The building phase

Decentralization takes shape

Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Feb 19/01) - The goal was simple: to spread the wealth and bring government closer to the people.

From the outset, the architects of decentralization knew there was one key ingredient to success: people.

Staff Facts There are a total of 2,716 jobs in the Government of Nunavut -- 2,077 of those jobs are filled and 639 remain vacant (76.6 per cent staffed) By the year 2020, 85 per cent of Nunavut's civil service -- including municipal, territorial and federal governments -- must be Inuit; the current target is 50 per cent (Human Resources is currently tabulating the percentages) Under the current collective agreement, relocated staff without dependents are permitted to move up to 4,000 pounds of personal effects if their home is unfurnished; 15,000 pounds if they have dependents Under the current collective agreement, relocated staff without dependents are permitted to move up to 1,500 pounds of personal effects if their home is furnished; 4,000 pounds if they have dependents

"The infrastructure had to be built, the offices and the housing. That was not a major problem," said Goo Arlooktoo. He's a former deputy premier with the government of the Northwest Territories, who helped draft Nunavut's decentralization plan.

"The difficulty we knew was the lack of people trained in those communities and the lack of trained people in Nunavut willing to move to those communities," he said.

As the March 31 deadline for the first phase looms, that prediction proved to be correct.

In phase one, 72 jobs with the departments of education, public works, sustainable development and community government and transportation were moved. Only 26 of those jobs were filled, and only two workers chose to be relocated. Of the rest, 10 left government, 10 found other positions in government and the fate of four other workers depended on a reassessment of relocating their jobs.

Getting staff and their families to leave Iqaluit has proved to be a hurdle, said David Akeeagok, assistant deputy minister of the decentralization secretariat for the GN.

"The hardest part of my job is asking staff to relocate," said Akeeagok.

Over the three years, 195 jobs that existed before division will be moved from Iqaluit to Arviat, Cape Dorset, Iglulik, Pangnirtung and Pond Inlet. Another 222 new jobs, of which more than half have been filled, will be in Arviat, Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, Cape Dorset, Gjoa Haven, Iglulik, Kugluktuk and Rankin Inlet.

The first phase was given a budget of $5.2 million and it is anticipated the next two phases will each receive $3 million. Money is spent on training, and relocation costs.

Training is a key part of the plan as the government is doing all it can to ensure most of the vacant jobs are filled by Nunavummiut.

But decentralization has its detractors, including the union representing government workers.

"Decentralization is not going to work with the current collective agreement," said Doug Workman, president of the Nunavut Employees Union.

He said unless the GN came through with a substantial financial package during negotiations for a new contract, decentralization would fail.

Communities that won't benefit from the plan are also concerned.

Johnathan Palluq, mayor of Clyde River, feels like his community has been forgotten about by the government.

"There's no extra houses being built here, no offices and there are on additional jobs coming in," said Palluq.

Similar feelings exist in Sanikiluaq.

"We heard some communities will get as many as 70 jobs," said Bill Fraser. "We don't even have 70 jobs in our community," he said.

David General, chief executive officer of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities, said he constantly fields questions from the 15 communities not slated for any jobs.

He said their primary concern is they will be forced to help pay for the operating costs of running a decentralized government while not receiving any of the economic benefits.