Ottawa (Oct 11/04) - Canada's three territories received a larger mention than usual in last week's throne speech to open Parliament.

Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government began this session identifying the development of a comprehensive Northern strategy -- as well as a desire to close the gap in quality of life between aboriginal Canadians and the rest of the country -- as key steps in Governor General Adrienne Clarkson's Oct. 5 address.

"(Paul Martin's) trip to Nunavut I think is indicative of what's in the speeches," said Nunavut's Member of Parliament Nancy Karetak-Lindell from Ottawa.

Among other things, the Northern strategy is said to encourage human development, which is one area Karetak-Lindell thinks is particularly important for Nunavut.

Many people in the territory possess exceptional abilities to build and fix things, but may not pass a literacy test to enter an apprenticeship program, Karetak-Lindell said.

"It's a real crying shame that we can't find a way to take that ability and somehow translate it into how we can get them skilled and certified," she said. "We have to look at other ways of measuring competency."

Karetak-Lindell also said there needs to be more local control over the approval process for a potential $90 million -- which still has to go through the budget process -- to be distributed among Canada's three territories as part of a Northern economic development strategy.

"Currently, people who submit proposals wait months and months to get through the approval process that we're forever looking from one desk to the next," Karetak-Lindell said. "There has to be a better way."

A committee with representatives from Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik and other organizations which understand the territory, should be part of the approval process, Karetak-Lindell said. Bureaucrats need to be sensitive to the urgency of approving funds because of the short building season in the North and the importance of equipment getting onto a sea lift, she added.