Nunavut Canada LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NUNAVUT Nunavut Leadership Forum Official Report Wednesday, November 3, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Prayer............................................................................................................................................... 1 Adoption of Agenda ........................................................................................................................ 1 Premier’s Opening Statement.......................................................................................................... 2 Questioning of the Premier.............................................................................................................. 6 Ministers’ Opening Statements ..................................................................................................... 30 Questioning of the Ministers ......................................................................................................... 46 Vote of Confidence ....................................................................................................................... 79 Wednesday, November 3, 2010 Nunavut Leadership Forum 1 Members Present: remarks that I trust will set the tone for Honourable Eva Aariak, Honourable these proceedings. James Arreak, Mr. Moses Aupaluktuq, Honourable Tagak Curley, Mr. Ron These proceedings are being viewed by Elliot, Mr. Adamee Komoartok, Nunavummiut across the territory. As Honourable Lorne Kusugak, Mr. Johnny their elected representatives, it is our Ningeongan, Mr. Paul Okalik, responsibility to demonstrate the highest Honourable Keith Peterson, Mr. Allan standards of conduct and decorum. Rumbolt, Mr. Fred Schell, Honourable Daniel Shewchuk, Honourable Peter (interpretation ends) It is also our Taptuna, Honourable Hunter Tootoo, responsibility to focus these Ms. Jeannie Ugyuk. deliberations on Nunavut-wide priorities and issues of ministerial leadership, Prayer performance, and accountability. This is not the appropriate forum to discuss Chairman (Mr. Arreak)(interpretation): constituency specific grievances, minor Thank you for coming. Before we matters of departmental administration, proceed with today’s agenda, I will call or the status of complaints raised by upon Mr. Ningeongan to deliver the individual residents. I would encourage prayer. Mr. Ningeongan. all members to focus their attention on matters of performance and not >>Prayer personality. Adoption of Agenda Every one of us took a solemn oath of office when we assumed our positions as Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Members of the Legislative Assembly Mr. Ningeongan. Additionally, I thank and we need to demonstrate that our all members. I can really hear myself constituents’ trust has been well placed. talk. Okay. Do members agree to the agenda in front of them? All members have been provided with a copy of the detailed procedures for the Some Members: Agreed. conduct of the Nunavut Leadership Review. These procedures have been Chairman (interpretation): Also, with agreed to at Caucus. respect to the procedures to be followed for the Nunavut Leadership Forum, do Following the Premier’s opening members agree with these procedures statement, members will have the and can we proceed with this forum? opportunity to question the Premier. Some Members: Agreed. At the conclusion of the Premier’s appearance, we will proceed to Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. ministers’ statements. Ministers will As Chairperson of the Nunavut make their statements in alphabetical Leadership Forum, I wish to take this order. Members will then have the opportunity to make some opening opportunity to ask questions of the ministers. Wednesday, November 3, 2010 Nunavut Leadership Forum 2 Following the conclusion of members’ appraisal of how far we have come both questions, we will proceed to balloting. as individuals and as a government. All members will have the opportunity to express confidence or non-confidence I would like to begin today by thanking in each Member of the Executive all of the leaders who have come before Council. me. This includes not only political leaders but leaders in communities in As members are aware, this is the first Nunavut, in businesses, in homes, and in time that the forum has decided to families. There are so many who have undertake a formal balloting process. As helped to build Nunavut in which we can members are aware, although the results all be so very proud. of this secret ballot will provide an expression of the will of the Assembly, I am honoured to work side by side with they are not legally binding and it may someone who helped to create Nunavut, be necessary for the House to consider Tagak Curley. Tagak is one of the formal motions. leaders who inspire me every day as I work to represent the people of Nunavut. I would like to take this opportunity to Nunavut is still very young and our past remind all members that I will be government provided us with a great enforcing the rules of order and decorum start. I have been honoured to continue that members have agreed to follow for the efforts of our previous governments. this process. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the previous Assemblies for their I will now invite the Premier to make her hard work. We have come such a long opening statement. I now call upon the way. Premier to deliver her statements. I remind the Premier that she has up to 20 (interpretation ends) Iksivautaaq, under minutes to deliver her opening a public and consensus style statements. If you choose, you may stand government, we are all leaders. I truly or stay in your seat while you are feel that I was chosen from among my making your statement. Madam Premier. equals and that every member and every role in our government is essential if we Premier’s Opening Statement are going to achieve our ambitious goals for this wonderful territory. Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good I became Premier of this great territory morning, my colleagues and our visitors. without a lot of political experience, but Thank you. this is not a weakness. Let’s be honest. This is a reality for many of us. What I We have been waiting for quite some have brought to this role is an equal or time and it seems like the snow was even even more value than political waiting for the Nunavut Leadership experience. I bring a strong moral Forum. This review is a tradition in compass, firmly rooted in Inuit culture Nunavut and one in which I willingly and values. By keeping one side firmly participate. It is an excellent opportunity rooted in Inuit culture and values, I to take the time for clear-headed believe that the judgement and wisdom Wednesday, November 3, 2010 Nunavut Leadership Forum 3 required for a political role comes more • Strengthening our educational naturally. The day-to-day skills of a system; politician can be learned by anyone, but a strong moral compass is not a learned • Providing continuity between skill and it is what takes and makes me a education and the labour market; strong and capable leader. • Reducing issues that cause You chose me as a Premier based on my people to harm themselves or promise to return to the roots of good others; and government. Good government requires a willingness to establish an open • Supporting environmental dialogue to ensure that the priorities of stewardship. all Nunavummiut are reflected in the work that we do. My first act as a Our dialogue with Nunavummiut and Premier was to establish this open with the Members of this House dialogue with the people of Nunavut and continues. We are partners in building with you and the Members of this Nunavut’s future. It is our responsibility. House. As I have said so many times before, all members know that our doors are open, I initiated a process to speak to the that we strongly value your input and people of Nunavut to find what was your input affects how government working, what needed improvement, and implements its mandate. what was not working at all. This input led to the Qanukkanniq Report Card, In 2008, I pledged in my leadership which formed the basis of our next steps speech to put an end to a top-down style in our administration. This next step was of governing and within this to invite all Members of the House to administration, we continue to deliver on develop this government’s mandate the pledge. together. Our focus included: Good government is committed to • Building government capacity to responsible change or, in other words, to do its work; progress. As you will see throughout this review, we are working to bring the • Helping empower individuals Government of Nunavut closer to the and communities to do their will of the Nunavummiut in a work; responsible and orderly fashion. This change started on day 1 and it will • Creating sustainable economies continue throughout this term. focusing on the connection between health and social The best hunter is not the one who wins development the race. He is the one who makes it home no matter what the conditions are. • Ensuring government can Good government is the same. We have communicate with the public; faced significant challenges in trying to achieve our goals, but we continue our efforts to build a Nunavut of the future. Wednesday, November 3, 2010 Nunavut Leadership Forum 4 Good government emphasizes the need While on the subject of communication, and to work in partnerships with the I would like to say how proud I am of public and the organizations that share a the significant progress