Jillian Dickens
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Jan 16/06) - Poverty, housing and the cost of food were the main concerns audience members shared with their potential Ottawa representative at the all-candidates debate hosted by CBC Jan. 10 in Iqaluit's Anglican Parish Hall.

All candidates made it to the packed Anglican Parish Hall that night, but one was not invited to sit with the four big names in this race.

"The Marijuana party doesn't offer a platform to speak of other than one issue," said CBC host Joanna Awa.

That left candidate Ed deVries, whose party's sole issue is to decriminalize marijuana, to sit on the sidelines, speaking only during opening and closing remarks.

Liberal incumbent Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Conservative candidate David Aglukark, Green Party candidate Feliks Kappi and New Democratic Party candidate Bill Riddell perched on a platform facing television cameras and a stuffed audience of 100-plus people, eager to hear how their potential leaders propose to make Nunavut a better place.

Questions on rampant poverty, soaring fuel prices and government assistance for people with disabilities and single-parent families framed the evening.

"With the rising cost of fuel, it is getting harder and harder to make ends meet," said one Nunavummiut, asking the candidates what they propose to do about it.

Kappi suggested developing alternative energy sources, like windmills, which, he said, produce "little pollution."

Riddell suggested the government experiment with different housing structures, like family compounds where extended families live within the same proximity, sharing the costs.

"What I'm saying is we need to use creative ideas."

Karetak-Lindell informed people that "before the government fell, they set out to give a rebate."

Another audience member asked what each candidate would do to help child poverty and the working poor.

Aglukark wants "more benefits for low income families."

Kappi said good food at the schools will help children's minds and bodies.

Riddell agreed the big issue is expensive food. He spoke of one Co-op in Nunavut so concerned about food it takes the profits from the junk food it sells and uses it to lower the price of healthy food.

The solution to the problem is to get together with the people who sell the food, buy and transport the food to come up with some way to subsidize it, he said.

Karetak-Lindell named building a highway from Northern Manitoba to Nunavut, and revamping the food mail program as solutions she aims to work towards.

A common thread tied the five federal candidates together the night of the election debate. They all say they want to stick up for Nunavut, closing the gap between the south and the North.

The election is set for Jan. 23