Big spenders win most seats in first Nunavut election

SEAN MCKIBBON
Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — A recently published report by Elections Nunavut shows that, for the most part, the candidates who won the first Nunavut election were those candidates who spent the most money.

Although some, candidates haven’t finished filing their spending reports, there is only one official exception to the trend.

Expenditures ranged from $50 to more than $17,000. No one reached the limit of $30,000.

In some cases the winners did not raise the most money. For instance Matthew Spence, a contender for Premier Paul Okalik’s riding of Iqaluit West, raised $7,046.50 — $1,474 more than Okalik. However Spence only spent $6,091. The premier spent $6,499.68.

“I don’t think money made the difference,” said Spence. “I think Paul worked harder.” Okalik’s abillity to speak both Inuktitut and English and hard work going door-to-door allowed him to build a relationship with people in the community, said Spence.

“I also think that well publicized bar admission ceremony really helped him.” Spence said that Okalik’s work in becoming a lawyer gave him credibility with non-Inuit voters.

Two of Iqaluit’s ridings (Centre and East) saw the highest numbers for average spending by candidates. Iqaluit West with an average expenditure of $5,083, was only topped by Arviat at $6,132.41 and Cambridge Bay with an average expenditure of $6809.69.

At least one Iqaluit Centre candidate wasn’t about to count money out.

“The money certainly helps,” said Lynda Gunn a candidate in the Iqaluit Centre riding. She said spending money on promotional materials and advertising was a necessity in a town like Iqaluit.

She said there is a larger population now, with more people coming and going and fewer people are likely to know candidates on a personal level.

Gunn spent the second-most in her riding, and finished in second place, but drawing a direct correlation between votes and the amount spent on campaigning may not be possible. Hunter Tootoo, who won the Iqaluit Centre riding, spent only $355 more than Gunn, but captured more than twice as many votes.

For Ovide Alakanuark, who represents the small communities of Pelly Bay and Repulse Bay as MLA for Akulliq, all that was required for a successful campaign was a full tank of gas for his snowmobile.

“The thing I used my own personal money for was to travel to another community by skidoo,” Alakanuark said through an interpreter this week. “I didn’t use any other advertisers or any other things.”

Alakanuark spent a grand total of $50.30. He said that he talked to people in his community, was interviewed on the radio and tried to put an emphasis in his campaign on his concern for the welfare of youths and elders and traditional Inuit knowledge.

Candidates who ran in the election are required under the territory’s Elections Act to file an itemization of funds raised and expenses. This includes donations in kind, said David Hamilton, the chief electoral officer for the NWT and the chief electoral officer for the first Nunavut election.

He said that excess funds raised by candidates had to be either donated to a charity or given to the government. He also said Elections Nunavut is looking into two instances in which candidates did not file their expenses.

Hamilton said there were 26 official complaints filed about the election and one investigation into a complaint is ongoing. He said the number of complaints was less than had been fielded in elections in the North west Territories.

“But you have to remember (Nunavut) is about half the size,” he said. Hamilton is due to table a report on the election at the next sitting of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly this fall. At that time he will also table a report detailing the people and organizations who contributed to candidate’s election campaign funds.