Still waiting for bonus payment investigation

I read with interest your editorial “The real hypocrites” and was awed by the outrageous response that our so-called leader penned in reply, not doubt with input after a legal opinion — after all, he did mention your editorial was “near slanderous.”

For him to try and give grammar lessons and dictionary directives on meanings of words was, and is, laughable, were it not such a serious recrimination and such a morally, bankrupt position.

To have Pita Aatami dance around the word “hypocrite” hoping for it not too stick makes one fall to the floor in a fit of hysterical disbelief.

Here is an individual that barely clung to power with more than 50 per cent of the electorate in the last election voting against him and for one of the other three candidates, all of whom ran on the common them of “no to bonuses.”

During the Makivik presidential election, many beneficiaries made it clear that they feel bonus-taking was a dirty misuse of our heritage fund — meant to benefit all, not just a dozen or so at the top — and that the $1.5 million taken out of First Air should at least be investigated and prevented from happening again in the future.

On election night, were were told repeatedly by Pita Aatami (AKA Peter Adams) that there would be such an investigation.

To this day, we the electorate await such news as:

• Who got how much and for what?

• Who authorized it?

• Was there a legal opinion sought?

• Who did the investigation?

• Who did they report to?

• Was there any interference during the investigation?

• What was the mandate of the investigation?

• Was there a specific look at laws that allow the Makivik Corp. to exist that might have been broken?

When someone strenuously says that they will undertake such an investigation then be more silent than a tree falling in the forest when there is no one around, is that person a hypocrite?

I think your editorial would have been more apt if you described Pita Aatami as having copies of damning reports on the state of the northern health care system sitting on his desk, without even a hint of his acknowledging their existence to us the electorate, let alone any plan to deal with the issues.

Of course, with no bonus potential contained in looking after the real concerns of Nunavummiut, we have come to expect nothing less of this person.

What I fear most is that the snub Nunavik has received on its housing needs from the federal government is an indication, with Aatami leading on files of concern to Nunavummiut, of what we may continue to receive from the Harper government.

How else can we expect governments to address concerns about overcrowded housing or the high cost of living in the North?

I believe we Nunavimmiut would have been better off if Pita Aatami had quietly gone away and Senator Watt had taken the helm of our heritage fund.

Signed: A voice of the majority

(Name withheld by request)
Kuujjuaq
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