OTTAWA - The senate decision about the Nunavut Official Languages Act has been delayed until June 11, according to Senator Willie Adams' executive assistant Anne Ryan.

Ryan said in an interview on June 4 that the motion would be discussed by the committee that deals with constitutional issues and will be heard again on June 11.

Willie Adams: disappointed by delay in passing Nunavut Language Act.

"The motion was made that it be sent to the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and to be reported back to the Chamber no later than June 11," Ryan said.

She said Adams is saddened by the delay, especially because he is due to retire within the month.

"He's really, really disappointed," she said.

When Nunavut was created in 1999, it adopted the Northwest Territories Languages Act, including its 11 official languages, said MP Leona Aglukkaq, who seconded the motion in the House of Commons. Adopting the Nunavut Official Languages Act will mean there will be four official languages within Nunavut: English, French, Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun.

"In order to make any amendment to the Official Languages Act which we inherited April 1 (1999) it required passage in the House of Commons and Senate - any amendments to legislation," Aglukkaq said. "The motion that I introduced in the House of Commons would basically change the Nunavut Official Languages Act to four languages versus 11."

On June 2, the motion was read in the Senate but was delayed.

"What happened was the consensus was in the Senate that all parties would be in support of the motion without debate for a quick passage of the motion to deal with the Nunavut Official Languages Act," Aglukkaq said.

"From what I'm hearing other senators are now questioning this motion whether it's constitutional. As soon as you start to debate a motion, it raises the question of whether you're in support or not."