Invest in northern economies, Inuit leaders prepare to tell Harper

Canadian Inuit leaders say they plan tooutlinetheir economic priorities to Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Thursday, as he prepares for the upcoming federal budget and a planned economic stimulus package.

NationalFirst Nationsand Inuit leaders will meet in Ottawa with Harper and Canada's premiers Thursday night, ina conferencethat will lead up to Friday's first ministers meeting on the economy.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Mary Simon and Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak will be among those at Thursday night's 2-hour long session.

Simon, whose national organization represents Inuit in Canada, said economic growth in the North must start by addressing social issues such as health care, chronic housing shortages and a lack of training for Inuit.

"I think we really need to tie in this economic discussion to our education, Inuit education and skills development," Simon told CBC News on Wednesday.

"Unless we have that, economic opportunities may be there, but maybe our people won't be ready to take them on."

Simon said Thursday's meeting will be too short to fully discuss the issues on the table, but she said she'll give the federal Conservative government credit for seeking input fromFirst Nationsand Inuit representatives.

This week's premiers meetings will be the first for Aariak, who was chosen as Nunavut's premier in November.

"I am very much looking forward to discussing the issues that are important to us in each of our territories and provinces," she said.

Aariak said she plans to talk about a joint northern development agency that was formed last year between the federal government and the three territories. Any kind of new federal money for Nunavut would always be welcome, she added.

Aariaksaid she also plans to tell Harper that spending on infrastructure would strengthen Canada's sovereign claims to the Arctic an issue that has resurfaced just in time for Friday's first ministers meeting.

Earlier this week, outgoing U.S. president George W. Bush released the U.S. Arctic Policy, which reassertsthat country's fundamental interests in the North.

"I feel that Canada should invest in its people," Aariak said.