New era?????

The first Nunatsiavut Government [NG] was sworn in yesterday around 2pm, taking over from the Interim Government.
The swearing in took place in Nain, the administrative headquarters of the new government, not in Hopedale, the Legislative capital.

This first session will be partly taken up by workshops for Government Members as well as the bureaucrats by a group from Ottawa. The workshops will be on governance and the like.
At 2pm today the first minister and ministers of NG will be sworn in.

I’m sure there are lots of proud people around, and some who are proud but apprehensive of the unknowns ahead.
Then there are the ones who are a puzzle, like the 62% of Nain’s eligible voters who did not bother to vote for the candidates in the election for Ordinary Members of NG. I would think, and hope, that this would be one of the first orders of business for the new government to address, like why is there so much perceived apathy by the electorate, and what can be done about it.

Another order of business I’m told is to table the Interim Governments report on the hearings held on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Inuit Communities. It will be very interesting to see the report once it is made public, as well as what the New Government decides to do with the reports contents. Any carrying out of solutions offered up may be problematic for some people, given the recidivist addiction problems some of the Government members have. I’m talking specifically about the two I know about, the members for Nain. Until this is addressed by the Government and the individuals themselves any directions and efforts to address this long ongoing and “unspoken” problem will mainly fall on deaf ears.
No more is it; do as I say, not as I do. People want good honest accountable sober leadership. When that is achieved then perhaps there is a chance for people to take seriously their own issues and address them.

This second to last installment in the long transition to self government [the interim president will be replaced by an elected one in 2007] was/is not without controversy.
The people of Hopedale fell slighted by the decision to have this Swearing In held in Nain instead of Hopedale. It has turned into a sort of ‘he said she said’ match of words and accusations.
The outgoing mayor of Hopedale claims that the town spent quite an effort planning for this important and historical event. She claims that adequate accommodations and meeting space is available, and that the town has still not been advised officially of the relocate. Hopedale feel let down and insulted the mayor went on to say.
The outgoing interim first minister of NG claims the decision to move the event was due to insufficient accommodations and meeting space, especially considering the ‘invited guests’ and the workshop facilitators, about 40 in all. The first minister added that all other sittings of the NG will be held in Hopedale [seem to have heard that before] and all haste will be taken to construct the new Government Building there, this could take up to two years minimum.
He also claimed this was not an ordinary NG session because of the workshops, and that the government members NEEDED THERE OWN ACCOMADATION SPACE TO CAUCUS. So much for Inuit culture and traditions of the Labrador eh?
Hopedaleimuks are quite adamant that they have been wrongly done by.

Who ever is correct, this problem could have been minimized by some common sense pro action and advanced decision making by members of the interim government and the bureaucrats. Proper prompt communication would have helped too.
Let’s hope this is one of the things that can be ironed out in this week’s workshops, I won’t hold my breath though, entrenched systemic problems can take quite awhile to change.