January 26, 1985

The creation of Nunavut by 1987? David Crombie, the first Northern Affairs minister in Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative government, announced early in 1985 that his government supported the creation of Nunavut under terms less restrictive than those imposed by the Liberals.

Feds support division: Crombie

Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — Northern Affairs Minister David Crombie has announced that his newly-elected Conservative government favors division of the Northwest Territories in principle.

Crombie said he hopes division will take place by 1997, the end of the current NWT's legislative assembly term.

Speaking before the assembly on the opening day of its winter session, Crombie said the time for change has come.

"There is every reason to move ahead and there are no reasons to hold back," he said.

Crombie also announced that he will remove all the conditions to division that were established by the previous federal Liberal government. Division will no longer have to wait until all land claims are settled and local systems of government are worked out.

He added that he wants the Western Constitutional Forum and the Nunavut Constitutional Forum to find ways to bring native customs into the Canadian democratic system in the design of the new territorial system of governance. He lauded members of the forums for their efforts so far toward division.

Crombie did not, however, commit any money to division and made it clear that approval in principle does not commit the federal government to enacting division by 1987.

Crombie said he wants to maintain the current level of services while division is taking place and maintain the job security of territorial government employees.

Dennis Patterson, chair of the Nunavut Constitutional Forum, is delighted with the announcement, which frees Nunavut from having to meet the obligations of conditions set out by a previous government.

"We just have to work together to finish the job," he said.

Inuit Tapirisat of Canada president John Amagoalik said Crombie had two clear messages. The first, to the people of Nunavut, that they only have to wait three years for division. The second, to all other Canadians, especially those who question the intent of division, that the process is too far along to turn back.