8 bills get assent as legislature wraps up early

An Iqaluit electoral boundary change, a council’s ability to appoint new members and some additional spending measures were signed Friday as the Nunavut legislative assembly closed its spring sitting.

Nunavut Commissioner Eva Aariak presided over the assent ceremony, signing eight new bills into law including one implementing some of the recommendations from the 2023 Nunavut Electoral Boundaries Commission Report.

The Nunavut legislative assembly approved this new electoral map which changes the boundaries in Iqaluit. (Screenshot/Nunavut legislative assembly)

That new law changes some Iqaluit ridings’ electoral boundaries, with the Iqaluit–Tasiluk riding, currently represented by MLA George Hickes, experiencing somewhat of a geographical shift.

Notably, parts of Lake Subdivision and Tundra Ridge are moved out of Iqaluit–Tasiluk to become part of Iqaluit–Niaqunnguu, the riding currently held by Premier P.J. Akeeagok.

Iqaluit–Tasiluk gains some new neighbourhoods, however, including parts of the Plateau areas which were in Iqaluit–Manirajak, MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone’s riding.

“I’ve got constituents I’ve been representing for over 10 years now that now fall off my map,” Hickes said after the proceedings.

“It does change the dynamics a little bit, but I think it was very important to make sure that voter equity was recognized.”

The Cities, Towns and Villages Act has been amended to allow municipal councils to appoint councillors when their membership falls below quorum.

Changes to the Coroners Act allow a coroner to conduct an investigation into a death without having access to the body. Such circumstances include situations in which a body cannot be recovered, or the body has been destroyed or removed from the territory.

The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act has been amended to outline how the information and privacy commissioner can be removed or suspended from his or her appointment.

In the event of a conflict of interest in a case, an amendment also outlines the appointment procedure for a “special” information and privacy commissioner.

Two bills modifying government spending also received assent Friday.

One was a $100.8 million supplementary operations spending bill, the other was a $3.6 million education capital spending bill.

MLAs seemed to be in a cheery mood Friday, with the end of the spring sitting coming a few days earlier than planned. On the assembly calendar, the sitting was scheduled to continue until June 6.

On the final day, several members celebrated their communities’ high school graduates, who are nearing the end of the school year.

Hickes made rare recognition of a member of the media, honouring CBC Nunavut reporter Nick Murray who is soon departing Iqaluit after a decade of reporting on the territory.

In question period, MLA Craig Simailak of Baker Lake and Human Resources Minister David Akeeagok of Grise Fiord jokingly sparred over whose community is the most beautiful in Nunavut.

Speaker Tony Akoak took time to recognize legislative assembly staff, especially the young pages who assist MLAs during proceedings, the translators whose interpretations are heard across the territory during assembly broadcasts, and Lew Phillip, an Iqaluit elder who recently began assisting members as an elder adviser.

“Thank you all very much for this sitting,” Akoak said. “Look after yourselves and look after your family.”

The fall sitting of the legislative assembly begins Oct. 4.