MLA prods Trudeau, premier over delays in naming new senator, chief justice for Nunavut
Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster says she worries Nunavut being left out of important federal discussions
Iqaluit-Sinaa MLA Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to appoint a new senator and chief justice for Nunavut. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Iqaluit-Sinaa MLA Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to move faster to fill Nunavut’s vacant Senate and chief justice positions.
“The Senate is dealing with a number of bills, and committees are doing their work in the absence of anybody who is representing Nunavut,” Brewster said in an interview.
“When it comes to the chief justice position, it’s worrisome because we know that there’s already a backlog in the court system.”
Nunavut’s only Senate seat has been vacant since December when Dennis Patterson retired.
The position of chief justice for the Nunavut Court of Justice became vacant in April when Neil Sharkey retired. Justice Susan Cooper is currently the acting chief justice.
Over the summer, Brewster wrote Trudeau asking that he take “immediate action” to fill those positions.
Jean-Luc Marion, Trudeau’s director of correspondence, told Brewster in August that the government was “continuing to work” on appointments.
In the legislature Monday, Premier P.J. Akeeagok told Brewster he’s in “weekly conversations” with the prime minister’s office advocating to fill the vacancies, and doesn’t know why there’s a delay.
Recent tests to Trudeau’s leadership, including two failed confidence votes and calls from his own caucus urging him to resign, are adding to Brewster’s worries.
“When there’s a potential for that kind of upheaval, it’s very concerning,” she said.
Daniel Savoie, a spokesperson for the Privy Council Office, said in an email the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments began reviewing applications for Nunavut’s Senate vacancy in March.
Applications remain open until an appointment is made and eligible Nunavummiut “are encouraged to apply,” Savoie said. However, “status updates are not provided during the selection process.”
As for the Nunavut chief justice vacancy, Savoie said the appointment will also “be made in due course.”
In an email, Patterson said Nunavut is missing Senate committee participation, debates, and the opportunity to demand more federal investments in the territory by the government.
“This fall is also a crucial time for input into the government’s spending priorities,” he said.
Currently, there are six vacant seats in the Senate — two each representing Ontario and B.C., one for Quebec and one for Nunavut.
The Trudeau government is completely preoccupied with its own survival with vanishingly little attention left to govern. regardless of whom you like, the best thing for the country right now would be an election.
Indeed, the replacement for Patterson should have been made months ago. All this makes you wonder why the Prime Minister should be solely responsible for choosing our Senator at all. A flaw in our system is how it places so much power in the hands of the PMO.
Insiders are saying lots of people jockeying for the job, so please be patient . It will happen and we will have somebody new to trash.
They better hurry up, Herr Poilievre will be calling the shots soon.
It’s not like they didn’t know Patterson was retiring long in advance. No excuse for Nunavut not to have a senator. Full stop. Good on her for calling it out. What kind of federal government simply leaves an entire territory unrepresented? The whole thing is sad. GN needs to step up. Inuit need to speak up.
Yes inuit speak up more, I’ve been trying to complain to the health worker in arviat. For sure there is somebody was in theit work leave and never been talk to much but being use my these workers towards inuit who needs help. I know someone was in work leave and never discuss with their employer and just put them to income support.
The BNA didn’t set a time limit for filling Senate vacancies. The 1982 Constitution Act (the Charter) failed to remedy that defect (and introduced many new defects). Trudeau left a vacancy in Alberta open for four years.
In the absence of constitutional guidance, how about a reasonableness standard?
I guess there’s always political accountability at play as well:
Everybody remember that Nunavut went without a senator for potentially 1.5 years (if we one is appointed summer 2025) so that the PM could save it for an announcement closer to the next federal election.
Good luck to that, nothing is being done until the Liberal Government hand over the list of Traitors.
This is one of those weird situations where everyone knows who its going to be, but no one will say it.
Janet knows who it will be and is using this to bludgeon Trudeau.
PJ knows who it will be and is playing dumb to keep the “secret”.
Both know why the delay is there, and why it will extend until the end of summer.
So hear it now – you wont find out who your new Senator is until late summer. If I’m wrong, I’ll eat the raven that hangs out on the power line outside my house.
The real question is why the wait. Thats where the real fun is.
So who’s it going to be?
Perhaps we will hear soon now that the NTI elections are happening and the outgoing President and her partner are headed to Ottawa. Oklalik couldn’t win another election in Nunavut, but I’m sure the Feds can find a use for him.
So who do you think it is then?
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I have heard all the rumours about Madeleine Redfern, but I don’t know where that talk was from originally, and it seems like in the months since I heard that she has been taking a lot of hits lately in the public eye with all the trouble at the Native Women’s Association of Canada.
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but then again, when has public perception ever really mattered in the Senate? It’s quite a dumping ground for unpopular and unrepresentative people who would seemingly have trouble getting hired at a real job with accountability.
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Mr. Stanky Leg?
Redfern said ages ago that she’s not interested.
I think smiley should represent Nunavut on a global scale. It’s only fair that those get trashed on social media, in the streets and by the newbie fheads gets a chance to voice in.
The Chief Justice issue is very easy to fix. Justice Cooper is obviously the best choice.
It is difficult to visualize anything less important to the overall benefit of Canadian society than who will be the next senator. Well, maybe what color I’ll paint my house.