EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
That information was released to the public today and that information will also help, not just the Department of Health and Social Services, but the other agencies that are impacted with some of their initiatives. So my role is to work with them in trying to advise them on some of those priorities.
It sounds like the minister’s department is doing a lot of work with the Status of Women’s Council. I applaud her efforts in that front. It looks like there’s going to be a lot of work ahead.
The minister touched on programs and services that they provide to the Nunavut Status of Women.
I wonder if the minister could give us a quick overview of the types of programs and services that the minister and her department provides to not only the Status of Women’s Council, but to women’s groups and other organizations across Nunavut to address the violence against women in their communities.
The Department of Health works closely with the Qulliit Status of Women’s Council on a number of initiatives.
Some of the areas that we’ve been doing with the Department of Health is some of the pieces around community-based support counselling, not just around the shelters, but working in partnership with the Qulliit Status of Women’s Council, and various groups throughout Nunavut have brought a common approach or common priorities to try and address to deal with the whole issue around family violence at the community level.  Some of the recommendations that will be coming forward will shape some of the programs that we need to expand on in providing support to not only the victims, but also to support children and the abusers around mental health services and so on.
So the recommendations and the work from that group will help shape and direct our resources to address violence at the community level.
At the same time, it’s not just an area of violence against women that we work in; we’ve been working around trying to address FASD and harm associated with women drinking while they’re pregnant. So that’s one initiative.
The other area that they are working on and see as a priority is teen pregnancy, and the other area that they’re working is also around women in leadership. So there are a number of initiatives underway with the group and with different sectors as well.
So I think as time goes on and we work to try and address those, more results will be seen in the communities.
(interpretation ends) Honourable colleagues, for the record, on the Point of Order raised by Minister Picco during Question Period yesterday, I ruled that there was no Point of Order.
My decision is accurately reflected in the Inuktitut version of yesterday’s Hansard, but not in the unedited English version, which will be corrected.
(interpretation) Item 7.
Written Question 021 – 2(3): Status of Decentralization (Peterson)
It’s a status of decentralization question.
Expressing the data in the same format as that which was provided in Return to Written Question 026 – 2(2), what is the status of the Government of Nunavut’s decentralization initiative as of September 30, 2006?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Peterson. Item 7.
Petitions. (interpretation ends) Item 11.
Item 12. (interpretation) Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills.
Committee Report on Bills 013 – 2(3): Bill 28 Deficit Reduction Act (Tootoo)
The Standing Committee on Government Operations and Accountability has reviewed Bill 28, the Deficit Reduction Act, and wishes to report that the bill is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 68(6) and have Bill 28 moved into Committee of the Whole for today.
There is a request to waive Rule 68(6) so that the Standing Committee Report on Bill 28 can be immediately referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Bill 28 can be dealt with at Committee of the Whole for today.
Committee Report on Bills 014 – 2(3): Bill 29 An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act (Tootoo)
The Standing Committee on Government Operations and Accountability has reviewed Bill 29, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, and wishes to report that the bill is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
And I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 68(6) and have Bill 29 moved into Committee of the Whole for today.
There is a request to waive Rule 68(6) so that the Standing Committee Report on Bill 29 can be immediately referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Bill 29 is referred to Committee of the Whole for today.
(interpretation) Item 12.
Tabled Document 223 – 2(3): Inuusiqatigiittiarniq – Final Report on the Symposium in Iqaluit, Nunavut, January 17 to 20, 2006; Recommendations for a Strategy to Stop Violence Against Women (Okalik)
Hon. Paul Okalik: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to table the following report: Inuusiqatigiittiarniq Final Report on the Symposium in Iqaluit, Nunavut, January 17 to 20, 2006; Recommendations for a Strategy to Stop Violence Against Women.
I wish to add that some of the members in that symposium are here with us now and I am very proud of them even though there is a big storm taking place in Iqaluit in the winter they decided to hold the forum and meet at the Storehouse Bar in a middle of a blizzard. That is how committed they were in making sure this report was produced. So I want to thank them all very much for assisting us in reviewing this very difficult topic.
Can we have that document brought to the Clerk’s table please.
Tabled Document 224 – 2(3): GN Update on Progress to Date on the Recommendations of the 2005 Report of the Auditor General of Canada as of October 31, 2006 (Simailak)
Tabled Document 225 – 2(3): Letters of Expectation to Nunavut Crown Agencies 2006-07 (Simailak)
Tabled Document 226 – 2(3): Response to Letters of Expectation from Nunavut Crown Agencies, 2006 (Simailak)
Tabled Document 227 – 2(3): Investment Guidelines for GN (Simailak)
I wish to table four documents.
The Government of Nunavut update on the progress to date on the recommendations on the 2005 report of the Auditor General of Canada as of October 31, 2006.
Second, the Letters of Expectation for Fiscal Year 2006-07 for Nunavut Arctic College, Qulliq Energy Corporation, the Nunavut Housing Corporation, the Nunavut Development Corporation, and the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
Thirdly, Responses to the Letters of Expectation for Fiscal Years 2006-07 for Nunavut Arctic College, Qulliq Energy Corporation, the Nunavut Housing Corporation, the Nunavut Development Corporation, and for Fiscal Years 2005-06 and 2006-07, the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
Lastly, Mr. Speaker, the Government of Nunavut Investment Strategy.
Please bring the documents.
Tabled Document 228– 2(3): Ministers Responsible for Local Government, September 18 to 21, 2006 (Brown)
Tabled Document 229– 2(3): Government of Nunavut Lease Activity Report for Fiscal Year 2005-06 (Brown)
I am pleased to table the following document: Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Ministers responsible for Local Government, September 18 to 21, 2006 in Yellowknife, NWT.
The other document I wish to table; I am pleased to table the following document: Government of Nunavut Lease Activity Report for the Fiscal Year 2005-06.
Tabled Document 230 – 2(3): Nunavut Housing Trust Delivery Strategy, October 2006 (Akesuk)
I am pleased to table the following document: Nunavut Housing Trust Delivery Strategy – October, 2006.
This document is in regard to the jobs that could be available to the communities, and also for economic development in the communities, and for the training of construction workers in the communities.
Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters: Bill 8, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, and 29 with Mr. Arreak in the Chair.
(interpretation ends) In accordance with the authority provided to me by Motion 12 – 2(3), the Committee of the Whole will stay in session until it reports itself out.
Before we proceed with the Committee of the Whole we’ll break for 20 minutes.
>>House recessed at15:29 and Committee resumed at 15:56
I call the meeting to order. (interpretation ends) In Committee of the Whole we have the following items to deal with: Bills 8, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28 and 29.
We wish to continue with Bill 26 and the review of the Capital Estimates for Economic Development and Transportation followed by the Legislative Assembly.
We will then proceed to do clause by clause review of following bills: Bill 8, Bill 26, Bill 16, sorry, Bill 23, Bill 24, Bill 25, Bill 28, and Bill 29.
Are we in agreement to deal with the Capital Estimate for Economic Development and Transportation? Do you agree?
Bill 26 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2007-08 – Review in Committee – Economic Development and Transportation
Mr. Akesuk, do you have witnesses you would like to bring to the table?  Hon. Olayuk Akesuk: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you.  Chairman: Do you have witness you would like to bring to the table?
Chairman: Thank you, Minister Akesuk. (interpretation) Sergeant-at-Arms, would you please escort the witnesses.
I would like to welcome you Mr. Minister.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On my left is Assistant Deputy Minister, Mr. Methuselah Kunuk, and on my right is John Hawkins.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe I have one minute and 24 seconds.
I would like to ask another question regarding the letters that I tabled regarding the proposed dock sites. This report was written in 2004. Has this report been sent to the communities?
This says it was a feasibility report on docks?
My employees went up to Pond Inlet and that report was written by the federal government and a copy was made available up there when we made that visit.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): When this is being discussed by the federal government we have the substantiation sheet for capital projects. Are you going to be requesting some funding from the federal government to fund those projects?
We have made a request and I also had a meeting with the Minister of DFO. We had told him that our proposal, of course, is going to be increasing and we will urge the federal government to make sure that there’s an annual increase following the increases in prices.
So how can you find out the annual increase? How can you, for example, if it’s going to be built in two years or next year, how would you know the annual increase in the price?
Would you be able to go back to the community and see how you can adjust your project?
The original request was substantially smaller so the increase would follow what has been happening the last few years.
One million will be used and we can say to the government that it has been approved by the Nunavut Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): I think we all know that to date when a mining company makes a profit the federal government gets its share of royalties.
For Mary River, it’s on Inuit-owned land surface, and subsurface is owned by the Inuit, and the federal government will be getting a royalty and also the Inuit of Nunavut.
And they are already hiring people with boats to go up the inlet to bring personnel and supplies.
What I am trying to say is that there are fishing, tourism, and cruise ships coming up. We get a lot of those in our communities and there are also sail boats that are coming up to our communities and also going through the Northwest Passage in the Lancaster Sound.
It seems like the federal government has made a proposal and would like to make those docks to increase the tourism and others.
They are looking at the possibility of opening up a mine up there, but at this time, those docks would be able to be used by 65 metre boats and tourism is a very important part of that project.
We’re on K-7. (interpretation ends) Economic Development and Transportation.
Mr. Kattuk: Mr. Chairman, (interpretation) who are you?
Mr. Chairman, on page K-7, Canadian Driver’s License Agreement, is this for the whole of Nunavut or is it just for Iqaluit?
What is this $800,000 going to be used for?
It would be for the whole of Nunavut. We’re going to be updating the drivers’ licenses and we’re trying to make some changes to the driver’s license to make it easier in the future.
Of course, you do need a photo I.D. if you want to do any travelling. The drivers’ licenses will be able to be used as photo I.D. Thank you.
We know that the outlying communities have to apply for their driver’s license from the Iqaluit headquarters.
So does that mean that you’re going to be sending personnel up to the communities to provide services to the people who require drivers’ licenses?
We would like to see all communities with computers. They will be able to send those requests by email to the headquarters’ office.
All forms will be made available by computer.
That’s what we’re trying to do here in Nunavut to make it easier for the people who are making applications for drivers’ licenses or get a photo I.D. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Well, as you know, unemployment is very high and the people who require drivers’ licenses have to wait a long time.
For example, if you send something through the mail, it takes approximately two weeks from the time it’s sent from our community to arrive in Iqaluit.
So it takes a long time to get one.
Is the minister saying that it’s going to be easier for the communities to send their requests out?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’re not going to be creating any new jobs in the outlying communities. It is for the regional offices and we’re going to be using the computers to bring the data back and forth.
We would also like to make sure that the driver’s license of Nunavut is distinct so that it can be recognized worldwide. That’s what we’re trying to do.
On this $1 million for Small Craft Harbour contribution, does the minister know where those Small Craft Harbours are going to be at?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk: Yes, we do have the community list for which communities the Small Craft Harbours will be going; Pond Inlet, Pangnirtung, Clyde River, Qikiqtarjuaq, Naujaat, Chesterfield Inlet, and Kugaaruk.
Also on that page is the $75,000 for the Bathurst Road and Port Study. On that page it’s not showing anything in prior years.
I know that it’s not a new project; the way it’s outlined here, it looks like it’s a brand new project.
If you go to the back in the Appendixes for the 2006-07 prior year’s cost, it’s showing $326,000. I just want to get an explanation how come that’s not showing in there.
I’ll get Mr. Hawkins to answer that question.
Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Hawkins: There have been expenditures of a total of $1.704 million on that in the prior years. It is not a new project.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Hawkins.
How come it doesn’t show anything in the prior year’s costs?
I guess we’ll just have to get back to him on that, and I think it’s important that we show what we have done in the past in any capital project that we are trying to do.
So we’ll make sure it shows up in the next capital estimates and if the member wishes to have a bit more information on what we used this on, we’ll be happy to provide that to the member, probably in the next sitting, so that we’ll have a better idea of where we’ve been using that.
Again, we’ve been working very closely with the western communities and the mining companies, or people that are working there, like the Kitikmeot Inuit Association to come up with ideas of how we could go ahead with this project with federal funding that we want to see.
So it’s important that we have this in the capital estimates.
I’m just curious because in the back in the Five-Year Capital Plan it’s 3-17 for the 2006-07 revised budget of their Five-Year Capital Plan it shows there was an approved amount of $326,000, and for 2007-08, which is what we’re looking at now, of $75,000, but on the department’s budget page here, it doesn’t show the $326,000 that was in there last year.
I’m just wondering why that happened like that. Was that just a mistake; a typo? If it’s in the back on the capital plan in last year’s money, but it’s not on their main estimates that we’re looking at; I am just wondering why.
I’ll get Mr. Hawkins to elaborate on that.
Mr. Hawkins: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I’ll have to check into that. I believe that there is a mistake there. There should have been a prior year budget for that, as it’s showing in the back on 3-17.
This is just a comment, and it’s not directly toward the Minister of Economic Development, but also the Minister of Finance. I think it’s important that when we get the main estimates before us in the House, it’s important to make sure that they don’t have mistakes and that all the information is there. So, hopefully we won’t see something like that again.
The only other question I have on this page, I know last year, or the year before, the department found some money for the City of Iqaluit when they did the feasibility study for a deep-sea port here.
I’m just wondering if the minister or his officials could update us as to what is happening with that particular file.
That is a very good question Mr. Tootoo.
Again, of course, we’re always depending on federal funding, so we’re still waiting for word from the federal government where they are going to locate the deep-sea port, as Iqaluit is one of the potentials that the federal government will announce hopefully within the next year.
I think it’s important, if you look at the amount of ships that go through here and unload.
The Minister of Community and Government Services just announced last week that there was actually even a fatality here, and a piece of heavy equipment is still sitting there 90 feet under.
Those types of things could be avoided if you had proper port facilities and you didn’t have to worry about unloading a ship in November when the weather isn’t so nice, and you have ice, and wind, and cold temperatures. It’s an accident waiting to happen.
Given that, we’re still waiting on that.
One of the other things I know that was part of the initial concept for discussions on it, I recall even I think it was two years ago when emergency services people had to go waist deep into the water, or more, to get to a boat that was coming in, where there were people involved in an accident. There were people that passed away in that incident, and there was a concern over having adequate, safe, docking and loading facilities just for small craft.
So, I’m just wondering if we can get an update on that. I know the last thing I heard I believe, was looking at a possible extension onto the existing breakwater to allow for boats and vehicles to get in and out of there at any time regardless of the tide, so in the event, if there was another incident like that, that we wouldn’t be putting our emergency service workers at risk to try and respond.
For that unfortunate incident that happened here in Iqaluit, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans did repairs to the causeway, that little breakwater area in the causeway, where the truck could go down to the end of the breakwater. And, we want to make sure that we improve here.
Again, hopefully the federal government will announce the next new deep-sea port in our territory, and I don’t know where it will be, but again, I think it’s important that every community in Nunavut has a safe breakwater.
It’s a challenge for us to come up with money for breakwaters in every community in our territory, so we will certainly do our very best to send our message to the federal government.
There is a breakwater here and I would assume that it doesn’t belong to the city, it’s belongs to the government and I know that it is just a pile of rocks going out there that are very narrow, and you can’t even have two vehicles go by each other on it at one time.
And the place out there for parking, the lower parts, I think we even had one of our members park a vehicle there that thought it was amphibious and wasn’t. The truck ended up covered in water parked at that level. Even another member had his own boat that was washed right up onto the road as well and I think members here and people that live here and the ministers’ officials could attest to it, the sheer number of boats that are down there throughout the boating season, there’s really no adequate way for anything there for people to tie their boats up to and in a way that would be safe.
Right now, it’s like a jigsaw puzzle trying to get in and out of there. If you’re unloading your boat, you could be driving out and there’s ropes and chains and things all floating around out there that you have to be very careful to get in and out of.
It could cause some damage to other peoples’ boats.  There’s also, for the breakwater area, always lots of rocks around there.
I’ve seen boats that have been on a rock and filled up with water when the tide comes in, it’s because they’re sitting on a rock.
I guess I’m wondering, who’s responsibility is it to ensure that it is a safe facility and does have a safe and proper facility and that rock removal and stuff like that takes place, and repairs to the breakwater making sure there’s tie-downs and stuff, and things like that and adequate lighting, who’s responsibility is that?
With our limited resources that we receive from the federal government, we do have maintenance & operation funding for the Iqaluit breakwater, but they are very limited.
In upcoming years, we will have to review it very carefully and all the Nunavut communities will also have to review them also and keep them in mind when we are talking about breakwaters and we also like to see proper breakwaters in all the communities.
In regard to Mr. Tootoo’s comment, we will look into that.
I just wanted further clarification on page K-7 under Canadian Drivers’ License Agreements, although Mr. Kattuk was asking about it.
We have an identification card and those are made of paper, will they change the card to plastic because plastic lasts longer than paper so what kind of identification are we talking about?
The driver’s identification has to be recognized and acknowledged by the Canadian Identification system. So we will make a Drivers Licence not out of paper but something else.
On the same page. K-7. I do want to ask a question in regard to Small Craft Harbours; they provide $1 million.
I had tabled documents and letters from our former mayor who had written me correspondence in regard to Grise Fiord.
There is not even a breakwater in Grise Fiord and there is not even a dock there. When I was there in the fall, they had to try and pull the boats in and they had to work very hard. I even saw the hunters trying to pull their boats in.
I don’t know how you considered allocating the funding to the communities because some communities already have breakwaters and provide additional funding for them, but there are other communities that don’t even have a breakwater.
We already provided a letter to your department in regard to the Nanisivik Deep Water Facility and it is a very good facility in Nanisivik and it is still usable.
I don’t know how your department considered Nanisivik and Grise Fiord when you are considering the breakwaters and docking facilities.
Mr. Kunuk will respond.
We know exactly which communities requested a breakwater and docking facilities and they all require breakwaters.
The first community priorities were set out with the Department of Fisheries & Oceans in mind and we discussed with DFO to try and update the funding so that we can build these breakwaters for the communities that we haven’t built the breakwaters on. So I believe, right now, we have very limited resources to construct those.
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman and I thank the minister’s official for that answer.
Some communities already have docking facilities but those communities with the existing facilities also are growing and my constituents also thought that way.
We have a docking facility in Arctic Bay, but we need a bigger one.
Have they requested more funding from the federal government to make it a little bit larger?
Yes, I realized that the funding from the federal government that we have requested is very hard to come by to build docking facilities.  There are also communities in Nunavut that don’t have any facilities at all.
We try our very best to try to build those facilities, but with the limited funding, we can’t do that.