Leona Aglukkaq facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leona Aglukkaq
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ᓕᐅᓇ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ
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| Minister of the Environment | |
| In office July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Stephen Harper |
| Preceded by | Peter Kent |
| Succeeded by | Catherine McKenna |
| Minister of Health | |
| In office October 30, 2008 – July 15, 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Stephen Harper |
| Preceded by | Tony Clement |
| Succeeded by | Rona Ambrose |
| Member of Parliament for Nunavut |
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| In office October 14, 2008 – October 19, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Nancy Karetak-Lindell |
| Succeeded by | Hunter Tootoo |
| Member of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly for Nattilik |
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| In office February 16, 2004 – September 10, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Uriash Puqiqnak |
| Succeeded by | Enuk Pauloosie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 28, 1967 Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Robbie MacNeil |
| Children | Cooper |
Leona Aglukkaq PC (born June 28, 1967) is a Canadian politician. She is an Inuk woman who made history. She was the first Inuk woman to serve in the Canadian federal cabinet. A cabinet is a group of important government ministers chosen by the Prime Minister.
Leona Aglukkaq was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. This is like a local parliament for the territory of Nunavut. She represented the area called Nattilik from 2004 to 2008. Later, she became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Conservative Party. An MP is someone elected to represent a specific area, called a riding, in the Canadian Parliament. She represented the riding of Nunavut from 2008 to 2015.
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Leona Aglukkaq's Early Life and Career
Leona Aglukkaq was born in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. She grew up in different communities like Thom Bay, Taloyoak, and Gjoa Haven. These places are now part of Nunavut. She is married to Robbie MacNeil and they have a son named Cooper.
Before she became an MP, Aglukkaq was involved in her local community. She served on the Hamlet Council of Cambridge Bay. A Hamlet Council helps manage local services for a small community. She also worked for the Government of Nunavut. She was a public servant, which means she worked for the government to help people. She worked in the Nunavut Legislature and as a Deputy Minister. A Deputy Minister is a senior official who helps lead a government department.
Since 2021, she has been on the Board of Directors at Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. This is a company that mines for gold.
Leona Aglukkaq's Political Journey
Leona Aglukkaq first became a politician in Nunavut. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut in 2004. She represented the electoral district of Nattilik. She held this position until September 2008. During her time in Nunavut's government, she was a Minister. She was the Minister of Health and Social Services. She was also the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. This means she worked on improving health care and supporting women's rights in Nunavut.
Becoming a Federal Minister
In October 2008, Leona Aglukkaq was chosen for a very important role. She became the Minister of Health for all of Canada. This was a historic moment because she was the first Inuk person to be appointed to the Cabinet of Canada. The Cabinet is a group of top ministers who help the Prime Minister run the country.
As Minister of Health, she had many responsibilities. One major event during her time was the 2009 swine flu pandemic. This was a time when many Canadians became sick with the H1N1 virus. Aglukkaq worked to manage the government's response. She also ordered an investigation when some supplies were sent to a First Nation community. The investigation found no bad intentions.
She also worked on public health issues like trans fats in food. Trans fats are unhealthy fats. Health Canada had plans to ban them to improve people's health.
Re-election and New Roles
Leona Aglukkaq was re-elected as an MP in 2011. She won with almost 50 percent of the votes. This showed that people in Nunavut supported her work.
In 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced another important role for her. Leona Aglukkaq became the chair of the Arctic Council. The Arctic Council is a group that works on issues affecting the Arctic region. Canada took over the leadership of this council in May 2013.
In July 2013, Aglukkaq was given a new cabinet role. She became the Minister of the Environment. In this job, she was responsible for protecting Canada's natural environment. This included overseeing Parks Canada, which manages national parks.
During her time as Environment Minister, she faced some public attention. In December 2014, she apologized for reading a newspaper during a discussion about high food prices in the North.
In the 2015 federal election, Leona Aglukkaq lost her seat as an MP. She ran again in the 2019 Canadian federal election but did not win.
See also
- Arctic Cooperation and Politics
- Arctic policy of Canada
