Paul Okalik

Paul Okalik (ᐹᓪ ᐅᑲᓕᖅ, ; born May 26, 1964) is a Canadian politician.

He is the first Inuk to have been called to the Nunavut Bar.

He was also the first premier of Nunavut.

Okalik was born on May 26, 1964, in Pangnirtung, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut), the youngest of ten children born to Auyaluk and Annie Okalik.

He was sent to residential school in Frobisher Bay, now Iqaluit, at 15, returning to Pangnirtung after one year.

He began a series of temporary jobs and pursuits including time as an apprentice underground at the Nanisivik Mine in northern Baffin Island.

In the early 1980s, he became interested in the political development of Inuit communities and began to work for the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut, the predecessor of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, as a deputy negotiator on the Inuit land claim, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

That claim, the largest in Canadian history, was signed in 1993 after decades of negotiations between Canada and the Inuit of Nunavut and would lead to the creation of Nunavut that he was to lead as premier through its first decade.

Okalik continued his claims work, and began University as a mature student, serving as a representative on the Nunavut Implementation Panel.

Okalik has been overt in acknowledging the role alcohol played in his earlier years and his commitment during his university years to stop drinking altogether.

He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Political Science at Carleton University in Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Ottawa.

In 1998 he returned to Iqaluit to article at Crawford Law Office, working briefly in Yellowknife and with the Maliganik Tukisiniakvik legal aid clinic.

In 1999 he was called to the Northwest Territories Bar, becoming the first Inuk lawyer in NWT/Nunavut history.

His dream was to help his people in their dealings with the Canadian justice system.

At the first Nunavut election held February 15, 1999, Okalik was elected to represent Iqaluit West in the first Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, defeating Ben Ell and Matthew Spence, with 51% of ballots cast.

The First Nunavut Assembly met prior to the official creation of the territory in order to elect the territory's first premier and ministers.

There are no political parties in Nunavut.

Instead, all members of the Assembly are elected as independents, with the Assembly then recommending a ministry from among its elected members via a consensus model.

The Commissioner of Nunavut then formally appoints them to office.

Former federal MP Jack Anawak had been widely touted as the future Premier.

However, Anawak was seen as Ottawa's choice, while Okalik was a dark horse and perceived as his own man.

On March 5, 1999 after an extensive Leadership Forum question and answer period in the Assembly, Okalik was elected the first Premier of Nunavut.

His mandate as premier became effective on April 1, 1999, the day Nunavut territory came into existence.

He stood for reelection in the 2004 general election, and was returned to the Legislative Assembly.

On March 5, 2004, the Legislative Assembly again selected him premier over challenger Tagak Curley.

By 2007, Okalik was the longest-serving sitting premier in Canada.

In the 2008 Nunavut General Election he won his third election and ran for a third term as Premier.

On November 14, 2008, Okalik was defeated by Eva Aariak for the premiership.

Okalik declined a nomination to cabinet and subsequently sat as a regular member in the Nunavut Assembly.

One of Okalik's primary goals as premier of Nunavut was to make the territory economically self-sufficient, as currently 90% of their budget comes from the federal government.

Despite this, Okalik continues to have high hopes for the territory and believes that Nunavut has great economic potential.

He cites resources such as diamonds, and also Inuit art and tourism as potential sources of income for the territory.

On November 4, 2010, he was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.

On November 4, 2010, Okalik was elected the Speaker of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly, replacing James Arreak who had resigned to become a cabinet minister.

Okalik represented the electoral district of Iqaluit West in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut until April 6, 2011 when he announced he would be resigning in order to run for the Liberal Party of Canada in the riding of Nunavut in the 2011 Canadian federal election.

He announced on April 6, 2011 that he would resign from the Legislative Assembly in order to run for the Liberal Party of Canada in the federal riding of Nunavut in the 2011 Canadian federal election.

He finished second in the election behind Conservative incumbent Leona Aglukkaq.

He returned to the Legislative Assembly in 2013 until being defeated in the 2017 general election.

Okalik returned to the legislature at the 2013 Nunavut general election as the member for Iqaluit-Sinaa, which includes much of his old riding.

Soon afterward, he returned to cabinet as Justice Minister.