New cabinet includes mix of veterans, new MLAs
Eight MLAs selected by legislature colleagues to form cabinet; new premier Main still to assign portfolios
Eight MLAs were selected for cabinet positions Tuesday. Top row from left are Annie Tattuinee, Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster, David Akeeagok and Craig Simailak. Bottom row, from left: George Hickes, Gwen Healey Akearok, Brian Koonoo and Cecile Nelvana Lyall. (Photos by Jeff Pelletier)
Four new MLAs and four veterans made the cut when Nunavut’s new cabinet was selected Tuesday.
MLAs picked eight cabinet ministers when they met for the leadership forum, the first order of business after an election. Ministers are the elected leaders who are responsible for Government of Nunavut departments, such as Health, Education, Justice and Environment.
Newly elected Premier John Main, the Arviat North-Whale Cove MLA who was picked by his colleagues for the top job earlier in the day, is expected to assign portfolios to each minister later in the week.
Nunavut’s new ministers are:
David Akeeagok, MLA for Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu;
Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster, Iqaluit-Sinaa;
Annie Tattuinee, Rankin Inlet South;
George Hickes, Iqaluit-Tasiluk;
Gwen Healey Akearok, Iqaluit-Manirajak;
Brian Koonoo, Tununiq;
Cecile Nelvana Lyall, Netsilik;
Craig Simailak, Baker Lake.
Tattuinee, Akearok, Koonoo and Lyall are all newcomers to the legislative assembly, having won their seats in the Oct. 27 territorial election. Brewster is the only one of the returning MLA candidates who has never served in cabinet.
In Nunavut’s consensus-style government, MLAs pick the Speaker, the premier and cabinet ministers.
The ministers were determined in a vote by a secret ballot Tuesday evening.
Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet MLA Alexander Sammurtok was the ninth person nominated for a cabinet post, but he was not selected.
The new premier and cabinet will be officially sworn in on Thursday afternoon.
An interesting mix of old and new, capabilities, and backgrounds. Honestly wishing you guys the best of luck. Congrats to all.
Hello Nunavumiutt, I wonder what ideas you’ve elected with this new cabinet? These people had no common policies or ideas on how to move things forward. These people have no common agenda on how to make Nunavut better. But, no need to worry about that; The unelected bureaucrats will step in and set the agenda for the next four years. These “ Cabinet Ministers” will fall in line. Expect some kind of “ mandate” document soon, prepared by the qalunaat bureaucrats that Main and his fellows will adopt soon. Everything repeats itself. You’ll see
Did you not watch the presentations? One notable new member made the best presentation that included capacity building for Inuit. Disgruntled much?
Sounds like someone lost the elections
Lollllll
Are you knew here? The mandate is drafted by Ministers during a retreat. The officials are just there to transcribe what they’re told and it’s not some sinister or secret thing. They set the agenda, not some nameless bureaucrat. The idea that any government worker would risk a cushy GN salary on presuming to tell a minister what to do is laughable. All the DMs are walking on egg shells so they don’t offend their minister and get replaced.
Are you telling me that the Deputy Minister of EIA does not even come in with a draft mandate for the members to consider, and the members develop the whole thing from scratch and the DM merely takes dictation? You really want me to believe that? If someone wants to believe that, I have some premium tropical beachfront property in Resolute Bay to sell them….
No work starts on the mandate until the Premier and Cabinet set priorities and meet to discuss their mandate. If a DM of EIA brought in a draft they’d be given the next golden parachute out of government.
Hopefully the new HEALTH minister will do something about tobacco abuse in the territory. So much poverty is directly linked to poor people spending all their child tax and welfare on cigarettes and then begging for food when they get hungry.
You’re right, they should really drop the crazy amount of excise taxes on tobacco products.
Add gambling to that list.. so many people living paycheque to paycheque, blowing it all in the first two days after getting paid. No money left to buy food for their kids.
Quik Stop and Tim Hortons like child tax day in Nunavut.🤣🤘
… the Minister of Health to do something about the tobacco abuse? It also takes some will from the people themselves. A relative, friend, colleague can probably have way more influence on someone than a politician and/or policies. Adequate support from the GN would nicely complement this. Food for thought…
If the minister of health is the same we have in 2018, he had years to do that and accomplished nothing.
It’s good to see an equal number of women in cabinet.
Why?
So how is it the government’s problem that people choose to buy cigarettes rather than food for themselves and thier kids. Take some responsibility for your decisions. Just stop. You will gain thousands of dollars every year.
Also likely to gain years too!
Former health ministers elected to cabinet again were previously very nice, but ultimately completely ineffective – which is almost the same as causing issues. I hope the premier will have a good grip and appoint the right person for health because previous solutions and choices didn’t work out well – however Nice the person might be.