MLAs broaden goals in favour of more general priorities for coming term
Specific aims, like aging with dignity and expanding housing, replaced by uplifting families, investing in a brighter future
Nunavut Premier John Main, speaking in the legislative assembly March 19, says Nunavut’s cabinet ministers are “ready to live up to the challenges” that face them. The seventh legislative assembly spelled out its priorities in the Ikajuqtigiikta mandate, which will guide MLAs over the next four years, during its winter sitting. (Photo by Daron Letts)
It looks like aging with dignity is out but uplifting families and a brighter future for everyone are in as Nunavut’s politicians roll out their priorities for the next four years.
Last week, Nunavut Commissioner Eva Aariak revealed the Ikajuqtigiikta mandate that will guide the seventh legislative assembly — the group of territorial politicians elected last October to run the territory until the next election in 2029.
Ikajuqtigiikta means “let’s help each other” in Inuktitut.
The new mandate appears to be more general than the Katujjiluta mandate that guided the sixth legislative assembly from 2021 to 2025. Katujjiluta had a similar meaning — “working together in unity.” But MLAs were far from unified.
After every election, the newly elected MLAs put on their thinking caps to come up with the priorities they plan to focus on over the coming four-year term. Nunavummiut can read a lot into what’s important to their political leaders from the priorities they set.
The previous Katujjiluta mandate had five priorities: aging with dignity; expanding housing; enabling health and healing; reinvesting in education; and diversifying local economies.
The new Ikajuqtigiikta has four, more general, “pillars”: to strengthen and uplift families and communities; driving local economic growth and employment; simplifying operations and enhancing partnerships; and investing in a brighter future for all Nunavummiut.
Other than the goals of diversifying local economies and driving local economic growth, there’s not much obvious overlap between the new mandate and the old one.
The disappearance of the specific reference to housing as a priority stands out. The previous legislative assembly brought us Nunavut 3000, the ambitious plan to build 3,000 new homes between 2022 and 2030.
As Nunavut heads into the second half of that eight-year window, it’s fair to say Nunavut 3000 hasn’t delivered. There’s a lot left to be done in the next four years.
Housing, naturally, got a mention in the throne speech Aariak delivered. And Premier John Main said the cabinet is “ready to live up to the challenges facing us.”
For the past four years, MLAs and the Government of Nunavut wanted to work together in unity, but for the next four years, they want to help each other.
It’s a bit ironic that MLAs who set out to work together in unity tried to oust then-premier P.J. Akeeagok in a confidence vote. Solomon Malliki, then an MLA, accused Akeeagok of not being transparent and the premier’s office of not answering MLAs questions. Akeeagok survived the attempt to oust him.
And the four years were characterized by an ongoing tug of war between the government, led by Akeeagok, and a group of strong-willed MLAs who formed an unofficial opposition, led by former premier Joe Savikataaq Sr. and George Hickes.
Let’s hope “let’s help each other” works a bit better than that for this group.
Premier Main,
Why don’t we come together and take meaningful action to address the suicide crisis in Nunavut?
This is not something distant, it is happening in our communities, to our families, and to our youth. We are seeing and hearing about these losses far too often.
What concrete steps are being taken within the Department of Health to ensure that every community has consistent access to qualified mental health professionals? Are positions being filled with permanent, experienced staff, or are communities still relying heavily on casuals and short-term consultants?
There needs to be accountability and a clear, community-informed plan. Many are questioning whether leadership at the senior level, including the Deputy Minister of Health, is effectively addressing the urgency of this crisis.
The suicide rate has increased significantly in recent years, and more young people are being lost. This cannot continue.
Nunavut needs a coordinated, well-resourced approach focused on prevention, early intervention, and sustained mental health support, not temporary fixes.
Our communities deserve better, and our youth deserve hope.
Why do so many people continue to relate suicide and other forms of violence with mental disorders? I’ll hazard a guess that mental disorders are rarely connected with the majority of violence given the low incidence of mental disorders.
Poor EMOTIONAL health is another matter. That arises from day-to-day stresses and circumstances. The personal agency and community support one has determines how we become stronger as an outcome of those stressors.
The Government of Nunavut is on the 4th version of a suicide prevention plan for the Territory called Inuusivut Annirnaqtut. There are specific a diverse actions that are indicated in this plan, as have other previous versions.
According the Nunavut Chief Medical Officer, Nunavut’s suicide age standardized mortality rate (ASMR) per 100,000 persons has remained steady between 100-80 for the past 25 years. The number of people committing suicide has increased mainly with population. Our suicide rate is the highest in Canada, but almost the same as Greenland.
Sadly, and without limiting the size of this problem, suicide seems to be more of a steady, intractable problem instead of a worsening trend.
I judge it unlikely given how predictably high our suicide rate is, that a new Government in Iqaluit is going to be able to turn the dial in any meaningful way without significantly changing the social and economic determinants of health; establishing a more productive, prosperous and active society.
Why do they wear those fake parkas and seal skin vests?
They are signaling.
A few weeks ago Premier Main told us we were going to get a “how” mandate.
How do you propose to strengthen and uplift families and communities?
How do you propose to drive local economic growth and employment?
How do you propose to simplify operations and enhance partnerships?
How do you intend to invest in a brighter future for all Nunavummiut?
Please let us know, so we can help. If you don’t tell us how, you will have to do all the work yourself.
Please, in this session please just do something, anything other than patting each other on the back, and wishing community members Happy Birthday. Please let this session be different.
Canada post mail to nunavut takes too long ordering from canada.
Was it going to be too awkward for the Nunavut government to promote aging with dignity when Canada leads the world with an always-increasing MAID program?
Which is expanding for younger clients labeled depressed, mentally ill, and disabled.
Then is living up to the challenge, a feel-good, wordy public sound bite distraction?
For NU Gov to stay focused, keeping the public blindfolded on the staggering number of young people, male and female, attempts and nots over in the Kivalliq, and across Nunavut.
And staying lip-sealed on adult drug overdoses, alcoholism, disturbing child neglect, and kids mimicking adult drug overdoses with over-the-counter products.
Or is the real question why Nunavut citizens accept this rapid destruction of a population as the Inuit Orgs whimper… What me worry?