The 2017 Nunavut general election was held on October 30, 2017 to return the members of the 5th Nunavut Legislature.[2] The fifth general election held since the creation of the territory in 1999, it was the first election held under Nunavut's new fixed election dates law, which requires elections to be held no more than four years after the prior election.[3]
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22 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut | |||
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| Turnout | 63.3%[1]( 7.0pp) | ||
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Unlike most federal or provincial elections in Canada, elections to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut are conducted on a non-partisan consensus government model, in which all candidates run as independents rather than being nominated by political parties. The premier and executive council are then selected internally by the MLAs at the first special sitting of the legislature.
Candidates
editAs of the close of nominations on September 29, 2017, three MLAs, Steve Mapsalak, Keith Peterson and Premier Peter Taptuna were the only incumbents not running again.[4] One district, Kugluktuk, saw only one candidate register by the close of nominations; that candidate, Mila Adjukak Kamingoak, was immediately declared as acclaimed to office.[5]
In one district, Cambridge Bay, formal declaration of the winner was not made until November 5, with the initial results undergoing an automatic recount due to a margin of less than two per cent between the top two finishers.[6] The recount confirmed that the original count was correct.[7]
Followup
editA record number of women were elected to the legislature;[8] in addition to Kamingoak's acclamation, four more women were declared elected on election night, and a woman won the recount in Cambridge Bay.[8] These six women, representing 27 per cent of the legislature, represent the first time in the territory's history that it has ranked higher than last or second-last among Canada's provinces and territories for female membership in the legislature.
Following the election, only three of the eight incumbent cabinet ministers had been reelected: three were defeated and two, including Premier Peter Taptuna, chose not to run again. Overall, half of the legislature's 22 incumbents were reelected.
On November 17, 2017, the Nunavut Leadership Forum convened in Iqaluit to choose the next premier. MLAs Joe Savikataaq, Cathy Towtongie, Patterk Netser, and Paul Quassa put their names forward; ultimately, Quassa was elected premier, and Joe Enook was chosen as Speaker. The Executive Council was to consist of David Akeeagok, Pat Angnakak, Jeannie Ehaloak, David Joanasie, Lorne Kusugak, Savikataaq, and Elisapee Sheutiapik.[9]
In 2018, however, Quassa lost a confidence vote in the legislature, and was succeeded as premier by Savikataaq.[10]
Results
editThe Legislative Assembly is run on a consensus government system, in which all MLAs sit as independents and are not organized into political parties. Note, accordingly, that colours in the following charts are used solely to indicate candidate status, not political party affiliations.
Statistics
edit| Reelection statistics | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | Did not run again | Defeated | Reelected | |
| All MLAs | 22 | 3 (13.6%) | 8 (36.3%) | 11 (50.0%) |
| Cabinet ministers | 8 | 2 (25.0%) | 3 (37.5%) | 3 (37.5%) |
Candidates
editAs of November 1, all results are unofficial.[33]
References
edit- ^ "63.3 per cent of Nunavut voters cast ballots in 2017 election". November 8, 2017.
- ^ "Nunavut MLAs approve money to be spent by next legislature" Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine. Nunatsiaq News, June 8, 2017.
- ^ "Nunavut MLAs opt for fixed election dates, code of conduct" Archived 2018-02-12 at the Wayback Machine. Nunatsiaq News, February 24, 2014.
- ^ "Elections Nunavut Declared candidates". Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
- ^ "The fifth Nunavut assembly’s first MLA: ready to engage with constituents". Nunatsiaq News, October 2, 2017.
- ^ "Close race in western Nunavut hub triggers recount". Nunatsiaq News, October 31, 2017.
- ^ "'I'm finally feeling rested': Recount confirms Jeannie Ehaloak's election in Cambridge Bay". CBC North, November 5, 2017.
- ^ a b "New faces, and a record number of women, will make up Nunavut's next legislature". CBC North, October 30, 2017.
- ^ "Paul Quassa will be Nunavut's next premier". CBC News. November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ "After Paul Quassa ejected, Nunavut chooses deputy as new premier". CTV News. June 14, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ Results for Aggu Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Aivilik Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Amittuq Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Arviat North-Whale Cove Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Arviat South Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Baker Lake Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Cambridge Bay Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Gjoa Haven Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Hudson Bay Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Iqaluit-Manirajak Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Iqaluit-Sinaa Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Iqaluit-Tasiluk Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Kugluktuk Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Netsilik Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Pangnirtung Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Quttiktuq Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Rankin Inlet South Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for South Baffin Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Tununiq Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ Results for Uqqummiut Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.
- ^ 2017 General Election Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine from Elections Nunavut.