"We always say we would have preferred an Inuk representing Nunavut at the senate level of the federal government," Eetoolook said. "But knowing Dennis, he knows the issues of Nunavut inside and out."

In a press release, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Mary Simon congratulated Patterson on his appointment.

"Mr. Patterson has a long and distinguished history of political service to the North and I look forward to working with him on issues facing each of the four Inuit regions," she said in the release.

Patterson expects to be sworn in on Sept. 15 and will serve an eight-year term, he said.

Patterson also said he is scheduled to travel to Iqaluit on Sept. 1 to visit with his son. He said he hopes to meet with Nunavut's premier and other officials during his visit.

"Obviously I want to pay my respects to Eva Aariak and other Nunavut MLAs while I'm in town, take advantage of that opportunity," he said.