Paper deluge a no-no

Acting speaker John Ningark reconvened the fourth session of the legislative assembly by admonishing members, on behalf of Speaker Sam Gargan, for an incident at the conclusion of the budget debate.

"The Speaker feels the dignity of the house was not upheld," said Ningark, referring to the dumping of buckets of paper on Finance Minister John Todd.

At least one MLA was repentant.

"I offer my sincere apology for being coerced into volunteering and participating in dumping paper during the last day of the budget session," Yellowknife Centre MLA Jake Ootes told the assembly.

The price of parting

The job of establishing federal funding levels to cover the expenses of division and the cost of running two new territories, continues.

Finance Minister John Todd showed some impatience Tuesday as he fielded questions concerning costs of running the decentralized government to be implemented in Nunavut.

"We just spent four days in caucus on this, giving everybody a breakdown of the costs of division," he said in response to questions from Iqaluit MLA Ed Picco.

Officials from the western caucus, the territorial department, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the federal government and the Nunavut interim commissioner's office have been appointed to iron out funding details. They will be meeting for the first time Friday.

Once the cost of implementing and maintaining the two new territories is established, "then we go to the federal government and see if they will pay the bills," said Todd.

The finance minister said he expects severance packages for workers who lose their jobs as a result of division will be paid by the federal government. Hard numbers likely won't be available until fall, said Todd's assistant, Richard Bargery.

GNWT summer jobs

A student wage-scale and a more streamlined process are needed to help students find summer jobs with the territorial government, says Yellowknife Centre MLA Jake Ootes.

The territorial government has neither a central employment location, nor a student wage scale, he said, adding the lack of a student rate means there are fewer jobs available.

"We want to maximize employment of students and I think its unfair some students get paid $22 and hour," said Ootes.

Finance Minister John Todd said the government tried to make student rates part of the current employment contract with the Union of Northern Workers.

"In negotiations with the union we asked them to consider a student rate rather than other rates, and for one reason or another -- I'm not being judgmental -- that didn't happen," said Todd.