EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The member is requesting a recorded vote on the matter. To the motion.
You could sit down once I have called your name.
All those against the motion, please rise.
There are none. If there are any abstentions to the motion, please rise and sit when I say your name.
The record will note that the motion has passed, 17 for, none against, and 1 abstention.
As the Member for South Baffin has formally announced his resignation from the cabinet, I wish to withdraw my motion.
Does the seconder of the motion agree? Mr. Kusugak.
According to Rule 53, the motion is hereby dropped off the order paper.
>>House recessed at 16:09 and Committee resumed at 16:36
We now have quorum, so I can now call the committee meeting to order.
We wish to continue with the review of Bill 42, followed by the review of Bill 43 and Bill 45.
Are we in agreement that we deal with Bills 42, 43, and 45?
Bill 42 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 2, 2012-2013 – Consideration in Committee
We had begun our review of Bill 42 already.
Does the committee agree to bring in Minister Peterson and his witnesses?
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort Minister Peterson and his witnesses in.
To my right is Deputy Minister Chris D’Arcy, Department of Finance, and to my left is Camilius Egeni, Director of Expenditure Management, Department of Finance.
I also thank your officials. Welcome to the proceedings.
I would like to inform my colleagues that we left off on page 16 of our review.
If I am not mistaken, I believe Mr. Enook had completed his line of questioning.
The next name I have is Mr. Curley.
Mr. Enook, can you inform me if you had any further questions, please.
I still have a few questions from Friday, but as the Chair, you recognized the clock. So that is where we were, Mr. Chairman.
I apologize. I recognized Mr. Curley first.
Mr. Enook, you can proceed with your questioning at this time.
I think I have a better understanding at the last response, but to make it clear and to make sure I understand, then I won’t have any further questions.
The question I was trying to ask is, and I would like to ask, it’s for Nunavut housing and homeless shelter, $350,000.
My question is: is this separate from the Nunavut housing review?
Mr. Chairman, I believe it is separate from the housing review.
Are you done, Mr. Enook?
I also had a question on that $350,000, which we hear is not enough.
Stats Canada did a study about two years and they found that there has to be over 3,000 more houses. As my colleague has asked, Statistics Canada is doing a review and stating that there has to be 3,000 more houses.
We are now making plans for homeless people.
It’s almost like throwing this money out and not doing anything with it.
There are a lot of homeless people here in town.
I know that Arviat is looking for some funds to help out with housing for the homeless people and they can’t get any funding.
Once this strategy is done, are there going to be funds available that the Nunavut government would be using?
If I understand him correctly, we do have funding already in the homeless portfolio.
I guess it’s no secret that it’s not sufficient for all the homeless shelters in our communities across Nunavut.
I think the bulk of the funding goes to homeless shelters here in Iqaluit.
I would hope that once this housing homelessness strategy is complete, we would be in a better position to address the amount of funding that is needed across Nunavut.
My understanding is the current funding level that we have primarily is funding that is voted by the Assembly.
The majority of it, pretty well almost 100 percent of it, is for Iqaluit homeless shelters.
I’m not aware of any funding that goes beyond Iqaluit.
I thank Mr. Curley again for that question.
Yes, that would. I don’t want to say for sure, but there is a lot of money within that file that all the communities can apply for. I believe that the bulk of the money for homelessness goes to the two shelters here in Iqaluit.
Page 16. (interpretation ends) Nunavut Housing Corporation. Operations and Maintenance. Not Previously Authorized.
Nunavut Housing Corporation. Total Nunavut Housing Corporation. $691,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
At the bottom, (interpretation ends) Total Department. $691,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Page 17. (interpretation ends) Nunavut Arctic College.
Nunavut Arctic College. Total Nunavut Arctic College. $799,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Down at the bottom, (interpretation ends) Total Department. $799,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Go to page 2. (interpretation ends) Schedule 1. Operations and Maintenance.
Operations and Maintenance Appropriation. $18,931,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
We will now go to Bill 42 in your white legislation binder and review it clause by clause.
I believe you now have a copy in front of you.
Page 1. (interpretation ends) Bill 42, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 2, 2012-2013.
Chairman: Clause 4 (interpretation) and Schedule on page 2.
Schedule 2. (interpretation ends) Schedule: Supplementary Amounts Appropriated for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2013.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $18,931,000.
Total Supplementary Appropriation. $18,931,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
We will now go back to the clause-by-clause review. (interpretation ends) Clause 5. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Members, (interpretation) do we agree to Bill 42 as a whole?
Do members agree, pursuant to Rule 62(2), that Bill 42 can immediately be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
Minister Peterson, if you have any closing remarks on Bill 42, I give you the floor.
Hon. Keith Peterson: Mr. Chairman, I would just like to thank yourself and the committee for their excellent questions.
It’s very important, as we all know, accountability and transparency, and we will continue to work hard to justify your faith in our government to spend public monies wisely.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Peterson. (interpretation ends) Members, (interpretation) we also have Bill 43 to deal with. (interpretation ends) Minister, you can proceed with your opening comments on Bill 43.
Bill 43 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2012-2013 – Consideration in Committee
I am pleased to present Bill 43, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2012-2013.
Bill 43 is for capital supplementary appropriations for 2012-13 totalling a reduction of $628,000.
The bulk of the appropriation is for reductions of the capital carryovers from the 2011-12 fiscal year to the 2012-13 fiscal year.
There is an additional capital appropriation for the Department of Justice for leasehold improvements to the Inuksugait office space as well as an increase for the Department of Education relating to school renovations and repair projects.
$16,000 in reductions to the capital carryovers for Nunavut Arctic College for the Nunavut Trade School and Piqqusilirivvik;
A net amount of $903,000 in increases to the Department of Justice for office renovations in the Inuksugait building estimated at $1 million and a reduction of $97,000 in minor capital and the correctional centre;
A net amount of $180,000 in increases to the Department of Education for six school renovation and repair projects;
$294,000 in reductions to the capital carryovers for the Department of Health and Social Services, with $275,000 relating to the Qikiqtani General Hospital and $19,000 relating to the Repulse Bay Health Centre;
$622,000 in reductions to the capital carryovers for eight projects in the Department of Community and Government Services, which includes several arena projects, as well as IT network infrastructure, municipal offices, and other infrastructure projects; and
$779,000 in reductions to the capital carryovers for the Department of Economic Development and Transportation for three airport improvement projects.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Peterson. Members, do you have any general comments on the opening comments?
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the minister.
I was given information about the amount of $19,000, so I don’t have any questions. I just wanted to say “thank you.”
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Ningark. I have no more names on my list.
We can go to page 4 of Bill 43. (interpretation ends) Finance. Capital. Not Previously Authorized.
Total Centrally Administered Funds. -$16,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Total Department. -$16,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
We can go to page 5. (interpretation ends) Justice. Capital. Not Previously Authorized.
Total Directorate. $997,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Corrections.
Total Corrections. -$94,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Down at the bottom, (interpretation ends) Total Department. $903,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Page 6. (interpretation ends) Education.
Total Corporate Services. $180,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Total Department. $180,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Page 7. (interpretation ends) Health and Social Services.
Total Directorate. -$294,000.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am very happy about $275,000 from the previous budget. Can you explain to me why this amount is quite large?
I’m very happy with it, but I just want to know the reasoning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, at the time, we thought we had to carryover that amount of money, but then the bills came in, so were requesting a negative appropriation in that amount to charge it against the appropriate fiscal year.
We will continue. (interpretation ends) Health and Social Services. Capital.
Not Previously Authorized. Directorate. Total Directorate. -$294,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Total Department, (interpretation) down at the bottom. (interpretation ends) -$294,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Page 8. (interpretation ends) Community and Government Services.
Capital. Not Previously Authorized. Capital Planning.
Total Capital Planning. -$622,000.
For the benefit of the people of Baker Lake listening, I just want to ask for clarification and for the record, if I may, with both the Baker Lake Pumphouse and Intake, $13,000, and the bulk fuel storage capacity increase, $107,000.
Just for clarification and for the record, what does that encompass?
It sounded like you said $170,000, but you did say $107,000.
That’s understandable.
Same with the previous question, the bills came in and we paid them.
So we’re just carrying the money back to the appropriate fiscal year to properly account for the money.
Not Previously Authorized. Capital Planning. Total Capital Planning. -$622,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Total Department. -$622,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Page 9. (interpretation ends) Economic Development and Transportation. Capital. Not Previously Authorized.
Transportation. Total Transportation. -$779,000.
I would like to ask a question on this page. I am happy about Iqaluit airport terminal building planning and design, -$728,000.
I just don’t want to worry, but it’s good that it is at -$728,000.
Sometimes he talks about having money and then the money comes out.
I just want to get some information or some clarification why they have that negative amount.
The bills came in after the fact, we paid them, and we’re applying the payment towards the appropriate fiscal year, which was 2011-12.
So we carried the money over, but now we have to carry the money back to properly account for it.
I have no more names on my list once again.
Continuing on with (interpretation ends) Economic Development and Transportation. Capital. Not Previously Authorized.
Total Transportation. -$779,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): At the bottom, Total Department. -$779,000.
Capital Appropriation. -$628,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Go to Bill 43 in your white legislation binder to review it clause by clause.
We can continue. (interpretation ends) Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2012-2013.
Chairman: Clause 4. (interpretation) There’s a (interpretation ends) Schedule on page 3. (interpretation ends) Schedule.
Total Capital. -$628,000. Total Supplementary Appropriation. -$628,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Clause 4 (interpretation) with the Schedule included on page 3.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Clause 5. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Does the committee agree to Bill 43 as a whole?
Chairman (interpretation): Does the members agree, pursuant to Rule 62(2), that Bill 43 can immediately be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
Minister Peterson, if you have any closing remarks, you may proceed.
I would like to thank all my staff across Nunavut, all of our staff, all of our GN staff for their hard work this year on the capital estimates and the work they’re doing on the main estimates. All the hard work they do in delivering our programs and services to all Nunavummiut is very much appreciated by our government and I’m sure all colleagues.
Entering the Christmas season, I would like to give a shout-out to a few people.
I would like to give a shout-out to Tim Brown, who’s with the “Movember” at Rotary. He’s raising funds to fight cancers. I would like to encourage people to dig deep for that effort, and breast cancer, all kinds of cancers, if you can, to donate to research.
Again, being Christmas season, I would like us all to remember all the folks out there who need our help this time of year with donations, the homeless folks, and others. You can dig deep to help out the Girl Guides who are doing work. My New Year’s resolution this year was not to eat cookies.
I have been quite successful thus far, but I bought four boxes of Girl Guides cookies on Saturday, so I’m tempted, but it’s for a worthy cause.
I would also like to wish all of my colleagues here and all Nunavummiut a very happy and safe Christmas season.
We will see you again when we sit in the new year.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Peterson. I would like to thank you and your officials for appearing before us to answer questions.
Thank you, Sergeant-at-Arms. (interpretation ends) I would now like to ask the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly to make his opening remarks.
Bill 45 – An Act Respecting Constituency Names and Superannuation of Certain Independent Officers of the Legislative Assembly – Consideration in Committee
I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear today before the Committee of the Whole on the occasion of its consideration of Bill 45, An Act Respecting Constituency Names and Superannuation of Certain Independent Officers of the Legislative Assembly.
Bill 45 accomplishes two objectives: revising the names of certain constituencies in anticipation of the next general election and amending a number of statutes to designate certain independent officers of the Legislative Assembly as being eligible to participate in the Public Service Pension Plan.
Mr. Chairman, I will first address the issue of constituency names.
As members will recall, Bill 22, An Act Respecting the Constituencies of Nunavut, received assent on October 31, 2011.
The bill implemented the recommendations of the independent electoral boundaries commission, which were tabled in the House last year.
Subsequent to the passage of Bill 22, a number of Members of the Legislative Assembly provided input to the Management and Services Board concerning the names of their constituencies.
As a result, the board approved the proposed amendments that are before the House today.
I am confident that members will agree that the revisions provide additional clarity to our constituency names. I would also note that finalizing the names of Nunavut’s 22 constituencies at this time will allow the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer to commence work on preparing and printing materials in advance of the next general election.
Mr. Chairman, I will now address the second issue covered by Bill 45.
As members are aware, employees of Nunavut’s public service are eligible to participate in the Public Service Pension Plan under the federal Public Service Superannuation Act.
The federal legislation provides the legal authority for this participation, as it deems the Government of Nunavut to be a “portion of the federal public administration declared for greater certainty to be part of the [federal] public service.”
As members are also aware, subsection 40(3)(f) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act provides that the Management and Services Board may determine the remuneration of independent officers of the Legislative Assembly.
At present, the Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut and the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut are remunerated on a full-time basis.
However, neither position is considered to be a part of the territorial public service within the meaning of Nunavut’s Public Service Act.
This is a reflection of the independent officers’ status as officers of the House who report directly to the Legislative Assembly as a whole rather than as employees of the government.
As a consequence, neither the Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut nor the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut participate in the Public Service Pension Plan under the federal Public Service Superannuation Act.
The Integrity Commissioner of Nunavut and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut are both lawyers in private practice who are remunerated on an as-and-when-required basis. The officeholders are not eligible for such benefits as participation in a pension plan. Neither officeholder is a resident of the territory.
I would note that the full-time employees of the Office of the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut and the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut are defined in the Official Languages Act and the Nunavut Elections Act to be members of the public service.
By contrast, although both positions are independent officers of Parliament, the federal Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada and the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada are both eligible to participate in the Public Service Pension Plan under the federal Public Service Superannuation Act.
Similar provisions exist in other provinces and territories with respect to certain independent officers.
As members are aware, the Management and Services Board is currently conducting the recruitment process for the next Languages Commissioner of Nunavut. Both the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut and the Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut are required to reside in the territory.
Given Nunavut’s relatively small population, and given the relatively large role that public service employment plays in the territorial economy, it can be anticipated that a number of current members of the public service may be interested in applying for these positions, both of which are considered to be senior positions requiring significant managerial experience.
It is, therefore, important that these changes be made to our legislation so as to ensure that potential candidates are not deterred from applying because of concerns related to eligibility for continued participation in the government’s superannuation plan.
I would emphasize that these amendments will not alter the status of our independent officers or diminish their accountability to the Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments. I look forward to responding to any questions that you have, along with my witnesses.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Do you have witnesses that you would like to bring to the table?
Speaker: No, they’re here already.
Chairman: They must be invisible. I don’t see anyone.
(interpretation) Thank you. Are there any general comments to the Speaker’s opening comments?
If not, I have no names on my list. We can continue with our review of Bill 45 clause by clause. Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Just before we begin with our clause-by-clause review of Bill 45, you can find a copy in your white legislation binder.
Thank you. (interpretation ends) Bill 45, An Act Respecting Constituency Names and Superannuation of Certain Independent Officers of the Legislative Assembly.
Chairman: Schedule. (interpretation) This has no page numbers.
Names of Constituencies.
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think the Member for Tununiq said that there is usually capital funding that is taken out of the plan. My constituency of Akulliq does not appear in this list of constituency names…
…on (interpretation ends) Schedule 1. (interpretation) Thank you.
Within our documentation in front of us, what did he mention again? This was just a comment and it is obvious due to the revisions that the subject the member referred to is no longer there.
I’m sorry for misunderstanding your comments.
We are on the (interpretation ends) Schedule. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 1 (interpretation) included.
Chairman (interpretation): Members, do we agree to Bill 45 as a whole?
Chairman (interpretation): Members, do we agree, pursuant to Rule 62(2), that Bill 45 can immediately be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, (interpretation) if you have any closing remarks, I give you the floor.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would first off like to thank the staff that worked at putting this together, especially in the chief electoral officer’s office. I know they went and did a lot of work in drafting this piece of legislation.
I would also like to thank all the members who provided input into clarifying some of the names of the constituencies. I believe it has been a very thorough and long-drawn-out process.
Hopefully we have it right now, finally. I would just like to thank members for the input that they did provide in relation to the names of the constituencies.
Also, I would like to thank you again for supporting this bill because, as I indicated in my opening comments, those two independent officer positions are going to be coming up. One is open right now and the other one’s term is running out in the next year or so.
This amendment, as I indicated, won’t deter potential candidates who may be in the senior public service from applying because of pension and superannuation reasons.
So I again thank everyone who worked on this and thank you, members, for your support.
Thank you to your invisible witnesses.
Members, I will now rise to report progress.
Speaker: It seems like the tables have turned from just a minute ago.
Your committee has been considering Bills 42, 43, and 45 and would like to report that Bills 42, 43, and 45 are immediately ready for third reading.
Thank you very much, Mr. Kusugak.
Bill 42 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 2, 2012-2013 – Third Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Rankin Inlet South and Whale Cove, that Bill 42, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No.2, 2012-2013, be read for the third time.
The motion is carried and Bill 42 has been read for the third time and is ready for assent.
Bill 43 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2012-2013 – Third Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Rankin Inlet South and Whale Cove, that Bill 43, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2012-2013, be read for the third time.
The motion is carried and as such, Bill 43 has had third reading and is now ready for assent.
Bill 45 – An act Respecting Constituency Names and Superannuation of Certain Independent Officers of the Legislative Assembly – Third Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Hudson Bay, that Bill 45, An Act Respecting Constituency Names and Superannuation of Certain Independent Officers of the Legislative Assembly, be read for the third time.
The motion is carried and Bill 45 has had third reading and is therefore ready for assent.