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INUVIK
Inuvik's MLAs have returned to Yellowknife for the start of the 17th legislative assembly.

Alfred Moses has retained his MLA status for Inuvik Boot Lake after the recount on Oct. 13 confirmed his win in the Oct. 3 election. This will be his first term in the assembly and he's anxious to get started.

"I've rolled up my sleeves and I'm ready to jump right in," Moses said. "The transition has been fairly easy because of my work experience with the departments, volunteer work and work with the community. I'm familiar with the programs they're trying to implement. It's not as intense as I thought it would be."

Robert C. McLeod, MLA for Inuvik Twin Lakes, returns for his third term in the legislative assembly. McLeod worked on cabinet as the minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, minister responsible for the Workers Safety and Compensation Commission, minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and the minister responsible for Youth. He's hoping to continue his work on these portfolios, but acknowledges the new premier will decide.

"I would like to see those projects through to the end," McLeod said. "The federal and provincial ministers of sport are going to be meeting in Inuvik in April. It will be nice for them to see the challenges we face here."

All MLAs selected a new cabinet, speaker and premier this week.

As of press time, Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson was selected as Speaker and Yellowknife South MLA Bob McLeod was voted in as premier.

Criticism has arisen about the secret-ballot process that MLAs use to elect the next premier. McLeod thinks the process is time-tested and works well.

"I don't mind it. The 19 members, we know each other and we can trust us to choose the next premier ourselves," McLeod said. "The people elected us and trust us to make good decisions on their behalf."

Moses, too, likes the style of a consensus government because it gives a voice to the smaller communities and allows candidates a chance to speak for themselves and not party politics.

McLeod pointed out that if the general public were to vote for premier, it's likely the smaller communities wouldn't have a chance for their representatives to be premier. The way it is now, MLAs from all communities have an equal opportunity, McLeod said. In this next assembly, McLeod would like to focus on creating job opportunities for Inuvik and Beaufort Delta residents. One such project which would provide that help is the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway.

"In terms of socioeconomics, if we get people working the rest will fall into place," McLeod said. "(The highway) is a good project and would be beneficial to people of the Beaufort Delta. They like to work and want to work."

"The territorial government needs to come up with a percentage of that," McLeod said. "It's important for the MLAs to do what we can to get it into the budget."

Moses wants to continue the work of the previous assembly, such as the anti-poverty initiative, and also look into health, infrastructure and economic development in Inuvik. Increasing funding to prevention and health promotion programs will be a benefit to the GNWT, he said.

"If we educate people to take of themselves, then that will reduce the cost of health care in the future," Moses said. "A regional treatment centre for mental health and addictions is also needed. We have a lot of issues that come from mental health and addictions."

Moses's other priorities include ensuring Inuvik has proper and stable early childhood education facilities, taking a look at student financial assistance, lobbying for the fibre optic link through the Mackenzie Valley and reviewing the rental scales for housing.

Since Inuvik is the regional centre for the Beaufort Delta, McLeod says he will do his best to represent not just his constituents in Inuvik Twin Lakes, but the entire community and region.

"I represent all the Beaufort Delta. We're all the same people," McLeod said. "I want to see people get to work and get off social programs. As long as we exist, there are going to be social issues, but we want to give them a way to get out and there's a lot of pride in that."

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