The Bathurst Mandate
The Bathurst Mandate is a document which presents the beliefs of the people of Nunavut, it presented a five year target for the Nunavut government to achieve and set out what the people of Nunavut wanted their territory to look like by 2020. It was developed over an extended period of time through consultation with the public in meetings across Nunavut in 1999 (Jull 2000). Consultation began in April 1999 and the results of the consultation were unveiled in October 1999 at the opening speech from Nunavut's Westminster-style parliament. (Jull 2000). In his announcement of the Bathurst Mandate Paul Okalik, then Premier and now a cabinet minister, said that the Mandate outlines "our priorities for Nunavut; Healthy Communities, Simplicity and Unity, Self-Reliance and Continuing Learning, and the principles that will guide us" |
Below, we will look at the Bathurst Mandate its self. We shall look at an abridged version of the Mandate which looks at a small number of the principles and expectations of Nunavut in 2020. We shall be critiquing some of these expectations and whether Nunavut have moved towards them since it's creation in 1999.
Healthy CommunitiesThe health of Nunavut depends on the health of each of its physical, social, economic and cultural communities, and the ability of those communities to serve Nunavummiut in the spirit of Inuuqatigiittiarniq; the healthy inter-connection of mind, body, spirit and environment.
Principles that will guide us are: • People come first; • People are responsible and accountable for their own well being; • Nunavut needs to provide options and opportunities which build the strengths of individuals, families and communities; • We acknowledge and will respond to the challenges of substance abuse, violence and loss as individuals, families and communities; • Building the capacity of communities will strengthen Nunavut; • All levels of government working together will strengthen Nunavut. In 2020, Nunavut is a place where: • Health and social conditions and indicators are at or better than the Canadian average; • Families and individuals in Nunavut have fair access to a range of affordable housing options; Over the next five years: • Open and maintain a public dialogue on housing issues, while developing and implementing immediate and long-term plans to respond to housing shortfalls as one of the two primary commitments of this government’s mandate; • Recruit, train, and retain Health and Social Services staff at full capacity in all communities and facilities; Self-RelianceAs individuals we are each responsible for our own lives and responsible through our own efforts and activities to provide for the needs of our families and communities; As communities and as a government we are connected to and reliant on each other to care for those in need, to establish common goals, and to secure the resources required to achieve those goals;
Principles that will guide us are: • We will incorporate traditional activities and values into new strategies to participate actively in the development of our economic resources; • We will build on our strengths, respecting and highlighting the unique elements of our residents, communities, and the environment and economy in Nunavut; • Nunavut can and will contribute to our country, as a committed and active participant in the life of Canada, and to the circumpolar world as an active Arctic neighbour. In 2020, Nunavut is a place where: • There are options for individuals to achieve personal growth within Nunavut communities; • Nunavummiut are active in taking up an increasing number of economic opportunities and have low levels of dependancy on government; • Access to programs and services are seamless, straightforward, understandable and efficient; Over the next five years: • Build local employment and strengthen and support local businesses and organizations while promoting effective competition; • Conclude agreements with the Government of Canada for public investment in key infrastructure (connectivity, roads, wharves, geoscience, mapping); • Commence negotiations and work towards agreements with the Government of Canada to assure Nunavut of a fair share of the resources of its lands and waters and to govern allocations and royalty regimes; |
Simplicity and UnitySimplicity in the processes of government encourages access by all; makes the tasks more focused and more achievable; and invites participation.
Principles that will guide us are: • Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit will provide the context in which we develop an open, responsive and accountable government; • Simplicity does not mean uniformity — diversity in approach can build on unique strengths, resources and ways of doing things; • Cooperation will be the operating standard at every level. In 2020, Nunavut is a place where: • The Government of Nunavut conducts its business with openness and honesty, encouraging public input; • Inuktitut, in all its forms, is the working language of the Government of Nunavut; • Communities have seamless access to government officials, information and services. Over the next five years: • Allow broad public access to all laws and to government policies, forms and program information in English, French and Inuktitut in all its forms; • Write and maintain simple and understandable policies for every government department; • Create a single time zone; • Work with others in Nunavut to simplify and enhance access to business support programs. Continuing LearningTo achieve the dreams of Nunavut we all need to listen closely and learn well in order to acquire the skills we need to increase our independence and prosperity.
Principles that will guide us are: • Learning is a lifelong process; • Equal opportunity and equal access across Nunavut is fundamental to our success; • It is important to recognize all of the potential teachers in our communities, beginning with elders and in families; • Land and language skills and respectful pride in our cultures and languages are fundamental for adults and children; Nunavut is a place where: • We are a fully functional bilingual society, in Inuktitut and English, respectful and committed to the needs and rights of French speakers, with a growing ability to participate in French; • There is a full range of interlocking educational programs allowing individuals continued access throughout spectrum; • Inuit professionals of all kinds have been supported in their training and have taken leadership roles in our communities; • Our history and accomplishments have been preserved and recognized in books and artworks, in recorded stories, in places of learning, and in common knowledge of our people. We are a source of pride to all Canadians; Over the next five years: • A government-wide effort to support training and learning for a Nunavut-based workforce as one of the two primary commitments of this government’s mandate; • Train more elementary and high school teachers in Nunavut; • Provide educational programs for a wide range of health and social services providers; • Improve student/teacher ratios Nunavut-wide; • Train in Nunavut for all the trades; • Respond to the generation of passive speakers of Inuktitut in all its forms; • Support and improve the teaching and learning of Inuktitut in all its forms, and the teaching of language generally, in our schools; |
Next we will critique some of these outlined aims and targets. We will look at what is currently occurring in Nunavut and compare it to the aims set out above, judging the efectiveness of the Nunavut government. Click the link below to visit the Critique page.