Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Nov 01/99) - Nunavut elders and politicians sat shoulder to shoulder in the Nunavut legislative assembly's chamber on Oct. 20 and listened as Commissioner Helen Maksagak handed down her throne speech.

Along with outlining the six-month process it took to develop the Government of Nunavut's long-awaited five-year action plan, called the Bathurst Mandate after the community in which it was finalized, Maksagak gave hints about forthcoming bureaucratic priorities.

And, as promised, one day later Premier Paul Okalik tabled the plan and set down the government's vision of Nunavut in 2020 and the steps they would take over the next five years to put that vision into action.

Divided into four main areas -- Healthy Communities, Simplify and Unify, Self-reliance, and Learning -- Okalik explained that each section included a specific vision of Nunavut 20 years from now and the smaller, realistic goals the government planned to reach during their five-year term.

Okalik said that within the broader scope of the document, the GN had identified two key areas of need.

"The main areas we are focusing on are education and housing," said Okalik, as he was preparing for last Wednesday afternoon's session.

"At the same time, we're not going to neglect other areas like health or job opportunities for residents of Nunavut."

Along with building several public housing units and looking at long-term housing shortage solutions, Okalik said that by 2004, the GN wanted to have a new Education Act in place. He said reform would be gradual and would start from the bottom up, but would be useful and fair to all of the students in Nunavut. He added that details on the new Education Act would be released over the coming weeks by Education Minister James Arvaluk.

In areas such as nursing, he said the GN wanted to see nurses graduate from the homegrown nursing program at Arctic College and to have Inuit nurses employed around the territory by 2004.

Okalik also spoke of other goals held by his colleagues.

"We hope to have agreements in place in areas such as fisheries with the federal government and in any areas that would provide more benefits and employment opportunities for Nunavummiut."

The premier said the mandate was already in use and when a department approached cabinet with policy, the policy would be reviewed on the criteria set down by the mandate.

"My department looks at it and we see how it fits in our mandate and how it supports our mandate."

As for what the rest of Canada will see when they look North 20 years from now, Okalik said a highly-educated and employed workforce and society would exist.

"We want to be on par with the rest of the country in terms of our economy and employment opportunities for Inuit and other residents of Nunavut."