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Review ousts cabinet minister
Jeannie Ugyuk resigns from difficult portfolio following 10-hour Saturday meeting

Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, November 16, 2015

NUNAVUT
Following a non-confidence vote on her role as minister of Family Services during the Nunavut Leadership Forum Nov. 6, Jeannie Ugyuk resigned her seat as a Nattilik MLA effective 5 p.m. Nov. 9.

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MLA for Netsilik Jeannie Ugyuk, seen here laying a wreath on Remembrance Day in 2014 in Taloyoak, resigned from the legislative assembly Nov. 9 following a non-confidence vote on her role as minister of Family Services. - photo courtesy of Gina Pizzo

"In light of Saturday's deliberations of the Nunavut Leadership Forum, I have determined that the needs of my constituents in Taloyoak and Kugaaruk would be best served by affording them the opportunity to elect a new member to serve in the legislative assembly," stated Ugyuk in a letter to Speaker George Qulaut, according to a news release.

During the 10-hour forum, regular MLAs were given the opportunity to ask 11 questions – three of the premier and a total of eight of any of the ministers.

Ugyuk was the last minister to speak and the last to be questioned.

She outlined the work her department has done over the last two years, after which nine of 13 MLAs asked questions having to do with poverty reduction, the importance of Inuit social workers, incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into programs and services, homelessness and the rate of income support as compared to the minimum wage, among other matters.

Iqaluit-Tasiluk MLA George Hickes, who was named to cabinet Nov. 9, said he was surprised by the non-confidence vote.

"It's never been done before. I was a little surprised. They're all good people. I know they're there for the best interests of the people. I just feel like maybe they need to focus a little bit more on their role and that needed to be recognized.

"I feel bad for Jeannie. There's a portion of the situation that she could maybe have dealt with a little better. She's an amazing woman," said Hickes.

Premier Peter Taptuna explained his reasons for the initial appointment.

"Ms. Ugyuk was an MLA for the previous three years. Her strengths are social services. That was her profession. When she became the minister through the will of the house, through a secret ballot, I made her the minister for Family Services. I believe I had the strongest minister, who had a background in that field, to tackle this."

Problems that Ugyuk faced, which were specific to her department, included frequent changes in deputy ministers. These are appointed by the premier.

"She had to go through a number of deputy ministers," said Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu MLA Pat Angnakak. "She was facing an almost impossible situation. And our expectations of her were very high. And they will remain high with the next minister – because it is dealing with children, it is dealing with poverty. It is dealing with homelessness, and there are no homes.

"It really goes to public expectations, too. I'm a regular MLA. I am the voice of those I represent. Those I represent want to see homeless numbers go down. They want to see poverty rates go down. The list goes on.

"This is what we press on the minister. What are you doing about homelessness? What are you doing about poverty? What are you doing about the children being sent down south? Or income support. What are you doing to address that?" Angnakak said.

"I really believe that Jeannie did the best that she could but she was facing a very difficult environment. The landscape that she was put in was many hills and many valleys."

Family Services split

Family Services was split from Health and Social Services in 2013 after a scathing report from the auditor general in March 2011. This was the department Ugyuk inherited in November 2013. Just a few months later, in March 2014, the auditor general released an equally damning followup report.

"Overall, the Department of Family Services has made unsatisfactory progress against the commitments the government made in response to the 2011 Auditor General's Report on Children, Youth and Family Programs and Services in Nunavut," stated Michael Ferguson in a news release.

Speaking about the next minister for Family Services, Angnakak says, "I hope the Premier chooses someone who has been a minister for a while and understands the pressures and perhaps has a better understanding about how to work within the system that we have in place.

"The government has its own system and you gotta know how to work it."

Ugyuk could not be reached for comment.

A bye-election for the Netsilik seat must be held within six months.

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