NUNAVUT

Fresh from her landslide victory this past week, Nunavut Conservative MP Leona Aglukkaq is anxious to get back to work.

Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq expects to be making more positive announcements in Nunavut after the Conservatives won a majority government earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Nadine Lamoureux

Aglukkaq said she would like to see Nunavut improve on the number of eligible voters who cast a ballot on election day, which is currently the lowest in Canada at under 49 per cent.

She said having won a majority government, the Conservatives can now get down to work without having an election hanging over their heads every year or two.

"Increasing voter turnout is a challenge in Nunavut, but if we don't talk to young people about it how are we ever going to get them engaged?" said Aglukkaq.

"We had a better turnout this time, but there's still a huge margin who didn't vote.

"Having four years will give our government the time to put meaningful energy towards initiatives it wants to see in Canada.

"I'm looking forward to working with Northerners on a number of commitments I made with some certainty that we are going to be in government for four years."

Aglukkaq said the devolution process has been going on for some time, and she's committed to building capacity by training Nunavummiut for jobs.

She said the Tories identified $9 million in their budget for adult education in the North, and that's part of moving towards devolution.

"It's going to require being able to take on the jobs that devolve from the federal to the Nunavut government.

"We have to build the capacity of Northerners and not just jobs with devolution, but also with the mining sector and other areas.

"The Nunavut government has identified devolution as a priority, but negotiations take time."

Aglukkaq said Nunavut has to deal with its own capacity issues.

She said the Tories have dealt with the housing situation and are dealing with a number of audits coming out.

"We have to work in partnership with the territorial government and, if you don't have the capacity, you cannot carry out the jobs.

"I'm trying to put resources where we can train more Northerners and have capacity in a number of areas, not just in devolution-type jobs.

"This is an important part of the process and I'm doing my part to try and build that capacity in the North."

Aglukkaq said she's not aware of any talk at the federal level of tighter guidelines being imposed on money allocated to Nunavut to ensure it's utilized to its maximum potential.

She said the Conservatives are committed to working with the territorial government, and respecting the land claim groups and their mandates and authority.

"Our job is to work together and support each other because we're serving the same people at the end of the day."

Aglukkaq said there were many concerns about the old Food Mail program before Nutrition North was introduced.

She said the program ran for 40 years and most Nunavummiut didn't know there was, supposedly, a subsidy on many items they bought at the store.

"Food Mail was a great program for the working class if you spoke English and had a credit card, but not for those who needed it most.

"Those on income support or fixed incomes, elders and unilingual people could never do personal orders because of the way the program was designed.

"And there were many concerns on whether the subsidy was being passed on.

"Nutrition North is a work-in-progress, and we're committed to working with Northerners on a number of the issues being raised."

Aglukkaq said the program's advisory board will address concerns being heard.

She said she's committed to making sure Nutrition North benefits the people who need it the most.

"The new program will actually reflect the people it's supposed to serve, the Inuit people, in that for the first time country food will be included as part of the food-distribution system in the North.

"We subsidize shipping cows and chickens to the North, but not the shipment of tuktu, walrus or beluga to the communities in our regions.

"So now the program will be more reflective of the population it serves."

Aklukkaq said not only do Nunavut's working class now see the subsidy on local shelves, they also have the choice of annual sealifts and personal orders.

She said people on income support, fixed incomes, elders and unilingual speakers never had that choice.

"This is the first time these people will see a subsidy when they go to the store.

"The $200 turkey was under the old food mail program, as was the $65 T-bone steak in Cape Dorset.

"A bag of potatoes on the shelf today in Iglulik is $5.98.

"Raising awareness and holding retailers accountable are key to the subsidy being passed on to the people, not how it was under a Canada Post that couldn't even give us any information on what subsidy was being passed on to communities."

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