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IQALUIT - The former premier of Nunavut has accused his successor of needlessly stripping the justice minister of his portfolio.

Paul Okalik, MLA for Iqaluit West, said premier Eva Aariak was overreacting when she removed Louis Tapardjuk’s justice portfolio for his remarks in an email he sent to his department staff.

Premier Eva Aariak defended the decision to remove the minister of Justice’s portfolio after he made distasteful comments about domestic violence. - NNSL file photo

In the email, dated Jan. 21, Tapardjuk suggested that women may be to blame if their male partners resort to violence.

The letter also blames the Canadian justice system for the suicides of young offenders.

At the Jan. 26 sitting of the legislature, Okalik defended Tapardjuk’s comments, arguing they were an attempt to stimulate healthy debate.

“The matter of violence has to be looked at in all avenues if we are to lessen the number of incidents,” he said through an interpreter. “We have to look at everyone equally, both men and women, because we all have to live together.”

Okalik criticized the premier, accusing her of acting independently when there should have been transparent and open discussion on the matter.

“We have to be open to one another and not take unilateral actions whenever something minor comes up,” he said through an interpreter. Aariak responded she had openly discussed the issue with members Saturday, and Tapardjuk had supported their decision to reassign his second portfolio.

He “supported our decision and I appreciate that because he was part of our discussions,” she said through a translator.

Aariak drew a distinction between the impropriety of Tapardjuk’s remarks and his good intentions in writing the letter.

“I want to repeat what I said about violence not being acceptable, it’s self-explanatory,” she said. “It is said that men get arrested even if they’re perhaps under provocation by women.”

But Aariak agreed the intent of the email was to generate good discussion within the department.

“The minister in question is working very diligently on his mandate and we are all aware of that,” she said through a translator. “It was due to his attempts to protect Inuit customs that he penned that email to his colleagues and staff members. I have no problem with that part of the process since it’s assisting some of the government initiatives.”

The premier also emphasized that Tapardjuk would keep his portfolio as minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, and that the situation should teach all members to be cautious when it comes to sending emails.

“I strongly believe Mr. Tapardjuk is very capable and works hard, but this has been a learning tool,” she said through a translator.