 | Home page |  | Text size |  | E-mail this page |
Nunavut MP now in charge of environment Federal cabinet shuffle results in new portfolio for Aglukkaq
Danielle Sachs
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 22, 2013
NUNAVUT
There are some notable changes that could affect Nunavut since Prime Minister Stephen Harper shuffled his cabinet last week.
Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq is now minister of Environment |
Most notably, Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq becomes minister of Environment, a change from being federal minister of Health since October, 2008. She is still responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) and chairperson of the Arctic Council.
The changes were announced July 15 in Ottawa as Harper added four more female ministers to his cabinet.
Terry Audla, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, stated that he was pleased with Aglukkaq's new appointment.
"I'm pleased to see (Aglukkaq) as the new minister of the Environment, CanNor and the Arctic Council," stated Audla in a release.
"We worked very well with minister Aglukkaq when she was Health minister and look forward to working with her as minister of the Environment."
While her role as Environment minister is still new, it complements Aglukkaq's position with the Arctic Council.
Canada appointed Aglukkaq chairperson to the council for the next two years after she officially took on the role during the last meeting in May.
The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum that was formed in 1996 to co-ordinate environmental protection and sustainable development between Arctic nations.
Currently, the eight Arctic nation members are Canada, the United States, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden.
The council meets every six months and releases scientific and technical reports on issues such as climate change and shipping.
It involves Arctic indigenous communities in discussions and is chaired on a rotating basis for two years at a time by member nations.
Only countries with Arctic territory can be members. However, non-Arctic countries can apply for observer status.
Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington said he was reserving judgment about the appointment until Aglukkaq has had a chance to speak in Parliament.
Bevington has been critical of Aglukkaq's role as Health minister in the past, asking why the former minister of Health ended funding for the National School of Dental Therapy when the people who needed it most were her own constituents.
| 
