EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
We will be reviewing all matters related to this issue, so the community is able to receive three polar bears in their quota now, based on the other community agreeing to surrender three tags for Boothia Peninsula.
The NWMB is working well with our department and we will continue to work with the community and the NWMB so that the quota can increase.
Mr. Puqiqnak (interpretation): Just very short, Mr. Speaker.
He stated that there is a review being done in McClintock Channel (Ittuaqturvik) and with that review there is a quota of three bears.
Can the minister tell me if there will be a larger quota for the community in the future?
We will have to discuss this with the surveyors working on the Gulf of Boothia study.
This is something I would like to look into further so that the community will be able to increase their quota.
Question 098 – 1(6): Staff Housing
One of my colleagues brought up a favourite topic of mine in a question, and it is something that I have been enquiring about for a number of years now, and that’s staff housing.
I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, that given the short supply or the virtually non-existent supply of staff housing especially here in Iqaluit, do these conditions, you know from my past experiences in the NWT and concerns that I’ve had raised to me here in Nunavut as an MLA, the conditions of some of the staff housing units.
Are the minister and the department looking at developing or do they have standards or enforcing standards or requirements for staff housing in Nunavut.
There are standards but the question obviously remains as to whether those standards are being met by the individuals from whom we lease the units.
Maybe the minister himself asked the question for me, how does his department ensure, or check to see that those standards are being met with the current stock of staff houses.
I would suggest to you, although I don’t have intimate details on the whole process, that if it was felt that a unit was deficient they would contact the individual in the department that is responsible for staff housing and advise them of that.
Then we would take the appropriate action to obviously assess what the condition would be in and settle it with the landlord.
Mr. Speaker, I know this is something that is quite evident, especially here in Iqaluit and I am sure in the decentralized communities where new staff housing was just built, the rates that are charged for rent on staff housing units is the same whether you are in a brand new staff housing unit or one of the older units that may not be in the best condition or have all kinds of problems.
Is the department looking at some type of scale or something where an individual living in a nice new unit paying a certain price and based on the age of the unit and the quality of a unit that there may be some credit given to the people living in the older units that may have problems?
Mr. Speaker, I think I have indicated in the past that all of these in respect of housing will be or are already under review.
It is a matter of when we would bring forward new policies and when we would implement those policies.
That would obviously be a factor that would be taken into consideration in respect of the condition of the housing that you are renting and how it applies to the rental rates.
I think also I’ve stated before, that the whole emphasis of the initiative to put staff housing with the housing corporation is to try to bring some consistency in the long term in the overall housing policies of our government.
Right now if you just look at the way we treat the differences between public housing and staff housing, where it’s based on the income.
The fact is that for public housing tenants, all the rents are based on their income levels.
For staff housing it’s just based on a flat rate, so right there there’s a pretty significant inconsistency that we’re going to move towards remedying in trying to bring some consistency to the overall program for our government.
Mr. Speaker, the minister had indicated all these policies and things are under review.
Does the government have a staff housing policy other than the staff housing allocation policy that was tabled in this House last year?
Does it actually have a staff housing policy that it’s going to be reviewing or are you working on developing a new one?
Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure if there’s an exact policy but there’s obviously some guidelines in place to set the rent because our employees are being charged rent and it’s being deducted from their payroll directly as a result of those rents.
Question 099 – 1(6): Kugaaruk Survey
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Sustainable Development.
The survey that was done near Kugaaruk on bowhead whales, could he give me an update on the results?
The question that the member has raised is based on a survey that is being done by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.
I haven’t been given the report yet but once I receive it it’ll be provided.
Once the report is given to the minister, will he be able to provide it to me.
Yes I’ll be able to provide the report of the survey.
Question 100 – 1(6): Staff Housing Policy/Guidelines
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation and staff housing.
He had indicated that they do have policies in place and guidelines for staff housing. I wonder if the minister could commit to providing all the provisions they have on the allocation of staff housing - any guidelines that they have on allocating them or setting the rent and things like that to the members of this House.
Mr. Tootoo: I didn’t want to be accused of having two questions in there at once Mr. Speaker.
I’d like to ask the minister when he anticipates being able to provide that information.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: As soon as possible.
I would say probably early next week.
Motion 004 – 1(6): Minister’s Statement 020 – 1(6) be Moved to Committee of the Whole
Mr. McLean: It’s not a written question Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Rule 34(5) I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Iqaluit Centre, that Minister’s Statement 020 - 1(6) be moved into the Committee of the Whole for discussion and it’s the one regarding “Report Identifies Gasoline as Cause of Engine Damage”.
The motion is in order and it’s not subject to debate.
Minister’s Statement 020 - 1(6) is referred to Committee of the Whole.
Reply 001 – 1(6): Mr. Iqaqrialu’s Reply to Opening Address
Mr. Speaker, my life has changed to date since I was a child.
I rise today to talk about things that happened in 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s.
It was during those years that the missionaries, Hudson’s Bay Company and the RCMP came up north to the majority of the communities.
My reply will be brief, Mr. Speaker.
During my reply I will be talking about memorable times and not so memorable times.
I feel this is the time and place that I should bring this up.
Mr. Speaker, when the RCMP first came north, Inuit were forced to move into settlements when their dogs were shot by the RCMP.
Their dogs were killed perhaps because the RCMP was abiding by federal laws.
When it first happened it created hardships for the Inuit by limiting their harvesting because with their dogs gone they weren’t able to travel and hunt.
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased recently to see that the Federal Member of Parliament for Nunavik in Northern Quebec has called for this issue to be reopened with an apology and inquiry and compensation.
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to see that other Inuit are talking about this.
Mr. Speaker, the government also forced the parents by virtue of the threat to withhold child tax benefits.
They were ordered to send their children to school, but having to stay in communities and not having a house to live in was hard on the Inuit.
Some people even lost all their possessions.
This was been very painful and the memory is not very pleasant.
Inuktitut was also forbidden in the classroom.
Mr. Speaker, I have made this very brief so that it will be clear to the members when we were under the Government of the Northwest Territories, we had just adjusted to that system and then everything started to change again.
Mr. Speaker, this has been a very frustrating process.
We again had to follow new legislation that we were not familiar with.
Our people started working towards a Land Claims Agreement so that they could protect themselves, their lifestyles and their homeland.
Mr. Speaker, when we first started negotiating the Land Claim it was done with the Federal Government.
The signing of the Agreement in 1993 was a proud moment for Nunavummiut.
From there, the Office of the Interim Commissioner was created and then election time came for the election of the First Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.
On April 1, 1999, Nunavummiut celebrated the creation of Nunavut. Nunavut was put on the map and Inuit were able to voice their opinions and follow that Land Claim Agreement.
The Government of Nunavut will be implementing made-in-Nunavut legislation.
We have to start implementing this legislation because we have been in our positions for three years now.
Mr. Speaker, the people of Nunavut have been stating that they felt since the creation of Nunavut, life would be better and easier for them.
Mr. Speaker, it will take time to make changes for the betterment of Nunavummiut.
Through the Bathurst Mandate and the Baker Lake Caucus Retreat, we are making changes and the Government of Nunavut is proud to be implementing those changes.
Mr. Speaker, I am encouraging the ministers to comply and to make commitments according to the requests and needs of Nunavummiut, even the regular members are committed to do this.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to comment on something that is evident in our communities.
The people of Nunavut have stated that when putting in proposals to start up new businesses in the communities, they often run into roadblocks or during the final stages of the proposal being approved when the government employees disapprove of the proposal it is usually not considered again.
As a member, I would like to state that while representing Clyde River and Qikiqtarjuaq, I am often approached by people from these communities with questions that need answers regarding business proposals.
Mr. Speaker, what I am trying to say is that one weakness in this government is the civil servants.
In Nunavut we have to work together but that is not the case and it needs to be fixed.
Mr. Speaker, I feel that this is important, painful, and true.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to say then when communities do not receive what they are asking for, I would like to be made aware of why are their requests or proposals not being approved.
I would like to receive correspondence from Nunavummiut so that I am aware of which Departments they are dealing with.
Mr. Speaker, if things are being rejected for no good reason, we have to do something about it.
Our rules need to be better followed.
Mr. Speaker, in addition the professionals with academic education who deny the requests of Nunavummiut, in their position they should have a better working relationship with Inuit.
Relevant policies should be put in place.
We, as Nunavummiut, are not benefiting from them.
Nunavummiut are not gaining anything by their proposals being set aside.
Mr. Speaker, this is my reply, and it is true.
I am aware of what is going on in my community, and within the Nunavut Government.
Bill 2 – Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 4, 1999-2000 – First Reading
Bill 3 – Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 3, 2000-2001 – First Reading
Bill 4 – Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 4, 2001-2002 – First Reading
Bill 5 – Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 1, 2002-2003 – First Reading
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Baffin South, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 4, 1999-2000; Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 3, 2000-2001; Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 4, 2001-2002; and Bill 5, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 1, 2002-2003 be read for the first time.
The motion is carried and the bills have had first reading.
Bill 6 and Minister's Statement 020 – 1 with Mr. Iqaqrialu in the Chair.
I would ask the members to join me in the members’ lounge for refreshments and the Committee of the Whole will commence again at 12.30.
Lunch will be in the Tuktu Room.
>>House recessed at 11.38 p.m. and resumed at 12.35 p.m.
In Committee of the Whole, we have the following item to deal with, Bill 6.
And the supporting main estimates document.
Yesterday, we were reviewing the Department of Education, on page 9-6.
Do members agree that we continue with the main estimates of the Department of Education?
Do members agree the Minister of Education proceed to the witness table?
Mr. Kilabuk, you can now go ahead to the witness table.
We can now begin Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Kilabuk, would you please introduce your officials again please.
Bill 6, Appropriation Act No. 2, 2002-2003 – Consideration in Committee
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you and good afternoon.
My Deputy Minister on my left is Tom Rich and our finance person is here as well, Bob Loehr.
Yesterday, we were on page 9-16, Employment and Career Services in relation to the line item dealing with Income Support funding.
We were not completed with that main estimates page.
If there are no comments on that, we’ll just start on the Department of Education - Branch Summary - Employment and Career Services.
Total operations and maintenance, 33 million 642 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Opposed?
We can now go back to 9-11.
Adult Education and Post Secondary Services.
Branch Summary on page 9-11.
Do you have documents turned to 9-11?
I take it that we can ask questions regarding student financial assistance on this page.
Student financial assistance, the review, you said that it should be coming forward shortly, but the question that I have on student financial assistance, the budget amount of 3 million 642 thousand dollars a year, there’s financial assistance grants; I’ll try to keep it simple.
There’s a grant given out and I’m sure it’s in this 3.6 million dollars per year.
How are loans tracked?
I know there’s a loan, students are eligible for a loan of 155 dollars a week in Nunavut and how are these loans paid back and where do the funds go into.
There’s no revolving student financial assistance account in Nunavut.
There used to be one in the old GNWT, with a revolving fund that was paid out and back.
Where is that in Nunavut?
The funds that the member stated were not established, there is such a fund in place, and I will get Mr. Loehr to explain the revolving fund and the processes that are in place for it.
There is a revolving fund in Nunavut.
The revolving fund is used to issue loans to students and payments go back into the fund as well as interest on the payments.
But it’s all in a revolving which payments go back into the fund and are re-issued in the next year for new loans etc.
Where is that fund located?
Is it in any of the figures here or is it in your O&M or is it in finance’s O&M.
Where is this fund located and how much is it?
There’s nothing in the Main Estimates in front of me, so perhaps if I can get my Deputy Minister, Mr. Rich to explain.
Mr. Rich.
There is approximately 2 million dollars in the revolving loan fund and I will have to check with the manager of finance, I believe that shows in the Department of Finance.
It’s not recorded in the Main Estimates.
There’s probably a logical reason why it isn’t in the Main Estimates and I’m sure somebody is trying to find out for us right now.
But anyhow, the next part of the question: who is eligible for student loans in Nunavut?
Is it everybody or is just Inuit students?
I will try to explain the process that one follows for the receipt of this assistance.
If you live in Nunavut and you need funding you can ask for a student grant, but if for some reason if you couldn’t get any grants from the government then you’re eligible to get a student loan.
As well, the information is there for the students regarding whether you are eligible for either the grants or loans or both and what the process is for appeals, should you not be approved.
This applies whether you are going to school in Nunavut or outside of Nunavut.
So the question that I’m asking here is I’m not really sure how it works, so bear with me when I ask these questions.
If you’re a nursing student, taking a nursing course here in Nunavut and you’re getting student financial assistance but you find that it’s not enough, could you also qualify, or like I say, and the other thing is I have constituents in Baker Lake taking various courses here in Iqaluit and they’re getting student financial assistance.
Are they eligible for student loans also?
I will get my deputy to respond to the question. And Mr. Chairman, while we’re here under Adult Education, I would like another official, the ADM to come and sit at the witness table.
I will give you the opportunity to have somebody come to the witness table to respond to some of the members’ questions.
Thank you, Minister Kilabuk.
Perhaps you could introduce your official before your deputy answers the question.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chair.
On my right is Kathy Okpik, my Assistant Deputy Minister.
I will get Mr. Rich to answer the question of the member.
Just to clarify on the loan.
The primary loan is eligible to beneficiaries or to those who have lived or gone to school for three years in Nunavut and are currently a Nunavut resident.
For every three years that they’ve gone to school and are a resident, they’re eligible for one year of what’s called a primary loan.
That can come on top of the grant that they get for student financial assistance.
I don’t want this to seem like an unfair question.
Now, somebody, a student in Nunavut, whether they’re a beneficiary or a non-beneficiary, decides that they want to go to McGill University or whatever, Harvard to get a law degree, or McGill to get a teaching degree, or Winnipeg to get a nursing degree.
Are they allowed to and still receive student financial assistance?
We also have loans available to the students that are not beneficiaries.
Perhaps I can get Kathy Okpik to explain that.
Ms. Okpik.
Ms. Okpik (interpretation): Thank you.
The beneficiaries can get a grant and we also have a grant available to others and there are two categories; if they have gone to school for three years or more in Nunavut, they are eligible for a grant.
We also have loans available to students who have not gone to school up here in Nunavut, but it has to be repaid.
It’s a loan.
In respect to the previous question in regards to further education outside of Nunavut, if any of the students would like to go to school outside of Nunavut they are allowed to do so, and this particular situation is fully addressed in the policies.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Ms. Okpik.
There’s a lot who want to strive for excellence to further their education in a southern institution.
I’m glad this government has recognised that and not thrown any road blocks in front of them to do that.
I’m still going to ask a question.
This next question, I don’t know if you can answer me, does the Federal Government or NTI contribute to any of this or are they partners to any kind of programs that the First Nations people currently enjoy in Southern Canada and I don’t like comparing Nunavut with First Nations but I just, for my own information, does NTI or the Federal Government help out in any kind of student financial assistance in Nunavut.
In respect to his question, we don’t have any assistance available for that particular circumstance.
I just want to make a comment (interpretation ends) on that page on 9-11 on top you have sentences on training and so on.
So, when we say that, I guess I see that as we can put in a proposal together for a mining related training program which is what I have been saying for the last couple of years.
As you know, the Arctic College, the hamlet and Diavik did a project last two years which has been successful.
When I say that, as soon as they get out of that course they find a job in that company or their contractors, because of the training they did.
I guess, in this area last year, you contributed to work on one of the projects like that in Kugluktuk or somewhere.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): I will ask my ADM to respond to your question, as she worked on it last year.
Ms. Okpik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Last year we were involved in that program that the member mentioned in Kugluktuk.
It was called Community Contacts Proposal and it contained a number of modules or training elements.
Yes, we are very pleased that some of the students who participated in this program were able to obtain jobs at Diavik.
And some of them were going to further their training after that particular training session.
Mr. Havioyak: It is a very, so far to this point, it has been successful and hopefully other mining companies will be able to do that in Nunavut.
I like instead of having to, I’m not sure if this is a one time thing or will this be an ongoing funding in this area throughout Nunavut.
Ongoing, I guess, to make sure that we have an ongoing program on this, that we keep doing this annually.
We have those available in our offices and we work closely and collaboratively with the communities but we do have to make proposals in order to access these monies via the Arctic College.
I think all the members are aware that there are no annual contributions but they are accessible through special program funding proposals.
Like we said we have contributed to this project and they have two other partners on this.
Just for information, I guess, the percentage of the funding that you put into this project here.
I’m not sure, 25% was it, or 10%.
I can’t remember that part.
I’d like information on that now.
We don’t have the percentage here, but I could give you a figure of our contributions to these types of programs.
It was approximately 100 thousand dollars that we put into these types of programs.
Before we go on to another person, 9-11, 9-12 and 9-13 are all related to Adult Education and Post Secondary Services, so if you want to pose questions to figures on these pages, feel free to do so.
Mr. Chairman, in this section I have a number of questions.
I will start off with the amount allocated to Student Financial Assistance.
As the Minister of Finance had indicated that there is 500 thousand dollars increase to Student Financial Assistance.
I would like to ask the minister if that amount that is there, that increase, the total amount, is that an increase to the total amount that is available?
Or are there going to be increases to the amounts those individuals are eligible to receive, will that increase?
There is a 500 thousand dollar increase in the Student Financial Assistance fund.
We are looking at the cost of living expenses and this is including the living allowances of the students.
It will also include the family members of the student, within the household.
That is where the increases are going to be at, the living allowances of the student.
Are the amounts under the program, the total amount that individual students are receiving going up?
Is it in just those two areas that they are going up?
Were those areas not included prior to this year?
These increases are in the Student Financial Assistance fund, and for the amount of five hundred thousand.
And as it has been stated in the House on more than one occasion, there has not been any increase to the amount available to the students for many years.
So what we did was increase the living allowances that the students are eligible for.
If what I am hearing is correct, the only thing that has changed in the program is an increase to the living allowances of the students.
Can the minister indicate for an individual student what the impact it has on the student, how much more money will they receive in Student Financial Assistance as a result of this increase?
Like I said earlier, in regards to this cost of living increase, the increase is about twenty percent to their living expenses.
Twenty percent of what?