EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
There is the (interpretation ends) Inuktitut language training for government employees (interpretation) and again, that is being administered by Arctic College and it is open to anyone who would like to learn Inuktitut.
I would like to thank the minister. I agree that they’re taking Inuktitut studies as a subject. It is of requirement to use the Inuktitut language and also learn syllabics, the Inuktitut writing system.
It is a requirement. Talking about the schools, it doesn’t seem to be the case in the elementary schools.
For example, there are no Inuktitut subjects or Inuit studies in the elementary schools.
I know they teach Inuktitut, but there are no mandatory Inuktitut courses in the schools.
Can the minister tell us that there are Inuktitut studies as a subject and is it mandatory just like science, math, and so on?
They would become more proficient in Inuktitut if it was a mandatory course taken in the elementary schools.
We teach the Inuktitut language differently in each school.
We are now certifying elders who can be instructors in the schools. I would also like to bring up the issue of, if I say it in English, language arts to be introduced in the schools where they’re producing a variety of those subjects regarding the Inuktitut language and those are for grades 1 to 6.
That would be (interpretation ends) Inuktitut language competencies for grades 1 to 6 in service in schools in 2013-14.
Inuinnaqtun and Nattilik framework for school language learning is currently underway and it’s under review.
Work is starting this year on an Inuktitut second language framework for that dialect.
For bilingual, Inuktitut/English as a second language, theme units are developed for grades 1 to 3. That includes major subject competences for students to learn activities, assessment strategies, and learning material.
Work is continuing on more units in that area.
Three bilingual early childhood education units are also being developed. (interpretation) Those would be for elementary levels.
(interpretation ends) Two successful approaches to teaching language arts in both Inuit Uqausingit and English are being introduced to schools across Nunavut. Five communities received training and classroom coaching on the approaches in 2011-12, with five more planned for this year.
A teacher planning guide for K-6 on year planning, theme planning, assessment, using curriculum and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit sample lessons, and other teaching support items will be in service in all kindergarten to grade 3 schools in 2012-13.
Curriculum staff members in the Pangnirtung office are working very hard on the project for grade 7 to develop benchmarks to assess student writing in Inuktitut and English.
These initiatives are by teams made up of elders, Inuit educators, and long-term Inuit educators.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, minister, for giving us the information to asses the children in school, but I would like to encourage the minister that young people who are going to high school also have to be taught Inuktitut as a subject. They would be able to have more Inuktitut competency.
What is happening with that? Are there Inuit studies in the schools? Is it optional or are there none at all?
Speaker: Thank you. Mr. Curley.
After the Education Act has come into force, there has to be a bilingual education system. For instance, the Inuktitut curriculum for high school students has not come about yet. There is no curriculum at the moment for high school students.
Some of the high school students are taught Inuktitut on how the Inuit language is structured, for instance, if I say it in English, (interpretation ends) orthography and phonology. (interpretation) Those are the things that are being developed at this time.
My responses are long, but if I do it in a short version, it might not be understood.
Question 424 – 3(3): Status of Government Restructuring (Elliott)
My questions are for the Minister of Finance in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Financial Management Board.
On July 11 of this year, the Government of Nunavut announced a major government restructuring initiative, which includes the creation of a new Department of Family Services.
As of today, what is the status of this initiative and is it on track to be fully implemented by April 1, 2013?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. Elliott for the question, fortunately, in my capacity as finance minister.
I am also the health minister, so I can ask myself how things are going over there.
Mr. Speaker, things are going well.
We are on track.
We hired a new deputy minister.
There was an announcement, I believe, in July. Deputy Minister Aluki Rojas was hired to lead the creation of the new department.
She is hard at work on that process.
It’s something that’s not done every day.
We’re proceeding cautiously to make sure that all the steps that are necessary are undertaken carefully. There is the issue of writing job descriptions, identifying budgets to transfer over, the person years to transfer over, and working through the main estimates process.
I think things are on track. I am very encouraged. I had a briefing last week and I was very encouraged by the progress made to date.
The government’s announcement also indicated that core functions of the Department of Human Resources are to move to the Department of Finance and the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Can the minister clarify which functions will be taken on by the Department of Finance and which functions will be taken on by the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs?
I’ll put my other hat on.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Elliott following up.
If I recall correctly, there will be staffing, labour relations on the Finance side, but on the EIA side, it will be training and development.
There is one other component in Finance; I’m just losing it for the moment, but I can follow up.
Again, that has been going very well.
The two departments of Finance and Human Resources and staff are working well together. They have established the org. charts. A team has gone out to all the regional offices to talk to staff of Finance and Human Resources.
The staff is looking forward to that transition. It’s on track, again, to occur on April 1, 2013. I don’t foresee any problems there.
In the past, the departments of Education and Health did much of their own hiring.
How will this change under the new structure?
We are looking very closely at the whole structure in devolving recruitment and staffing to all the departments.
I think that will be a longer term proposition, probably in late 2013-14, to some of the major departments, but I believe Human Resources has delegated some authority for hiring nurses and teachers.
That has been in place for a while now, but longer term, it’s something we’re working on. We had to restructure first and then continue working at the area.
The minister had previously informed the House that the analysis and recommendations which have led to the restructuring initiative were contained in what I believe everyone is referring to as the “Lovely Report.” It’s clear that the government has accepted much of this report, which I believe contained a lot of useful information that would help explain to Nunavummiut why these changes are taking place.
Can the minister explain why he has not yet tabled this report in the Legislative Assembly?
Mr. Speaker, if Mr. Elliott asked me if I will table the document, at some point, I likely will table the document.
Question 425 – 3(3): Issuing of Welfare Cheques (Ningark)
My question is for the Hon. Minister of Health and Social Services, in other words, I’ll state, “Welfare System,” and I have every respect in the world with the office of the minister.
Mr. Speaker, when I travel between Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk, which I didn’t do enough, people know that and people complain.
That’s fine.
It goes with the mandate.
Mr. Speaker, my constituents tell me that when they go to an income support office, in some cases, they are told, “Well, we have to consult with the regional office to make sure that you are eligible.”
When we, the Government of Nunavut, let major contracts in the system and when we are told that we are not hiring local, people have no productive choices but to go into the income support office.
Now, my question to the hon. minister is… . I have every respect in the world for the frontline workers, so don’t get me wrong.
Does the local frontline worker have any authority at all to issue cheques to a client without getting authority from the regional office?
Mr. Ningark, if I could just ask if you’re talking about the income support workers. Yes?
Okay, then the Minister responsible for Education, Minister Aariak.
We do have our income support workers issuing cheques to clients.
I am trying to understand what the actual question was. I believe the member is asking whether they have authority or not; if he can clarify his question.
Mr. Ningark, can you clarify that for the minister, please.
I would like to apologize to you that I was under the assumption that the Minister for Health and Social Services was the lead minister, but I should know it is Madam Premier.
My question is: does the local income support worker have full authority to issue cheques without consulting with the regional office?
In terms of when the income support worker has to consult with the regional office is the area I will have to check and get back to the member.
Question 426 – 3(3): Interpreter/Translator Programs (Aupaluktuq)
Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s Statement earlier this week, I spoke of the need to support language rights at the community level.
The delivery of interpreter/translator programs at Nunavut Arctic College could play a critical role in increasing the government’s capacity in this area, as well as protecting, promoting, and enhancing the rights of Nunavummiut.
Can the minister clearly describe what interpreter/translator programs are currently being offered by Nunavut Arctic College?
I think we all know that we are running out of interpreter/translators in our territory and they are very skilled people and very important people to ensure that communications go on and all territorial businesses are well understood and we can work together on issues.
At present, we have an interpreter/translator program in Iqaluit. We do have four people who are taking that course right now. In very many of our programs, we also have an Inuktitut training component and a language component, which is in the NTEP program and the Nursing Program.
We also have in the Government of Nunavut, as the Premier has already alluded to, Inuktitut training in HR that is delivered to all Government of Nunavut employees.
At present, though, the only program that we offer for interpreter/translator is in Iqaluit.
As you will recall, I spoke of the need for an interpreter/translator course being delivered at the community level, enabling community residents to increase their skills and employability without having to leave their homes and families.
Can the minister update this House on what interpreter/translator courses are being or will be delivered at community learning centres and, if there are none, will he consider the delivery of community-based interpreter/translator courses in the near future?
Hon. Daniel Shewchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again thanks for the question.
The member outlines a very important issue and at present, I do not recall of any courses that are offered in communities.
However, it is absolutely possible for communities that are interested in having such a program offered in their communities to have that done. It would need to be done through the adult educator and the community.
Every spring, there is an assessment of programs that the community prioritizes to be offered. It would go through that process and it absolutely could be looked at.
Given the legislated requirements for language services across the public sector, can the minister confirm that he is working with governmental representatives to evaluate and determine the need for interpreter/translator services and ensuring that the necessary training and educational programs will be provided?
I can assure the member that we are working as a government as a whole in introducing and incorporating Inuit language and culture. It is a very high priority under the ILPA and OLA Acts that have been passed and that we are going to implement.
It is very important and we are all working together to increase these programs.
I appreciate the response simply because we are catering to the specific needs of Baker Lake, which is why I have been presenting these questions.
As my colleagues may know, Baker Lake is the only distinct inland Inuit community and there are five distinct Inuit groups as well.
I want to ask the minister: can the minister describe what efforts have been made by Nunavut Arctic College to recruit Nunavummiut, especially young adults who are looking to develop skills and enter the labour force, into the field of interpreting and translating?
We are always recruiting people through Arctic College. Information is on the website at the college.
If anyone is interested in becoming involved in the education of being an interpreter/translator, it is open to everyone across the territory of Nunavut. We will continue to do that.
I can just suggest to people that if they are interested, we do have a program offer. The intake is very low. We would expect it to be higher.
So I would encourage all of the MLAs in this House to communicate that we do run this program in Iqaluit and it’s open to everyone.
Tabled Document 238 – 3(3): Government Correspondence Regarding Processing of Inuit Heritage Trust Concerning Traditional Place Names Proposal (Elliott)
I wish to table a copy of correspondence that all MLAs received regarding the processing of Inuit Heritage Trust Traditional Place Names.
The letter speaks to issues brought forward by Tabled Document 229 – 3(3): Correspondence from the Inuit Heritage Trust Concerning Traditional Place Names. I table this for the public record.
Bill 44 – An Act to Amend the Justices of the Peace Act – First Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Kugluktuk, that Bill 44, An Act to Amend the Justices of the Peace Act, be read for the first time.
The motion is carried and Bill 44 has been read for the first time.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters. Bills 41, 42, and 43 with Mr. Ningeongan in the Chair.
>>House recessed at 15:02 and Committee resumed at 15:34
In Committee of the Whole, we have the following items to deal with: Bills 41, 42, and 43.
What is wish of the committee?
We wish to continue with the review of Bill 41, Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2013-2014, beginning with the Department of Justice, followed by Nunavut Arctic College and, if time permits, the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Rumbolt. Does the committee agree to proceed in that manner?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Does the committee agree to bring in Mr. Shewchuk and his witnesses?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort Minister Shewchuk and his witnesses in.
At the start of our committee meetings, we must introduce witnesses appearing at the table for the record. Minister Shewchuk, I welcome you and your officials. Please introduce your witnesses.
Hon. Daniel Shewchuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my right, I have Chris Stewart, the Manager of Capital and Special Projects. Yesterday he had a promotion; I gave him a director title.
To my left, I have J.P. Deroy, Director of Corrections.
In the Gallery, in the back, we have Christine Bens, Director of Corporate Services, and Deputy Minister of Justice Norman Tarnow.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Shewchuk and your officials.
Yesterday, you were asking questions on the opening comments of the minister and we got to page C-3. (interpretation ends) Directorate. (interpretation) The member who had questions is not here right now, but I will recognize him when he returns.
I have Ms. Ugyuk on my list. You now have the floor if you have questions on the opening comments or page C-3. Ms. Ugyuk.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I also wish to extend a welcome to you all.
Firstly, I wish to state that here in Nunavut, we have many churches and those of us who regularly attend church offer our prayers for the inmates in our system. We pray for their help, to have them return home safely and to not be re-incarcerated. That is what we pray for as regular churchgoers.
Our priest also states that as a religion, if this belief doesn’t include forgiveness and service, then that is not a Christian belief.
That is why we pray for those people who are inmates in our community. Through our prayers, the inmates say that they are assisted. That is something I want understood by Nunavummiut.
With that being the situation, those people who are incarcerated aren’t immediately thrown into jail, as the court due process has to be used where they go on trial.
Some defendants are remanded into custody.
Some are incarcerated for many years if their crime is serious, which includes prisoners on remand awaiting trial. There are two categories of prisoners: those awaiting trial in remand and those who are already incarcerated. Sometimes there’s recidivism as well.
We have now been apprised in a previous session that the correctional centres in the NWT don’t want any further Nunavut prisoners. This includes southern institutions, such as Ontario, that don’t want any further prisoners from Nunavut and this list is growing.
This is becoming a concern.
As Members of the Legislative Assembly, representing our constituents, will we also abandon our prisoners or will we ensure that our inmates are properly housed? Many inmates aren’t just thrown into prison, as all prisoners undergo a trial, or if it is a very serious crime, then they are remanded into custody.
I understand through the statistics that more males are incarcerated than females in our prison system. As a mother, it is very painful to have a son incarcerated. Many of our sons are incarcerated in the correctional centres.
As people, we constantly look for ways to provide assistance to them.
The community justice committee members are usually elders who partake in cases where Inuit are being tried for crimes.
Through this process, it really helps as the elders provide proper advice about life and that crime isn’t a proper way of life. Unfortunately not many people take this to heart, so they become repeat offenders.
As they are our fellow Inuit and residents, we have to ensure that they are properly housed. I want this completely understood.
Another facility we are expecting is the Rankin Inlet Men’s Healing Facility, which is to be opened soon. It will be a medium-security facility, with a healing centre included.
This healing facility also offers healing programs meant to teach the inmates. Once it opens, many inmates who are fathers have children awaiting their return. These children need their fathers, but they are incarcerated, although the father has to teach his children about being a proper father.
Many children are affected negatively when their father is in prison.
I want the Department of Justice to understand these issues.
We are now seeing an increase in the number of women being incarcerated. There is only one correctional facility for females in Nunavut and it is quite small.
As leaders and Members of the Legislative Assembly, we know that many women experience violence in their homes. When women are backed against the wall, sometimes they fight, especially after years of violence. It is heart-rending to see this occur amongst women because they can go as far as murdering their children.
Will we also see overcrowding amongst our women prisoners?
This is an issue that has to be carefully considered, especially by the community justice members, as well as the court system.
Will they also be overcrowded, such as we see now with the men already facing overcrowding?
The Northwest Territories government had stated that they don’t want to house Nunavut inmates by next year. All this is in light of the possible passage of Bill C-10, which may come into force by November of next year within our court system.
We have no choice but to abide by this legislation as it is a piece of our federal government’s legislation that applies nationally when it is enacted in Parliament.
Any federal legislation enacted is legislation we have to abide by as we are citizens of Canada.
The comments I am making are hard pieces of facts, but we have to face these facts as Members of the Legislative Assembly, and I am sorry that we don’t have a proper figure, especially when it falls short by a country mile.
However, I believe that there is room for improvement.
I am in full support of the temporary relief structure.
With many jurisdictions no longer accepting our inmates from Nunavut, such as the NWT and southern institutions, do our correctional facilities now have to be changed to house more dangerous, high-security inmates? What will happen to our low- and medium-security inmates? Will they be housed with these high-security inmates or will we create a low-security facility?
We also have the Ilavut Centre in Kugluktuk, which we should consider to enlarge so that we can have more space for Nunavummiut in facilities closer to home.
Chairman (interpretation): Ms. Ugyuk, I believe that you are on general comments.
If you have any questions, as we have already finished general comments, you can move on to your line of questioning. If there are any questions on the opening comments or page C-3.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you. I’m just following what had occurred yesterday like making general comments.
Yesterday, some members believed that the estimate for the relief structure is just a preliminary estimate. They didn’t want to see a class “X” estimate.
If members can recall, we went to page C-3. You can ask your questions to the opening comments or to page C-3. I apologize if I caused any confusion.
Mr. Curley, you were asking your line of questioning when we adjourned. You may proceed, Mr. Curley.
Mr. Curley: Thank you, Iksivautaaq. (interpretation) I’ll speak in English. (interpretation ends) Yes, Mr. Chairman, I’ll continue on with some questions I have. One was to try to justify the budget.
I think we all agreed quite clearly that initially, when you proposed the amount of dollars needed, that was, I believe, the original target to at least enhance the existing service.
My assumption is and my thinking is that your officials may have gone into redesigning the whole thing and therefore eventually going to have to build a new facility.
Are we approving a proposed new facility aside from the existing facility or are we just renovating it to increase additional facilities needed to house the inmates?
So which one are we looking at? Thank you.
I’ll answer his last question first. This is a new facility, a complete separate structure than the existing facility.
I would like to take this opportunity where we left off yesterday in the variance from the class “X” estimate that you had brought up to what we are proposing and what we say this is going to cost and where the figures are right now as a class “C” estimate, which I said yesterday was $13.2 million.
I’ve had discussions with my counterpart in the Department of Finance, the Minister of Finance, last night and this morning and he assures me and I do agree too that we are following the process as outlined in the Legislative Assembly.
We did have a class “X” estimate and we have moved forward.
I am explaining now to you that we will be coming back to the winter sitting with the supplemental fund in quite a large amount. This is the path and the process followed through the capital planning process.
There is some urgency to this. This was expedited, quickened up, fast tracked just to ensure that we could get this approved and constructed for next summer to meet the dire need and demand that we have over at BCC and housing our inmates.