Premier to face leadership challenge Wednesday
MLA Solomon Malliki informs legislature of notice to remove Akeeagok as premier
Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok speaks in the legislature on Oct. 28. He faces a leadership challenge from MLA Solomon Malliki, who plans to make a motion on Wednesday to remove Akeeagok as premier. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok is expected to face a challenge to his leadership this week after MLA Solomon Malliki announced he plans to make a motion Wednesday to remove Akeeagok as head of the Nunavut government.
In the legislature, Malliki, who represents the Aivilik riding, didn’t give any reason why he wants Akeeagok to be removed.
But during an afternoon break in proceedings, Malliki told Nunatsiaq News he wants to oust Akeeagok over what he says is a lack of transparency.
“There’s no transparency in this government. We weren’t getting our answers,” Malliki said.
Malliki, who chairs the regular members’ caucus, added that he believes he has enough support from regular members to have the premier removed but acknowledged he “can’t predict the future.”
While Malliki said he has the numbers to win a vote on Akeeagok’s leadership, there was no immediate indication how cabinet ministers would vote. There are 13 regular members in the legislature, seven cabinet ministers, and the premier. Speaker Tony Akoak typically does not vote.
The move came as a surprise at the legislature, including in the media room where reporters were taken aback by the development.
Akeeagok himself said he was “surprised” when he answered a reporter’s questions about Monday’s development.
He responded “that’s false” when asked about Malliki’s assertion his government lacked transparency.
“When you say [lack of] transparency, I’d like to know which areas he’s referring to,” Akeeagok said.
He added later: “Right from day one, we’ve been open.”
The premier said he has been transparent on issues, including the progress his government has made on housing and elders’ services.
Akeeagok said he plans to introduce his government’s progress report this week.
There’s less than a year remaining before the next election in October 2025.
Akeeagok has been premier for three years.
Nunavut has a history of ousting premiers in the middle of a term. In 2018, then-premier Paul Quassa was removed by a majority of members, including nearly all the cabinet ministers, who used a non-confidence motion to end Quassa’s run as premier.
That led to Arviat South MLA Joe Savikataaq becoming premier. He served in the role until the 2021 election. After that election, MLAs picked newly elected Akeeagok to lead the government.
Akeeagok was elected to the legislature for the first time in 2021, after leaving his job as president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association to run for MLA in the Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu riding.
On Monday, it wasn’t immediately clear what the process will be for trying to remove Akeeagok — whether it would come in the form of a non-confidence motion or some other method.
Nunatsiaq News will update this developing story with more details as they become available.
The old boys are at it again, we know who wants to be minister and premier and they have been making it difficult to get anything done at the GN, all these games they play really don’t do anything to help the government and Nunavut, it’s like a bunch of attention seeking kids wanting to be the top dog.
How is that any different than how PJ became Premier in the first place? He leveraged the support of relatives and the NS Brat Pack with the promise of cabinet positions. Bottom line is the Territory has no confidence in this government, which opens the door to this type of tactic (whether the motivation is legitimate or not).
It is time for Nunavut to grow up and adopt the party system.
I’d rather say it’s time for Canada to grow up and adopt the consensus system. Makes sure that every vote and voice matters and is heard, and allows for ineffective leaders to be removed without forcing an election. Party politics is just a bunch of. immature us vs. them rhetoric rather than working together to come up with effective solutions.
Yes, every major democracy on the planet is doing it wrong. Only Nunavut got it right, and in less than 25 years of existence.
Inuit have been making decisions by consensus longer than the Americans have built and destroyed their democracy. Your sarcasm isn’t even sarcastic, today of all days
Yes, consensus in small groups of people where everyone knew everyone. Where the only redistribution was through the voluntary sharing of food, labour and knowledge. And there were no written records, no money and no state with a monopoly on the legal use of force.
I say all that not to judge traditional society, just to point out that those were the conditions under which consensus worked.
Yes, it just so happens that the system Canada installed in NWT to ensure political timidity in the distant backwaters is the best system ever.
Nunavut Nepotism at its best
You got that wrong. PJ is just a very nice man , he doesn’t have leadership skills. He’s never even been a hamlet councillor. His favourite answer to every thing is “I take that very seriously”
Lol ” I can’t tell you but I have my reasons … will say lack transparency ” loollll .
Fold Nunavut.
Please?
Almost 2 years ago Malliki made a motion “to admonish the executive council for not answering questions properly or in a timely manner”.
PJ said he was surprised then. And even though things are still the same, he’s still surprised now.
If any jurisdiction could avoid political jargon or spin, it should be Nunavut.
Solomon’s just sore because he didn’t get a chance to be a minister for 4 months like half of the other regular members.
Joe and George are just hungry for power. They just use other MLAs to get what they want. Ego’s constantly delaying process. With a year left, come on people. Give it up with the school yard bullying.
Was there even an election when PJ got in the premiere. John main was the person who takes out the father of nunavut who forms our land. He works very hard with Peter Ittinuak and Mr Tagunaq. There should be an check up what happen to before savikataaq was primiere.
INUK; J. Main? Biggest Ars in the House. Those of us who knew him well, It’s just an retirement and $$$ thing to him. He is for J. Main. Period. (.)
Maliki the Muppet forced again by Joe, George. Janet is involved. It hurts Janet and George not being bilingual so they choose to pick on others. Deal with your insecurities. But wait they are the ones that will make USA great again.
This whole government runs on secrecy.
The Premier keeps secrets from the Ministers.
Cabinet keeps secrets from the MLAs.
The MLAs keep secrets from their constituents.
The Ministers keep secrets from their DMs.
The DMs keep secrets from their employees, but that’s OK, because the Directors keep secrets from their DMs.
The Directors also keep secrets from those below them, and the staff keep secrets from their Directors.
Everybody is too busy keeping secrets to get anything accomplished.
I have ZERO confidence in this Premier. None.
With only 11 months remaining in their terms, why now? But I see the writing on the walls for this move to show case the political mongering for the next Nunavut election. See what happens though.
Most people who write in to Nunatsiaq are satisfied GN employees.
They don’t see any reason to make a change.
Things are great, the politicians are just fine, we public servants are good to run the government. Nothing to see here, move on.
I assume this is sarcasm?
The new DMs that don’t know Nunavut have too much authority . They are making all the decisions. Finally the regular MlA’s have figured it out – they have been played.
They are finding their smaller communities are being left out . The new DMs just know the regional hubs. Too much going into Iqaluit .
Iqaluit is the capital, the largest community in Nunavut, headquarters for the government and other organizations and corporations, of course Iqaluit will get its share, do you expect a place of 1,200 to have just as much? It’s ridiculous how some think, so small minded.
I lost confidence in the GN NU as a NB a while ago, it’s a total bust! It’s in a poor, pitiful state of affairs. Let NU East and Kivalliq squabble over it.
How about someone with a backbone, who will stand up & fight for Nunavut rather than pandering to the Feds and looking for photo ops!! PJ and Lori Idlout should have stood with the NWT and YT against the carbon tax.
It’s not GN leadership, jealousy, revenge, backstabbing, it’s at all levels in NU, NTI, RIAs, Hamlets, HTOs, Housing, Educations, and a Civil service with not one qualified DM, and last but not least Inuit, tearing down Inuit, they sure forget how the elders handled this .
If this is Larry from the southern most community on the west coast of HB, you are one of them: “Inuit tearing down Inuit”, “Native tearing down native”, all too common. So much hate for anyone that has ambition and success!!
He has been covering up for his ministers and not releasing reports or bringing back our inuit kids to home from unlicensed group homes in south
George Hickes was the best minister the assembly has ever had. He wasn’t just book smart like you say, he has the street cred. Ask anybody up the Road to Nowhere and down to Pump Station number 2. George is a workingman’s MLA. He’s always looking out for the regular joe, with his selfless demeanor and cadence.
Only a few weeks ago, he saw me struggling with my bags at Northmart. He offered to carry them out to my car. I offered a tip and he wouldn’t even accept. He’s just that much of a gentleman. I hope he seeks re-election next year.
Time for electoral reform. Make the premier be voted in by citizens rather than by the MLAs. Make it so that you can run for Premier or MLA but not both..
This Nu, government brought in the puatiikee all in look at all them working in government buildings walking out every office,
What’s the level of inuit Employment 51% ,
Was this not the same Government to have Inuit 85% in Office and have none Inuit learn Inutitut?,
Lots to mentioned look at whom are the ADMs who cannot get this rolling well ,
This was to be for Inuit Government and less and less Inuit in Office,
PJ you fell for PM of Canada and watch in total 25,000 to move to Nunavut , how many todate already!.
Help Nunavutmuit not outsider’s.
Eyes & ears
It’s a shame the GN probably won’t ever reach the 85% target (not in this century at least) but it’s also a shame we see a lot of “friends hiring their friends”. This has to stop. If 85% were realistic, not only would the GN be 85%, but so would all the inuit orgs, taxi companies, “inuit owned” companies, stores, etcetera. Until inuit start taking education seriously (not just going to NS), the “puatiikee” are here to stay.
His puppets have proclaimed him the Emperor of Utter Brilliance! Now, all the unanswered mysteries are finally seeing the light of day!
Hate to see him go, if he leaves I’m hoping Main for Premier
PJ is just a lovable and nice man; He doesn’t have leadership qualities. He just doesn’t know how the Government works. EIA is out to lunch. Something is wrong when all the ministers are afraid to be criticized. The answers they give in the house are not to make a change but just a reading of a policy. Minister Nakashuk is worst at answering, she has just memorized the policies and just answers from her briefing book. None of these ministers have made any major creative changes to make life easy for the public.
Only in Nunavut does anyone get away with outright racism. It’s racism to denigrate any ethnic group and Nunavut can’t function without its non-Inuit workforce. It can dream it, it can even attempt it. But the clock cannot be turned back and history is just that, history. Time to do what peoples the world over have done after genocide, dispossession, disenfranchisement:, destruction, and all the other atrocities humans inflict n each other: get up, take a deep breath in and roll up your sleeves. It won’t be easy and you can’t rely on handouts because nothing enslaves you or dispirits you more than a handout. Strive today, strive tomorrow. Go!
Everything at the Ledge is old fashioned They still have the same old Clerk of the Legislative Assembly since its creation in 1999. He is well past retirement age and yet he won’t let any new minds take over, at his age! Nu can start there first and begin making big changes. It’s hard to believe how very little things have changed there.
Mr.Main has not been competent in running the department of health, don’t give him more responsibility!!
The Dept of health is at an all time low functioning, health centers closed in a regular basis, nurses are miserable and have left at an alarming rate (see nunatsiaq 3 part story), QGH nepotism and elitism treatment for physicians is at an all time high with zero checks and balances.
Mme. Gross has not been competent in running the department of education; don’t give her more responsibility!
The Dept. of Education is at an all-time low functioning, schools closed on a regular basis because they were neglected, teachers are miserable and have left at an alarming rate (see previous Nunatsiaq story), and IDEA nepotism and confusion are at an all-time high with zero checks and balances.
I feel like you can copy/paste this comment for each department… Please someone name an efficient department to create some positivism. Is there at least one sector that is functioning properly?