Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services
Monday, June 4, 2007

IQALUIT - Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley asked Premier Paul Okalik why the department of Health and Social Services has had nine deputy ministers since 1999.

"The majority have resigned on their own," said Okalik.

Curley then asked about the golden parachutes, the financial deals struck by people leaving an organization.

"Why have there been firings of some personnel, and what kind of compensation is paid after they leave the department?" asked Curley.

"We try and make sure that we take good care of all our employees," was Okalik's answer.

Curley followed up by asking about the newest deputy minister of Health and Social Services, Alex Campbell, who has no experience in the health field, but a broad knowledge of government operations.

"I would like to ask the premier if this individual has the qualifications to fill the deputy minister's position," asked Curley.

Okalik answered, "For the people who want to look at the dirt and so on, they put it all together and make it into nine deputy ministers."

"If we are hiring deputy ministers who do not have the qualifications, then I think it would be a lot better if we appoint deputy ministers who are unilingual, elder and Inuit," was Curley's response.

Leave the bears out of it

Minister of Environment Patterk Nester received a round of applause from both sides of the assembly on May 31 after announcing he would put forward a motion on Friday that the assembly was opposed to the proposed threatened species listing of polar bears by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Substitute speaker

The MLA from one of the smallest ridings got to sit in the biggest seat in the legislative assembly last week.

Sanikiluaq MLA Peter Kattuk was named speaker for the day for the opening of the legislature.

Speaker Peter Kilabuk and Deputy Speaker James Arreak were both absent due to weather and the MLAs chose Kattuk to fill in.

"I would like to welcome everyone. I'm very proud to be Speaker for the day," said Kattuk.

No boats, no votes

Tagak Curley grilled Premier Paul Okalik about the Conservative promise to deliver icebreakers to Arctic waters, and the usually non-partisan premier had some politically-charged words for the federal government.

"If the Conservative Government wants to be elected by Nunavummiut... they made promises to Nunavummiut but we're still waiting for them to deliver on those promises.

"We're not going to just sit and wait," said Okalik.