Nunavut premier sends election questionnaire to federal leaders

Premier Peter Taptuna has sent six questions to four federal political party leaders, asking them what they would do for Nunavut in policy areas like economic development and infrastructure. (FILE PHOTO)

Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna wants to know how four federal political party leaders would help Nunavut in six priority policy areas, mostly related to economic development and infrastructure.

“We’re halfway through the election campaign, and no federal party has offered a clear plan on how they will work with Canada’s territories to build healthy communities and a prosperous economy in the North,” Taptuna said in a news release.

Taptuna, however, did not ask any questions about suicide, health care or violence against women.

The six questions do cover these areas:

• Economic development: in an open-ended question, Taptuna asks what the party leaders would do to encourage economic growth in an environmentally sustainable way;

• Infrastructure: this questions points out that Nunavut has only two paved runways, an aging fleet of power plants, no road links to the outside and needs to be connected to a fibre optic network;

• Housing: Taptuna’s letter says it now costs $25,000 per unit per year to maintain the territory’s existing housing stock, that Nunavut needs more than 3,000 new units and that Nunavut needs a long-term housing plan;

• Devolution: devolution talks were suspended when the federal election was called Aug. 2. Taptuna asks the party leaders to give a timeline for finishing an agreement-in-principle on devolution;

• Culture: this question asks about a stronger Nunavut-Canada language services agreement and what the party leaders would do to help Nunavut get money for a long-delayed heritage centre to store cultural artifacts;

• Climate change: this question asks if the federal party leaders would develop a strategic plan to help the three territories adapt to climate change.

“Nunavummiut and all Canadians living in the North deserve to know how the next federal government plans to address the unique challenges facing Canada’s Arctic communities. I look forward to discussing these issues with the federal party leaders,” Taptuna said.

He addressed the letter to Conservative leader Stephen Harper, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna's Letter to Four Federal Leaders by NunatsiaqNews