Jack Iyerak Anawak
ᔭᒃ ᐃᐊᕋᒃ ᐊᓇᕙᒃ
Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs
In office
January 19, 2004 – October 3, 2006
Prime MinisterJean Chrétien
Preceded byMary Simon
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Parliamentary constituencies
Member of the
Legislative Assembly of Nunavut
for Rankin Inlet North
In office
February 15, 1999 – February 16, 2004
Preceded byRiding established
Succeeded byTagak Curley
Member of Parliament
for Nunatsiaq
In office
November 21, 1988 – June 2, 1997
Preceded byNancy Karetak-Lindell
Succeeded byMassimo Pacetti
Personal details
Born (1950-09-26) September 26, 1950
Repulse Bay, Northwest Territories
Political party

Jack Iyerak Anawak (born September 26, 1950) is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1997. He sat in the house as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Following his retirement from federal politics, he also served a term in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut after that territory was created in 1999. He ran as the New Democratic Party's candidate for his old riding, now renamed Nunavut, in the 2015 election, but was defeated by Liberal candidate Hunter Tootoo.

Political career

Federal politics

Anawak was first elected in the 1988 election, and served as the Liberal Party's opposition critic for Northern Affairs in the 34th Canadian Parliament. Re-elected in the 1993 election, which was won by the Liberals, he was named parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in the government of Jean Chrétien.

Territorial politics

In 1999, he was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut for the seat of Rankin Inlet North. He was widely favoured to be the new territory's first Premier. However, he was perceived as the choice of the Chrétien government. The Assembly, which operates on a nonpartisan consensus model, selected Paul Okalik instead.

Anawak did not run for re-election in 2004. He tried to return to the Assembly in the 2008 Nunavut general election, filing nomination papers to run in the electoral district of Akulliq. Elections Nunavut Chief Electoral Officer Sandy Kusugak rejected his candidacy, as he was not a full-time resident of Nunavut at the time his nomination papers were filed. Anawak took Elections Nunavut to court and managed to halt the election in that district pending his appeal,[1] but on November 6, the Nunavut Court of Justice threw out the election challenge.[2]

Anawak ran again in the 2013 territorial election,[3] but finished fourth in the Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu riding.[4]

Return to federal politics

In 2015, Anawak announced his intent to take back his old riding, now renamed Nunavut, in the 2015 election. This time, he ran as the candidate of the New Democratic Party.[5] He came second in the race.[6]

When the Canadian two-dollar coin was introduced, a number of nicknames were suggested. Jack Anawak proposed the name "Nanuq" [nanook, polar bear] in honour of Canadian Inuit and their northern culture; however, this culturally meaningful proposal went largely unnoticed beside the simple, mass-appeal "Twonie/Toonie".[7]

Municipal politics

Anawak was elected to Iqaluit City Council in the 2023 municipal election.[8]

Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs

Anawak served as Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs from January 2004 until 2006 when the position was discontinued by the Harper government.[9] Its functions were transferred to the bureaucratic level.[10]

Electoral history

2015 Canadian federal election: Nunavut
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalHunter Tootoo5,61947.11+18.41$32,110.96
New DemocraticJack Iyerak Anawak3,17126.58+7.22–
ConservativeLeona Aglukkaq2,95624.78-25.12$36,393.17
GreenSpencer Rocchi1821.53-0.51–
Total valid votes/expense limit 11,928100.00 $203,887.65
Total rejected ballots 950.79–
Turnout 12,20362.54 –
Eligible voters 19,223
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +21.77
Source: Elections Canada[11][12]
1993 Canadian federal election: Nunatsiaq
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalJack Iyerak Anawak6,68569.79+29.85
Progressive ConservativeLeena Evic-Twerdin1,97020.57−2.37
New DemocraticMike Illnik9249.65−23.51
Total valid votes 9,579100.00  
Liberal hold Swing +16.11
1988 Canadian federal election: Nunatsiaq
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalJack Iyerak Anawak3,35639.94+11.04
New DemocraticPeter Kusugak2,78633.15+4.50
Progressive ConservativeSedluk Bryan Pearson1,92822.94−28.52
IndependentRichard Inukpak Lee3333.96–
Total valid votes 8,403100.00  
Liberal gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +3.27
1984 Canadian federal election: Nunatsiaq
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeThomas Suluk2,23732.49+24.71
LiberalRobert Kuptana1,99028.90−12.90
New DemocraticRhoda Innuksuk1,97328.65−18.61
IndependentPeter Ittinuar6869.96–
Total valid votes 6,886100.00  
Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic Swing +18.80
Independent candidate Peter Ittinuar lost 37.31 percentage points from the 1980 election, when he ran as a New Democrat.

References

  1. ↑ "Akulliq election CANCELLED". Elections Nunavut. October 7, 2008. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Nunavut judge throws out Anawak election challenge". CBC News. November 6, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Jack Anawak seeks Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu seat in Nunavut election". Nunatsiaq Online. September 20, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Nunavut election: Premier loses seat, ties in two ridings". CTV News. October 27, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Jack Anawak named as NDP's Nunavut Candidate". CBC News. August 23, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Hunter Tootoo celebrates Liberal win in Nunavut". CBC News. October 19, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  7. ↑ https://openparliament.ca/hansards/1325/13/only/, Jack Iyerak Anawak on Two-Dollar Coin - Hansard April 26, 1996, Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Solomon Awa wins landslide victory in Iqaluit mayoral race". Nunatsiaq News. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Circumpolar ambassador job axed". CBC. October 3, 2006. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Career bureaucrat will lead Canada's senior Arctic officials at Arctic Council". Nunatsiaq News. March 7, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  11. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Nunavut, 30 September 2015
  12. ↑ Elections Canada – Final Candidates Election Expenses Limits
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