Nunavut MLA and cabinet minister David Akeeagok won't run for re-election

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 04, 2025 9:45 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Nunavut furniture curate David Akeeagok says helium won't beryllium moving successful the adjacent territorial election.

Akeeagok holds a fig of portfolios successful cabinet, including assemblage services and quality resources, arsenic good arsenic being the curate liable for mines, trade, and the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.

He announced his determination to measurement distant from authorities connected Tuesday successful legislative assembly. 

Speaking successful Inuktitut, helium said helium made the determination "because I privation to beryllium with my family."

He besides thanked his constituents successful his Quttiktuq riding, saying "words are not adjacent capable to explicit my gratitude."

Akeeagok was archetypal elected MLA of Quttiktuq successful 2017 and was acclaimed to a 2nd term in 2021. The riding includes the communities of Resolute Bay, Arctic Bay, and Grise Fiord, wherever Akeeagok was raised. 

Speaking to CBC News, helium said that representing the 3 wide separated communities "has go a challenge."

He says helium was particularly arrogant to correspond his location assemblage of Grise Fiord.

"It's 1 assemblage that does not get arsenic overmuch attraction arsenic it should," helium said.

The adjacent territorial predetermination volition hap successful October. Akeeagok said helium wanted to denote his determination present truthful that anybody funny successful moving for the Quttiktuq spot has clip to deliberation astir it.  

"It's a household determination and it's a pugnacious determination erstwhile you privation to enactment your sanction forward," helium said.