Next Nunavut MLAs confirm how they’ll choose premier, cabinet, Speaker

The members of Nunavut’s next legislative assembly will choose a premier, cabinet and Speaker this Friday, Nov. 17. On Nov. 21, they’ll officially become MLAs, after a swearing-in ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m. that day. At 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov 21, they’ll start the first sitting of the fifth legislative assembly and pass motions to confirm the appointments of the Speaker, premier and cabinet members. (FILE PHOTO)

The members of Nunavut’s next legislative assembly will choose a new territorial government by secret ballot on Friday, Nov. 17, the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut confirmed Nov. 14, following behind-closed-doors caucus meetings that started last week.

For many months, the Nov. 17 date has been marked off as “tentative” on the assembly’s sitting calendar, but the Nov. 14 announcement makes that date official.

In a special meeting, to be held in public, called the “2017 Nunavut Leadership Forum,” the MLAs-in-waiting will start at 10 a.m to choose a premier, cabinet and Speaker from among themselves.

They also announced they’ve opted for an eight-member cabinet: the premier plus seven cabinet ministers, one minister less than the nine-member cabinet they agreed to in November 2013, when Peter Taptuna was elected premier.

And they’ll use a process virtually identical to the forum they held in 2013.

In their first piece of business, they’ll choose a Speaker, who will chair the rest of the meeting.

Next, they’ll call for nominations for members seeking the premier’s job.

Each nominated person will give a speech, and members not seeking election to the premier’s position will get a chance to ask questions of the candidates, the release said.

After that, members will vote to choose the premier, by secret ballot. They’ll continue voting until one candidate receives a majority of votes cast.

In the past, members have not revealed who they voted for, or even released the final vote count.

And it appears that level of secrecy will continue this year.

“The selection of the Speaker, premier and members of the executive council (cabinet) will be made by secret ballot,” the release said.

After choosing a premier, MLAs will elect seven more cabinet ministers from among themselves.

“Detailed procedures concerning the selection process will be issued at the beginning of the forum’s proceedings,” the release said.

After choosing a premier, MLAs will elect seven more cabinet ministers from among themselves.

Nunavut residents may watch a live broadcast of the forum on cable and satellite TV: channel 513 on Bell, channel 289 on Shaw’s classic lineup and channel 489 on Shaw’s new lineup.

On Tues., Nov. 21, members of the fifth Nunavut legislature will take their oaths of office, starting at 10 a.m.

At 1:30 p.m., the new MLAs will hold their first sitting and pass formal motions to confirm the appointments of their new premier, cabinet and Speaker.