Tunu Napartuk, a former mayor of Kuujjuaq, is running in the Oct. 3 provincial election as the Quebec Liberal Party candidate for Ungava, the vast riding that includes Nunavik. (Photo courtesy of Quebec Liberal Party)
Former Kuujjuaq mayor Tunu Napartuk running for Quebec Liberals in Ungava
Party leader Dominique Anglade promises to bring campaign to Nunavik
Former Kuujjuaq mayor Tunu Napartuk wants to be the next provincial representative for Quebec’s Ungava riding.
The provincial Liberal party unveiled him as the its candidate for the Oct. 3 election in the vast riding that includes all of Nunavik at a news conference in Montreal Tuesday morning.
Napartuk is the third candidate to join the race for Ungava. Currently, he’s up against incumbent MNA Denis Lamothe, who is part of the Coalition Avenir Québec party, and Québec solidaire newcomer Maïtée Labrecque-Saganash.
Liberal leader Dominique Anglade introduced Napartuk, who was joined by his wife, Lynn Lemire, to reporters.
“I’m kind of hoping I’ll also have the power of attraction,” Napartuk said about why he chose to run for a Liberal Party that has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to defeat Premier François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec majority.
Napartuk served as Kuujjuaq mayor from 2012 to 2018 before taking on the role of director of compassionate and complimentary services at the Kativik Ilisarniliriniq school board in Nunavik.
Some of his key platform issues include addressing the high cost of living in the North, food security and elder care.
When asked about the issues of racism and language laws, Napartuk didn’t shy away from saying he believes systemic racism exists in the province. He also spoke against Bill 96, a controversial French language protection bill the CAQ passed earlier this year.
“In our region of Nunavik, it is already a challenge being Inuk, having Inuktitut as our mother tongue, having to learn English and French from another group of people,” Napartuk said.
“But to be imposed on it by a government that does not consult, that does not seek opinion of what our reality is, it makes it extremely challenging on so many levels.”
Napartuk, who speaks English, French and Inuktitut, spoke mostly in English and French during the news conference.
At the closing of the news conference, Anglade answered a question from Nunatsiaq News asking if she would be visiting Nunavik during the campaign. She said she will.
“I think it is important to demonstrate that it is not only about words, it’s about actions, it’s about really taking this seriously, it’s about having candidates that can really represent the region,” Anglade said.
GO TUNU GO !!!!
Unfortunately the Liberals always use racism and divide, the Liberals have ruined the country by constantly printing money and giving handouts to the rich.
I do wonder what our next PM, Pierre Poilievre, will be like?
Hopefully better then , the present bus driver.
Hopefully the Nunavut Conservative Party can find an electable candidate next round. It’s been a while.
Systematic racism? In Nunavik the racism is directed to the non Inuit.
look at the benefits Inuit have compared to non Inuit(discounted plane tickets/discounted sealift shipping/cheaper gas/turkeys at Christmas)
Has a non Inuit person living in Nunavik ever heard “ go back where you came from”
Tunu should address these issues as well if he will equally represent his constituents
With a serious housing crisis of families living within families it is to southerns greatest advantage and privilege to be supplied housing at a cost of practically $0 and furnished on top of that with great maintenance. Benefits of total shipping costs of vehicles and excessive holidays and eligibilities to work from any locations as well as trips! Benefits exceeding turkeys!
You are 100 percent correct about Inuit being the racists, I see on a daily basis where I work up here in Nunavut. But yet they want everything handed to them from the southerners for free.
Turning Tides?
Nunavut needs to be, political party free forever, the comments here are so Toxic, and this is for Quebec elections.
Tunu’s a great guy. Met him 20 years ago while working for Makivik in Kuujjuaq. Already at that time, he showed wisdom and empathy toward other. Wish him the best, he’ll sure be an excellent MP.
I’ll have the difficult decision of either vote for Miss Saganash or Tunu. Not an easy choice.
Hopefully more voters will submit their ballots this time. Trilingual candidate from Nunavik can’t get better than this.
Thank you for running, Tunu. Good luck!!