Nunavut leadership underwhelmed by throne speech

Nunavut leaders say the Liberal government’s much-anticipated throne speech this past Monday leaves Inuit where they’ve always been — ignored, frustrated and disappointed.

“This throne speech is disappointing not only to Inuit, but to all Nunavummiut,” Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik said in a written statement this week.

“It doesn’t come close to dealing with the pressing challenges we have in areas such as health care, social issues and infrastructure. There is very little in this speech and I’m frustrated with the lack of awareness in Ottawa that Inuit are aboriginal Canadians,” he said.

Just last week, Okalik sat down with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien for a half-hour meeting in Ottawa. Okalik told Chrétien about Nunavut’s need for money to pay for new health centres, infrastructure, and economic development programs.

Okalik also raised the impending off-shore claim agreement that Ottawa wants to sign with Nunavik’s Makivik Corporation. That proposed deal would provide Nunavik Inuit with perpetual fishing rights in waters adjacent to Nunavut — and weaken Nunavut’s attempts to achieve economic self-sufficiency through the development of a deep-sea fishery.

But the government’s throne speech, delivered through the mouth of Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, had little to say about the needs of Nunavut and the other northern territories.

The only reference to infrastructure was a commitment to set up a 10-year plan to help Canada’s cities — but there was no mention of the North’s dilapidated infrastructure.

“We are attempting to catch up with the rest of Canada in so many aspects of what would be considered basic infrastructure in the South and we need a comprehensive investment and funding strategy from the federal government,” Okalik said.

Okalik also complained that the northern territories are still waiting for Ottawa to keep a promise made in 1998 for an economic development agreement.

“I hope the reference to economic development in northern communities applies to Nunavut and not just northern Ontario communities,” Okalik said.

The throne speech does promise the creation of an aboriginal health promotion and disease prevention strategy — but only for First Nations people living on reserves.

But there appears to be no help on the horizon to help Nunavut deal with its staggering health and social problems.

“I brought these issues to the Prime Minister’s attention as recently as last Tuesday and regretfully this speech is even more specifically focused on First Nations on reserves rather than all aboriginal Canadians,” Okalik said.

Nunavut’s premier says he’s especially disappointed that, as in the last throne speech, Inuit children aren’t included in promises to spend more money to combat fetal alcohol syndrome on First Nations reserves.

“Inuit children should benefit from federal aboriginal programs for child care, special education, special needs and fetal alcohol syndrome treatment,” Okalik said.

The only federal promise that Okalik is pleased with is a commitment to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Jose Kusugak, the president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, sat in the red Senate chamber on Monday afternoon to hear the throne speech, as he did two years ago.

“I regret to say I was greatly disappointed because I have heard all this before, but I have not seen any real change,” Kusugak said in a written statement.

He said that for Inuit, there have been few positive changes since the lofty promises made in the Jan. 30, 2001, throne speech.

“What concerns me is how the government narrowed its commitment today, addressing aboriginal issues as meaning ‘First Nations on reserves,’” Kusugak said.

He said ITK wants the federal government to “seriously enter a formal partnership to develop and implement Inuit-specific programs that relate to our health, environment and culture, as well as our resources.”

If it doesn’t, he said the Liberal government may be unwittingly creating a new group of “second-class First Canadians.”

“Is this to be the Prime Minister’s lasting legacy? For Inuit, the first strike was the 2001 throne speech. Strike two was the last budget, and today’s speech is strike three. Send in the next batter.”