OFFICE OF THE PREMIER eva’s e-newsletter
Issue 2, April, 2010
In This Issue • Eva’s Welcome – Springtime is here!
• Recent News – Motion for Aboriginal Healing Foundation, Arctic Winter Games Athletes, Polar Bears & CITES, Changes in Public Service, EU Liquor Ban.
• In Focus – Improving Nunavut’s Energy Future
• Q&A with Eva - The Premier Answers
Your Questions Rita Oosuaq singing Pihiq with Bryce Kyle Kungnguq at the International Women’s Day celebrations in Baker • Upcoming Events Lake on March 25, 2010. Photo by Martha Hickes • Contact Eva
Eva’s Welcome Springtime is here!
We have just passed the spring equinox, and like many of you, I am celebrating the longer days and warmer temperatures by spending time on the land with family and friends.
We have had a very busy month. On March 23, we finished up the winter session of the second sitting of the third Premier Eva Aariak puts the finishing touches on an igloo. Photo by Emily Woods Legislative Assembly. I am pleased that our Budget for 2010-2011 was passed by members, which will allow us to move forward with the most pressing items in the Tamapta Action Plan. I want to thank all of my colleagues of the Assembly, who are working very hard to represent the interests and concerns of all Nunavummiut, and I look forward to reconvening for our next session on June 1.
Our government made a number of important announcements last month. In case you missed them, here are a few highlights:
On March 4, Minister Tagak Curley announced the Pangnirtung Medical Travel Office will be relocated to Iqaluit. After a review of the overall effectiveness of this travel office, community leaders and medical travel clients in 11 Baffin communities strongly supported the re-centralization of this office.
On March 8, Minister Keith Peterson unveiled Nunavut’s 2010-2011 $1.3B budget, highlighted by a prudent 2% spending increase, and a need to reduce reliance on federal transfers. To read the budget address, highlights, and supplementary information, visit the Department of Finance’s website.
Questions? Comments? Feedback?
Contact Eva at: P.O. Box 2410 • Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 867-975-5050 867-975-5051 [email protected]
ISBN 978-1-55325-198-9 OFFICE OF THE PREMIER eva’s e-newsletter
Premier Eva Aariak enjoys a spring day out on the land. Photo by Emily Woods
On March 9, I made an announcement honouring International Women’s Day, which celebrates women’s accomplishments and advancement towards equality. The Qulliit Status of Women hosted a day-long event in Iqaluit, while other council members across the territory received grants to host events as well. Qulliit also presented their Wise Woman of the Year Award to Dr. Patricia DeMaio of Iqaluit. Congratulations Dr. DeMaio!
On March 22, Minister Hunter Tootoo announced a new grant from the Nunavut Housing Corporation which will help homeowners who wish to replace their oil tanks. Application forms are available at the Nunavut Housing Corporation and will be also posted online.
On March 22, Minister Tagak Curley announced that the Department of Health and Social Services will be launching a Tobacco Quit Line, with counselors who will take calls from people who want to quit smoking. Stay tuned for more information.
I want to thank all of the members of the Legislative Assembly for their questions, and I look forward to continuing to keep everyone informed of our government’s progress.
Best Wishes,
The Honourable Eva Aariak
Premier of Nunavut
Recent News Motion for Aboriginal Healing Foundation
While the federal budget announced a number of important items for Nunavut, including the extension of Territorial Health System Sustainability Initiative (THSSI), there was widespread disappointment with the cuts to funding for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. On March 18, all members of the Legislative Assembly supported a motion to call on the federal government for a reinstatement of this funding. I have continued to lobby our MP for Nunavut, Leona Aglukkaq, to make a strong case for the healing programs across the territory that will be affected by this cut. To find out more details on this motion, visit the website of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.
Arctic Winter Games Athletes
The 2010 Arctic Winter Games finished off in Grande Prairie, Alberta on March 13, 2010. Nunavut was represented by over 227 athletes, 37 coaches, and 14 mission staff. Congratulations to the athletes, coaches, parents and mission staff. Your hard work and commitment has made us very proud! Thank you to Grand Prarie for being such a wonderful host.
Questions? Comments? Feedback?
Contact Eva at: P.O. Box 2410 • Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 867-975-5050 867-975-5051 [email protected]
ISBN 978-1-55325-198-9 OFFICE OF THE PREMIER eva’s e-newsletter
Premier Eva Aariak represented Nunavut at the COP15 conference in Denmark last year. See this month’s In Focus to find out more about Nunavut’s energy future. Photo by Madeleine Allakariallak
Polar Bears and CITES
The issue of polar bears continue to be a “hot topic”, both in Nunavut and internationally. This month, our Minister of Environment Daniel Shewchuk sat down to discuss this complex issue and to talk about the collaborative co-management system that exists in our territory and the recent decision by CITES. Click here to listen to the interview.
Changes in Public Service
This past month, I was pleased to announce the following changes to senior management - Janet Slaughter will be appointed as the Deputy Minister of Justice effective April 21, 2010. Effective July 2, 2010, Aluki Rojas will become Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. Ms. Rojas is currently the DM of Human Resources. Congratulations to Janet and Aluki! David Omilgoitok, who has served as the Deputy Minister of Human Resources, Executive & Intergovernmental Affairs, and Secretary to Cabinet has decided to leave the employ of the Government of Nunavut, for personal and family reasons. I would like to thank David for his many years of service and wish him all the best for the future!
EU Liquor Ban
A topic which received widespread attention this past month was the motion led by MLA Fred Schell to ban liquor in Nunavut from the EU in response to the EU’s ban on seal skin. My cabinet thought long and hard about this motion and certainly appreciated Mr. Schell’s efforts to bring global attention to the importance of sealing in Nunavut. The cabinet unanimously supports our hunters, however the long term legal implications of this motion were unclear, and as a responsible government, we had no choice but to abstain from the vote. To hear me discuss our government’s position on this issue, find the audio file here.
In Focus Improving Nunavut’s Energy Future
This month’s In Focus series will look at Improving Nunavut’s Energy Future.I encourage you to visit my website to learn how our government is working hard to improve Nunavut’s energy future and how Ikummatiit, the Government of Nunavut Energy Strategy, sets a course toward an energy system that is secure, sustainable and environmentally responsible.
Questions? Comments? Feedback?
Contact Eva at: P.O. Box 2410 • Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 867-975-5050 867-975-5051 [email protected]
ISBN 978-1-55325-198-9 OFFICE OF THE PREMIER eva’s e-newsletter
Premier Eva Aariak and granddaughter Tasiana enjoy a chilly ride on a qamutik. Photo by Emily Woods
Q&A with Eva The Premier Answers Your Questions
Q: The government has an ambitious mandate with priorities that cross many departments. What measures are in place to ensure a coordinated approach?
A: This is a good question, and one that I have thought about a lot. In our mandate Tamapta/ᑕᒪᑦᑕ: Building our future together, we express our confidence in Nunavut and hope for its vibrant future, built by our people pursuing their dreams. In order to reach our Vision for 2030, however, we must do more than dream – we must take action. In December, I tabled the Tamapta Action Plan, which contains sixty-one specific actions which we have committed to completing as a government by 2013.
Collaboration between departments will be very important as we move forward with our shared goals.
I am pleased to report that considerable progress has already been made on creating processes for interdepartmental work, specifically in the areas of building human resource capacity, achieving sustainable development of our economy, increased accountability, and in striving to find ways to achieve an ever better quality of life for Nunavummiut.
This need for focus, leadership, and collaboration starts with us. For this reason, each of the Cabinet Ministers will be acting as a Champion for several areas of interdepartmental effort. They will receive regular quarterly updates from Deputy Ministers’ committees on progress being made towards implementation of our Tamapta Mandate.
These Champion roles do not replace the Ministers’ work giving regular direction to and monitoring their departments, or their role in setting policy as a Member of Executive Council. This Champion role will serve as a way to allow Ministers to expand their focus sufficiently to ensure that we collectively provide the necessary leadership for all elements of Tamapta. It will supplement and complement the regular duties of their Ministerial portfolios.
Cabinet will also meet several times a year as a Priorities Implementation Committee. We will focus exclusively on progress on the Tamapta Action Plan and deliberate about ways to ensure that the appropriate priority and resources are given to achieving what we have set out to do.
I look forward to providing updates regularly to all Nunavummiut on the progress that we are making on our collective Action Plan, through coordinated efforts within government, and through collaboration with our partners.
To submit your own question, simply contact us.
Questions? Comments? Feedback?
Contact Eva at: P.O. Box 2410 • Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 867-975-5050 867-975-5051 [email protected]
ISBN 978-1-55325-198-9 OFFICE OF THE PREMIER eva’s e-newsletter
Premier Eva Aariak puts the finishing touches on an igloo. Photo by Emily Woods
Upcoming Events April 2 – 5: Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays. Have a great and safe long weekend!
April 7-12: Iqaluit celebrates the return of spring with Toonik Tyme Festival.
April 9: The Canadian Chamber of Commerce will meet in Iqaluit.
April 13 - 15: Nunavut Mining Symposium
April 23 – 26: Operation Nunalivut 10 wraps up in Alert.
April 28 – May 5: The Premier and members of the cabinet tour the Kitikmeot region.
Questions? Comments? Feedback?
Contact Eva at: P.O. Box 2410 • Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 867-975-5050 867-975-5051 [email protected]
ISBN 978-1-55325-198-9