Premiership race a tight battle

As of Nunatsiaq News press-time on Wednesday, members of Nunavut’s second legislative assembly were evenly split between two contenders for Nunavut’s premiership, Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley, and Iqaluit West MLA Paul Okalik.

Nunavut’s 19 newly-elected MLAs were to formally elect a speaker, premier and cabinet at a “leadership forum” today in Iqaluit.

However, the lobbying and deal-making began as election results became public on Feb. 16, and carried over into the MLAs’ first informal gatherings, which began last Friday, when they arrived in Iqaluit for a week of orientation, briefings, and social events.

Whoever wins the all-important premier’s job today will have done so by winning at least 10 votes in an election held among the 19 members, by secret ballot.

But no matter who the victor turns out to be, it’s clear Nunavut’s next premier will end up sitting within a divided house.

At a “meet-and-greet” session held at noon Tuesday for MLAs and reporters at Iqaluit’s legislative assembly, one source told Nunatsiaq News that Curley and Okalik held seven votes each, with the other five members still undecided.

Another source said the two contenders held eight votes each, with only three undecideds, as of Tuesday afternoon.

One factor that may determine today’s outcome is bloc voting by region, since 10 MLAs represent Baffin constituencies, and nine MLAs represent constituencies that cover the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot regions.

Another factor is cabinet representation. It’s no secret that Kitikmeot members, who represent Nunavut’s most alienated and disaffected region, want at least two posts in the next cabinet.

The current system for choosing a speaker, premier and cabinet is inherited from the Northwest Territories, where MLAs have been electing those officers after each territorial election since 1991 at a public gathering they call a “leadership forum.” Before 1991, MLAs conducted the process behind closed doors, but opened it up after a public outcry.

Legislative assembly staff said Wednesday that the leadership process would be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today in the legislative assembly chambers.

MLAs will first elect a speaker, then receive nominations from candidates for premier. Each premiership candidate will make a 20-minute speech. After that, other MLAs will be able to ask questions of each candidate.

MLAs will then elect seven cabinet ministers. Each cabinet candidate may speak for 10 minutes.

The proceedings were to be broadcast live today on APTN, and in Iqaluit on cable channel 33, as well as on 93.7 and 94.9 on the FM radio band.