Lorne Kusugak facts for kids

Lorne Kusugak is a Canadian politician. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Nunavut. He represents the area called Rankin Inlet South. Before becoming an MLA, Mr. Kusugak was the mayor of Rankin Inlet. He has also served as a minister in the Nunavut government. These roles included Minister for Community and Government Services and Minister for Energy. He was also in charge of the Qulliq Energy Corporation.

Mr. Kusugak was first elected in 2008. This was for the area of Rankin Inlet South/Whale Cove. In the 2013 election, he and Alexander Sammurtok had a tie vote. This happened in the new area of Rankin Inlet South. A special election was held, and Mr. Sammurtok won. In the 2017 election, Mr. Kusugak won against Mr. Sammurtok. He got his seat back in the Legislative Assembly.

About Lorne Kusugak

Lorne Kusugak was born in Rankin Inlet. At that time, Rankin Inlet was part of the Northwest Territories. He was one of 11 children. His father worked with heavy equipment. His mother was a homemaker and a seamstress. In the mid-1970s, Mr. Kusugak went to high school in Yellowknife. He later returned to Rankin Inlet to help his mother.

Early Career and Broadcasting

Mr. Kusugak's first job was with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He was the first CBC reporter in his hometown. For the next 15 years, he worked as a CBC broadcaster. He worked in Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit. During this time, he helped start the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation. This TV channel showed programs mostly in Inuktitut.

Public Service and Political Roles

Mr. Kusugak has held important leadership roles. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the Nunavut Implementation Training Committee. He also served as the Executive Director of the Kivalliq Inuit Association. He was the Mayor of Rankin Inlet for six years. He served three terms in a row.

In 2008, he was elected as an MLA. This was for the area of Rankin Inlet South/Whale Cove. He won against the person who held the seat before him, Levinia Brown. She was also the Deputy Premier of Nunavut. Mr. Kusugak won with 62% of the votes. During his first term, he was the Government House Leader. He was also the Minister of Community and Government Services. He was responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission.

Re-election and Later Roles

Mr. Kusugak was re-elected on October 30, 2017. He continued to represent the area of Rankin Inlet South. In this term, he served as Minister of Community and Government Services. He was also the Minister of Human Resources. He was the Minister Responsible for Suicide Prevention. And he was the Minister Responsible for Seniors. In November 2020, Premier Joe Savikataaq made Mr. Kusugak the Minister of Health. He was in charge of Nunavut's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Family Life

Lorne Kusugak is married to his wife, Sally. They have three daughters. Their names are Kandace, Nuatii, and Terrie.