Spence Bay (Aug 28/06) - People in Taloyoak want their own MLA.

The electoral boundaries commission held a public meeting in the hamlet last week and residents urged the panel to consider give the community its own representative in the legislature.

Under proposed riding changes, the current Nattilik constituency which now serves Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven, would be divided.

Gjoa Haven, population 1,063, would get its own MLA, while Taloyoak would be joined with Kugaaruk, population 648, in a new riding.

Taloyoak Mayor Jimmy Oleekatalik wants his community to have its own MLA.

"It's really hard. We love (Nattilik MLA) Leona (Aglukkaq) and she does what she can, but she has two communities," said Oleekatalik.

He took a $20,000 pay cut when he gave up the job as recreation director - to become mayor - and said the thinks conditions are bad enough in Taloyoak that the hamlet needs its own MLA to address the issues.

"Officially, we have 808 people, and about 350 of them are between one and 16 years old. There are so many young people, when I was rec co-ordinator, no matter how loud I hollered, no one could hear me. We have about 100 people with full-time jobs, and about 30 of them are non-Inuit," said Oleekatalik.

He said it's important for any MLA to have lived in the community "for at least three years" so they understand the issues.

Oleekatalik and others also complained that too much political power is centred in Iqaluit.

"I'm just following common sense, and I'm wondering why Iqaluit has three MLAs," said Oleekatalik.

Charlie Lyall spoke at the electoral boundaries meeting, and said Iqaluit is over-represented.

"Iqaluit may have 6,000 people, but how many of them are transient?" was Lyall's response when asked about the population difference between the capital and Taloyoak.

A long-time supporter of the Kitikmeot region, Lyall sees this re-alignment as another step down a slippery slope. At the bottom of that slope lies central control of Nunavut from Iqaluit.

"I think a lot of people have wised up to the Iqaluit plan to have everything in the Baffin (region). There is a lot of kitchen table talk about division (of Nunavut)," said Lyall.

"I just said that we need to have our own MLA and so does Gjoa Haven."

With vast mineral deposits, the Kitikmeot is key to the future economic success of Nunavut. Lyall wants more bang for those future bucks.

"I know that they are asking for more MLAs in Iqaluit, and that would alienate the west even more," said Lyall.

Even though he took the time to speak to the meeting, Lyall is not expecting much.

"The next step, our comments will be ignored by the politicians," said Lyall.

Oleekatalik just wants a louder voice for the 808 people in his community, and he feels they desperately need it.

"We're not asking to get rich; 90 per cent of my people are on social assistance. It (our own MLA) would make us stronger," said Oleekatalik.

Oleekatalik would rather spend his limited resources on new cement for his ice rink than on lawyers, but feels he would have to look at a lawsuit if the boundaries stand as is.

"If it comes to that (a lawsuit), we would have to do it. It is common sense. To me, it is like they are bullying us," said Oleekatalik.

Nattilik MLA Leona Aglukkaq is on vacation and was not available for comment.