Tyler Edmunds, left, is sworn in Tuesday as the first minister of the Nunatsiavut government by Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe. (Submitted)

Tyler Edmunds is the new first minister of the Nunatsiavut government.

Edmunds, the ordinary member of Postville, was voted into the position Tuesday at the Nunatsiavut Assembly in Hopedale by assembly members.

The position was left vacant when former first minister Kate Mitchell resigned after the government said she inserted herself into an issue that was outside her purview.

The role of first minister comes with many responsibilities, including housing and transportation issues within Nunatsiavut.

Edmunds says although navigating those issues will be difficult, he's trying to find the best direction to take.

"It's going to be a lot of work necessary to advance both of those issues. Obviously we need to hold the province at task on the issues we've encountered around our marine services," Edmunds told CBC's Labrador Morning on Wednesday.

"It's clear that we're in a housing crisis especially in Nain and Hopedale. We're doing our housing and needs assessment to figure out the best direction and investment we need to take going forward."

A bit of shuffling

With Edmunds becoming first minister, there has been a shuffling of positions within the Nunatsiavut government.

Carlene Palliser is the minister of education and economic development, Greg Flowers is the minister of lands and natural resources, and Tony Andersen is the minister of finance, human resources and information technology.

Edmunds said he was initially reluctant to step into the position as first minister, but he's motivated by the people he serves.

"I always ask myself the question, and I think every official asks themselves the question, why are they doing it?" he said. "And I think at the end of the day, you're trying to offer something to your community, some small part of yourself and you want to try to improve things."

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