Nunavut MLA fights drunk-driving charges

Baker Lake MLA Moses Aupaluktuq says he will fight drunk-driving charges against him, related to an incident earlier this month.

Aupaluktuq told CBC News he will go to court in February to try to clear his name of the drunk-driving accusation, describing such behaviour as being out of character for him.

"I'm really embarrassed about the matters, and I'm really embarrassed for the people of Baker Lake and Nunavummiut. I don't have a history of this type of behaviour," he said outside the legislative assembly.

"There are reasonable explanations that I look forward to presenting in court and clearing my name."

Aupaluktuq is charged with impaired care and control of a motor vehicle and having a blood alcohol level over 0.08.

The charges stem from incidents on Nov. 7 in Baker Lake, a hamlet of about 1,700 in Nunavut's Kivalliq region.

Found sleeping in car

According to Aupaluktuq, he had backed his car into a snowy ditch, where it became stuck. Later that day, he said, he went outside after a dispute at a local residence and went to his car in the ditch.

Aupaluktuq said he entered his car to warm up because he was not wearing gloves or a hat, and he had left his keys in the house where the dispute took place.

He said he then fell asleep in the car, where RCMP officers found him.

Aupaluktuq maintained he was not operating the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

"I believe that there could have been alternative solutions," he said. "I think this was a classic case of what's being said to me by many as, 'using a sledgehammer to kill a fly.'"

Could lose seat if convicted

Aupaluktuq was elected as the area's MLA last year.

Aupaluktuq could face sanctions or even lose his seat in the legislature if he is found guilty of drunk driving.

Should Aupaluktuq be convicted, the legislature's sanctions would depend on whether he is convicted of an indictable or summary offence, assembly clerk John Quirke said.

"If the member is convicted under what we call summary conviction, the legislative assembly does have the right, by legislation, to impose additional penalties onto the member," Quirke said.

"If the conviction is what we call prosecution by indictment and he's convicted … under our legislation, the seat is declared vacant," he added.