Liberals bring Duffy questions to Harper in Iqaluit

August 17, 2015

Last week, as serious revelations emerged from the Mike Duffy trial in Ottawa, Stephen Harper fled to Nunavut to avoid answering questions about what he knew and when.

Liberal candidate for Toronto—St. Paul’s, Carolyn Bennett, flew to Iqaluit as well, meeting with reporters on the Conservative campaign and highlighting the important questions that Canadians want answered. As chance would have it, Mr. Harper and his motorcade drove by just as Dr. Bennett and the Liberal candidate for Nunavut, Hunter Tootoo, were speaking with the national media.

Rather that meet with citizens in Iqaluit to hear about their local needs and concerns, Mr. Harper did a photo-op behind closed doors with only pre-screened Conservative supporters, and took no questions. In addition, the venue where the photo-op occurred was surrounded by heavy equipment and an RCMP blockade, ensuring that citizens who had not been pre-screened by Conservative staff could not meet with Mr. Harper. This spectacle was particularly shocking for Nunavut residents, as the Northern Territories have a well-established reputation of friendly hospitality toward all visitors.

While Mr. Harper hid from Northerners and avoided questions about the Wright-Duffy scandal, Dr. Bennett and Mr. Tootoo spent two days meeting with many different groups of Nunavummiut to discuss the unique challenges and untapped opportunities in the North.

There is huge potential for growth in the North, but we need a partner in Ottawa who will invest in its people, infrastructure, and research, in order to help ensure that this growth is realized. Only Liberals have a plan for growth to ensure Northerners have a real and fair chance to succeed.