Thank you. I am pleased to be here today to introduce the Nunavut Statutes Amendment Act. Before I outline the content of the bill, it is important to note the unique and unprecedented nature of the amendments before this committee. Under section 76.05 of the Nunavut Act, the Legislative Assembly has been given the authority to amend or replace the laws of Nunavut before they come into force on April 1, 1999. This unique authority can only be used on the recommendation of the Interim Commissioner and after consultation with Nunavut Tunngavik.
I am pleased to say that this bill has been developed cooperatively with the Office of the Interim Commissioner and Nunavut Tunngavik. The recognition of this cooperative approach and the support of the Interim Commissioner was confirmed with the reading of the Interim Commissioners' letter in the Legislative Assembly formally recommending the bill prior to its introduction in this House.
At the same time, Nunavut Tunngavik has been consulted on all aspects of this bill as it was developed. The President of Nunavut Tunngavik provided confirmation of this consultation in a letter to myself that was tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
Clearly, the exercise of this kind of authority by the Legislative Assembly is historic and unprecedented. Great care was taken to draft this bill in a collective and cooperative way. I want to thank the Interim Commissioner and his staff, Nunavut Tunngavik, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Justice Canada for their hard work and cooperation that made this unique bill possible. I would also like to pay tribute to the efforts made by the professional associations to assist the parties in developing amendments to the legislation that governs them. Their input was invaluable to this process.
The Nunavut Statutes Replacement Act deals primarily with Northwest Territories professional associations that have indicated their desire to maintain a relationship between their Northwest Territories and Nunavut members after division. Considerable effort was made to consult with professional associations to review their post-division options.
The result was that the members and boards of associations representing Certified General Accountants, Chartered Accountants, Management Accounts, Nurses, and Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists as represented by NAPEGG all expressed a desire for their association to maintain a regulatory role in Nunavut.
As a result, the Nunavut Statutes Replacement Act contains provisions that will allow these associations to continue to regulate their professions in Nunavut until there are sufficient numbers in Nunavut to support a stand alone professional association.
As soon as Nunavut members choose to take on these responsibilities, these amendments provide for the assets and liabilities of the current association to be divided on a pro rata basis or, in most cases, any alternate formula that is agreed on.
Madam Chairperson, this bill will ensure that the regulation of professions designed to protect the public and the professions themselves continues without interruption in Nunavut. Thank you.