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GN: 20 senior managers travelled south during holidays

A number of senior managers within the GN were reported to have travelled south during the holiday season.

This revelation comes on the heels of firings of senior officials in many southern jurisdictions who travelled outside the country while on mandatory leave and holiday time this past month.

“I’ve had one senior official travel under my portfolio because of necessary medical travel,” Premier Joe Savikataaq said.

On Tuesday Nunavut's Premier Joe Savikataaq, left, said that GN employees can travel down south and that “it’s important to note that leave is a benefit that applies to all GN employees and that only the length and the coding of leave is required for approval." Inuktitut interpreter Ooleepika Ikkidluak is seen on the right. NNSL file photo

The premier iterated that all cabinet ministers stayed in Nunavut during the holidays.

Prior to the holidays, the GN encouraged all employees to take their earned leave within the territory, however, that wasn’t the case for a number of people.

He added “to the best of our knowledge, 20 senior managers travelled outside of Nunavut during the holiday period.”

These employees will have to isolate in southern hubs for the required two weeks before coming back into the territory.

“I made it clear that non-essential travel is not recommended during Covid-19, especially with the high numbers of cases during the second wave,” said Savikataaq. However government employees were not restricted from going down south.

“It’s important to note that leave is a benefit that applies to all GN employees and that only the length and the coding of leave is required for approval,” he said.

Any more details and information would be invasive to the employees right to privacy, he added.

Fewer than five deputy ministers have left Nunavut for family or medical reasons as well during the holidays.

Overall, the premier added that it’s a small number of people "from 10 departments and four agencies, in terms of percentage it would be a small percentage.”