Arviat South MLA Joe Savikataaq made a plea for the government to deliver on anti-suicide initiatives.
He used a member’s statement in the legislative assembly on Oct. 26 to reference the anti-suicide protest students led a year ago, filling up the legislative assembly’s lobby.
“We were all touched by it and we were all hurt by it,” said Savikataaq.
He went on to say that during the leadership discussions, Premier P.J. Akeeagok had said, “We have to fight suicide like Covid.”
“Today I have not seen that,” said Savikataaq.
The government’s new mandate, Katujjiluta, references anti-suicide only once, said the MLA, in a line that states that the GN will strive to “reinvest in anti-suicide.”
“We hear lots of announcements from the government about many things, and unless I missed something, I have not heard about tackling suicide vigorously so that we can curtail the numbers,” concluded Savikataaq. “It is a sad state that we have to bring it up here that there are people that are struggling for many reasons, and I believe that is an issue that has to be tackled.”