North

Peter Taptuna to federal party leaders: what is your vision for Nunavut?

Nunavut premier Peter Taptuna has sent an open letter to the leaders of the main federal parties, asking them to define their vision for Nunavut and the Arctic.

Premier's open letter asks leaders about infrastructure, housing and devolution

Nunavut premier Peter Taptuna has sent an open letter with questions to the Conservative, Liberal, NDP and Green party leaders. (Grant Linton/CBC)

More than halfway through a marathon election campaign, Nunavut premier Peter Taptuna says there's still a lot he needs to hear from the federal party leaders.

"No federal party has offered a clear plan on how they will work with Canada's territories to build healthy communities and prosperous economies in the North," Taptuna said in a statement.

The premier has sent an open letter to the leaders of the four main parties, asking them to explain their positions and policies on issues he feels are most important to his territory.

"Nunavut is an integral part of Canada and Canada's identity as an Arctic nation. It is also a unique part of Canada with specific concerns and challenges," the letter reads.

Yukon premier Darrell Pasloski, Taptuna, and Northwest Territories premier Bob McLeod at a meeting in Kugluktuk in June, 2015. Energy and infrastructure were a major focus of their talks. (Government of Nunavut)
​Taptuna's letter says that Nunavut suffers from a severe infrastructure deficit and a housing crisis. He argues that Nunavut can only tackle these issues effectively with the federal government's help, and that investing in Nunavut is "good business and responsible nation building for Canada."

Taptuna also pushes the leaders to state their position on a number of specific initiatives, such as a languages strategy to help Inuktitut thrive, a heritage centre for Nunavut, and a strategic climate change plan that involves input from the three territories.