by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 27/97) - The MP for Nunatsiaq said late last week he was willing to go to jail to keep a Rankin Inlet family from being kicked out of their home.

Jack Anawak, Marius Tungilik of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., and a handful of community residents had planned a stand-off at a Rankin Inlet Housing Association-owned home Thursday.

They were ready to block RCMP and Housing Association officials from evicting Paul Aupilardjuk, his pregnant wife Rita and five children from their home.

"It was a moment of desperation," said Anawak. "I was willing to take some drastic action."

Housing authorities brought the situation to a head late Wednesday afternoon when they evicted three other families from their homes and were ready to descend on the Aupilardjuks.

Mayor John Hickes, Anawak and his wife Caroline, and Tungilik reviewed the situation at a hastily arranged meeting later that day.

They found that Rita, a hamlet employee, has had $744 deducted directly from paycheque each month to pay rent over the last year, but that wasn't enough to cover arrears.

Tungilik said the family failed to understand that they could be evicted for not paying the arrears.

"It's not a very easy subject to deal with," he said. "It's a very personal responsibility to pay for rent."

But a break in the tension came Thursday afternoon when the Aupilardjuks arranged to pay back rents each month on top of their regular rent.

Tungilik said something has to be done to prevent an situation like this from ever occurring again.

"The tenants need to know what the rules are," said Tungilik.

Anawak concurred, but added that when these rules are applied it should be done on an emotional, case by case basis as everybody's situation is different

"Common sense has to prevail sometime," said Anawak.