Send this page to someone via email

A 25-year-old New Democrat defeated Liberal and Conservative candidates to become the member of Parliament for Nunavut.

Mumilaaq Qaqqaq will be one of the youngest MPs in Canada after garnering 41 per cent of votes in the single-riding territory. The Liberals’ Megan Pizzo-Lyall followed with 31 per cent of votes, while the Conservatives’ Leona Aglukkaq received 25 per cent.

READ MORE: Indigenous leaders say a minority government will be good for First Nations issues

Qaqqaq reacted to her victory on Twitter on Tuesday, praising her opponents for their well-run campaigns.

“It was an honour to run for this seat against two strong Inuit women,” she wrote.

Thank you for all your support! I'd like to commend @teammegan2019 and @leonaaglukkaq for running great campaigns & doing it with class. It's been an honour to run with strong Inuit women for this seat. I look forward to getting to work in Ottawa. Mat'na -MQ#IlinnutPiliriavut pic.twitter.com/qTi5ZVPyqN — Mumilaaq (@MumilaaqQaqqaq) October 22, 2019

Story continues below advertisement

She will take over the seat from Hunter Tootoo, who was elected as a Liberal in 2015 but later became an Independent.

Qaqqaq, who had no previous political experience, has worked for the government of Nunavut as well as Inuit organizations and Nunavut’s power utility, mostly in Inuit employment and wellness.

Two years ago, she participated in Daughters of the Vote, a program that brings young women to the House of Commons to speak about their visions for their country and community. Qaqqaq’s speech, in which she spoke about tragically high rates of Inuit suicide, drew two standing ovations.

0:51 Federal Election 2019: Responsibility to remedy Indigenous injustices should be acknowledged, says Singh Federal Election 2019: Responsibility to remedy Indigenous injustices should be acknowledged, says Singh

Qaqqaq said she doesn’t consider her relative inexperience and youth to be a disadvantage.

“I’m passionate and I know what I’m talking about it,” she said.

Story continues below advertisement

“(Youth) doesn’t mean I have less capability to do something. It’s not something that is a factor to me.” Tweet This

She said that a strong voice from the north was absent from the House of Commons, and she hopes to fix that.

READ MORE: Diversity of federal candidates up from 2015 but advocates say more work to be done

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde also reacted with optimism to the election results, saying the minority government offers an opportunity for Indigenous voices to be heard.

The fact that the Liberal and NDP platforms overlapped in many of their pledges to Indigenous Peoples bodes well for seeing those issues addressed, Bellegarde said.

“I think there’s going to be more pressure on Prime Minister Trudeau to make Canada work so it works for everybody, including First Nations people,” he added.

— With files from The Canadian Press