Nunavut commission comes up with big new electoral map

Members of the Nunavut Electoral Boundaries Commission (from left, Gordon Main, Justice Ted Richard and Kirt Ejesiak) presented their final report in Iqaluit June 7. They propose a major rejig of Nunavut’s electoral landscape, including three new seats and changes to 10 existing ridings. (PHOTO BY CHRIS WINDEYER)

New ridings, new names and new boundaries form the core recommendations of the Nunavut Electoral Boundaries Commission, which released its 2011 report in Iqaluit June 7.

“We have given it our best shot,” said Justice Ted Richard, the commission’s chair.

That shot, presented after nearly a year of work, including consultations in nine Nunavut communities and dozens of written submissions, includes attempts to fix the most glaring problems with Nunavut’s electoral system.

The commission proposes three new ridings to account for major population growth since the current crop of seats was created in 1998.

Under the plan, Iqaluit, Arviat and Igloolik would get new seats, bringing the total number of MLAs to 22, up from the current 19.

Richard said those new seats are needed to make Nunavut’s ridings more equal in population. Ridings are supposed to vary in population no more than 25 per cent above or below the average, so each vote counts roughly equally.

The only exception is Sanikiluaq, which gets its own seat because it’s so far removed from the rest of the territory.

“The dominant factor [in the commission’s report] is this notion of equality of voting power,” Richard told reporters.

He said three new MLAs would likely cost taxpayers around $900,000 per year.

Renovating the Legislative Assembly “for making room over there for three more warm bodies” would probably incur a one-time cost of $1 million.

Nattilik MLA Jeannie Ugyuk said the cost is worth it, because Nunavut has grown so fast since its inception in 1999.

“If it’s growing then there should be more MLAs,” she said.

The report also aims to fix the longstanding irritant that is the Akulliq riding which includes Kugaaruk and Repulse Bay and straddles the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot regions.

Kugaaruk would join Taloyoak in a redrawn Nattilik riding, giving Gjoa Haven its own seat.

Repulse Bay would join Coral Harbour in a new seat called Aivilik.

Ugyuk said she’d like to see an end to the current Nattilik riding. She said people in her home community of Taloyoak have long preferred to share a riding with Kugaaruk instead of Gjoa Haven.

“For a number of years we’ve been having an MLA from Gjoa Haven and we’ve been outvoted by Gjoa Haven a lot of times,” she said.

Arviat would be divided into two seats: Arviat North and Arviat South. Whale Cove would move from Rankin Inlet South to Arviat North, while Chesterfield Inlet would join the riding of Rankin Inlet North.

The current riding of Amittuq, which includes Igloolik and Hall Beach, would be spit into two seats, Igloolik North and Igloolik South. Hall Beach would be part of Igloolik South.

Iqaluit would be split into four seats, all of which would be renamed after famous residents. The riding of Ipellie would consist mostly of what is now Iqaluit West, and the riding of Okpik mostly of what is now Iqaluit East.

Iqaluit Centre would be split into two districts called Joamie and Nakasuk.

Nine other constituencies would remain unchanged.

A past idea of joining Kimmirut and Apex in a new seat was roundly rejected by Kimmirummiut, said commissioner Kirt Ejesiak.

Richard said all the new riding names are only suggestions and that Elections Nunavut will continue to take suggestions from the affected communities.

“We do have tentative names in here, but there’s an asterisk on it,” he said.

All of the proposed changes must go before the Legislative Assembly, who have to pass legislation implementing the commission’s report.

The last electoral boundaries commission in 2007 presented MLAs with a list of optional changes. But the assembly opted to throw out the report rather than make changes.

Richard said MLAs “have an obligation to address” the issue of electoral boundaries this time, because the boundaries have never been changed since 1999.

Assembly clerk John Quirke said it isn’t clear yet when the report will be tabled in the house.

It won’t be tabled before the end of the current assembly session June 9, meaning the earliest MLAs could tackle the issue is when the assembly sits again in October.