EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
So I can certainly state that we could introduce it by the May session.
Just to ask another question.
At this time they are negotiating.
What effect will this have on my question.
Yes, it is part of the agreement and we can’t change the agreement just like that even if we want to do it that way.
If we did it that way we could be creating more problems for the negotiations.
We felt that we could go through this the other way, because the parents would like to stay home from work after having a child.
So now at least I understand that it is part of the negotiations with the Nunavut Employees’ Union.
Question 128 – 1(5): Marine Act & Regulations
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Transportation, perhaps this is his day as he may be travelling tomorrow.
I would like to ask him about whether the Canadian Department of Fisheries & Oceans are now working on rules for marine operators.
I was wondering if we are going to have a Marine Act or regulations.
What is the status of this right now.
On the marine rules and regulations, yes we do have those within our department.
When we talk about boats we are talking about canoes and smaller boats.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as I mentioned a bit yesterday, Nunavut is the only jurisdiction that lacks proper marine facilities.
At this time we are discussing this with the federal government and we would like to sign an agreement with them.
Once the agreement has been signed we will be able to access more funds from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to be used for breakwaters and to help people that own boats.
But on the Act itself, perhaps we will be bringing that forward as well.
Last year they introduced the legislation but they were willing to wait for us so that the small boat owners would be able to follow the act.
We were told they would give us two years to be able to implement this.
I thank him for this clearer response.
However, I have only heard a bit about it and that is why I am asking this question.
I have not received any correspondence in regards to this.
I think this is more towards tourism operators and outfitters who have to follow these guidelines and the rules and regulations of the marine act.
If we are going to be using the marine act as Nunavut residents without consulting with our residents I am sure that problems will arise if we are not consulted in advance of the introduction of the bill.
I was wondering if the Department of Transportation, representing Nunavut residents, how are you going to be working on this.
Standards, codes and regulations for small boat operators, although it's federal government legislation, I think they're dealt with through our wildlife division, I think.
But the people from Nunavut, we have to recognize that boating accidents happen, so we have to look at the rules such as life jackets or survival suits or whether the boat needs to have buoys available.
We have to give support to the Nunavut residents.
When the federal government is coming out with new rules and regulations, we have to keep in mind that safety comes first.
Speaker: Supplementary. Iqaqrialu.
Yes, since your Department of Transportation is going to keep Nunavut residents’ needs in mind, and Nunavut residents keep saying that we don't have any equipment available in our region.
I could tell you that we lack equipment because of a lack of funding.
We talk about lack of employment opportunities.
Having proper equipment is going to require funding.
How are we going to give support to the people who cannot afford to buy this safety equipment for boats and for people who are not making a large amount of money. I was wondering if your department is willing to look at this so that we could help out the people of Nunavut who are not making large incomes.
When you travel to various communities, you could tell that HTOs work hard in support of their community.
For example, life suits, I have noticed that the Hunter's and Trapper's organizations sell these life suits at half price and I believe that Nunavut Tunngavik is involved in that.
I know the member agrees that we should not weaken the safety rules or regulations. We should be looking for ways that we can give more assistance or support and I'm aware that there are already existing programs to help the hunters purchase their safety equipment at half price or they could buy them through their local hunter's and trapper's organization and Nunavut Tunngavik has assistance programs for safety equipment.
Our department will do what it can for the residents of Nunavut.
We would like to be able to tell them that you need safety equipment although you may not have much money.
We will advertise where they should be buying their safety equipment at a lower price while we are working on this.
So we will try and inform the communities ahead of time before this actually starts and how they can be given assistance.
Although we know, I know, life support life jackets are very expensive but we have to inform the boat owners to obtain safety equipment such as flares and other items.
We will keep everyone informed.
In regards to life jackets, we're aware of their importance.
But there is other safety equipment inside the boats like navigational equipment and communications equipment, will that be included in the safety requirements for boat owners.
Since there's going to be quite a bit of tourism outfitting activity in communities that take tourists outside of the communities this safety equipment that's required in the boat, will they be covered under regulations.
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): Yes, of course, for the tourists tours and cruise ships there's regulations governing those types of operators and if they are going to be operating tourism fishing operations, this will be handled through Sustainable Development under the tourism division.
These regulations are already under those Acts but the regulations that are under the federal government, we have been given two years to prepare for these changes, the standards that we have to follow.
I'm just using the life jackets for an example.
There is other equipment that's required for safety equipment for boats and for people who operate outfitting or tourism activities.
Question 129 - 1(5): Status of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit
I'd like to direct this question to the Minister of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth.
I've asked this particular question before about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, how far have they gone in implementing Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit within the government
How well is this initiative going.
How far have they gone Mr. Speaker.
Speaker: Minister Responsible for Culture, Language, Elders & Youth.
I can answer him by saying that the implementation of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit has been started.
That is what I can tell the member.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): I had asked him earlier about Inuktitut language issues and he replied that he would be looking into this issue.
I'll ask him since they say they have begun work on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit implementation, are they just going through the alphabet of the Inuktitut language putting the T or K into place one at a time, is that what he means by progress.
When I'm making tea I'll always finish it right off the bat so when I say that I'm going to make some tea, I don't just say it, I just do it right away.
I'm going to answer him that way, we're just not making a tea, we believe as a department that we are making progress on this Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. As we said in the Bathurst Mandate, the Nunavut Government made a commitment to implement this initiative.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Maybe I am pushing too quickly on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, we would like to see it implemented, we're too eager. I find it going so slow, now that they are starting to implement it, how long are we going to be waiting for the results, maybe within two years or within a year.
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit programs in the other government departments are going quite slowly with a target of two years, but we know it will not be implemented just in two years, more than two years will be used to work on the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in our government.
Question 130 - 1(5): Country Food in Medical Boarding Homes
I'd like to direct this question to the Minister of Health.
I have two communities that I represent, one in Kitikmeot and one in Keewatin.
The boarding home in Kitikmeot is situated in Yellowknife and the other one in Winnipeg.
I want to ask the Minister of Health & Social Services, the Inuit would like to eat their own food and they find the food in their boarding home not always to their liking.
Have you ever looked into the possibility of providing Inuit food in those facilities.
Mr. Speaker, earlier during this session we talked a little bit about the boarding home.
We've just completed the review of the boarding home in Winnipeg that the member talked about.
We're in the middle now of reviewing the boarding home in Ottawa, as well as the boarding home in Yellowknife and the boarding home here in Iqaluit.
We run actually five boarding homes.
One of the things that we've asked each of the contractors that run the boarding homes for us, Mr. Speaker, is to make sure that there is country food available.
There have been some concerns raised in the past when we had only specific type of boarding home, at one point where we only had the same country food available each time and that was terrible.
That has changed, we have been able to bring in different foods.
So Mr. Speaker, there has been a concern and we have been trying to address it.
I'd like to thank the minister for his answer.
I'd still like to ask about the food, when we eat food that we're not familiar with we tend to get upset stomachs. For that reason I was wondering when will I be able to know exactly what kind of food they'll be able to have in those boarding homes.
Mr. Speaker, under the contract that each of the operators have, there are monies of course to provide nutritious foods as well as country foods.
For example to my understanding, last week the boarding home in Winnipeg just received fresh meat as well as fresh fish.
Mr. Speaker, if the patient was going to the home, a number is available in each member's community for the specific home, they can contact the home itself and ask what types of food are there.
Of course Mr. Speaker, some people like to take country food with them when they are going down, for example, like quaq, they can do that too.
You'll note that question period is now over.
Written Question 009 - 1(5): Replacement of the Baffin Regional Hospital Sign
Mr. Speaker, my written question is for the Minister Responsible for Health & Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, I know that members can drive up to the hospital and see a piece of plywood sitting on the side of the hill out there and Mr. Speaker, that used to be, I believe it was put there in 1997 for the building of the new hospital here in the Baffin.
My question is about the sign, which has since faded away and gone, and I will ask my questions before the plywood and the lumber deteriorates and blows away as well.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like ask the minister regarding the hospital the following:
Are meetings being held with the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation on the hospital.
Can he provide a time-line for the actual construction of this hospital.
What kind of outstanding work needs to be done in order for this process to begin.
We require your written questions.
Just to caution members, written questions should be done prior to the questions being asked.
Tabled Document 012 - 1(5): Shamanism & Traditional Laws and Customs of Inuit
I would like to table a document called Illimatikkut.
It was produced by the people of Pond Inlet by Elisapee Ootoova, John Toongak and Kooneeloosie Nutarak.
This document outlines shamanism and Inuit traditional lifestyles and traditional laws.
It is just in Inuktitut and I would like to donate it to the Legislative Library.
Bill 1, Appropriation Act 2001-2002.
Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act 2000-2001.
Mr. Iqaqrialu will have the chair. Before we meet as Committee of the Whole, we will break for 45 minutes.
>>House recessed at 11.29 a.m. and resumed at 12.33 p.m.
Chairperson (Mr. Iqaqrialu) (interpretation): Welcome, I would like to welcome the members back, we'll be going to back to what we were dealing with yesterday, we were on general questions and comments.
Donald I would like to ask you what's the wish of the Committee.
Mr. Havioyak: Thank you, we wish to continue of the review of Bill 1 and the Community Government & Transportation capital.
I would like to ask the minister and his officials to go up to the witness table.
We're going to be dealing with Bill 1, Appropriation Act, Department of Community Government and Transportation.
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): I will be inviting Mike Ferris and Doug Sitland, to come to the witness table and we also have Mike Rafter here and Anthony Saez.
I would like you to introduce your officials at this time Mr. Anawak.
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): Like I said we have Mike Ferris and Doug Sitland, and over there we have Mike Rafter and Anthony Saez.
There's a lot of Mikes here, I didn't realize that we have a lot of Mikes in the Department of Community Government & Transportation until now.
I would like the members to look into the capital estimates, Community Government and Transportation, page 7-5.
That's where we were yesterday.
We were under general comments yesterday.
I would like to pose a question to this department while we are under general comments and questions.
I'm sure your department has informed the communities about the safety issues in regards to floating devices that are used in boats in the Nunavut area.
I'm not saying that we are opposed to setting safety codes because of course, we know that's very dangerous out there in the open water.
The motors that we use today do tend to break down at any time unexpectedly.
Of course, we can see the equipment over there and there's malfunctions once in a while when it's a technical device.
The floater suits or the flotation devices, the floating vests are used and I think we all know they were meant to be used when you don't have heavy clothing on.
When you are traveling out here even in the summer it's extremely cold and you have to wear winter clothing to keep warm out there in the open water and when you are wearing those types of clothing, you can't put those vests on.
We tried an extra, extra large but it didn't fit because we had heavy winter clothing and you cannot tie it together when you've got heavy clothing on.
Is your department looking at what types of floating devices we might use in Nunavut.
I'm not the speaker.
Well he said extra, extra large so, I didn't understand what he meant by that.
When we are talking about this issue and safety devices, we know that Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Regional Inuit Associations, we have been working very closely with them, when we are looking at the safety devices that can be used in Nunavut.
From what we understand, the beneficiaries are the ones who can obtain those devices from the Hunter's and Trapper's organizations.
The beneficiaries of these land claims organizations can get discount devices from the local Hunter's and Trapper's Associations.
Usually these discounted items might be the floater suits, they're even discounted at a price of 150 dollars, you can obtain those discounts if you're a beneficiary of a land claims organization.
Like I mentioned earlier we have been given two years to prepare for the implementation of these regulations.
It's very dangerous out there in the open water but some of the boaters go out there with hardly any emergency devices on their boats even when they are going a short distance.
So in the upcoming months we are going to be urging the boaters to properly equip their boats. Even if they're going to be going a short distance, they are very helpful in case of emergencies.
For example we have lost, for example in Rankin Inlet, a boat overturned, they were close to the shore, but the boat overturned and we lost a person even though they were close to shore.
They had no floating devices.
I'm not sure what kind we would use in Nunavut but we are in full support of at least having these floating devices in the boats if you're going to be traveling around be it vests or floater suits or inflatable floating devices, vests.
If I can go a little further, the larger boats, the Peterheads, we're starting to notice, we realized last year, that the Transportation Department made an abrupt ending and we have to look at the Peterheads and how we can make them safer vessels.
One of the members here, Ben Ell has a Peterhead and he told me that myself, as Minister of Transportation, he wanted to make sure that the Peterheads and the larger boats are fully equipped with safety floating devices.
We haven't discussed what should be made available in Nunavut but I would at least like to see these floating devices in the boat, that the boat be fully equipped even if you don't wear the equipment.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you very much for your response.
In your opening comments, you said that there's 85 million dollars that will be used for five years but it would be under capital projects and it would be for all the communities in Nunavut.
Are you going to be divvying up this 85 million dollars to the 27 communities in Nunavut or is some of the money going to be used for the headquarters or the regions.
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): Thank you. It would be used for capital acquisitions for the communities.
We're not quite sure exactly how many years it's going to be used for but from what I understand for the first year it would larger.
Well I can't really say how much, what dollar amounts we're talking about, if it's going to be 27 million for the first year and then the next year, 24, and then 21 and so on over these five years.
But it will be used for capital projects.
In regards to your question, you wanted to know if it's going to be used for the headquarters or the regional operations.
The monies that are used for operations and maintenance are not within our Department, and we don't know exactly how we are going to divvy up these 87 million dollars.
But we are going to be talking with the communities, and find out which would be the most appropriate way to use these dollars when we're going to be doing the capital projects.
The 85 million dollars is not in the Capital Estimates, I don’t' believe.
When are we going to be seeing these dollars divvied up, is it going to be next year after we talk with the communities, or how much the communities want out of this 87 million dollars. When are we going to start seeing numbers in the Capital Estimates next year.
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister of Finance so that he could give us details.
Mr. Chairman, obviously when the Department of Finance’s budget is up it would be prepared to give more detail.
But generally as members know, because of the new structure with the five-year capital plan, there is over the next four years roughly about 80 plus million dollars still to be allocated that hasn't been identified in the current draft of the five-year plan for communities that members have.
So it's a matter of each department, for example now once get finished with the 2000-2001 budget that's before us now, the planning will start for the next capital year and as members know the plan is to try and accelerate and bring forward a fall capital plan, so it can be approved by the Legislature probably a likelihood of October of 2001, of this year, the 2001-2002 year.
So I mean those, that work is ongoing now with departments. But the Standing Committees and members will get an opportunity obviously and there is a round of consultation as well, two rounds actually, more than likely rounds of consultation with communities between that time, between now for the time the capital will be approved for next year, next two financial years from now.
Minister Ng. Mr. Alakannuark.
I would like to welcome the minister and his officials and to ask him a question in regards to boating.
I guess the question I have is whether all the boats will have to have those safety devices in them at all times.
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's not that way right now but for the future we have been thinking about it and to have their two way radios in the boats. We see down south they all have numbers on their boat but we don't have that at this time in Nunavut but that's what we have been gearing towards.
If we have to look for them and if we have to look for a certain kind of boat and if it has a number then we would be able to identify that but right now it's not like that.
Yes, thank you for the response, because we have to make sure that the hunters are safe and that they're able to pursue their, some money from their hunt.
Yes, I'm supportive of the minister’s response but some of the hunters don't really have any money to purchase those types of equipment and I just wondered if they would be assisted financially.
I know that the two way radios and the other equipment will have to be purchased by them but, and, if they have to purchase a license I just wondered how they would be able to get assistance from the department.
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): If a person has three boats, just a joke, sorry.
I'm not sure exactly how we would treat this right now.
But we have to respect the people that are not employed.
I shouldn't say they're not employed, they're employed by going hunting and what not.
But the only thing is they don’t make an hourly wage but they make their money when they do their hunting.
We have to realize that as being an Inuk and I have, I had a general hunting license from the territorial government but that shouldn’t have been the case because I'm an Inuk I shouldn't have had to get a general hunting license.
We can think about how we can give them a license if they are not working and if they are not in the wage economy, when we get to it we will make sure that we respect them because they're not making a daily wage.
If they are hunters and they don't have any other means of making any money even though they have a boat we will consider that.
I'm happy to hear that the minister has knowledge of the hunters in Nunavut.
The 85 million dollar capital mentioned that was identified, when I look at the capital for this year, I'm just trying to get some clarification here.
Whatever we have in these capital projects here, if we identify some of the projects for the 85 million dollars, did some of the projects move up somehow or how does that work.
I'm just saying some of the projects that are identified in this capital will they just move up a year if we find something for them in this 85 million dollars.
I think this is a question for the Minister of Finance.
Mr. Chairman, if it's identified already in future years, I mean, like we said, that's what we are trying to do, is that within reasonable certainty we are going to deliver those projects, each department.
So it's not going to accelerate the process.
For example if something is identified for the 2002 fiscal year, a future year, not this one we are dealing with now, I mean that would come forth from the department.
In addition to that, there are other projects now that they think they are planning on delivering but because their targets haven't been confirmed yet, because they will have to along with all the other departments, each department will have to present their case for funding to the Financial Management Board when finalizing those targets.
Then that amount will be put in for the future year if we're talking about the next year.
I don't know if that explains it better to the member.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Minister of Finance.
The 85 million dollars that we're talking about is not in the capital estimates at this time.
We're talking about Community Government & Transportation and I want the members to realize that we are doing the main estimates at this time for Community Government & Transportation and this is some of the information at this time.