Type Unicameral Seats 22 | Houses Legislative Assembly | |
 | ||
Premier Peter Taptuna, non-partisan consensus government
Since 2013 Speaker George Qulaut, non-partisan consensus government
Since 2013 Political groups Non aligned assembly (Consensus based)
Members (22) | ||
The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, Canada, is located in Iqaluit, and is the territory's parliament.
Contents
The Legislative Assembly was opened by Queen Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, on 7 October 2002, during her Golden Jubilee tour of Canada. In her speech the Queen stated: "I am proud to be the first member of the Canadian Royal Family to be greeted in Canada's newest territory."
Prior to the opening of the Legislative Building of Nunavut the members met in the gymnasium of the Inuksuk High School.
The Hansard of the assembly is published in Inuktitut and English, making the territory one of only three Canadian jurisdictions to produce a bilingual Hansard, along with the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa.
There are no political parties in Nunavut and the territory operates by consensus government. Approximately two weeks after an election, the newly elected legislature meets in a special session called the Nunavut Leadership Forum to select the Executive Council, or cabinet.
Current members
There are currently 22 seats in the legislature. The current assembly is the fourth in the territory's history, and had its membership selected in the 2013 election. Two electoral districts did not have their results finalized on election night, due to an exact tie between two candidates necessitating a judicial recount or a follow-up by-election. Recounts were held in both districts, and Samuel Nuqingaq was declared the winner in Uqqummiut. A by-election was held in Rankin Inlet South on 10 February 2014, with Alexander Sammurtok declared the winner.
Nuqingaq was expelled from the legislature on October 24, 2014 after repeatedly engaging in disorderly and inappropriate conduct, vacating Uqqummiut and resulting in a by-election which was held on February 9, 2015. The by-election was won by Pauloosie Keyootak.
G7 Summit 2010
G7 finance ministers met at the Legislative Building in February 2010 for a two-day meeting. Security at the summit was provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).