Nunavut premier says he won’t seek re-election
Premier P.J. Akeeagok says decision made after ‘heartfelt conversations’ with his family’
Nuanvut Premier P.J. Akeeagok, pictured in a file photo speaking at the 2024 Nunavut Trade Show in Iqaluit, says he will not seek re-election to the legislative assembly in October. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election as a member of the territory’s legislative assembly.
His decision creates an opening for Nunavut’s top elected position with territorial elections scheduled to be held on Oct. 27.
“To the People of Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu and the Territory of Nunavut, after deep reflection and many heartfelt conversations with my family, I have decided not to seek re-election as a Member of the Legislative Assembly,” Akeeagok said on social media Tuesday morning.
In the same statement, he said, “I am not stepping away for another role. I am stepping away because this is the right moment to spend more time with my young family — time that public life often demands we set aside.”
He was not immediately available for comment.
Speaking to Nunatsiaq News in May, the premier appeared uncertain about what his future held, saying he wanted to have “conversations with my constituents” before deciding whether to seek re-election.
Akeeagok leaves territorial politics after serving only a single term as MLA. He was elected to represent the Iqaluit-area riding in November 2021, winning with 84 per cent of the vote, and soon after was elected premier in a vote by MLAs in the legislature.
In early June, his uncle, cabinet minister and Quttiktuq riding MLA David Akeeagok, also announced he would not seek re-election in the Oct. 27 vote.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
I will think of PJ each time I walk by the Elder’s Bus which arrived in our community last year, just sitting unused there with no plan and no budget to actually operate it.
Congratulations to PJ and to Nunavut for his early retirement.
Let’s hope we get an agent of change so the Territory can back out of the ditch with whatever is left of the machinery of government.
This is the single best thing he’s done for Nunavut.
Wishing him well in retirement. A decent person, but it’s hard to ignore how much the wheels fell off the Elders vans right after they ran over everyone else. Maybe next time, the focus will be less on photo ops and more on the unglamorous work of actually running a government. There’s a lesson here for ITK and anyone else paying attention: when your office is mostly air and selfies, don’t be surprised when you don’t get the adoration you seek.
Maybe he’ll join Aluki on her review of Nutrition North, also known as the do nothing project for ex politicians transitioning to private life…
I nominate Trina Qaqqaq
On behalf of all Nunavummiu, thank you or congratulations for trying. Nallina to potential Manirarak riding.
Maybe he will have time to read the AG report on Nunavut 3000.
I can clearly recall shortly after he was elected, so many ppl were so excited, saying the former premier was not doing the job right, and now what? We’re going to see the same complaints about this guy when in fact ppl where very excited to have this guy as a premier
The next Premier will have to be prepared for many sleepless nights as it will take a few years to correct the Government to be put back in order then back to norm
Bring back Joe
When the motion to remove him, scrapped by with a one vote to survive, is the day we saw he was done. Good to see he can do the math. Some of the cabinet members would have voted to remove too, but in the interest of finishing the term out, it was necessary to support the cabinet. We hope this change will lead to an educated person being voted in this fall.
Ahhhhh. So this is why we have been seeing David A at every photo op possible and why he announced that he’s not running in the high arctic.
Remember that he was part of cabinet when things went off the rails for years at Family Services-he was complicit then and he has been through Nunavut 3000 the Elders vans and has sat back and let PJ and Co blame ‘past governments’ for all of their failings while digging a trench around the territory.
Why did he get handed Human Resources ? Pay attention to which mucky-mucks get hired in the next few months. There’s got to be some VERY plum appointments coming for some not so peachy people.