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Jack Iyerak Anawak
ᔭᒃ ᐃᐊᕋᒃ ᐊᓇᕙᒃ
Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs
In office
January 19, 2004 – October 3, 2006
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
Preceded by Mary Simon
Succeeded by Position abolished
Personal details
Born (1950-09-26) September 26, 1950 (age 74)
Repulse Bay, Northwest Territories
Political party

Jack Iyerak Anawak (born September 26, 1950) is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1997. He sat in the house as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Following his retirement from federal politics, he also served a term in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut after that territory was created in 1999. He ran as the New Democratic Party's candidate for his old riding, now renamed Nunavut, in the 2015 election, but was defeated by Liberal candidate Hunter Tootoo.

Political career

Federal politics

Anawak was first elected in the 1988 election, and served as the Liberal Party's opposition critic for Northern Affairs in the 34th Canadian Parliament. Re-elected in the 1993 election, which was won by the Liberals, he was named parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in the government of Jean Chrétien.

Territorial politics

In 1999, he was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut for the seat of Rankin Inlet North. He was widely favoured to be the new territory's first Premier. However, he was perceived as the choice of the Chrétien government. The Assembly, which operates on a nonpartisan consensus model, selected Paul Okalik instead.

Anawak did not run for re-election in 2004. He tried to return to the Assembly in the 2008 Nunavut general election, filing nomination papers to run in the electoral district of Akulliq. Elections Nunavut Chief Electoral Officer Sandy Kusugak rejected his candidacy, as he was not a full-time resident of Nunavut at the time his nomination papers were filed. Anawak took Elections Nunavut to court and managed to halt the election in that district pending his appeal, but on November 6, the Nunavut Court of Justice threw out the election challenge.

Anawak ran again in the 2013 territorial election, but finished fourth in the Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu riding.

Return to federal politics

In 2015, Anawak announced his intent to take back his old riding, now renamed Nunavut, in the 2015 election. This time, he ran as the candidate of the New Democratic Party. He came second in the race.

Municipal politics

Anawak was elected to Iqaluit City Council in the 2023 municipal election.

Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs

Anawak served as Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs from January 2004 until 2006 when the position was discontinued by the Harper government. Its functions were transferred to the bureaucratic level.

Electoral history

Canadian federal election, 2015: Nunavut
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Hunter Tootoo 5,619 47.11 +18.41 $32,110.96
New Democratic Jack Iyerak Anawak 3,171 26.58 +7.22
Conservative Leona Aglukkaq 2,956 24.78 -25.12 $36,393.17
Green Spencer Rocchi 182 1.53 -0.51
Total valid votes/expense limit 11,928 100.00   $203,887.65
Total rejected ballots 95 0.79
Turnout 12,203 62.54
Eligible voters 19,223
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +21.77
Source: Elections Canada


Canadian federal election, 1993: Nunatsiaq
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jack Iyerak Anawak 6,685 69.79 +29.85
Progressive Conservative Leena Evic-Twerdin 1,970 20.57 −2.37
New Democratic Mike Illnik 924 9.65 −23.51
Total valid votes 9,579 100.00  
Liberal hold Swing +16.11


Canadian federal election, 1988: Nunatsiaq
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jack Iyerak Anawak 3,356 39.94 +11.04
New Democratic Peter Kusugak 2,786 33.15 +4.50
Progressive Conservative Sedluk Bryan Pearson 1,928 22.94 −28.52
Independent Richard Inukpak Lee 333 3.96
Total valid votes 8,403 100.00  
Liberal gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +3.27


Canadian federal election, 1984: Nunatsiaq
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Thomas Suluk 2,237 32.49 +24.71
Liberal Robert Kuptana 1,990 28.90 −12.90
New Democratic Rhoda Innuksuk 1,973 28.65 −18.61
Independent Peter Ittinuar 686 9.96
Total valid votes 6,886 100.00  
Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic Swing +18.80
Independent candidate Peter Ittinuar lost 37.31 percentage points from the 1980 election, when he ran as a New Democrat.
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