Leona Aglukkaq

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq PC
ᓕᐅᓇ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ
Minister of the Environment
In office July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Peter Kent
Succeeded by	Catherine McKenna
Minister of Health
In office October 30, 2008 – July 15, 2013
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Tony Clement
Succeeded by	Rona Ambrose
Member of Parliament forNunavut
In office October 14, 2008 – October 19, 2015
Preceded by	Nancy Karetak-Lindell
Succeeded by	Hunter Tootoo
Member of theNunavut Legislative Assembly forNattilik
In office February 16, 2004 – September 10, 2008
Preceded by	Uriash Puqiqnak
Succeeded by	Enuk Pauloosie
Personal details
Born	(1967-06-28)June 28, 1967 Inuvik,Northwest Territories,Canada
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Robbie MacNeil
Children	Cooper

Leona AglukkaqPC(Inuktitut syllabics:ᓕᐅᓇ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ; born June 28, 1967) is aCanadianpolitician. She was a member of the non-partisanLegislative Assembly of Nunavutrepresenting theridingof Nattilik from 2004 until stepping down in 2008; then was aConservativeMember of Parliamentrepresenting the riding ofNunavutafter winning the seat in the2008 federal election.She was the first Conservative to win the seat, and only the second centre-right candidate ever to win it.Leona Aglukkaq is the firstInukwoman to serve incabinet.She remained an MP until she was defeated in the2015 federal electionbyLiberalcandidateHunter Tootoo.Aglukkaq unsuccessfully contested the2019 federal election.

Life

Aglukkaq was born inInuvik,Northwest Territoriesand raised inThom Bay,TaloyoakandGjoa Haven(formerly in the Northwest Territories, the latter two are now inNunavut). She is married to Robbie MacNeil and has a son, Cooper.

Prior to running as an MP, Aglukkaq served on the Hamlet Council ofCambridge Bay.She was also a Government of Nunavut public servant, working for the Office of the Clerk of the Nunavut Legislature, and as the Deputy Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. Information regarding Aglukkaq'spost-secondary educationhas never been made public.

Since 2021, she's been on the Board of Directors at Agnico Eagle Mines Limited.

Political career

Territorial politics

Arctic Council Chairman Leona Aglukkaq andU.S. Secretary of StateJohn Kerrywave to people in her hometown ofIqaluit

First elected to theLegislative Assembly of Nunavutrepresenting theelectoral districtofNattilikin the2004 Nunavut election,she held the seat until stepping down on September 10, 2008 to run in the federal election. She was the Minister of Health and Social Services and the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women in theExecutive Council of Nunavut.

Federal politics

Minister of Health

Aglukkaq was named theMinister of Healthon October 30, 2008,and is the firstInukin Canadian history to be appointed to theCabinet of Canada.Jack AnawakandNancy Karetak-Lindellpreviously heldparliamentary secretarypositions, which are not part of the cabinet itself.

Considerable public attention was focused on Aglukkaq during the2009 swine flu pandemicwhere hundreds of Canadians were infected with the H1N1 virus. The Liberal health critic said that Aglukkaq was doing a "terrific job," and especially liked how the minister phoned all opposition critics to build consensus on the swine flu issue.

Health Canada officials sent two dozen body bags, normally sent to hospitals, to a Manitoba First Nation. The move was criticized by Aglukkaq, theLiberalandNew Democraticopposition parties in Parliament, and First Nations leaders.An investigation ordered by Aglukkaq found "no evidence of ill will or deliberate calculation," though First Nations representatives in Manitoba criticized the inquiry's report for downplaying the incident.

Following the outbreak, Aglukkaq appeared on various television shows, includingCBC News Network'sPower and Politics withEvan Solomon,underlining the government's immunization plan.

In 2009, the World Health Organization called for the elimination of artificial trans fats from the world food supply. Surveys at the time indicated that 90% of Canadian adults and children still exceeded the recommended daily limits on trans fats. A Health Canada analysis suggested a ban could prevent 12,000 heart attacks over 20 years, saving the health care system $9 billion. Internal documents showed Health Canada prepared to finally announce a full ban on trans fats, drafting the regulations and a press release, until the office of health minister Aglukkaq scrapped those plans. She later acknowledged the rules would be a burden on the food industry.

Aglukkaq was criticised by public health officials for refusing to sign theVienna Declaration on drug policy reform,which deemed "the evidence that law enforcement has failed to prevent the availability of illegal drugs [...] unambiguous," and called for a "science-based approach" based onharm reductionstrategies such as needle exchange programs andsupervised injection sites,because the Declaration was in conflict with the Conservative government's long-establishedprohibition-centered approach.

Re-election and continued incumbency

Aglukkaq was reelected in2011with nearly 50 percent of the vote, defeating a field of challengers which included formerPremier of NunavutPaul Okalik,who ran as theLiberalnominee.She was the first centre-right MP in the history of the riding to win a second term.

On August 23, 2012, Prime MinisterStephen Harperannounced that Aglukkaq would serve as chair of theArctic Councilwhen Canada assumed the Chairmanship from Sweden in May 2013.

Aglukkaq gave no indication of support for the nationwideIdle No Moreprotests in 2012/13, and called on ChiefTheresa Spenceto give up herhunger strike,abandon her request to meet with thePrime Ministerand theGovernor General of Canada,and instead speak toAboriginal Affairs MinisterJohn Duncan.

Minister of Environment

On July 15, 2013, Aglukkaq was namedMinister of the Environment,which includes responsibility forParks Canada,theCanadian Environmental Assessment AgencyandEnvironment Canada.

In December 2014, Aglukkaq apologized for reading a newspaper while opposition parties asked the government about highfood pricesin the North during Question Period.During the2015 Canadian federal election,Paul Okalik,Nunavut's Health and Justice Minister expressed his discontent with Aglukkaq's actions by reading a newspaper whenever Aglukkaq spoke at theCanadian Broadcasting Corporationelection forum in Iqaluit.

In the election, Aglukkaq lost almost half of her vote share from 2011 (even allowing for a turnout nearly double that of the previous election) and was pushed into third place behind Liberal candidate and former Legislative Assembly speakerHunter TootooandNDPcandidate and former MPJack Anawak.It was one of the larger defeats suffered by a member of Harper's cabinet.

Aglukkaq ran again for the Conservatives in the2019 Canadian federal election,and again came in third. The election was won by NDP candidateMumilaaq Qaqqaq.

Electoral history

Federal

2019 Canadian federal election:Nunavut
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Mumilaaq Qaqqaq	3,861	40.8	+14.2	$5,618.37
	Liberal	Megan Pizzo Lyall	2,918	30.9	-16.2	$41,679.84
	Conservative	Leona Aglukkaq	2,469	26.1	+1.3	$88,289.32
	Green	Douglas Roy	206	2.2	+0.7	$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit			9,454	100.0
Total rejected ballots			88
Turnout			9,542	51.1
Eligible voters			18,665
	New DemocraticgainfromLiberal		Swing		+15.35
Source:Elections Canada

2015 Canadian federal election:Nunavut
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Hunter Tootoo	5,619	47.11	+18.41	$32,110.96
	New Democratic	Jack Iyerak Anawak	3,171	26.58	+7.22	–
	Conservative	Leona Aglukkaq	2,956	24.78	-25.12	$36,393.17
	Green	Spencer Rocchi	182	1.53	-0.51	–
Total valid votes/expense limit			11,928	100.00		$203,887.65
Total rejected ballots			95	0.79	–
Turnout			12,203	62.54	–
Eligible voters			19,223
	LiberalgainfromConservative		Swing		+21.77
Source:Elections Canada

2011 Canadian federal election:Nunavut
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Leona Aglukkaq	3,930	49.85	+15.07
	Liberal	Paul Okalik	2,260	28.62	−0.38
	New Democratic	Jack Hicks	1,525	19.44	−8.18
	Green	Scott MacCallum	160	2.1	−6.27
Total valid votes			7,875	100.0
Total rejected ballots			56	0.71
Turnout			7,931	46.66
Eligible voters			16,998
	Conservativehold		Swing		+7.73

2008 Canadian federal election:Nunavut
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Leona Aglukkaq	2,806	34.78	+5.72	$59,574
	Liberal	Kirt Ejesiak	2,359	29.24	−10.74	$59,600
	New Democratic	Paul Irngaut	2,228	27.62	+10.47	$20,095
	Green	Peter Ittinuar	675	8.37	+2.45
Total valid votes/expense limit			8,068	100.0		$80,098
	ConservativegainfromLiberal		Swing		+8.23

Territorial

2004 Nunavut general election:Nattilik
	Name	Vote	%
	Leona Aglukkaq	305	42.84%
	David Irqiut	203	28.51%
	Anthony Anguttitauruq	130	18.26%
	Simon Qingnaqtuq	30	4.21%
	Ruediger H. J. Rasch	28	3.93%
	Sonny Porter	11	1.55%
	Tom Akoak	5	0.70%
Total Valid Ballots		712	100%
Voter Turnout 107.04%		Rejected Ballots 3

See also

• Arctic Cooperation and Politics
• Arctic policy of Canada

External links

• Leona Aglukkaq, MP
• ProfileatParliament of Canada
• Leona Aglukkaq – Parliament of Canada biography
• Speeches, votes and activityat OpenParliament.ca