Chretien retirement seen as loss, opportunity

The mixed reaction to Prime Minister Jean Chretien's retirement announcement continues across the north. For some, Chretien's plan to retire in 2004 was saddening-- while others welcomed the move. For supporters of former Finance Minister Paul Martin, who's been locked in an undeclared leadership battle with Chretien, the departure brings good news.

Nunavut's Finance Minister, Kelvin Ng, is one of those supporters. He says the announcement is a change for the better.

"I think it's probably a surprise that he did it at this time," he says. "It's probably good from the perspective of putting certainty around the whole issue of leadership of the government and of the Liberal Party."

In the Yukon, former federal NDP Leader Audrey McLaughlin says she's been expecting Chretien to pack it in. She says the Prime Minister is paying the price for his own failings.

"During his time as Prime Minister there have been a lot of serious consequences for Canada, including undermining the health care system, and much of the social infrastructure system that made Canada what it is," she says. "These last few years he's shown a lot of arrogance and disregard for public opinion, and I think it's come back to tell and he's resigned."

Despite their differences, McLaughlin believes Chretien was genuinely devoted to his duties, and cared deeply about Canada.

"It's probably time for him to go," says Georges Erasmus, a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations and head of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. "He's been there for a very long time and it's likely if we get a new leader then we could get some new policies that would be more beneficial to aboriginal people."

Yukon Liberal Senator Ione Christensen says she'll be sizing up potential prime ministerial candidates on their northern knowledge. She says she'll be taking a 'wait and see' attitude before making her choice.

"I would think that anyone who would be running for the leader of the Liberal Party would be cognizant of (northern) issues and have a position on all of them, so that's what we will be looking for," she says.

Christensen says she'll be working hard to help Chretien fulfill his commitment to improve health care, reduce child poverty and improve conditions for aboriginal people over his remaining term in office.

She says the agenda the Prime Minister announced for his remaining 18 months in office will be good for the north.