CBC - Nunavut Votes 2004

Here are some of your comments about Nuanvut's 2004 election.

As I was watching Qaggiq earlier today, Paul Quassa's interview with Anne Hanson, I wrote down some thoughts in Inuktitut so I will write in Roman Orthography. To my understanding of Inuktitut the term "sivuliuqti" means a
leader.

Qarnguna sivuliuqtiuniq tukiqaqpa? Isumagigakkuli sivuliuqtiujuq sivummuaqtitsivuq pinniarnirmigut pillirijunnarnimigullu, niruaqtauqattaqtut tamarmilli sivuliuqtiuninginni taijunnaqqunginnakkit. Sivuliuqtillariit,
sivummuaqtittijariaqaqput kiggaqtuqtaminituarminiungittuq, sivummulli isumajunnaqtut, issumatsiarrunnaqtut, naalatsiarunnaqtut, aasiminik isumajunnaqtuq sivuliuqtiunasugivakka. Tannali Nunavuut Gavamangannik
niruaqsirniujuq/ niruaqtaujullu tainnajarapkilli maligaliuqtimik.

Niruaqtaujulluktaat sivuliuqtiunirralugit taijunnanginakkit.
Sivuliuqtimmariktut iliqusiqariaqarmata Innuluktaanik ajjigiktitinirmik, sivummullu isumajunnarnirmik, sivummukpailliarniqpik parnagunnarnik isumaliurunnarnirlu, nalaaglutillu Innungik, Innungiglu aajiqatiqaqattarlutik.

Qujannamiik.
Bernadette Dean

Has there been nothing learned? How can the voters of Quttiktuq not understand that violence against one is violence against all... Shame on them for electing Barnabus...

George Lessard
Recently of Arviat

I am a registered nurse at Baffin Regional Hospital. I want to comment that I felt that health care was not a high priority debated issue during the election. But, in my nursing care, I see that the health of my patients is directly affected by the fact that the patients I care for do not have proper housing. I notice this when I care for babies and small children with respiratory viruses. Crowded spaces and houses not well ventilated does increase the potential for these little ones to become sick.

The addition of midwives and nurse practitioners would fill some of the big gaps in how health care is being delivered.

If Ed Picco does get reelected, I wonder if he will want to be, or be appointed to be Health minister again.

Marion Willms

Iam currently attending college in Iqaluit, my younger brother Bruce Jerry and his girl friend
are also here, also attending college.

We applied for our special ballot on January 30th, unfortunately our application was some how not processed properly, and we were given the run around.

Due to the fact that we can not vote tonight, we are delcaring that we would have proudly voted for Phoebe Palluq Hainnu for Clyde River and Qikiqtarjuaq riding. All we can do now is wish that our vote counted tonight.

NOTE: We sincerely hope that the new Nunavut Government will seriously consider improving the special ballot system, so that voter turnout
will increase and all voters will count.

Rebecca Hainnu
Clyde River

I hope that our new MLA is going to be a strong leader for the Nattilik Riding. I hope that they can support Housing, Recreation and Education as a top priority, support small businesses for both communities, and focus on Youth Issues. One thing that they have to work hard on is Suicide Prevention. We have to have more suicide prevention workshop for the communities of our Territory I am a student in the Recreation Leaders Program at Aurora College, Aurora Campus in Inuvik, N.W.T. I'll be expecting to graduate in May of 2004. I'm watching the Nunavut Elections Live all the way from Inuvik!

Paul Puqiqnak
Gjoa Haven

I believe the new MLAs that are elected for this second term of our new Government must be honest, open and reliable to the public. As we can see from the politicians from southern Canada, the Federal Government is a disgrace and in order for our Nunavut Territory to work properly, our new MLAs must not follow in the footsteps of their southern counterparts. We must all work together in order for Nunavut to progress further into the future, and not be a burden on ourselves. All levels of Government must work as a TEAM, which includes all birth right organizations. Public Housing, Health Care and Education will always be top priority in Nunavut. I expect new and great things coming from this second Government, but in order for it to succeed, the Government must choose its priorities and work for the public who elected them.

Thank you,

Derek Elias & Linda Klengenberg
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut

We should be looking forward to the next four years. And the leaders that are chosen tonight need to make a commitment to themselves and their constituents and be held accountable.

We need leaders that can deal with hardcore issues and can build Nunavut now and in the future. Education and Human Rights must be on the top of the list.

These are basic building blocks for future Nunavutmiut to help build and form a socially democratic government.

The higher the voter turn out, the true accountablilty comes out; lower turn out would mean that is not the true representative of the public.

Christa Kunuk & Paula Hughson

One of the goals of the Bathurst Mandate is that by 2020, Nunavut is a place where Inuit are leaders in their territory, witholders of their language, and culture. Inuit in Nunavut are obligated to vote for Inuit candidates to achieve that goal. When non Inuit are voted into the legislature that is one step forwards and two steps back.

Noah Paniyuk

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