Nunavut MLA censured over drunken incident

Nunavut MLAs voted Friday to censure Pangnirtung MLA Adamee Komoartok after he admitted to a drunken incident at an Ottawa medical boarding home.

The decision was made after Komoartok announced he would resign as chair of the standing committee on community and economic development over the incident, which took place during a private visit this month to the Larga Baffin boarding home.

Komoartok was not present in the assembly chamber in Iqaluit for the vote, which was passed unanimously by the other MLAs.

Earlier on Friday morning, he told the assembly he had engaged in inappropriate and inexcusable behaviour during his visit to the home, where medical patients from eastern Nunavut stay during treatment in Ottawa.

Komoartok told MLAs he was intoxicated but that was no excuse for what he had done.

"Our constituents are entitled to a safe and welcoming environment when they travel out of Nunavut for medical care. Being a patient thousands of kilometres from home is stressful at times, at the best of times," he told MLAs in the legislature on Friday.

"I sincerely apologize for adding to their stress. The hardworking staff at the boarding home are entitled to a safe workplace where they can serve Nunavummiut without fear. I sincerely apologize to them."

Komoartok said he would accept whatever sanctions the legislative assembly might impose.

Elected as the MLA for Pangnirtung in last year's general election, Komoartok is the second Nunavut politician in the past 24 hours to acknowledge being in an alcohol-related controversy.

Baker Lake MLA Moses Aupaluktuq said Thursday afternoon he would fight drunk-driving charges laid against him earlier this month.

Aupaluktuq was charged with impaired care and control of a motor vehicle and having a blood alcohol level over 0.08 after Baker Lake RCMP found him sleeping in his car, which was stuck in a snowy ditch.