Jane Stewart new minister of DIAND

DWANE WILKIN

A little-known revenue minister with 16 months’ experience in cabinet has taken on one of Canada’s most grueling portfolios.

Jane Stewart, member of Parliament for the federal Ontario riding of Brant, was sworn in as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development on Wednesday.

Stewart was first elected to Parliament in 1993, and has been active with the Standing Committee on Finance. Her official biography makes no mention of her experience with native issues.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Jose Kusugak said he thinks Stewart’s inexperience may work to northerners’ advantage. “She’s somebody more or less untainted, who we’ll be able to teach not only about Nunavut, but about implementing the land claims agreement, as well,” Kusugak said.

“I’m looking forward to working with her.”

Before coming to Parliament, Stewart worked for Imperial Oil Ltd. and, according to her biography, was a “self-employed human resources consultant.”

She was named Minister of National Revenue in January 1995.

Chrétien’s staff will likely have pored over the resumés of a number of MPs before offering Stewart the post left vacant by Ron Irwin.

Don Allard, a policy adviser with Makivik Corporation, suggested last week that Chrétien’s office would be seeking a successor to Irwin whose views on aboriginal affairs closely resemble current government policy.

The size and importance of the portfolio demands someone capable of holding up under a great deal of pressure, both from cabinet and from Canada’s aboriginal communities.

“This is a department where the minister is basically on the run from day one,” said Allard.

NTI’s Kusugak said he hopes the new minister will take the time to understand the range of issues facing residents of Canada’s newest territory.

“If she’s going to be working with us, she’s going to have to put on her Nunavut hat once in a while, to actually look at things from our perspective,” said Kusugak.