Iqaluit wants voters to pick premier

Iqaluit city council wants the territory’s premier to be directly elected by voters, rather than chosen by other members of the legislative assembly.

Council passed a motion at a meeting on May 23 that urges the Nunavut Association of Municipalities to take a stand on the matter. They’re asking NAM to forward these recommendations to the Electoral Boundaries Commission.

At the meeting, mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik said she floated the idea with several other mayors at the recent NAM annual general meeting. She said she knows several communities already support the idea.

Coun. Nancy Gillis said a directly-elected premier would be more accountable. She said if mayors and the heads of various Inuit organizations are selected by voters, so should the premier.

Coun. Annie Gordon said if Nunavummiut elected their own leader, that leader would be bound to their promises.

It’s not a new idea. The Nunavut Implementation Committee once considered whether voters should directly elect their premier. In the end, they decided the choice would be best handled by MLAs.

All councillors voted in favour of the motion, except for Coun. Simanuk Kilabuk, who abstained.