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MLA explains why he was MIA
Herbert Nakimayak says he missed meetings while at other job with Inuit Circumpolar Council

John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, July 4, 2016

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The rookie MLA for the far north constituency of Nunakput is defending himself after it was revealed that he has a spotty attendance record for committee meetings.

Herbert Nakimayak has now resigned as chair of the standing committee on economic development and environment after he missed five meetings of the committee between February and May.

Over the same time period, Nakimayak, who lives in Paulatuk, also reportedly missed nine priorities and planning standing committee meetings, six meetings of the standing committee on government operations, one meeting of the standing committee on social development and one legislative assembly sitting.

The attendance records were contained in a report tabled in the assembly late last month.

Nakimayak readily admits he is holding down two jobs. He is also vice-president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC).

"I would say I missed three-quarters or more due to travel (on behalf of the ICC)," said Nakimayak.

The council is an international non-government organization representing approximately 150,000 Inuit in Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Russia. Nakimayak insisted he is not shortchanging his constituents by apparently splitting his time between the two jobs.

"I'm not concerned. I know that my constituents will see the hard work that we commit to. I believe it is fair. If I'm in my region, it's not feasible to fly to Yellowknife to make one meeting," Nakimayak said.

"I believe that I have a lot to offer territorially, right from the grassroots into international issues that we work with at the United Nations, the Arctic Council the senior Arctic officials."

Nakimayak took aim at the media for turning his absenteeism into a news story and not doing his job on behalf of constituents.

"I know there is not much happening in the news this week so they are looking for things," Nakimayak said. "But I wish that ... the media ... would do some fact checking before they slander people."

The issue of MLA absenteeism appears to be so touchy that, according to legislative assembly clerk Tim Mercer, MLAs are not allowed to talk about the attendance of other MLAs in the House.

It is believed part of the reason that rule is in place is because missing MLAs would not be in the assembly to defend their absenteeism.

Indeed News/North was denied a request by the Speaker to take photographs from the public gallery in the legislative assembly last week because there were apparent fears that News/North would publish a photo of Nakimayak's empty seat in the legislature.

News/North made no mention of Nakimayak in its written request to take photos.

"When the Speaker received your request, he thought it was in relation to a story about MLAs' attendance," Mercer stated in an e-mail.

"Similarly, the television broadcasting guidelines discourage the recording of empty seats in the legislature. These rules are consistent with similar rules in other Canadian and Commonwealth jurisdictions."

"There are many places a member can be in addition to the floor of the legislature when performing their duties. The fact that they are not in their seat in the House does not necessarily mean that they are absent from work."

Mercer added an attendance report is tabled after each sitting and MLAs' attendance record are not kept secret. Regular MLAs earn a base salary of $103,851. News/North reached out to the ICC for details on how much time Nakimayak is expected to devote to it and how much he gets paid.

No one from the council had responded as of press time.

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