IQALUIT, Nunavut (April 8, 2013) - The Standing Committee on Oversight of Government Operations and Public Accounts will hold hearings from April 16-18, 2013, on the most recent annual reports to the Legislative Assembly of the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut. All Regular Members of the Legislative Assembly serve on the Standing Committee.
The Languages Commissioner of Nunavut, Ms. Sandra Inutiq, has been invited to appear before the Standing Committee at 1:30pm on Tuesday, April 16, 2013.
“In light of the recent coming into force of the Official Languages Act, the Standing Committee looks forward to the first appearance of Nunavut’s new Languages Commissioner,” said Chairperson Ron Elliott. “In addition to accounting for the status of her office’s ongoing initiatives, this appearance will provide the Languages Commissioner with an opportunity to describe her plans for the coming fiscal year.”
The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut, Ms. Elaine Keenan Bengts, has been invited to appear before the Standing Committee at 09:00am on Thursday, April 18, 2013.
“The Information and Privacy Commissioner plays a key role in helping to ensure that the rights of Nunavummiut in the areas of access to information and protection of privacy are respected,” said Moses Aupaluktuq, MLA for Baker Lake.
Senior officials from the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs have been invited to appear before the Standing Committee at 1:30pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013.
“For the past several years, the government has tabled formal responses to the reports of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Standing Committee itself,” said Standing Committee Co-Chairperson Louis Tapardjuk. “This appearance will constitute the second time that departmental officials have been asked to publicly account for the government’s actions in response to our recommendations and those of the Information and Privacy Commissioner concerning the important issues of access to information and protection of privacy.”
The Standing Committee’s hearings will take place in the Nanuq Committee Room of the Legislative Assembly and will be open for the public to observe. The hearings will be televised.
Copies of the annual reports of the Languages Commissioner and the Information and Privacy Commissioner are available from the Office of the Legislative Assembly.
Copies of prior year’ responses by the Government of Nunavut to reports of the Standing Committee may be downloaded from the Legislative Assembly’s website at: www.assembly.nu.ca.