Nunavut mayor awaits official nod from NDP headquarters

Clyde River Mayor Jerry Natanine, known for setting aside differences and joining forces with Greenpeace to oppose companies hydrocarbon seismic testing off the coast of his north Baffin community, is hoping to run for the New Democratic Party in the October federal election. (FILE PHOTO)

Clyde River Mayor Jerry Natanine says he knows Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq will be tough to beat in a federal election, but if he gets the nod from the New Democrats, he’ll work hard to show how his party would better serve Nunavummiut.

“[Leona’s] been performing not up to par in lots of people’s opinion and I hope, when I explain NDP policies, that people will like what they hear,” Natanine said from the hamlet office July 3.

“She’s not very popular with us because of her silence with the seismic activity that was going to happen. The [Conservative] Party in general is not very popular right now. The last election, the promises they made, the deep water ports, the things that didn’t work out, I hope people consider that.”

Natanine, who filed nomination papers last week to become the NDP candidate in the upcoming Oct. 19 federal election, said he was approached by both the Liberals and the NDP.

But the Liberals voted in favour of the Conservatives’ Bill C-51, the anti-terrorism act, saying they would amend parts of it if they form the next government.

Natanine is staunchly opposed to that legislation, because he says it undermines privacy and freedom in Canada.

New Democrats voted against it in Parliament and said they would repeal it and Natanine supports that notion.

“I believe their policies will be good for Nunavut. I’m really anxious to get the people of Nunavut to find out and hear about their policies and what’s inside their platform,” Natanine said.

“In Nunavut we don’t have party politics and most of us don’t know hardly anything about them.”

Natanine, whose profile has risen to international status because of his fight against seismic testing for oil and gas reserves off the coast of Baffin Island, said his nomination has not been officially accepted yet at NDP headquarters in Ottawa.

He said he was told it might take a few weeks. But he’s hopeful it will come through soon.

When asked whether a job as Nunavut MP would take him away from home, and off the land a lot, Natanine said his job as mayor has already primed him for such a sacrifice.

He said he doesn’t get out hunting much these days, but still enjoys country food because of the generosity of community members who share their harvest.

“That’s the positive side of small town living,” Natanine said, before adding, “I hope to be fighting a good cause for Nunavut if I get into office, trying to get our issues known nationwide and trying to get what we deserve through our land claims agreement.”

It’s uncertain whether anyone will challenge Natanine for the NDP nomination.

Nunavut NDP riding association president Aaron Watson said July 2 that he is aware of one other person who is considering running for the NDP nomination, but it isn’t clear whether that person has filed nomination papers.

If more than one person vies for the position, and their nominations are accepted, it would likely go to a vote, Watson said. But he just became president two weeks ago and admitted he’s not clear on exactly how that would unfold.

But he added he hoped to announce an official candidate within the next few weeks.

The Nunavut’s NDP riding association held its annual general meeting in Iqaluit June 17 with representatives from all three regions, Watson said: Baffin and Kivalliq were in attendance and Kitikmeot members phoned in from Cambridge Bay.

Members elected a new executive, which now consists of Watson as president, Doug Workman as vice president and Oana Spinu as secretary-treasurer.

The Nunavut Liberal association has yet to announce a candidate and the Green Party has announced that teacher Spencer Rocchi will run for them in Nunavut. Aglukkaq announced this past January that she will seek a third term as MP.