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Nunavut preps for another election

Six parties vie for sole seat in the House of Commons

SARA MINOGUE AND JOHN THOMPSON

Nunavut's winter will be even more cold and bitter than usual - with a federal election that nobody wants scheduled for Jan. 23.

The federal minority government finally imploded on Nov. 16, when Conservative Leader Stephen Harper introduced a motion of non-confidence in the House of Commons.

The motion passed with 171 votes in favor, compared to just 133 opposed.

The next day, Prime Minister Paul Martin asked Governor-General Michaëlle Jean to dissolve parliament and set a date for the election.

That means Nunavummiut, like the rest of Canada, will head to the polls to choose their member of Parliament in an election just a year and a half after the Liberal party formed its minority government in Ottawa. This year, they have a record number of parties to choose from.

Nancy Karetak-Lindell, the incumbent Liberal MP for Nunavut, won 51 per cent of the vote in June 2004, and is in a strong position for re-election.

Her party recently committed $5.1 billion to "bridge the gaps" between aboriginal people and the rest of Canadians. That funding includes $300 million to be spent on building new homes throughout the North.

Karetak-Lindell said Nunavut residents should see construction begin this summer. She said during the conference she emphasized the short window of opportunity for building in Nunavut because of the sealift season.

"We've been saying that to as many people as possible," she said. "If you don't start now, you lose a whole building season."

Karetak-Lindell will also emphasize her time spent at the Kelowna conference, which she attended from beginning to end while participating in several committees.

She said the Liberal's cash commitment to aboriginals is part of a broader trend she's watched develop since her first federal victory in 1997. "We're not an afterthought in the bottom paragraph of a speech," she said.

She contrasts that with other parties.

"When I sit in the House of Commons and listen to what other parties say about the first peoples of Canada, I can't even understand, especially the Conservatives, what role the aboriginal people have in their view. There's no role, as far as I can see."

Karetak-Lindell said she will travel to communities during the campaign. She may be the only candidate who has the means to do so.

MP hopefuls lining up

The Conservative Party appeared confused earlier this week when the president of the party's riding association, Al Hayward, was quoted suggesting Conservatives vote Liberal, rather than for their candidate, David Aglukark Sr. of Arviat.

On Wednesday, however, Hayward clarified his remarks.

"What I specifically said was that the church should stay out of government's bedroom and government should definitely stay out of the church's bedroom," Hayward said. "There are a lot more important issues than same-sex marriage in Nunavut."

Aglukark announced his candidacy for the Conservative Party in May, when it also appeared the federal government could fall. He was chosen by acclamation.

At that time, the preacher's main platform was against same-sex marriage - in direct opposition to Karetak-Lindell's position on the issue.

The same-sex marriage question was resolved in June when a majority of members of parliament, including Karetak-Lindell, voted in favour of Bill C-38, which made same-sex unions legal across the country, while protecting the rights of clergy who do not want to perform the ceremony.

Hayward says his organization will back Aglukark during the campaign, though Hayward will not serve as the campaign manager, as he did for Duncan Cunningham in 2004.

"I think what he'll be focusing on is housing and economic development, and we really support that," Hayward said.

Nunatsiaq News was unable to reach Aglukark for comment before press time on Wednesday.

With Cunningham as the candidate, the Conservative party took 14.5 per cent of the vote in Nunavut in 2004.

The New Democratic Party will choose its candidate at a meeting in Iqaluit on Monday, Dec. 5. Bill Riddell won about 15 per cent of the vote as the NDP candidate in the last federal election, and has not ruled out running again.

Nedd Kenney is listed as the Green party's candidate on the CBC election 2006 website, but Nunatsiaq News was unable to reach him for comment before press time.

In the 2004 election, Kenney, 45, won about 3 per cent of the vote for the Green party based in Cambridge Bay where he worked as a music teacher. He has since moved to Pangnirtung where he works for the Government of Nunavut Department of Economic Development as manager of tourism, trade and export development.

Ed deVries of Iqaluit is expected to announce his candidacy for the Marijuana Party of Canada. He is the first person to represent that party in Nunavut.

No independent candidates had come forward as of Wednesday afternoon.

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