Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Monday, April 16, 2007

SPENCE BAY - Taloyoak's mayor warned of court action prior to the legislative assembly's outright rejection of the Nunavut Boundaries Commission's report in late March.

Now that the Kitikmeot will not receive any more representation through an additional MLA, Jimmy Oleekatalik said he's still thinking of suing the Government of Nunavut.

"It's still something I'm going to look into," he said. "I'm pretty upset because I don't know who they're trying to impress."

Oleekatalik expressed his anger in a letter to the legislative assembly and warned of potential backlash, stating in part: "it should be made clear to all members of the legislative assembly that tampering with democracy has its price and we remind those that vote contrary to that democracy that there will be territorial elections next year."

In a subsequent interview last week, he added that the federal government is also at fault for failing to provide enough funding to Nunavut. He said Taloyoak has 800 residents in 200 homes and relies heavily on volunteer services.

"The best interest for Nunavummiut would be a voice heard from every community," he said. "That would make the legislature stronger... each community is very different."

Prior to the legislative assembly's decision, elected officials from Gjoa Haven, Cambridge Bay, Kugaaruk, Kugluktuk and Taloyoak held a tele-conference on March 19 to affirm their support of the Electoral Boundaries Commission's report.

That document - produced by John Ningark, Beverly Browne and Bernadette Niviatsiak - called for four new MLAs: one for the Kitikmeot, one for the Kivalliq and two for the Baffin.

It also offered several options for altering electoral boundaries.

Leona Aglukkaq, Keith Peterson, Patterk Netser, David Alagalak, Joe Allen Evyagotailak and Tagak Curley were the MLAs who voted to salvage the report, which was drafted after extensive community consultations and approximately $250,000 was spent.

Peter Kattuk, Paul Okalik, Ed Picco, Hunter Tootoo, Levinia Brown, James Arvaluk, Levi Barnabas, Olayuk Akesuk, Louis Tapardjuk, David Simailak and James Arreak chose to discard the report.

Steve Mapsalak, who represents the Kitikmeot community of Kugaaruk and the Kivalliq community of Repulse Bay, chose to abstain. In a later statement in the House, he mentioned how his limited travel budget prevents him from attending events in Kugaaruk because there are no direct flights and travel can take three days via Rankin Inlet, Yellowknife and Cambridge Bay.

Residents of Kugaaruk, he acknowledged, would rather be paired with Taloyoak under the electoral boundaries. Yet he said he didn't see how the smaller communities would be better represented through the report's recommendations.

Paul Okalik, MLA for Iqaluit West, said adding four MLAs would cost the territory $2 million, which would put an additional strain on an already limited budget. He added that Nunavut's ridings are already overrepresented.

James Arreak, MLA for Uqqurmiut, agreed with Okalik. Rather than new MLAs, the millions of dollars should be put towards building two new five-plexes, he said.