Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Jun 30/99) - Now closing in on the year 2000, as far as days of governance go, Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik feels the progress made to date by his government has been excellent.

Okalik says a lack of resources has restricted his government's accomplishments, but is confident that hard work, determination and a will to succeed will overcome most barriers.

"At our headquarters, we're staffed at about 30 per cent right now," says Okalik. "It's challenging, but we've passed our first budget and legislation allowing us to bring more accountability to us, the politicians, by removing administrative boards for education and health.

"This will also provide more money for health and education, and we're setting up new programs to train more nurses and provide more teachers for high school level students in Nunavut."

Okalik is pleased the Nunavut government is setting up a commission to look at laws inherited from the western territory. He says the commission wants to ensure if some laws need improving, it will be done to Nunavut standards.

"We have about 100 laws we have to look at as a cabinet, and with our commission and some elders from Nunavut, to make sure they reflect our culture and our territory."

Okalik is more cautious when the subjects of decentralization and the placing of NTEP grads comes up. While he quickly makes it clear he supports both concepts, he also points out he stands by his pre-election platform, that Nunavut is for all peoples.

"We have to make sure our government functions properly for all of Nunavut. So, we have to ensure, if we are decentralizing, it will actually work, not just for creating jobs, but also for providing the services Nunavut people expect. We have to ensure the process is fair to everyone."

Speaking on Article 23 and the NTEP, Okalik says he doesn't see a problem with keeping teachers who have been here a long time. He says the bigger problem is communities that have a hard time retaining people brought in from outside Nunavut.

Okalik says his government is trying to ensure people of Nunavut get trained to take on teaching jobs when current teachers leave Nunavut. But, he quickly adds, 40 per cent of his constituents are non-Inuit and he wouldn't be premier without their support.

"I have to represent them, as well as Inuit," says Okalik. "But, we have to look at our unemployment situation. Thirty per cent of Nunavut's unemployed are Inuit and only four per cent non-Inuit. We have to do whatever we can to provide employment opportunities for Inuit.

"At the same time, we have to be mindful of the people who have been here for a long time and made a substantial contribution to our territory. We respect the contracts those people have and will honour them. I don't see what else we can do."

Okalik says he's the same person he was before being elected premier and has his own life experiences to draw from when it comes to improving post-secondary opportunities for Nunavut students.

"We have to look at providing more support for students who want to pursue a higher education, so they don't have to suffer what I went through when I was studying. It was hard, but you have to be determined. We're looking at whatever we can do to support more education for the people of Nunavut."