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KINNGAIT/CAPE DORSET - Nunavut's third government met in Cape Dorset last week to set the priorities for the next four to five years.

At the forefront was improving the quality of life for Nunavummiut.

"Everyone is keen in making sure that we are truly addressing the issues that Nunavut has at all levels," premier Eva Aariak told Nunavut News/North Saturday morning. "We are committed to improving government programs and services, but in consultation with Nunavummiut, and a lot of discussion was around standard of living and improving the standard of living."

The premier and cabinet ministers began the three-day strategic retreat by developing a 20-year vision for Nunavut based on applying Inuit culture and values to make services "more holistic, more effective and better suited to our environment and people," stated Aariak.

"We need to plan well in advance because many of the things that we would like to change cannot change in just a few years," she said.

Along these lines, Aariak has committed to conducting a Report Card evaluation of government's current programs and services to identify what is working and what is not working, where there are areas for improvement, and where there are gaps in government services.

The evaluation, to be conducted by an external reviewer, will be completed by Oct. 1, 2009 as an interim report. A final report will be completed in the year to follow, along with a detailed work plan based on its findings.

"The Report Card is new," said the premier. "I felt that 10 year period is the most opportune time with a new government. We are still a new government. We're only 10 years old. So obviously, whenever there's something new, it's always a good idea to ascertain if it's working."

Areas of immediate improvement for this fiscal year identified by cabinet include making the hiring process more efficient, addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, visiting all Nunavut communities, and improving communications with Nunavummiut and the world.

"Another area that was discussed quite a bit was to help the most vulnerable at every level, like the elders, children, the disadvantaged, the disabled," said Aariak. For example, "the unemployment rate with young men is very high and the suicide rate with young men is very high. I think that deserves to be looked at very carefully."

During their stay in Cape Dorset, cabinet met with the hamlet council, the community justice committee, the district education authority, the elders' committee, the RCMP, GN staff and artists.