IQALUIT
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau quickly established a key message for Nunavut upon his arrival to the capital Jan. 12. He wants a Liberal MP to be "a voice for Nunavut in Ottawa, not just a voice in Nunavut for Ottawa."

Alicee Joamie of Apex greets Justin Trudeau during his visit to Iqaluit January 12, 2015.- Casey Lessard/NNSL photo

For an estimated crowd of 200 appreciative Nunavummiut at Nakasuk School, Trudeau swiftly addressed the hot button topic of Nutrition North, saying the program needs to be rebuilt.

This he framed with a quick speech, noting that the federal government has a responsibility to invest in infrastructure in Nunavut. A feast of caribou from the Kivalliq region and char followed. Many loaded up to carry food home.

Trudeau, accompanied by his son Xavier, told those in attendance this visit is all about learning the issues directly from the people, not making early campaign promises.

"This trip for me is about highlighting how important it is to meet as many people as possible," said Trudeau.

Unlike Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who mostly greeted people and shook hands in passing at airports during his August Northern tour, or NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, who fielded questions at a public meeting, Trudeau opted to keep conversations intimate, rather than answer questions publicly, chatting with individuals as he passed from one end of the crowd to the other.

Nunavut Liberal riding president Michel Potvin, in his introduction at a second appearance later that same night at the Franco-Centre d'Iqaluit for a crowd of 70 or so, emphasized the conversational nature of this phase of Trudeau's travels.

"A good leader knows how to listen and that's what Justin's been doing since he was elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in April 2013," said Potvin in his introduction, adding Trudeau had visited more than 140 communities and attended well over 1,000 events across Canada.

The man who seeks to defeat the current prime minister and beat out Mulcair in an October election is not new to the North.

"My first trip was one in which I was significantly shorter and one of the reasons why I thought it was fitting, I brought my son Xavier . I learned from a young age to love the North," he said, referring to trips with his late father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

"I learned from a young age, to love the North is not just to love the extraordinary landscapes, but to love the people who live in the North, the people who choose to live and thrive and build their future here in the North.

"Understanding how important the North is to Canada is understanding how important it is to support, work with, encourage and build a future with the people who choose to live here."

Trudeau went on to say Canada has "a prime minister who does a good job in talking about the North as being important but doesn't do a good job understanding the North is more than just talking about icebreakers and resource development and military ."

Those in attendance broke out into raucous applause.

"We need to rebuild the trust between the government and the people," Trudeau continued.

"To do that, the conversations need to be about communities, young people, elders, people who are vulnerable and need help, people who need opportunities and jobs.

"We do need to talk about resource development because obviously that's going to be a big part of the future in the North, but it needs to be done right," he said.

Trudeau told the crowd his own approach to resource development is to develop relationships with communities, adding "resource development is about communities granting permission, not the federal government granting permits.

"It's important to make sure that the science, environmental oversight and the responsibility towards future generations and the land is fully integrated into any plan," he said, noting respect and genuine partnership are key ingredients to success.

"The federal government has completely failed First Nations and Inuit," Trudeau later told Nunavut News/North. "It's unacceptable when we push development over the head and on the backs of Inuit. I've heard, 'We want jobs, but we live off the land -- that's different these days, we're not opposed to development. But it has to be consistent with our values and for the long term.'"

He also expressed disdain for the current government's numerous court battles.

"We have a government who believes in getting its own way. It's about ideology versus what works or what the evidence says," he said.

Although he didn't directly answer whether a Liberal government would position a Nunavut MP in cabinet, he said "Nunavut deserves to be much better represented. The current MP has no decision-making power. That's not democracy."

Asked whether it might be time to name a First Nations or Inuit MP as minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, the Liberal leader extolled the virtues of the team he and his party are building and his desire to demonstrate a true partnership, nation-to-nation, with aboriginal and Inuit communities.

"Obviously I'm not at the point of appointing a cabinet, but I will have the right people in the right jobs," said Trudeau.

Along with his two public engagements, Trudeau discussed the territory with business leaders at Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Qayuqtuvik Society (Iqaluit Soup Kitchen).

Trudeau departed the capital Jan. 13, concluding a Northern tour that also saw him in conversation with the people of Inuvik, Yellowknife and Rankin Inlet (during a brief stopover).