Bid to oust Nunavut minister fails to surface

Iqaluit West MLA Paul Okalik did not present his promised bid in the Nunavut legislature on Thursday to get Housing Minister Hunter Tootoo removed from cabinet.

The motion by Okalik, Nunavut's former premier, was put on the legislative assembly's order paper for Thursday after he gave notice of it earlier this week.

On Tuesday, Okalik accused Tootoo, the minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corp., of misleading the legislature about overspending at the Crown corporation.

But when his chance to present the motion came up Thursday afternoon, Okalik didn't say anything.

Speaking to reporters later, Okalik would not elaborate on why he didn't proceed with his motion. He said he might still present it Friday.

"I'm having good discussions with my colleagues, and I think we're making our point clear that we expect more of our government," Okalik said. "I think that point is coming across quite well."

Under legislative procedures, the motion will stay on the order paper until Friday, after which it will expire.

Criticized over cost overruns

For his part, Tootoo said he is prepared to defend himself if the motion is presented.

"It would've been nice to get it out there and get it over with, but I don't have any control over that," he told reporters.

Tootoo has been criticized by MLAs since he revealed last month that the Nunavut Housing Trust has incurred $60 million in cost overruns.

Managed by the housing corporation, the housing trust was established in 2006 — with $200 million in federal funding — to build more than 700 affordable housing units across Nunavut by 2010.

Tootoo has said that labour and training costs accounted for 72 per cent of the overruns.

Housing corporation officials have also said poor budgeting and poor expenditure tracking were also factors.

MLAs to discuss trust's problems

An independent audit of the housing corporation is expected to be completed later this year.

South Baffin MLA Fred Schell, who was going to second Okalik's motion, said the bid to oust Tootoo may have disrupted serious debate over what went wrong at Nunavut Housing Trust, but he expected this would soon change.

"I can guarantee you over the next week, there will be lots of questions asked of Hunter Tootoo on the Housing Trust."

Okalik has also faced questions about his role in the housing corporation's problems. Earlier this week, Tootoo said that $38 million of the overruns happened while Okalik was premier.

This week, Finance Minister Keith Peterson said Nunavut Housing Corp. will have to come up with $18.9 million to help cover the additional costs, while the territorial government will cover the rest.