At Inuit org’s AGM, outgoing Nunavut premier reflects on past term

Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna speaks at the Kitikmeot Inuit Association’s annual general meeting in Cambridge Bay Oct. 18. His speech focused on the positive achievements of his government. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

CAMBRIDGE BAY—Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna received a standing ovation from delegates at the Kitikmeot Inuit Association’s annual general meeting Oct. 18 after he spoke with them about the high points of his outgoing government on the final day of their gathering.

To the organization that represents Inuit in his home region of the Kitikmeot, Taptuna cited some of the infrastructure challenges he dealt with over the past four years as premier.

Several of these were fire-related—such as the 2015 blaze that destroyed the Pangnirtung power plant and the loss of schools in Cape Dorset and Kugaaruk to arson.

Taptuna also referred to the Education Act which died in the last sitting of the Nunavut legislature, although he said, on the positive side, that this bill’s rejection helped reveal what people—and MLAs—think about the issue.

“We now know there is a lot of work to be done,” Taptuna said.

Taptuna also pointed to his government’s achievements, such as the Inuit language incentive policy for workers at the Government of Nunavut, which came into effect Oct. 2.

Under this policy, GN employees who demonstrate proficiency will be paid an annual allowance based on their proficiency level: fluency—$1,500; fluency plus reading and writing—$2,400; and language expert—$5,000. Language testing to assess proficiency levels will be done by Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit.

“I am confident this will encourage staff to work in Inuktut,” Taptuna said.

On the 2017 Suicide Prevention Plan, another of the areas highlighted by Taptuna, he said “we must do things to hope, fight and collaborate so we fill find a solution to this epidemic [of suicide].”

Overall, Taptuna said he is proud of his government, and assured everyone that the new government would continue on the same path.

He thanked the KIA for its work on the Grays Bay Road and Port project, to which the GN gave $2 million to prepare for an environment review.

Taptuna urged all to have hope and optimism about the $500-million project.

After wrapping up his discussion with the KIA, Taptuna told Nunatsiaq News about his frustrations as premier. These included explaining the high cost of doing government business in Nunavut to officials in Ottawa.

There they didn’t always know that Nunavut has 25 communities that all need infrastructure such as new schools and updated power plants, he said.

Taptuna also said it was hard not to have more control over Nunavut’s finances—and he said he would like to see a devolution agreement for Nunavut, which would see the transfer of authority from Ottawa to the territory.

In Nunavut, that would mean more power over portfolios such as education, health care, the administration of public lands and a larger share of resource wealth that those lands may generate.

Canada’s two other northern territories have reached their own devolution agreements, which came into effect in Yukon in 2003 and the Northwest Territories in 2014.

Both territorial agreements included the transfer of federal government positions to the territorial public service.

His top frustration: lacking a member of Parliament in cabinet to assist on Nunavut issues.

That was the case for Taptuna’s government after MP Hunter Tootoo resigned in 2016 from the Liberal Party and his ministerial portfolio to deal with addictions issues.

Now that his nine years as MLA for Kugluktuk are over—and a new MLA Mila Kamingoak has already been elected by acclamation—Taptuna said he plans to spend some time on activities that he and his wife of nearly 40 years, Joanne, have wanted to do.

It was one of Taptuna’s last public appearances as premier before the Oct. 30 territorial election because he does not plan to visit Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.’s AGM next week, also set to take place in Cambridge Bay.

Some around Cambridge Bay speculate that Taptuna’s break from political life may be temporary and that he will seek the presidency of the KIA or NTI in 2018.