We didn’t approach Natanine, Nunavut Liberals say

The Nunavut Federal Liberal Association wishes to set the record straight on a recent suggestion made in your July 6 article “Nunavut mayor awaits official nod from NDP headquarters: Jerry Natanine says no to the Liberals, turns to the NDP.”

To be clear, at no point in time has any officer or agent of the Nunavut Federal Liberal Association approached Mr. Natanine to discuss the possibility of him running as the Liberal candidate for Nunavut in the upcoming federal election.

We do however agree on one point with Mr. Natanine: we too anxiously await to find out about NDP “policies and what’s inside their platform.” What we know so far is that an NDP government would bring back the long-gun registry to Nunavut and that Mr. Mulcair has made billions of dollars in new spending promises, with no details or plan on how to pay for these promises.

Justin Trudeau, on the other hand, has been busy, sharing with Canadians from coast to coast to coast the Liberal Plan for Real Change, such as an ambitious new plan for Canada’s Environment and Economy www.realchange.ca.

Further, Liberals are committed to work in partnership on a nation-to-nation basis with First Nations, Métis and Inuit, based on Indigenous rights, and the UN Declaration on the Rights on Indigenous Peoples, as well as to call a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Liberals will tackle climate change head-on in partnership with the provinces and territories, and support clean energy, green economy and energy-efficiency projects.

Further, we will review the currently ineffective Nutrition North Program, and take action on social issues for the greater benefit of Nunavummiut, such as mental health care and suicide prevention, and affordable housing. All issues that have either been neglected or completely ignored for a nearly decade by the Harper-Aglukkaq regime. Nunavummiut need less photo ops and more action.

Nunavummiut have been asking us one question for some time now: “Who is the Liberal candidate for Nunavut?”

Liberals will run a candidate with integrity. Liberals will run a candidate willing to discuss tough local issues, and not spin them. Liberals will run a candidate capable of being a strong voice in Ottawa for all Nunavummiut, and not merely Ottawa’s voice in Nunavut.

A formal announcement regarding our candidate will be made shortly.

Michel Potvin
President
Nunavut Federal Liberal Association

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