Nunavut legislature to hold invitation-only opening

SEAN McKIBBON
Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — The opening day of the third session of Nunavut’s legislature on October 20 will be an invitation-only event open to speakers from other Canadian legislatures and their clerks, as well as people invited by Nunavut’s MLAs.

The clerk of the legislative assembly, John Quirke, said the new legislature chamber simply isn’t big enough to invite the public.

“It’s been our experience the greatest interest among the public is in the first day and then it dies down after that,” Quirke said.

Nunavut’s new legislative building, which is still undergoing last-minute modifications, can only seat about 52 guests, he said.

Quirke is expecting a 50 percent response rate from the speakers of Canada’s 10 provinces and two territories. Each MLA will also be allowed to invite one person.

Invitations have also been extended to Nunavut MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Nunavut Senator Willie Adams, and Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault, Quirke said. There are also 12 elders who are expected to preside over the legislature’s discussions.

“It won’t be a huge event,” Quirke said, describing the opening as a simple affair that would involve a speech from the throne by Nunavut Commissioner Helen Maksagak

On the previous day, Oct. 19, Quirke said that their may be a ribbon-cutting at the front door of the legislative chamber, a tour of the new building, .and some coffee and tea served in the legislature’s foyer.

Workers are still pulling out floor and wall panels and installing wiring for the legislature’s audio and video system. Some of the control equipment for that system still hasn’t arrived from suppliers, and Quirke says a temporary microphone system will have to be installed for the fall session of the legislature.

Workers are also changing the lighting inside the chamber of the legislature because it was found to be too hot during the first ceremony opening the building on April 1.

Quirke says the construction work makes it too difficult to conduct guided tours for the public. He says that many people have called or even shown up at the legislature asking about tours.

“That should all fall into place by sometime in November,” he said. By then regular public tours and tours for school kids should be in place.

Until then the public can always go and watch the government while it’s in session — except on the first day.