Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Arviat (Jan 23/06) - Nancy Karetak-Lindell has been elected to the House of Commons for the fourth time, but she will have to get used to the view from the other side of the house.

Karetak-Lindell: "I won't be surprised (by what the Conservatives do in power). I sit across from those guys and aboriginal issues aren't on their radar. The North isn't on their radar."

It was a "too close to tell" race with Conservative challenger David Aglukark keeping pace with Karetak-Lindell's vote tallies through most of the evening. But she pulled away as the last third of the polls were counted.

With a Conservative minority government, Liberal Party candidate Karetak-Lindell finds herself as a member of the Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition for the first time.

She had a picture of her family in hockey gear for her Christmas card, and the MP used a sports analogy when describing the election.

"It will be different, but a win is a win," said Karetak-Lindell.

When asked how that switch will change the way she does her job, Karetak-Lindell wasn't sure yet.

"It won't change how I represent my constituents. How I go about doing it without my colleagues being the ministers, that will be different," said Karetak-Lindell.

A major issue for Nunavut is the Kelowna accord on aboriginal issues. The Conservatives have vowed to 'cut a new deal', and Karetak-Lindell is worried.

"In that package we had housing for the North and housing has been the number-one issue for all of us, including the government of Nunavut and NTI," said Karetak-Lindell.

"I won't be surprised (by what the Conservatives do in power). I sit across from those guys and aboriginal issues aren't on their radar. The North isn't on their radar," said Karetak-Lindell.

With 20 of 38 polls reporting, Karetak-Lindell had 39.2 per cent of the total vote. Conservative David Aglukark was in second with 26.9 per cent. NDP candidate Bill Riddell was in third with 19.4 per cent.

Two parties with different ideas of what green means brought up the rear.

Ed DeVries from the Marijuana Party was in fourth with 7.6 per cent and Feliks Kappi from the Green Party was in fifth with 7.2 per cent.