Nunavut.

AuthorBaldwin, Alex
PositionASSEMBLEE NATIONALE - Report

The 2012 fall sitting of the Legislative Assembly convened on October 23, 2012. It adjourned on November 5, 2012. Minister of Finance Keith Peterson delivered his fall fiscal update on the first sitting day. The proceedings of the Committee of the Whole during the fall sitting of the House were dominated by the consideration of the Government of Nunavut's proposed 2013-2014 capital estimates.

On October 29, 2012, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Hunter Tootoo tabled a draft Plebiscites Act. The Management and Services Board of the Legislative Assembly has invited members of the public and interested organizations to provide written submissions concerning the proposed new Plebiscites Act, which would replace the territory's current statute. Legislation concerning territory-wide elections, including the Nunavut Elections Act, falls under the jurisdiction of the Legislative Assembly itself.

On October 30, 2012, the Speaker tabled a report of the Integrity Commissioner of Nunavut concerning the Member for South Baffin, Fred Schell. The report was submitted to the Legislative Assembly following the Integrity Commissioner's review of the Member's alleged contraventions of the territorial Integrity Act. Section 48 of the statute requires that the Legislative Assembly consider such reports within ten sitting days of their being tabled. The Legislative Assembly must accept all of the Integrity Commissioner's recommendations or reject all of the Integrity Commissioner's recommendations. The Integrity Commissioner's report concluded that the Member had committed a number of breaches of the Integrity Act.

On November 5, 2012, the Legislative Assembly adopted a formal motion to accept the Integrity Commissioner's recommendations for sanctions. The motion was moved by Premier Eva Aariak. The motion passed without opposition. In speaking to the motion, Mr. Schell announced his resignation from Cabinet, where he had been serving as Minister without Portfolio since March of 2012.

During the fall sitting, Speaker Tootoo also tabled the Legislative Assembly's sitting calendar for 2013, as required under Rule 3(2) of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. The general election for the 4th Legislative Assembly will be held on October 28, 2013.

The 3rd Session of the 3rd Legislative Assembly will reconvene for its 2013 winter sitting on February 26, 2013. It is anticipated that the proceedings of the winter sitting will be dominated by the...

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