Paul Okalik facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Okalik
ᐹᓪ ᐅᑲᓕᖅ
Okalik in January 2001
6th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
In office November 4, 2010 – April 6, 2011
Preceded by	James Arreak
Succeeded by	Hunter Tootoo
1st Premier of Nunavut
In office April 1, 1999 – November 19, 2008
Commissioner	Helen Mamayaok Maksagak Peter Irniq Ann Meekitjuk Hanson
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Eva Aariak
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut for Iqaluit-Sinaa
In office October 28, 2013 – September 24, 2017
Preceded by	Riding established
Succeeded by	Elisapee Sheutiapik
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut for Iqaluit West
In office February 15, 1999 – April 6, 2011
Preceded by	Territory established
Succeeded by	Monica Ell-Kanayuk
Personal details
Born	(1964-05-26) May 26, 1964 (age 61) Pangnirtung, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut), Canada
Political party	Liberal Party of Canada
Alma mater	Carleton University (BA) University of Ottawa (LL.B.)

Paul Okalik (born May 26, 1964) is a Canadian politician. He is the first Inuk person to become a lawyer in Nunavut. He also served as the first premier of Nunavut, leading the territory from 1999 to 2008.

On November 4, 2010, he was chosen as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. Okalik represented the area of Iqaluit West in the Legislative Assembly. He later resigned to run for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2011 federal election. He returned to the Legislative Assembly in 2013 but was not re-elected in 2017.

Early Life and Education

Okalik was born on May 26, 1964, in Pangnirtung, which was then part of the Northwest Territories and is now in Nunavut. He was the youngest of ten children. At 15, he attended a residential school in Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit). After one year, he returned home.

He took on various temporary jobs, including working underground at the Nanisivik Mine. In the early 1980s, he became interested in helping Inuit communities grow politically. He started working for the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut. This group worked on the Inuit land claim, which is about the rights of Indigenous people to their traditional lands.

This land claim, called the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, was the largest in Canadian history. It was signed in 1993 after many years of talks. This agreement led to the creation of Nunavut, which Okalik would later lead as its first Premier.

Okalik continued his work on land claims. He went to university as an older student. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Carleton University in Ottawa. He then earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ottawa.

In 1998, he returned to Iqaluit to work as a lawyer. In 1999, he became a lawyer in the Northwest Territories. This made him the first Inuk lawyer in the history of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. His goal was to help his people with the Canadian justice system.

Political Journey

At the first Nunavut election on February 15, 1999, Okalik was elected to represent Iqaluit West. He won with 51% of the votes. The first Nunavut Assembly met before the territory was officially created. Their job was to choose Nunavut's first Premier and ministers.

In Nunavut, there are no political parties. All members of the Assembly are elected as independent members. The Assembly then chooses its leaders from among these elected members. This is done through a "consensus model," where they all agree on the best choices. The Commissioner of Nunavut then officially appoints them.

Becoming Premier

Many people thought former federal MP Jack Anawak would become the first Premier. However, Okalik was seen as a new face. On March 5, 1999, after a long discussion, Okalik was chosen as the first Premier of Nunavut. His role as Premier officially began on April 1, 1999, the day Nunavut became a territory.

He was re-elected in the 2004 general election. On March 5, 2004, the Legislative Assembly again chose him as Premier. By 2007, Okalik was the longest-serving Premier in Canada at that time.

In the 2008 Nunavut General Election, he won his third election. He hoped to serve a third term as Premier. However, on November 14, 2008, Eva Aariak was chosen as the new Premier instead. Okalik then served as a regular member of the Nunavut Assembly.

One of Okalik's main goals as Premier was to make Nunavut more financially independent. At the time, about 90% of Nunavut's budget came from the federal government. Okalik believed Nunavut had great economic potential. He pointed to resources like diamonds, Inuit art, and tourism as ways for the territory to earn money.

On November 4, 2010, Okalik was elected the Speaker of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly. He replaced James Arreak.

On April 6, 2011, he announced he would leave the Legislative Assembly. He wanted to run for the Liberal Party of Canada in the federal election. He came in second place in that election.

Okalik returned to the legislature in the 2013 Nunavut general election. He became the member for Iqaluit-Sinaa. Soon after, he joined the cabinet as Justice Minister. In 2016, Okalik resigned from the cabinet.

During the 2015 Canadian federal election, Okalik showed his disagreement with a politician by reading a newspaper when she spoke. This was to protest an earlier incident where she read a newspaper during a discussion about high food prices in the North.

Key Achievements as Premier

The first two terms of the Nunavut Government (1999–2004, 2004–2008) were very important for the new territory. Creating a new government where none existed before was a huge task. It was achieved by the hard work of many people, including ministers, public servants, and Inuit organizations. This period is often seen as part of Okalik's lasting impact.

The first Assembly set goals for education and housing. The second Assembly focused on Inuit culture and economic growth. In Nunavut's consensus system, these goals show what the Assembly wanted to achieve together.

In 1999, the new Nunavut government started building public housing again. This helped to solve the problem of crowded homes in many Nunavut communities. They also found new ways to help people buy their first homes. A large amount of money was secured from the federal government for a big housing program called the "Nunavut Housing Trust."

Building schools was also a major effort during this time. Almost every community in Nunavut received new or improved schools. Nunavut also improved training for teachers. They created a program for nurses and supported the successful Akitsiraq Law School. Nunavut's first trades school was built in Rankin Inlet. They also improved financial help for students going to college. They funded the creation of school materials in Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun. During this decade, more young people in Nunavut graduated from Grade 12.

New health facilities were built in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, and Cambridge Bay. More children received vaccinations, and more doctors moved to the territory. The first Inuit certified midwives graduated, and plans were made for elder-care facilities.

The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement states that the government should have a public service that looks like the people it serves. In Nunavut's first ten years, the number of Inuit people working for the government grew steadily. However, many skilled jobs were still hard to fill in some communities.

Okalik was not re-elected in the 2017 general election.

Important Laws and Changes

The laws passed during the first two Nunavut Assemblies were very important. Okalik introduced Nunavut's first Human Rights Act. This law was important because it included protections for all people.

New ways to create and manage energy were set up with the Qulliq Energy Corporation Act. This law created Nunavut's own energy company. Regional Education and Health Boards were also changed. Their jobs and employees were moved into the main government departments. These changes were made to fit Nunavut's size and abilities.

The Wildlife Act was a big project. It supported the hunting rights of Inuit people, as set out in the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. It took two tries to get everyone to agree on a new Education Act. This law was so complete that it is still being put into action today. Laws about official languages and protecting the Inuit language are also very important.

New rules were put in place to control tobacco use and stop young people from getting it. The Family Abuse Intervention Act also gave quick and easy ways for community members to get help with family abuse issues.

Personal Life

On June 18, 2005, Carleton University gave Okalik an honorary law degree.

On November 24, 2008, Okalik received an award at the 16th Annual Indspire Awards. This award was in the category of Politics.

Okalik has three children: Shasta, Jordan, and Béatrice. He also has at least one grandchild.

See also

• Aboriginal Canadian personalities
• In Spanish: Paul Okalik para niños