Picco faces-off against two challengers

A veteran Nunavut leader, a popular Inuktitut singer, and one of the outgoing government’s dominant cabinet ministers are now battling for the hearts and minds of voters in the sprawling constituency of Iqaluit East.

Norman Ishulutak, a well-known singer-songwriter with the band Uvagut, and John Amagoalik, a much-celebrated Inuit leader, are each hoping to unseat Health Minister Ed Picco from a riding that he easily won in 1999.

Iqaluit East is made up Apex, Happy Valley and all of Tundra Valley between the sea-coast and the Apex Road.

Ishulutak, 47, says he first considered Iqaluit Centre, but chose Iqaluit East “because I felt that I know more people in this riding.”

Ishulutak, a newcomer to elected politics, said social issues, especially housing and jobs for Inuit, will figure largely in his campaign.

“I’ve been singing about social issues for 23 years, so I thought I would try to do something about them,” he said, referring to his band Uvagut’s country-tinged ballads, which are are well-known throughout the eastern Arctic.

To help deal with Iqaluit’s daunting housing problems, Ishulutak would review the Iqaluit Housing Authority’s policies to improve tenant relations, and to hold workshops aimed at helping people learn financial responsibilities as tenants and homeowners

“I would encourage people to become homeowners. There should be workshops to teach people the responsibility of becoming homeowners,” Ishulutak said.

Another issue, which is “very important” for him, is the restoration of Christian religious instruction in the schools.

“I’m going to be asking the local Christian churches’ support in bringing God’s word back into being taught in schools – the Lord’s Prayer and biblical teaching, back into the schools,” Ishulutak said, saying he’ll meet with Iqaluit church leaders this coming week to talk about the issue.

Ishulutak is unemployed right now, after a four-year stint as a constituency worker for Paul Okalik in Iqaluit West.

The other challenger in Iqaluit East, John Amagoalik, owns a resumé that reads like the history of Nunavut, but has been out of the limelight for most of the past five years and is attempting to revive his political career.

“I’m very tired of standing on the sidelines and watching whatever is going on, or whatever is not going on, and I very much want to get back into the action,” Amagoalik said.

Amagoalik, 56, has been president of the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, chair of the Nunavut Implementation Commission, and has held numerous other positions within Inuit organizations since 1975.

This is his first attempt to win a position within a public government – as opposed to an Inuit-specific organization.

The last time Amagoalik ventured into electoral politics, he sought the presidency of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in NTI’s December, 2001 byelection. But he was defeated by Cathy Towtongie.

“People take an MLA’s position more seriously than the positions within the Inuit organizations. Of course the presidency of NTI is important and influential, but people put a lot more importance on MLAs, who actually make laws and control government budgets,” Amagoalik said.

He also says he’s deeply unhappy with the performance of the last Nunavut government, calling it a “government-in-hiding.”

“I think because of situation that we find ourselves in, in Nunavut today, the government needs to be a lot more proactive. It needs to make things happen instead of waiting for things to happen.”

Amagoalik is also highly critical of the incumbent, Ed Picco.

“I think Mr. Picco has had a number of years to do his work and to prove himself. But I think a lot of people agree that he talks a good game, but that’s about it.”

Picco, who defeated Natsiq Kango by a margin of 416 votes to 168 in 1999, rejects that accusation.

“I introduced the first and possibly the strongest tobacco legislation in the country. I opened up the first mental health facility here in the Baffin. I increased funding to both the woman’s shelter and the homeless shelter by at least 20 per cent. I started the first nursing program and I said I would do a capital commision report, which I’ve done. I think there’s a huge list of things that I said I would do and which I’ve done,” Picco said.

Picco, 42, decided to seek re-election just before Christmas, saying he wants to continue work he started before the election.

“I want to see a new hospital, I want to see an new Joamie School up. I think there’s a lot of work to be done with the harbour infrastructure in the community itself.”

Picco said that, if re-elected, he will again seek a spot on cabinet, but he has no interest in the premier’s job.

And as a member of the outgoing government, he says he’s prepared to defend that government’s record.

“Being part of the government, you’re part of that record. I think overall there is room for improvement. But you’ve got to look at where we’ve come from.”