Legislative reports: Nunavut.

The year 2002 began busily for the First Legislative Assembly with a number of its Standing Committees holding public meetings in which independent officers appeared to present their annual reports and answer questions from Members.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut appeared before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Services, chaired by Hunter Akat Tootoo, MLA for Iqaluit Centre. The Languages Commissioner appeared before the Standing Committee Ajauqtiit, chaired by David Iqaqrialu, MLA for Uqqummiut. Both Standing Committee Chairs tabled reports during the Fifth Session on these appearances. Under the Rules of the Legislative Assembly, the Government has 120 days in which to provide comprehensive responses to the reports.

The Auditor General of Canada, Sheila Fraser also appeared before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Services in early February. She presented her first Report to the Legislative Assembly. The Auditor General of Canada is the auditor for Canada's three Northern territories. Committee Members also spent more than a day posing questions to a number of Deputy Ministers and other senior Government of Nunavut officials concerning the observations and recommendations contained in the Auditor General's report. The Standing Committee Chair tabled the Committee's report during the Fifth Session.

The Fifth Session reconvened in Iqaluit on February 20, and prorogued on March 6. A major piece of legislation considered and passed during this time was the new Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, which enjoyed unanimous support by Members.

The motion for first reading of the Bill was made by House Leader Kelvin Ng, MLA for Cambridge Bay. During consideration of the Bill during Committee of the Whole, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly's Management and Services Board Kevin O'Brien, MLA for Arviat, appeared at the witness table and responded to questions from both Ministers and Regular MLAs.

The Special Committee to review the Official Languages Act, chaired by Rebekah Uqi Williams, MLA for Quttiktuq, tabled its Interim Report during the Fifth Session.

The Standing Committee on Community Empowerment and Sustainable Development, chaired by Glenn McLean, MLA for Baker Lake, recommended that Bills 16 and 17, which dealt with municipal governance, be permitted to fall off the order paper, following a number of concerns raised by the Committee. The Committee recommended that the...