Nunavut legislature reconvenes May 7 for spring sitting

The Nunavut legislature’s Sergeant-at-arms will bring the mace into legislative chambers May 6 at 1:30 p.m. as the MLAs start their spring sitting. This is the second-to-last sitting of the Nunavut legislature before next October’s election. (PHOTO BY DAVID MURPHY)

Nunavut MLAs have returned to Iqaluit for the reconvening of the Nunavut legislature at 1:30 p.m. May 7, the start of their spring sitting.

The winter sitting, a continuation of the third session of the third legislative assembly, will likely run until May 16. It’s the second-to-last sitting before the Oct. 28 territorial election, when voters will head to the polls to choose 22 MLAs.

Because of the new electoral map, the legislative building is in the process of being renovated to add more office space and install more seats inside the chamber. That work will continue after MLAs finish the short sitting.

Members will likely vote on six bills at third reading, consider some supplementary money bills and take a look at a new Plebiscite Act, which will likely get first reading.

A final sitting of the third legislative assembly could be held starting Aug. 27, but exact dates are not confirmed.

If you can’t attend the session, people throughout Nunavut can watch the session live on local community cable channels starting at 1:30 p.m. eastern time.

Here is the broadcast schedule for the legislative assembly:

The live broadcast, Monday to Thursday can be heard:

• Eastern time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m;

• Central time: 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; and,

• Mountain time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The live broadcast on Fridays can be heard:

• Eastern time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m;

• Central time: 8 a.m to 11 a.m.; and,

• Mountain time: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Here are the playback times for the mountain time zone:

• in Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun, the proceedings will be played back from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., while in English, playbacks will be broadcast from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and,

• the week’s proceedings will be broadcast on Saturday in Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and in English on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Here are the playback times for the central time zone:

• in Inuktitut the day’s proceedings will be re-broadcast from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• in English, the day’s proceedings can be heard from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• the entire week’s proceedings can be heard in Inuktitut on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and in English on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In the eastern time zone, daily proceedings can be heard from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Inuktitut, and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in English.

The rebroadcast of the week’s proceedings can be heard on Saturdays in Inuktitut from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays in English from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To listen to the broadcasts, turn to 94.7 for Inuktitut and for English in Iqaluit, 102.1 Live.