Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Jan 03/00) - On April 1, 1999, the world as Nunavummiut had known it for the last several decades ended.

In its place arose an independent and increasingly autonomous territory governed by both land claim veterans and fresh-faced politicians.

Elected to their positions in the government's first historic race on Feb. 15, many of the 19 elected leaders were strongly immersed in the traditions of their Inuit ancestors.

Those values and cultural traits, in partnership with the western knowledge brought to the table by some MLAs, have made for a unique decision-making style that has been reflected in the construction of Nunavut.

Pundits across the North and across the world have been quick to judge those same decision-makers for their efforts and it seemed only appropriate then, that the man in charge in Nunavut, Premier Paul Okalik, be called upon to comment on the state of the nine-month-old nation on the eve of the new millennium.

"My biggest hope is that we move up the socio-economic ladder," said Okalik, expressing both a short and long-term goal.

"Nunavut is full of hope and promise. What we're trying to do is make those hopes and dreams a reality for everyone. We want as many Nunavummiut to benefit from the creation of Nunavut," he said.

To that end, one of the first hurdles to overcome was the near absence of any infrastructure from which new and existing programs and services could be delivered to residents.

Establishing the government to its current capacity of about 55 per cent was therefore the greatest accomplishment realized in Nunavut to date.

"Setting up the government and having it functional (is the number one accomplishment). That's been a challenge," said Okalik.

He was also quick to spread the glory around to the existing GN staff who've worked hard over the last year to build up the bureaucracy.

Partial framework in place, Okalik and his colleagues were able to continue to provide many of the same services as seen under the GNWT and they were able to initiate a few new programs.

The absence of a scuff or a mark on the reputation of the cabinet or the regular members was also raised.

"Having a government that didn't have any scandals, there's a pretty strong record of providing a stable government for everyone," said the premier.

Such stability had also made its way into Nunavut's financial world in that the still balanced budget set the tone for the current leaders and for the generations of the new territory.

Forecasted to end with a surplus due to the incomplete workforce, Okalik explained that any extra dollars would be used to pay down the large health board deficit and to instigate housing and one-time capital projects.

"Providing a budget that didn't have any deficit, that was a real symbolic point," he said.

"Future governments will be judged on that basis."

Refusing to make any predictions for the 2000-2001 fiscal year, Okalik would say he hoped to see many of the recent suggestions made by residents during the budget tours implemented into the financial plan for the upcoming year. That, he said, would go a long way towards creating a budget much more appropriate for Nunavummiut.

"We're making a very strong effort to leave our mark on this upcoming budget. We won't be able to pay for everything, but our priorities should reflect what the communities have stated."

Okalik also said much was being done to build up local employment and economic opportunities -- in areas like the mining sector -- independent of the federal government.

So, while realizing he still had his work cut out for him, Okalik summed it all up by noting that he was still up to the challenge.

"We don't have the best of conditions. We're on the lowest category on the socio-economic scale in the country. You can only go up from there. That's how I look at it."