EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, the quick and good answer is that when the power corporation was set up, under the NPCIS, there was a recommendation on looking the different types of rates that are in place.
The current rate structure that is in place was put into place in 1998.
That rate was supposed to incorporate any costs for producing the operations and maintenance costs of running a plant, for example, to provide electrical energy to a community.
It also was set up so that you would set up the capitalization costs of running a plant.
Mr. Speaker, the NPCIS, recommended when we set up the Nunavut Power Corporation, that there would be no increase, but at some point in time the Nunavut Power Corporation would have to look at how we do our rates.
The rates structure that we have in place right now, Mr. Speaker, was through the Northwest Territories.
It was done in 1998 and there is time now to bring forward an opportunity to look at if there is a need to have a new rate.
Maybe that will be a postage stamp rate, which is the same across the territory.
Is there an opportunity to look at a common base rate and so on, Mr. Speaker.
I would suggest to you that the electrical rate review would happen in this fall.
Mr. Speaker, we have independent review council.
Mr. Mercer out of Rankin Inlet that, Mr. Speaker, in any type of application that would be brought forward, would go through this rate review council and they look at then some of the factors like the cost of production, the cost of producing energy and so on and again to look at what the bottom line would be.
Question 501 – 1(6): Plans for a New Government Building in Arctic Bay
On prior occasions, I have asked the Minister about the government office in Arctic Bay.
The building is old and decrepit and same age buildings have now been completely demolished and new ones brought out.
Since there is no money to build a new government building in Arctic Bay, could the Minister inform us today as to what kinds of plans they have for the government office in Arctic Bay.
The question was asked by the member not too long ago and I assured her that I would look into it.
I don’t have the information with me right now.
I will take the question as notice, Mr. Speaker, and get back to her as soon as I can.
I will take the question as notice and I will respond to her before the end of the session.
The Minister has taken the question as notice; therefore, there will be no further supplementaries on the question. Oral Questions.
Question 502 – 1(6): Inuinnaqtun Teachers in Schools
Mr. Speaker, in regards to the good news mentioned in the Ministers’ Statement on Elders’ and Youth programs today, I would like to ask the Minister of Education regarding that statement.
The Inuinnaqtun language is probably not as strong in the schools, specifically in the Kitikmeot region.
I am just wondering if there are any Inuinnaqtun teachers in the schools?
To the question of the Member, in the Kitikmeot region about the teachers, we have a shortage of Inuinnaqtun teachers in the schools.
For that reason I would like to get some more clarification on whether that the children in the Kitikmeot region as losing their Inuinnaqtun language?
We did a study, or review on the language of instruction in the Kitikmeot region.
We understood from that review that Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun are in a critical situation.
The Inuinnaqtun language was the most critical because they were losing their language.
It is not all like that in all the regions, but the Inuinnaqtun speaking students are not a strong as they should be.
I thank the Minister for his response, and I would like to ask a supplementary question.
When we were at the Session in Cambridge Bay, there were these school children that were in a mock session.
There was someone that spoke in Inuinnaqtun and requested that Inuinnaqtun be taught more in the Kitikmeot region.
What is the department doing to promote the Inuinnaqtun language in the schools?
I think Members of the Legislature know that curriculum development in Arviat recently just started.
They will have to be getting support from people in the Kitikmeot to make sure they make Inuinnaqtun the language of instruction in Kitikmeot schools.
What we have done is that we are trying to encourage the Inuinnaqtun people to take the Teacher Education Program.
Thank you Minister for your response.
Since the Inuinnaqtun language is being lost in the Kitikmeot region in the schools, I just wondered if they have been using elders in the Kitikmeot region with the writing system and their language to help with the situation in the schools.
I thank the Member for asking this question.
Some time ago, in one of the sessions, I mentioned that there are elders out there that will be assisting in the schools in Inuinnaqtun.
There was a question from the Kitikmeot region in regards to curriculum material and we have set aside somebody to help the language of instruction in Inuinnaqtun in the region.
Question 503 – 1(6): Department of Sustainable Development’s Involvement in Diamond Mining
Mr. Speaker, I’m not exactly sure whether there will be a diamond mine opening in the future in Nunavut.
I would like to ask the Minister of Sustainable Development, if I want to go prospecting, I would have to approach the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.
Does the Department of Sustainable Development get involved when it comes to prospecting?
QIA has the land use or land exploration permits/licensing and we could be involved in assisting them.
The reason I'm asking this question is that I’m not sure whether QIA and Sustainable are working together on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, can the Department of Sustainable Development help when there is mining that starts up in Nunavut.
Land permits and licensing are done by QIA and we are in support if mining exploration in the region of Nunavut.
We have assisted the Prospectors Program with funding and the federal government deals with the environmental protection of the land.
We work together with the federal government and QIA on this issue.
Question 504 – 1(6): Yearly Funding for Access Road in Repulse Bay
In the communities they build access roads to the hunting and fishing grounds outside the communities.
I would like to ask a question to the Minister of Community Government & Transportation.
In Repulse Bay, they would like to be able to build an access road with the people that build those access roads.
Will they be getting funding every year?
Mr. Speaker, the Members of the Legislative Assembly has been requesting funding for access roads for quite some time.
We will be providing some funding for access roads to the communities.
We will be providing that kind of funding as soon as our budget is approved.
I thank the Minister for her response.
It is one of the very important part of living in the community is having access roads.
Due to the fact that the majority of the communities do not have a gravel site, I am just wondering whether there is going to be funding for access roads available to the communities every year?
Can the Member please clarify whether he is asking a question about access road funding for just Repulse Bay, or all the communities of Nunavut.
My question was whether Repulse Bay would be provided with access road funding every year, because of the fact that they do not have a gravel source.
The access road going to Niaqunnguuq from Repulse Bay, has been in the works for quite a long time.
There was to be some funding set aside.
Due to the fact that is was not given a priority, I think that it has been about 60 years since the money has been put to another project, but the road to Niaqunnguuq from Repulse Bay, has been given a study, and Bill Crawford was involved in the study of that access road.
I am not exactly sure how much the funding will be for an access road in Repulse Bay, but my staff in Rankin Inlet have been working with the Hamlet of Repulse Bay.
There might be some funding for that access road in Repulse Bay, but Mr. Speaker, I would assure the Member in a little while when we discuss our budget that there has been some money set aside for building the access road in Repulse Bay.
I will inform the Member in a little while on what status it is at right now , or this coming summer.
The Minister stated that this has been in the works for a long time and the money has been put aside for other projects.
I would like to be informed exactly what other projects has it been given to?
It was during the Government of the Northwest Territories and that funding was to be put in Government of the Northwest Territories funding, but since, now that we have Government of Nunavut, the access roads projects were eliminated.
They used to have the funding for access roads during the Government of the Northwest Territories period, but the hamlets were asked to submit an application to build access roads in their communities.
Now, with the Government of Nunavut, they eliminated that and now we are going to bring it back because it has been the request of all the members of this House.
Question 505 – 1(6): Photo I.D. Cards
Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister responsible for General Nunavut Identification cards and I would ask the Minister for Community Government & Transportation, I believe.
Mr. Speaker, last February, the Minister made an announcement in the House indicating that her department would be issuing these cards and that they would be available at Motor Vehicle offices across Nunavut.
I would like to ask the Minister, I have been getting some complaints, if you want to call them that.
They are people with questions on the criteria for that and they are getting mixed information that.
I would like to ask the Minister what the criteria for acquiring one of these General Nunavut Identification cards.
Mr. Speaker, Jean Simailaq, I would like to say hi to her really quickly.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I have also had complaints about people not being able to acquire ID photo cards that my department is issuing.
The criteria is that you must be a resident of Nunavut, you have to be 12 years old and you have to have had no other form of acceptable photo ID for air travel.
For example, a drivers’ license, birth certificate, passport, fire arms certificate, and so on.
In order to get these cards, you should have, to show my staff, a marriage certificate, or a baptismal certificate, a S.I.N. number card, T4 slips or an employee letter or a letter from a nurse or doctor, if you want to get these cards.
Mr. Speaker, if there is a problem with individuals not getting their ID cards, I would be glad to work with the Member to get the ID cards as soon as possible for that individual.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister’s willingness to assist in this case and I will talk to her about it after.
So, I guess, she had indicated the criteria.
One of the criteria that I have heard that has been used by people at Motor Vehicles, is that people have to provide a copy of a plane ticket or itinerary of impending travel in order to get a card.
The Minister never indicated that in her criteria, so I would just like to confirm that it is not necessary to have a plane ticket in order to get an ID card.
Hon. Manitok Thompson: Actually Mr. Speaker, that is one of the little regulations that my staff have come up with also.
If you show air travel documents, or a letter from an employer or sponsor certifying requirements for air travel.
But, Mr. Speaker, we have to make this work out for the individuals who want an I.D. card.
It’s just an I.D. photo card.
I don’t know why it’s so complicated.
All these little regulations and all this stuff and we’ll just make sure that the staff comply with the members wishes.
Mr. Speaker, I was just making sure that the staff follow our wishes.
There should be a clear process in place so that there is no confusion between different offices, make sure that there are policies in place.
This is out there for people to be a able to get some identification cards for those that don’t have one.
Some people may not want to wait, some people find out at the last minute that they have to travel, especially elders or anyone that may have to be flown out for medical reasons and some people want to get that ahead of time so they have it, so they don’t have to try and rush at the end.
The other question I had Mr. Speaker, is about 12 year olds.
If there is anyone under 12 years old, what is the rationale as to why those individuals can’t get a general identification card as well?
We have a very clear policy.
I think that the staff are so clear on the rules and regulations of this that it’s getting a little bit difficult to get cards.
I don’t really know why, we said 12 years old, I didn’t only say that when they become teenagers they change very much, their faces change quite a lot.
They need an escort.
The Premier just said that.
This means that if you are not 12 years old and you want a photo I.D. card, we will look at it on an individual case basis.
My staff are quite capable of producing these I.D. cards, they just have a very clear policy and they are just following the rules.
But we say that we want to make this workable for all Nunavummiut and as a Minister, I am making a commitment on that, that we work with the people that need I.D. cards.
It should be that simple.
It has cleared some confusion on regulations and rules and policies around it.
Even as a minor travelling, whether you’re with an adult or not, they are still required to have photo identification when travelling in the south.
I would like to ask the Minister if they can make those cards available to anyone that does not have a drivers license, that may need it for travelling and if you could make a very simple process and a policy that could be followed by all offices throughout Nunavut so that there is a lot less confusion.
There is no confusion on behalf of the staff with the policy.
There is a very clear regulation and policy in place for the staff to follow.
What needs to happen is that the staff have to be more flexible, and in this case, if they are under the age of 12, we will look at them case by case and see if we can produce an I.D. card for those individuals.
Question 506 – 1(6): Assist Teachers to Obtain Bachelor of Education Degree
Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the honourable Minister of Education.
Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that we have a large number of Inuit teachers in our schools all across Nunavut.
In the last few years, there have been some letters circulating around saying that these teachers may need their Bachelor of Education program to continue teaching in Nunavut.
I know in my school, in Baker Lake, at the Rachel Amitnaaq Elementary School, there is a group of Inuit teachers that just have their teaching diploma.
Can the Minister tell me today if there are going to be any efforts from his department to help those teachers achieve their Bachelor of Education status?
Yes, just recently this has been coming up, not just from his community, maybe two, there has been concerns raised that have been brought to me.
The way it is set up now, is that, those who want to teach the higher grades will need a higher degree of college, but because we have not enforced this in the communities, we allow them to teach in those communities.
But the teachers in those communities are given the opportunity, given their experience.
We try and ensure that there is community based training for these teachers.
I think I grasp that answer totally.
Can the Minister assure me that these teachers, Inuit teachers in our school, that have over 20 to 25 years teaching experience, will be assured that their jobs are safe and will continue to be safe because they don’t have their Bachelor of Education program.
As it is now, as I just informed my colleague, there has always been a requirement that the graduates of ENTEP should further their education and hopefully their Bachelor of Education degree.
However, if that course is not immediately available in that community, we have been very easy and allowed teachers to continue their professions.
So they can continue to teach in that community.
Recognizing the importance of very educated, rather very experienced teachers in these communities, I will definitely commit to ensuring that my staff are fully aware of the importance of these experienced teachers in our communities.
It is nice to see the Bathurst Mandate being implemented by the Department of Education, where they recognise the experience of Inuit teachers and long term Inuit teachers.
I would like to thank the Minister because it will make the teachers at the Rachel Amitnaaq Elementary school a lot more comfortable.
My only final question to the Minister on this is that, there is a group of 10-15 and they are probably at the top of their pay scale.
If they requested that the Department of Education be fit to run an additional program there to get them up to their Bachelor of Education program in that community, would the Department of Education consider it.
I’ll go a step further than that and ask my officials to check that school to see if they are wanting to have that be a program in that community.
Question 507 – 1(60): Plans for Changes to the Public Service Act
Mr. Speaker, in their department business plan, they had indicated that this year they planned on bringing forward some changes to the Public Service Act for our employees.
I’m just wondering if the Minister could provide some detail as to what exact changes they are planning on making to that act.
Unfortunately, because of the process that I have spoke to you before, I respond to that question.
I will have to take that question on notice and another process taking this course, I provide information.
The Minister is taking the question on notice, therefore there will be no Supplementary Question on these questions.
Question 508 – 1(6): Nunavut Power Corporation Payment Agencies
I think today is more of a calm during Question Period.
Mr. Speaker, a question to the Minister of Health and Social Services, I had asked him regarding health.
There were some problems and in questioning him regarding these payment agents.
Has there been any plans regarding those payment agents?
Speaker: Picco.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the Member was asking about the payment agents for Power Corporation and, Mr. Speaker, we do have, as I said earlier, agencies that collect money on behalf of the Power Corporation in every community, almost every community in Nunavut.
And then you also have the option, Mr. Speaker, as you know, sending your check by mail into the Corporation.
Now, I have an opportunity to talk to the president of the power corporation on the payments and so on with the customers and clients, so we did follow that up.
The Minister just responded that they can send a check by mail and we know how slow they are and the payments would miss their deadline and the payment process is really slow and the statement process is really slow even though the payment agents are through the North Mart or Northern.
Why, in this computer age, does the stores not have automatic billing?
Mr. Speaker, as I said in the House before, there was a problem with the software package on the billing and we were behind about six months.
We are almost up to date on the billings for the Power Corporation.
The billings is a separate issue from the payments.
On the payment schedules, Mr. Speaker, the payments are done automatically when the check has been received.
They have to be indexed into the account and through that process, they send that into the Baker Lake Office.
Mr. Speaker, if someone for example, sends their payments in, it usually takes 15 to 30 days to be credited if it is received before the billing period.
It is no different, Mr. Speaker, these are, as I say, a Visa bill on the 18th, it will not appear on the statement until the next 6 weeks because of the cut off dates and so on.
So, it depends on the time that the person actually pays the bill and the number of days that it is before the bill is actually issued.
In some cases, Mr. Speaker, I have seen bills, the Member is correct, have been behind like two months where they have actually credited the account and that is something, Mr. Speaker, that the Corporation is working on right now, to make sure that the billing as well as the accounts received were up to date on the bill and that the credits is placed there.
Yes, I am aware that these payment agents, for instance, he used VISA, it takes awhile for it to show up on that statement, I believe it is six weeks.
But Mr. Speaker, if I wanted to pay my VISA, I can just do it over the phone.
I would ask them over the phone if my payments have gone through and yes, they would tell me.
But it’s very different, we found out Mr. Speaker, the people of Repulse Bay were going to be cut off.
We heard over the news because of the late billing. I want to ask him if there is an easier and more efficient way in the payment process.
Mr. Speaker, Specifically in the Repulse Bay situation there was a problem with the software and caused some delay in the billing and the crediting and the member is correct, that problem has been fixed.
Mr. Speaker, when you make your payments, for example, if you went into Northern and paid your NPC bill, usually they don’t fax them in on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Friday, they would fax them into the power corporation, and then the power corporation would receive them and then they would data enter them.
For example Mr. Speaker, if Northern sent them in at 4:00 p.m. on a Friday to the power corporation, they may not be entered until Monday. So that’s one of the concerns that we have had and we are trying to adjust that and expedite the process so that the credit can go on there faster.
We are still working on some of the bugs on the system right now Mr. Speaker, but we are certain that we’re 100 percent better than we were last year, but we’re still not 100 percent efficient on the crediting of the account.
Mr. Speaker, if a person has made a payment and for example, they receive notification that their power is going to be cut off that they have a copy of the cheque, if they have an invoice, anything to show that they have actually paid, then when they contact the power corporation we are able to make sure that it does not take place where cut off would occur.
That was the situation with some of the customers.
We will have a meeting in Baker Lake in June; perhaps the Minister can say at that point, okay, the payment process is now fixed regarding the power bills.
Hon. Ed. Picco: I think Mr. Speaker, the sitting in Baker Lake will be an excellent opportunity to have all the members in the House actually tour our offices there in Baker Lake and see how the process is done.
Mr. Speaker, I want to make it perfectly clear that the corporation staff in Baker Lake have seen thousands of bills on a weekly average.
They have to send out accounts receivables and they have to receive the payables.
They have done a very good job with the office from scratch.
There were problems with software.
When we are in Baker Lake in the sitting then the members will have an opportunity to go there and to actually see the process and talk to the staff.
Again, 90 percent are Inuit and review it at that time.
It was a good suggestion on behalf of the member.
Mr. McLean: Mr. Speaker, I’d like unanimous consent to go back to Item 5.
It gives me great pleasure to recognize a constituent of mine, a long term friend.
Jean Simailak.
Now Reverend Jean Simailak.
I’d like to introduce you to the House and welcome her to Iqaluit.
Speaker: Welcome to the Gallery Ms. Similak.
Tabled Document 102 – 1(6): Nunavut Business Credit Corporation Loan Status as of February 28, 2003
I wish to table the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation’s loan status as of February 28, 2003.
I would like to point out that for each region reported, there is an amount called communities with one loan per community.
To protect the privacy of individuals in these communities, we grouped these loans in one lump sum.
Tabled Document 103 – 1(6): Nunavut-Manitoba Road – Kivalliq Inuit Association
I was asked to table this document from the mayors as a Member for the Keewatin Region.
It is a letter to the Honourable Robert Nault, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.