Leona Aglukkaq
| The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq ᓕᐅᓇ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ PC, MP |
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| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Nunavut |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office November 12, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Nancy Karetak-Lindell |
| Member of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly for Nattilik |
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| In office 2004 – 10 September 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Uriash Puqiqnak |
| Succeeded by | Enuk Pauloosie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 28, 1967 Inuvik, Northwest Territories |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Residence | Gjoa Haven, Nunavut |
| Portfolio | Minister of Health |
Leona Aglukkaq, PC, MP (Inuktitut syllabics: ᓕᐅᓇ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ) (born June 28, 1967) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative in the 2008 Canadian federal election for the riding of Nunavut.[1]
Aglukkaq was named the Minister of Health on October 30, 2008,[2] and is the first Inuk in Canadian history to be appointed to the Cabinet of Canada.[3] Jack Anawak and Nancy Karetak-Lindell previously held parliamentary secretary positions, which are not part of the cabinet itself.
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[edit] Life and career
Aglukkaq was born in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and raised in, Thom Bay, Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven (formerly in the NWT but all three are now in Nunavut). She is married to Robbie MacNeil and has a son, Cooper.[4]
Prior to running as an MP she was an MLA in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, representing the electoral district of Nattilik. First elected in the 2004 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 the Executive Council of Nunavut. Before becoming an MLA, Aglukkaq was a long time employee of the Government of Nunavut and served on the Hamlet Council of Cambridge Bay.
Aglukkaq was reelected in 2011 with nearly 50 percent of the vote, defeating a field of challengers which included former Premier of Nunavut Paul Okalik, who ran as the Liberal nominee.[5]
[edit] Swine flu outbreak controversy and media response
A lot of public attention was focused on Aglukkaq during the 2009 swine flu outbreak where hundreds of Canadians were infected with the mild 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.[6][7]
Health Canada officials sent two dozen body bags, that are normally sent to hospitals, to a Manitoba First Nation. The move was interpreted by some to mean the government was not being upfront with First Nations about the danger they face from H1N1, and to others it was seen as offensive. After Aglukkaq investigated the incident, she accepted an apology from the Health Canada official who sent the body bags, saying that is was an accident and that she found no wrong intention on their part.[citation needed]
Since the outbreak, Aglukkaq has appeared on various television shows, including CBC News Network's Power and Politics with Evan Solomon, underlining the government's immunization plan.
[edit] Vienna AIDS Conference controversy
Aglukkaq attracted criticism for refusing to sign the Vienna Declaration (drug policy), 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 on harm reduction strategies such as needle exchange programs and safe injection sites, because it was in conflict with the Conservative government's long-established drug policy.[8][9][10] The Conservative government's long-standing refusal to acknowledge the effectiveness of harm-reduction strategies and withdrawal of funding has led to comparisons with AIDS denialism.[10][11]
[edit] References
- ^ Canada Votes 2008: Electoral results for Nunavut, cbc.ca, October 14, 2008.
- ^ Harper shuffles cabinet to create 'right team for these times', cbc.ca, October 30, 2008.
- ^ Aglukkaq is first Inuit cabinet minister, Canadian Press, October 30, 2008.
- ^ http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/minist/index-eng.php
- ^ History of Federal Ridings since 1867 (accessed 17 January 2012)
- ^ Rookie health minister stays cool in swine flu spotlight, ctv.ca, April 27, 2009.
- ^ The week everyone loved Leona, Macleans.ca, April 2009.
- ^ Harper, Aglukkaq singled out for stinging rebuke at AIDS conference, Gloria Galloway and André Picard, The Globe and Mail, Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 12:21PM EDT.
- ^ "The war isn't working". The National Post: A12. July 28, 2010. http://embamex.sre.gob.mx/canada/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=855:the-war-isnt-working-national-post&catid=101:miercoles-28-julio-2010&Itemid=74. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
- ^ a b Guta, Adrian; Stuart J. Murray & Alex McClelland (October 2011). "Global AIDS Governance, Biofascism, and the Difficult Freedom of Expression". Aporia: The Nursing Journal 3 (4): 15-29. http://www.oa.uottawa.ca/journals/aporia/articles/2011_11/Guta_et_al.pdf. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
- ^ Solomon, Sam (September 15, 2007). ""Doctors, get tough on drugs": Tony Clement. Minister's mind made up on safe injection site, warn experts". National Review of Medicine 4 (15). http://www.nationalreviewofmedicine.com/issue/2007/09_15/4_policy_politics01_15.html. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
[edit] External links
- Leona Aglukkaq, MP
- Health Canada - Minister of Health
- Profile at Parliament of Canada
- Parliamentarian profile at ParlInfo
- Speeches, votes and activity at OpenParliament.ca
- Voting history at How'd They Vote?
- Profile in The Globe and Mail
| 28th Ministry – Cabinet of Stephen Harper | ||
| Cabinet Posts (2) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Tony Clement | Minister of Health from 30-Oct-2008 |
incumbent |
| John Duncan | Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency from 18-May-2011 |
incumbent |
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- 1967 births
- Living people
- Canadian Inuit people
- Canadian women Members of Parliament
- Conservative Party of Canada MPs
- Inuit politicians
- Members of the Canadian House of Commons from Nunavut
- Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
- Members of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut
- People from Kitikmeot Region
- Women MLAs in Nunavut
