Meet the 9 first-timers set, or nearly set, to be part of the next Nunavut legislature
Some well-known and not so well-known faces will form Nunavut’s next government
Nine first-timers are set to join the next Nunavut Legislative Assembly.
Some, like Margaret Nakashuk, 45, faced high profile incumbents. Nakashuk defeated Johnny Mike, former Environment minister, with 266 votes, or 51 per cent of ballots cast in Pangnirtung.
Nakashuk was born and raised in Pangnirtung and was a Government of Nunavut (GN) regional director of family services intern. She has previously worked as an adult educator and community health representative, both for the GN.
Before the election Nakashuk said improving local Inuit participation in government jobs, especially at the management level, was a priority in her constituency. The percentage of Inuit who have moved beyond entry-level jobs in government — Nunavut's largest employer — has not changed much since the territory was created in 1999.
"Our government has been slow to keep track of the Inuit employment plan," Nakashuk said. "Having worked in a decentralized government office for a number of years, we see a lot of Inuit in positions, but we need to make sure we get people in the community into executive positions and higher level positions in the GN."
Language instruction, health care and elder care figured in her platform as well.
After the election Nakashuk said she was pleased to see the large number of women who have been elected to form the next government, and is hopeful some will rise to cabinet positions.
"It's very good to see that there's women all around … It's great to see that people are trusting our work," she said.
"I very much support women in any role. To see this, to see women getting into MLA and minister positions, it's going to be quite exciting."
Joelie Kaernerk
In Amittuq, Joelie Kaernerk, 43, defeated incumbent George Qulaut, former Speaker, with 115 votes, or 28 per cent of the vote. He shared his race with six other candidates.
Kaernerk, 43, was born in Iqaluit but raised in Hall Beach. He was Baffinland Iron Mines' community liaison officer and a volunteer at the local radio station.
Before the election, the father of two said he was running on behalf of youth and elders. In particular, he believes youth need to be better prepared: "The youth are our future generation, we have to start supporting them and advocating for them."
Language preservation is another important, Nunavut-wide, issue for Kaernerk.
"The Inuktitut language needs to be strengthened in the smaller communities," he said.
Adam Arreak Lightstone
Adam Arreak Lightstone, 30, defeated high profile incumbent Monica Ell-Kanayuk in Iqaluit-Manirajak with 253 votes or 40 per cent of the vote.
Arreak Lightstone, a complete newcomer to politics, defeated the multi-portfolio cabinet minister on a broad platform that seemed to leave no stone unturned: he counted the environment, education, housing, food insecurity and financial transparency as his top priorities facing the next government.
The father of a baby boy, Arreak Lightstone was born in Winnipeg but raised in Rankin Inlet and Kingston, Ont. An accountant and financial analyst by training, he's held financial management positions in the Nunavut government and prior to his election bid was a senior accounting intern.
In support of his broad platform, Arreak Lightstone has very specific ideas in mind.
"The amount of children going to school hungry is unacceptable," he said before the election. "The schools that do have breakfast programs have showed an increase in attendance. Food and security amongst children could be partially solved through implementation of breakfast and lunch programs."
He wants to see a Nunavut-wide, government funded breakfast program as a partial solution to Nunavut's high drop-out rate, which he described as "out of control."
In his constituency, he's struck by the disparity between the "haves and the have nots," and says part of the solution is to encourage education and training by increasing the number of Iqaluit-centric training options at Nunavut Arctic College, and revamping social assistance to better encourage people to return to school or to get trained or retrained for a job.
"Nunavut Arctic College needs to align their programing with the needs of Iqaluit, which to date they really haven't done so," he said. "The Iqaluit campus has been focussed on the region."
On social assistance, Arreak Lightsone said: "If we were to increase the financial support for Nunavut students to a level where those on social assistance would be able to go back to school without worrying about losing their [income] support that would definitely help prepare them for rejoining the workforce."
Elisapee Sheutiapik
Elisapee Sheutiapik, 52, won Iqaluit-Sinaa with 237 votes, or 45 per cent of the vote. In doing so the owner of the popular Grind and Brew café defeated incumbent Paul Okalik, the first premier of Nunavut who held the seat for two terms.
She was Iqaluit's first Inuk woman mayor, a position she held from 2003 to 2010, and is the president of the Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council.
Before the election she told CBC housing, education and mental health were among the biggest challenges facing Nunavut, and Iqaluit-Sinaa.
"Housing is the foundation of a family," she said. "At the end of the day everybody has the right to housing."
Sheutiapik said she's passionate about Iqaluit and Nunavut, something she said Okalik noted in speaking to her after the election.
"He was one of the very first ones to congratulate me," she said. "He said that I ran a very hard campaign."
"I speak from the heart and the truth because I care. I'll educate you about our challenges and then — what are we going to do collectively to solve them?"
One of her priorities will be to address roadblocks to getting help for mental health issues in the territory.
"We have to work to eliminate the stigma attached to mental health," she said. "When you have a toothache, you go see the dentist. When you have a cold or the flu, you go so the doctor. Why is it suddenly when it's above our eyebrows — our brain — we neglect it?"
John Main
It was a landslide win for John Main, 37, against incumbent George Kuksuk in Arviat North-Whale Cove with 408 votes, or 78 per cent of the vote.
Main was raised in Arviat, and has a degree in economics and commerce from the University of New Brunswick. He's worked as an economic development officer with the hamlet, and in Inuit organizations.
"I want to see a change in my community of Arviat and the neighbouring community of Whale Cove in terms of the huge issues we're facing in our everyday lives," he said.
Before the election he talked about improving job prospects for young high school graduates locally, while at the same time addressing issues all Nunavummiut are familiar with.
"We need to start delivering proper mental health and services treatment. We want to be able to care for our elders … we don't want them to be sent away.
"We want them to stay in their homes surrounded by their families for as long as possible."
David Akeeagok
In Quttiktuq, David Akeeagok, 48, defeated incumbent Isaac Shooyook with 189 votes or 46 per cent of the vote. Eight others stood for election in Quttiktuq, which underlines the strength of Akeeagok's margin of victory.
"I want to use my experience and take issues and turn them into action," he said. "There are a number of key areas that I'd like to focus on."
Like Nakashuk, Akeeagok says there's room for improvement when it comes to Inuit participation in management and executive positions in government.
"I would like to see more Inuit in key areas of the government who have ... expertise and will be able to run the programs and services for the people we serve," he said.
Akeeagok said the next government will have its hands full with pending federal legislation to legalize marijuana use across the country.
"The territories are expected to have their own regulations and their own programs," he said. "That's going to be a difficult issue given the size of our territory and the systems that we have."
Cathy Towtongie
In Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet, Cathy Towtongie defeated incumbent Tom Sammurtok with 171 votes, or 36 per cent of the vote.
Towtongie is well-known to many in Iqaluit. She became the first woman president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in 2001, and served again in 2010.
She said her priority is to take action on many of the problems communities in Nunavut face.
"We need to seriously implement — instead of making promises — some of the changes that have to take place at the community level," she told CBC before the election.
Mila Kamingoak
Mila Kamingoak, 31, was acclaimed in Kugluktuk after Premier Peter Taptuna said he would not be standing for re-election.
Jeannie Ehaloak or Pamela Gross
Jeannie Ehaloak, 54, took Cambridge Bay by only nine votes more than Pamela Gross, 32. This means a mandatory recount will take place to confirm the winner.
Either woman would be a first-timer in the Legislative Assembly.
Patterk Netser (Aivilik) and Lorne Kusugak (Rankin Inlet South) both defeated incumbents but need little introduction having served in the Nunavut legislature previously.