Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Monday, July 9, 2007

IQALUIT - Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley is calling for Premier Paul Okalik to resign over his use of "abusive language" toward two public officials last month.

Okalik previously apologized to Iqaluit mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik and Nunavut Association of Municipalities CEO Lynda Gunn after Sheutiapik overheard him call Gunn a "f---ing bitch" at a conference in Goose Bay.

According to Curley, sorry is not enough. "The apology has not been accepted by the victims of verbal abuse, so I think this is one of the options that has to be seriously considered in order to restore public confidence in the government," Curley said.

"To remain silent as the victims are treated this way is very shameful. I tried to remain silent, but to remain silent is not the proper way now."

On July 5, Curley released a statement asking his fellow MLAs to "respond to the call for the resignation of (the) Nunavut Premier as soon as possible."

He said he has discussed the issue with a number of his colleagues in the past week. "There are many that are feeling the same, but they haven’t gone public yet." Okalik apologized on the phone and in writing to Gunn and Sheutiapik on June 29 after they circulated letters admonishing the premier for his behaviour in Goose Bay on June 25.

Last week, Gunn sent a second, more pointed letter to MLAs and media, asking for Okalik’s resignation.

"In my first letter I told the premier I didn’t know what I should be asking for," she said. "But since he’s admitted he’s not able to withstand the pressures of the job - resign."

In her letter dated July 3 she requested "that Nunavut’s MLAs decide to stage a special sitting of the Nunavut Legislature...to reprimand you by removing you as Premier under the zero tolerance for violence against women policy."

According to a representative of Okalik’s office, the premier will not be resigning, and his apology still stands.

The Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women’s executive council also released a statement last week in response to the premier’s comments, calling his actions "a clear indication of how pervasive violence against women is" in Nunavut.

"We say we have a zero tolerance policy on violence against women. We passed legislations in support of women...and to me these things don’t appear to matter anymore," said Curley, who ran against Okalik in the 2004 Nunavut election.

For now, the Rankin MLA said: "I’m just going to wait and see what happens."