Okalik hopes to pull off upset in Nunavut

Paul Okalik, right, shares a laugh with Simanuk Kilabuk, Sergeant-at-Arms of Nunavut’s legislature, in February, when Okalik was still Speaker. Okalik resigned as an MLA April 6 to run in the Nunavut riding for the Liberals in the May 2 federal election. (PHOTO BY CHRIS WINDEYER)

In 1999, Paul Okalik surprised everyone when he upset Jack Anawak to become Nunavut’s first premier.

In 2011, he’s hoping to shock everyone again, and topple Leona Aglukkaq, Nunavut’s incumbent Conservative MP.

Okalik announced April 6 he’s leaving territorial politics—and his most recent job as speaker of the Legislative Assembly—behind, to try and reclaim Nunavut for the Liberal Party, who held it for nearly 20 years, until Aglukkaq won in 2008.

During a frosty outdoor campaign launch at Iqaluit’s causeway, Okalik said he wants to run on education, hunter’s rights and promised to be a louder voice for Nunavut in Ottawa.

Okalik said he chose the causeway to highlight the natural beauty of Nunavut, said the view of the city from there also revealed a failure of the Conservative government.

“You may have noticed that past Tory governments have promised a port here in Iqaluit and we’re still waiting,” he said. “I think that’s reflection of promises yet to be met.”

He’ll be in tough against Aglukkaq, the federal health minister and a former territorial health minister under Okalik.

But Okalik said the Conservative government isn’t meeting Nunavut’s needs.

“Yes we have a cabinet minister, but our expectations are not being met,” Okalik said. “I looked at the platforms of all the parties, and as an aboriginal person, I looked at the Liberal platform, and it focused on education. That’s something close to my heart.”

He also criticized the new Nutrition North Canada food subsidy program, an initiative by the Conservative government, which came into effect April 1.

He criticized the program, saying it “tinkered” with food subsidies, while ignoring Nunavummiut’s complaints about the changes.

Okalik was elected speaker last fall, after two sometimes-controversial years as a regular MLA. He said it was time to leave territorial politics and find a new way to serve Nunavummiut.

“I have done my part for the past 12 years as an MLA, and I feel that new challenges are coming our way and I should be a part of that,” he said.

Last week saw a dull election campaign spring to life, with the addition of Okalik, New Democrat Jack Hicks and Green Party candidate Scott MacCallum to the race.

Aglukkaq, who spent the first week as the only candidate, got a jump on campaign signs, and started travelling to the communities. Her campaign workers say she’ll be spending most of the campaign outside Iqaluit.

Okalik said he plans to travel too.

“I will try and travel throughout our territory as much as possible, but we only have 26 days so that will be a challenge,” he said.

Okalik said he’d welcome a visit to Nunavut by Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff during the campaign, but couldn’t say whether Ignatieff planned to make a campaign stop.