OTTAWA — The Conservatives say Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq never demanded an apology from a Rankin Inlet politician for making disparaging remarks about the federal Nutrition North program.
News reports this week quoted Rankin Inlet deputy mayor Sam Tutanuak as saying high grocery prices have forced dozens of the community's residents to scavenge for food at the local landfill.
In a later interview with APTN News, Tutanuak said Aglukkaq's office called the community's senior administrative officer asking for a written apology for the remarks.
But Aglukkaq's parliamentary secretary Colin Carrie told the House of Commons today that no such apology was requested.
Carrie said the minister was simply seeking information so she could better serve her constituents.
Aglukkaq is the MP for Nunavut. Tutanuak could not immediately be reached for comment.
The federal auditor general raised questions this week about the Harper government’s new Nutrition North food subsidy program for remote Northern communities.
In his report, Michael Ferguson said the federal Aboriginal Affairs department had no way to determine whether the program was making food affordable or improving access to healthy food for Northern residents.
