The head of the national Inuit organization says she can work with the Conservative government's throne speech, which moves beyond a military focus on Arctic sovereignty to broader measures to help northerners.

The throne speech, delivered to Parliament on Tuesday evening, promised among other things a world-class scientific research station in the Arctic and a "northern strategy" that would focus on economic and social development.

"Well, it's a very good start," Mary Simon, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, told CBC News on Tuesday.

"There are substantial references to the Arctic and improving the conditions in the Arctic. So that to me, anything that is positive in terms of addressing our issues is a building block."

After Prime Minister Stephen Harper's promises in the summer of military ships and training facilities in the North, the Arctic was the first major topic covered in the throne speech.

 

'It has to be about economic development, the implementation of our land claims agreements.'—Mary Simon, ITK president

"The North needs new attention," said the speech, delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean.

"Our government will bring forward an integrated northern strategy focused on strengthening Canada's sovereignty, protecting our environmental heritage, promoting economic and social development, and improving and devolving governance, so that northerners have greater control over their destinies.

"Our government will work to continue to improve living conditions in the North for First Nations and Inuit through better housing."

Simon especially welcomed the mention of housing, considered to be at the root of many of Nunavut's social problems. She said her organization is ready to work with Harper's government to implement the strategy.

"We want to make sure that strategy has substantial detail that relates to people at the community level," she said.

"It has to be about economic development, the implementation of our land claims agreements. So these are details that really need to be worked out and ITK is willing and ready to start working on them right now."

'Very encouraging': outgoing premier

N.W.T. legislative members, who were elected in the Oct. 1 territorial election, are scheduled to choose a new premier from among themselves on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, his last night as N.W.T. premier, Joe Handley called the promise to give northerners more control over their resources "very encouraging."

"I expect the new premier will be able to pick this up and make this happen," Handley told the Canadian Press.

At the same time, Handley said Ottawa will have to move past previous negotiating positions that would have capped all future resource revenues to the N.W.T. at a fixed amount.

The territorial government has been negotiating a devolution and resource-revenue agreement with Ottawa for years.

Expert calls for details on Arctic station

Arctic sovereignty expert Michael Byers said more details are needed on the promise of a new Arctic research station.

Byers, the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia, also said the speech made it sound like a land-based station is envisioned, adding that Canada's most useful research platform is the icebreaker Amundsen.

"I would have been more excited if the prime minister had announced we were going to get a purpose-built research icebreaker," he told the Canadian Press.

Harper has placed a great emphasis on protecting Canada's sovereignty claim over the North, and in particular on the Northwest Passage.

During his tour of Nunavut in August, Harper announced that the Canadian Forces would build a new army training centre in Resolute Bay, as well as refurbishing an existing deepwater port at the former lead and zinc mine in Nanisivik, near Arctic Bay.

Byers suggested that Harper's latest goals for the North have been influenced by the many voices — including NDP Leader Jack Layton — calling for a more balanced approach to the Arctic, with spending on the social, scientific and economic sides as well as military infrastructure.

"That hasn't been part of Harper's lexicon," said Byers.

'We cannot be irresponsible' with reaction: Nunavut MP

The question remains as to whether the opposition Liberals will support the throne speech.

Nunavut Liberal MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell told CBC News that her party's caucus is expected to meet Wednesday to determine what they will do.

"We have to think of the Canadians whose lives are going to be impacted by any action that we take," Karetak-Lindell said.

"We cannot be irresponsible and just say this is what we're going to do."

The Bloc Québécois and the NDP have already said they will not support the throne speech. If the Liberals follow suit, Harper's minority government could be defeated, triggering a federal election.

With files from the Canadian Press