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RANKIN INLET - Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley has announced his intention to seek the premiership when the Nunavut government reconvenes later this month.

Curley has also unveiled a 10-point plan that he will aggressively pursue during the upcoming term.

Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley will be heading to Iqaluit with a 10point plan to improve the quality of life for many Nunavummiut when the government reconvenes later this month. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Curley said a number of points in his plan have been raised during the past four years, but have not produced the desired results.

He said he will continue to press the issues until he sees positive movement.

Among the points is to offer a breakfast program at every Nunavut school.

"The time before this when I was acclaimed, I donated the surplus funds I had to a local breakfast program which, I believe, was close to $2,000," said Curley.

"I will do the same this time, if we have a surplus, because even though Rankin Inlet is bigger - and perhaps more prosperous - than some communities, we still see a lot of students here who need a breakfast program.

"I also see kids going to school without having anything to eat when I visit other communities and that's just not acceptable.

"It's sad to see young students going to school hungry and that shouldn't be happening today."

Curley lists improving health care and getting more reliable air travel for the ill and their families in his plan. As well, he said he wants to double the number of new housing units to be built and encourage more local Inuit training and employment opportunities.

He would also like to improve the government's contracting practice to allow more local businesses to benefit, and have more roads and a harbour or wharf built in each community.

Curley also wants to see better cargo handling at community airports and improved food mail for more affordable healthy food choices, as well as increasing the capacity for the local administration of justice. Finally, he would like to see an increase in the number of local police, and more reliance on elders and traditional knowledge for regulating local hunting.

Curley said he is going to push the government hard on the contracting issue so more local companies and Inuit can benefit.

He said the contracts contain too many conditions, even though they're designed to address Article 24 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

"In some respects, they've gone overboard with the conditions and the process has become more of a scoring game than the ability to deliver the services required.

"We need to completely overhaul it, because we have too many businesses that don't even bother to bid on government contracts anymore because they see too much red tape in it."