EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
We do work very closely with health centres. I believe there are health committees in every community that works with health centres on behalf of the people in the community that could bring their concerns to the nurses in charge.
If there are any concerns, I would like to know about them and we can address them.
Mr. Curley: Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s Statement the other day, I did indicate that there was an elder whom I’m speaking with who was so uncomfortable that she cried on the telephone.
I’m trying to find a way of how we can restore respect to the elders. It’s a condition. It’s a systemic condition.
(interpretation) We now have elders and we may know a few cases where the elder has to first sign prior to receiving treatment or an appointment.
Due to this reason, when the patient is going for a checkup, why do they first have to sign the document?
Is our priority to have the elder sign off the document before they can be seen?
Mr. Speaker, I wish Mr. Curley would provide me with a bit more detail about the document that he says that individuals must sign. It is a health centre.
There could be any number of documents that a patient must sign, but I would encourage Mr. Curley to provide me with more details to help answer the question.
The documents are at the files of medical practitioners in each community. (interpretation) The elders are made to feel alienated and unwelcome. We have to ensure they are made to feel welcome and, in my opinion, the government has to ensure this. I believe that there is a document outlining the need for hospitality and a welcoming attitude.
When will this guideline ever be followed by the Department of Health personnel?
Also, there was an elder last week who called and spoke to me. In my dialect of the Kivalliq region, the word she used denoted that she was extremely short of breath.
In the Baffin region, they use the word “Ipiniarniq.” This elder stated she was extremely short of breath.
This condition doesn’t just denote shortness of breath.
I believe the proper term in English is “dyspnea.” This is a medical condition she is suffering from. Although she has this condition, the nurses refused to see her until she signed the document.
Why? Why are our elders who are already suffering medical conditions being forced to sign documents and not receiving the proper medical care?
I thank Mr. Curley for sharing that information.
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the elder had a bad experience.
Of course, we want all of our patients and clients who deal with health centres in the communities to have a good experience. Health care is a top priority in our department. Of course, they have to have the comfort level with the nurses, doctors, and other health officials in the centre.
In that particular case, I can’t explain and I have no details, but if Mr. Curley can provide us with some details, we can look into it on behalf of his constituent and find out what the problem is.
I again encourage all Nunavummiut who are feeling ill or need to see a doctor or nurse to not feel unwelcome or afraid to report to the health centres. We have very dedicated health practitioners in all our communities working very hard 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help out Nunavummiut.
If there’s a particular case, please visit me privately and I can assist you.
Question 748 – 3(3): Anti-bootlegging Enforcement Initiatives (Schell)
As the minister will recall, a number of members have urged the government to introduce civil forfeiture legislation to fight bootlegging in our communities.
This type of legislation would allow the proceeds of crime, including property, to be seized from bootleggers. Why has the government not introduced civil forfeiture legislation?
I would like to thank Mr. Schell for that question. He brings a very good point up about the legislation of civil forfeiture. The Department of Justice is working on that type of legislation.
At present, research work is being done on, both policy and implementation of how that legislation would work. There’s consultation going on with other jurisdictions on how it is working in their jurisdictions, but what needs to happen is there needs to be detailed and very much consultations done with communities in Nunavut to include their issues on this legislation.
I have also heard concerns that the Canada Revenue Agency is not doing all that it can to conduct audits of individuals who have no visible means of support, but who have plenty of assets, including houses, trucks, boats, and ski-doos.
In many of these cases, the assets have been purchased through the proceeds of crime, including bootlegging.
Will the minister commit to raising this issue with the federal Minister responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency?
Mr. Speaker, the member is right.
When there is revenue fraud going on, it is the jurisdiction of the Canada Revenue Agency to investigate such a thing. The RCMP is responsible for investigating bootlegging and drug dealing going on in the communities, but I cannot commit to that.
What I would commit to is if the member has any detailed information on such activities taking place, I would welcome him to write me a letter with that information.
In order to effectively fight bootlegging, law enforcement authorities need the strong cooperation of individuals and communities.
Can the minister indicate how his department is working with the RCMP to encourage residents to provide information to law enforcement authorities about suspected bootlegging operations in their community?
As I previously stated, I meet regularly with the commanding officer of the “V” division and this is a subject that is always brought up about enforcement of bootleggers and drug dealers.
We continue to have discussions on this topic. We need the communities to be involved and provide us information. The RCMP absolutely needs that information to move forward with any type of enforcement.
These people who are providing alcohol and drugs to our communities and our young people are poison to the community. Anybody who is supporting these people in their operation should not be supporting them as they are very much affecting our communities and what’s happening in our communities with young people.
We will continue to work with the RCMP and communities. Communities need to assist the RCMP as much as they can in dealing with this problem.
Question 749 – 3(3): Medical Appointments at Health Centres (Ningark)
My question is for the Hon. Minister of Health and Social Services.
From time to time, a constituent will come and talk to me about their appointment to see a health care professional at the local level.
On occasion, that person will be referred to another day. “The health care centre is booked for the day. Come back tomorrow or next week.”
What is the root cause or source of the problem when a person who has an ailment, either minor or major, keeps being told to come tomorrow or next week? Is it that we don’t have the capacity, that we don’t have the staff or the capacity of the centre? What is the problem here?
Pretty soon, that minor ailment becomes an emergency.
What is the problem here, Mr. Chairman?
I had an opportunity to visit the health centre in Kugaaruk in May and there very a lot of very good staff there.
It was a surprise visit, actually. It was at 8:30 in the morning because we were flying west and gained two hours.
There could be a number of issues. It’s very difficult to staff health centres. There are a minimum number of nurses we require and we’re competing with provinces and territories across Canada for nurses.
We have a number of indeterminate nurses, but then we have to fill positions with casual nurses.
As to why an individual in your community couldn’t get an appointment that day, I would have to have more details before I can respond, but I do know that our health centre officials work very hard to try and see all the patients who call them or come to the health centre.
I had to pull my earpiece here; it makes a sound.
Anyway, my first supplementary, Mr. Speaker, I recognize the devoted and dedicated health care professionals we have. I can say that any day anywhere in the world, especially in North America.
This has been an ongoing problem for many years. Why would the minister need more details on this?
The reason I need more details is because Mr. Ningark is raising an example of one individual in his community and maybe there are more, but we have 34,000 Nunavummiut who live in our territory and there are 25 health centres and hospital.
I don’t have the exact numbers, but in many of the communities, there are as many as 10,000 to 12,000 visits by patients to the health centre per year.
That tells me that the health centres are very busy and they are seeing a lot of patients on a whole number of issues. If he did the math, there are a lot of people going to health centres in Nunavut every year. I could ask my health officials to give me some details, but there are probably over 300,000 to 350,000 visits to health centres and hospital in Nunavut per year.
If Mr. Ningark is raising a concern about a specific incident in Kugaaruk, I would need some details so that I can look into why that individual wasn’t able to get an appointment that day or week.
We talk about competence for all of GN. Well, if we talk about details, I don’t know.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard, not only in Kugaaruk, but throughout the territory where the person has been referred back to another day and, you know, you have to take Aspirin or Tylenol.
Tylenol is no cure. It becomes a chronic ailment later on.
The doctor finds out that this becomes a serious illness.
When do we begin to have confidence in our health care system out here?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. Ningark again for raising that question.
Earlier this week, Mr. Ningark asked me about the patient relations office, and he has people in his community that have concerns.
I encourage them to talk to the health practitioner or the nurse-in-charge. If they can’t get their answer there, they can talk to regional directors or they can contact the patient relations officers.
There’s a phone number and an email address where they can voice their concern or complaint.
As I said the other day, someone will contact them within 48 hours to follow up and, hopefully within five days, we will be able to get an answer to the concern.
As I mentioned the other day, we are working very hard to improve our relations with our communities and our patients.
If Mr. Ningark is aware of a specific example, he can bring that concern to me and I will have my officials follow up.
Question 750 – 3(3): Caribou Management Issues – Food Security (Oshutapik)
I will be directing my question to the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation, the Hon. Peter Taptuna.
Most of us are aware, including many Nunavut residents, that Inuit don’t all have access to their traditional country foods.
This is particularly true in our community, where we used to have caribou in close proximity, but they have migrated elsewhere far away.
For this reason, I have a question to the minister.
With air freight the only means available to ship country foods, many of my fellow residents can only order caribou meat from other communities that have access to caribou and the only way is to ship it in via airfreight. Further, the majority of communities in the Baffin region have been forced into this practice, not just the residents of Pangnirtung that I am aware of.
The Food Security Program has been brought up from time to time as part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy here in the Nunavut territory. However, our residents who have to order country foods can only do so with the subsidy for country food shipping costs. Unfortunately, the airline freight handlers don’t prioritize these packages due to it being subsidized.
The package being under the country food subsidy is usually bumped off while the airlines prioritize the higher rated freight to ship out first in order to increase their profits. That seems to be the message being sent out to Inuit based on actual practices of our airline companies. We have no alternatives, yet airlines are our only means of transportation due to the dearth of a highway system.
Can the minister and his officials review this matter in both the Qikiqtaaluk and Kivalliq regions, with the cooperation of the regional Inuit associations, to see what’s happening with this program?
Minister of ED&T, Minister Taptuna, or is it the Minister of Family Services, Minister Ell, who would respond to that in dealing with food security?
I guess it should be directed to Ms. Ell, Mr. Oshutapik.
I thank the member for his question about this matter. Yesterday, I was asked a question with respect to the Nutrition North program related to the Poverty Reduction Strategy.
The need for nutritious food continues to surface as a central focal point. As per my statements on this issue, this topic was discussed first in June during the initial consultations. The plan being prepared was recently reviewed with an eye on the possible contents to be included.
Many organizations are included. I am one of the co-chairs of the working group and my co-chair represents Nunavut Tunngavik. They were appointed from the Nunavut Social Development Council.
We also have members from other organizations, non-profit groups, as well as local businesses. As an example, NorthMart always sends a representative to these meetings. There are also our colleagues from this House we must thank, particularly Ron Elliott and Jeannie Ugyuk, who were able to attend the June meeting.
There were over 70 participants, including elders who participated.
There was a document produced outlining the cost of foodstuffs in various communities. It included a price comparison and the costs of comparable foods. This document was tabled by one of our MLAs to show the price variations in food costs throughout Nunavut.
This highlighted the need in our future to have more information from more communities to ensure that we have a fair comparison of the cost of food.
The issue of country food was also raised and that country food has to be a priority, especially for Inuit. The elder who spoke on this issue also made this assertion. The sale of country food is contrary to Inuit values.
Since country foods started being sold, it has devalued the principle of sharing with one’s fellow residents. The elder stated that in the past, hunters would share with their elders for free, but they are now more interested in making income. Most conscientious hunters, when they have an abundance of country food, generally give away part of their catch to their fellow Inuit.
The elder noted that this is becoming rarer with more hunters selling part of their catches.
However, I’m not sure whether the member’s question related to transportation was included in our discussions at that meeting and how to lower the costs. I can’t respond to that part, but I can only state that plans are being made and we haven’t had the chance to review the report as they are still being drafted up.
I inadvertently made a precedent in this House, as I unintentionally caused confusion due to the question being relevant to two ministers.
The purpose of my question wasn’t to ask two ministers simultaneously.
Mr. Speaker, I respect and believe our Inuit values and practices in our communities, as that part of our food sharing still continues to this day. As conscientious hunters, we still offer country food for free as part of our cultural heritage, especially food to those who assist in the expenses.
I completely comprehend this practice.
What I’m trying to point out is this new practice which is fairly recent where Inuit are bartering country food with other Inuit, including the sale of country food to other Inuit living elsewhere. The only means of shipping this meat is through air freight to other communities.
The issue I was trying to raise wasn’t related to the airlines’ food freight where foodstuffs are thrown out due to the length of time it takes for the food to arrive into the community.
What I’m trying to raise via this question to the minister is whether the minister can work with the Inuit associations in the Baffin and Kivalliq regions, who are part owners of the airlines, to resolve these challenges our people face on this issue.
Hon. Monica Ell (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the member for his question about this matter.
As per my earlier response outlining the members involved in the round table, as an example, we meet as a group around a table. There are many representatives who participate.
Under this round table, we also have planning committees who meet monthly.
They usually have activities to complete, which includes some of the business community members that I referred to earlier, such as NorthMart.
The airline companies were requested to have representatives, but as of now, neither airline has sent any representatives.
I can also state that when I was first appointed as a minister in April 2013 to the new Department of Family Services, this issue of food security was part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy. When the regional associations held their meetings, I went to make a presentation on the mandate.
The representatives were able to ask questions about this mandate and our plan of action. Further, if we are invited, we can make ourselves available at any time.
From this round table, can you get in touch with the airlines to correct this problem?
During our spring session, we introduced legislation which was moved by Ron Elliott and seconded by me. This was the Donation of Food Act and it’s to ensure that no one is held responsible if they donate foodstuffs.
Ever since this legislation was introduced, I haven’t been informed of whether this has resulted in an increase in donated items to people in poverty or to the soup kitchens.
However, what we did hear once was that there were donations submitted.
With the involvement of NorthMart, they also ship in foodstuffs through the sealift that they offer for sale.
Due to their continued participation in this avenue, they were informed about the food price comparisons, including the food comparison sheet outlining the price variations in the communities, as well as many of the foods sold in the Northern stores.
This information has been submitted.
I’ll return to a motion that was moved by Fred Schell this spring that urged the federal government to review the Nutrition North program.
Through this initiative, we were informed that the Auditor General would now be conducting a forensic audit of this program, especially the transportation costs.
Through these avenues, once the reports have been completed and debate can begin on this issue, we will be paying particular attention to the transportation costs of shipping foods and how this program has lowered the costs of food.
Mr. Ningeongan (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although the reason for rising today may seem inappropriate, I want to take this opportunity to apologize for my line of questioning to the Minister of CG&S.
When I looked into the matter further, I noted that the response the minister provided was understandable related to the deferment of the project, as per my questions about the matter.
I don’t have any questions currently and I just want to state that I apologize for my error.
Question 751 – 3(3): Orientation for Decentralized Employees (Enook)
Based on Mr. Oshutapik, my colleague’s remark earlier about creating a precedent by having two ministers respond to his question, the question I will be asking may require three ministers to confer and come up with an answer.
I am unsure whether or not it applies to either of these ministers.
It may be more appropriate to the Minister of Education or perhaps to the Minister of Human Resources.
Mr. Speaker, as a resident of a smaller community, everything is much more obvious. As a resident of these smaller communities, cooperation or the lack thereof is much more noticeable.
I live in the community of Pond Inlet, which is a decentralized community with various departments working out of the GN offices, for which we are very grateful for and proud of.
The issue I have always wanted to clearly understand is whether or not public servants who are hired to work in these communities ever even receive compulsory cultural orientation or at the very least, things they have to be aware of and respect.  Again I refer only to public servants hired to work in decentralized communities.
This is my question, but I am unsure which minister is responsible for this matter and why I stated that I had no idea whether it falls under one minister, two ministers, or even three of our ministers. Let me use an example for my reasoning.
In the last two years that I have resided in Pond Inlet and returned home, I’ve had many discussions with residents, both Inuit and non-Inuit.
Whenever I happen to be talking with non-Inuit who I am seeing for the first time, which still happens in this day and age, I ask them, “Are you a recent arrival to Pond Inlet?” The answer I hear back is, “No, I have been living in Pond Inlet for over five years,” or seven years or whichever number they respond with.
It seems that there is a divide between the public servants in our community and the Inuit residents.
Although as Inuit, we try to practise our cultural value of being hospitable and welcoming, this issue keeps jumping to the forefront and I always want to ask about this matter.
Is there any type of preparation provided to the public servants that if they are going to work in a smaller decentralized community, part of their consideration has to include respecting the culture of that community?
Minister of Finance. That hasn’t enveloped human resources. Minister Peterson.
I have been Minister responsible for Human Resources for a short while.
I can only go on my own experience in Cambridge Bay.
I believe, when people from other places come to work in my community, the department they come to work for provides them with an orientation.
I know the human resources officials have information available on every community that people are going in to work in and what they should expect. They have an opportunity to ask questions during interviews. If they come for in-person interviews or conference call type interviews, they ask questions about what they can expect in the community.
Within the departments themselves, there is what they call IQ days where departments get together and they go as a department to get to know the area and experience some of the local culture and traditional things that people do in the communities.
I thank the minister for clarifying this. I’m just wondering if there is an actual policy to give more of an example.
We want to be welcoming to other people and sometimes we feel that these newcomers who are up here to work… . When we have these different holiday gatherings, only a handful show up and I feel that it’s maybe because we are not welcoming.
A lot of the times, we don’t see the people who are living in our community.
Do you actually know that each department has an orientation package, especially for those in the smaller communities?
I thank Mr. Enook for raising the concern. I’ll ask my HR people in the finance department to get that information so I can provide a more detailed answer to Mr. Enook.
Speaker: Thank you. Mr. Tapardjuk.
Motion 056 – 3(3): Extension of Oral Question Period (Tapardjuk)
Pursuant to Rule 39(7), I move, seconded by the Member for Baker Lake, Moses Aupaluktuq, that we extend question period.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Tapardjuk. The motion is in order. All those in favour.
Please raise your hand high so I can see.
We get 30 more minutes of question period.
Question 752 – 3(3): IQ Values in Child and Family Services Act (Tapardjuk)
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleagues.
First of all, I would like to thank the Minister of Family Services for the question that I had posed and she has responded to me. I know that this item will be worked on when they’re trying to include Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in this.