Recapping Kelowna

The opinions expressed by editor Jim Bell are frequently a disgrace to his profession. Such is the case with “Was the Kelowna deal a dud?” published March 3, 2006, which focuses on the vital issue of the federal government’s commitment to provide 1200 housing units to the four Inuit regions over five years. As much as I dislike responding to innuendo, this is for the readers.

Nunatsiaq News readers should know that neither Jim Bell nor a Nunatsiaq News reporter were present to cover the first minister’s meeting firsthand, as were many northern news outlets. Mr. Bell also declined to listen in to a special media feed via telephone on the afternoon of the closing session on November 25th, as other Iqaluit based media outlets did. It appears likely, as well, that Nunatsiaq News did not take note of the final 19-page document issued by the government, supplemented by a four-page press release, and one page financial statement.

Keeping with the football analogy, at the time of the meeting, I characterised our accomplishments as “three touchdowns and a field goal (health, housing, and education being touchdowns and health the field goal). Bell’s response is beyond Monday morning quarterbacking. We’re three months after Kelowna. The football season is over, we’re into hockey now, and he can’t put the puck in the net.

First things first. The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) president is elected by delegates, not appointed as incorrectly referred to by Jim Bell. ITK is recognized nationally and internationally as the advocate for Inuit rights in Canada, and represents Inuit in Canada in its relations with the Crown.

He wonders what ITK has been doing all this time. We have been working with the government of Canada on an agenda and timetable set by the Prime Minister’s Office. The work leading up to Kelowna was triggered by a first ministers meeting on health care in September of 2004. It continued with seven policy sessions from October 2004 to February 2005. We held an independent Inuit session on the environment in March 2005.

These policy sessions led up to the May 31st, 2005 cabinet retreat. At that meeting an historic partnership accord was signed between ITK and the government of Canada establishing clear and concise working relationships between ITK and the Crown. The new Indian and Northern Affairs Minister, Jim Prentice had the document with him when we met recently and accepts it as our road map for the future.

ITK lobbied the opposition parties to keep the government alive long enough that the first ministers meeting in Kelowna could take place.

Plenty of news conferences were held in Kelowna as well, but Nunatsiaq News didn’t attend, and never called for an interview about the event, before, during, or afterwards.

The promise to build 1,200 houses in four Inuit regions was a government of Canada promise that we worked hard to obtain. But it’s not ours to deliver on. It’s ours to ensure the government of Canada does what it says it will do.

When ITK repeats a government commitment in one of our press releases, it’s to ensure that the government of Canada is continually reminded of the commitments it makes to the Inuit of Canada, which is what our board and beneficiaries expect ITK to do.

On February 23, 2006 I met with Prentice to review the outcome of the first minister’s meeting, and other issues, and to establish a working relationship with the new minister. Housing was still on the top of the agenda. The meeting was productive. Prentice challenged us to develop a concrete plan that he could bring to cabinet for houses on the ships this year (to us this is newsworthy). CBC radio was there.

ITK is working so that there are materials on ships this summer, and more importantly that the commitments made by the Crown to Inuit at the first minister’s meeting are adhered to regardless of the party in power. Our goal is to re-establish an Inuit housing program, as the last one was cancelled in 1993, and the result is the severe housing crisis Inuit are experiencing now.

I’d say Nunatsiaq News is missing an important beat in its coverage of Inuit issues. They have no national reporter based in Ottawa. Nunatsiaq News readers deserve so much better.

Jose Kusugak
President
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami