Career
He represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1997. Following his retirement from federal politics, he also served a term in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut after that territory was created in 1999. He ran as the New Democratic Party"s candidate for the riding of Nunavut in the 2015 election, but was defeated by Liberal candidate Hunter Tootoo.
Federal politics
Anawak was first elected in the 1988 election, and served as the Liberal Party"s opposition critic for Northern Affairs in the 34th Canadian Parliament.
Territorial politics
Anawak attempted to run for a seat in the 2008 Nunavut general election. He filed nomination papers to run in the electoral district of Akulliq but was denied as a candidate by Elections Nunavut Chief Electoral Officer Sandy Kusugak as he was not a full-time resident of Nunavut at the time his nomination papers were filed.
Anawak took Elections Nunavut to court over and managed to halt the election in that district. The case is currently before the Nunavut Court of Appeal, where the judge will decide whether or not to strike down the current election residency laws.
Return to federal politics
In 2015, Anawak announced his intent to take back his old riding, now renamed Nunavut, in the 2015 election.
This time, he ran as the candidate of the New Democratic Party. He came second in the race. Popular culture
When the Canadian two-dollar coin was introduced, a number of nicknames were suggested.
Jack Anawak proposed the name "Nanuq" in honour of Canada"s Inuit people and their northern culture.
However, this culturally meaningful proposal went largely unnoticed beside the simple, mass-appeal "Twonie/Toonie".
