EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
As I have stated before, the plans, the 5 year plans, we consider the priority cases, whether they’re health and safety issues so those are our priorities. According to the funding we receive for the 2003/2004 fiscal year I can’t say yes we could advance it there.
So therefore we have to look at the contents and we have to follow the procedures for the plans.
So, then I could be able to determine it.
Perhaps if he could direct his officials that the school in Qikiqtarjuaq be looked at, reviewed, and find out how fast or what kind of priority the school is in.
The officials and the capital planning people know the condition of the school, the use of the school and what capacity the school can hold.
I will work with my officials and look into the Qikiqtarjuaq school.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few more minutes to consider my question.
Because the Minister that I’m directing the question to is not here.
Speaker: Just a friendly caution to the members that when the ministers are not in the house, you are not to refer to fact that they are not in the house.
State the question down and wait.
Question 311 – 1(6): Grizzly Bear Study
It’s in regards to the grizzly bears that come into our community of Pelly Bay and when we do harvest grizzly bears the hides are confiscated by the wildlife officer.
Have you looked into this issue?
We are currently working this year on the grizzly bear issue and we are currently doing a study on grizzly bears in Nunavut.
We will also have to do a plan on how we’re going conduct the consultation with the people.
After the study is completed on grizzly bears in Nunavut and if there is a harvest of the grizzly bears, would it be possible for the individual to keep the hide instead of the wildlife officers getting it?
I could look into it and inform the member on what the quota on grizzly bears is.
For his concerns, I don’t know if there is one but usually the grizzly bears are killed when they pose a danger and usually the hides are confiscated by the wildlife officers.
As to how this will be dealt with, once this issue has been reviewed, the wildlife officers in the communities will see if there can be financial implications to this.
When can we look forward to results and the plans on the quota for grizzly bears, that’s my question?
The communities including Kugluktuk and Baker Lake have had concerns about grizzly bears.
We definitely have to set a plan as there are more and more concerns and danger kills in those communities that I mentioned.
We will definitely work this issue, but of course there has to be a study and a plan done prior to implementing any plans.
Question 312 – (1(6): Advising Welfare Recipients of New Rent Scale
Just recently the Minister of the Housing Corporation stated that when January 1st comes up, the new rent scale will come into effect on January 1st. How would you notify the Arctic College students when the new rent scale comes into effect?
Those are the students that are on financial assistance, students that are receiving financial assistance.
I’m sorry the people that are receiving social assistance.
But in regards to the implementation of the new rent scale, I don’t know how it would impact the Arctic College students.
Mr. Speaker, if we’re talking about the Arctic College students, or the social recipients and the payment, I’m not sure whether you’re talking about Arctic College students or social recipients, so perhaps my colleague could clarify it.
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): I apologise perhaps he didn’t understand my question, the social assistance recipients.
(interpretation ends) The Minister of Housing announced earlier last week it will take effect January 1st.
My question to the Minister of Education is, does he have plans or how will he inform the welfare recipients of this announcement - how he will advise the welfare recipients of this?
I just want to let him know, during this interpretation but Mr. Speaker, depending on who is still on income support, come the effective date, then those income support recipients that will be affected will be notified and adjusted accordingly.
I just want to get clarification as to the social assistance recipients in regards to that.
I want to raise another question. When the recipients apply for income support, for example, the income tax as well we have an elder in the house who is receiving elders’ benefits, will these benefits be taken off income tax?
In regards to the rent scale, there is a different system.
The welfare recipients and some of the benefits that they receive, the end amount depends on the amount that they pay for the rent.
Starting January 1st and after the new rent scale is implemented the occupants will be notified and told exactly how it’s going to effect the rent scale.
The question that I asked was not answered so I’ll try it in English.
(interpretation ends): If I was a welfare recipient and I’m getting child tax for example and also I have an old age pension recipient in the house that receives that pension.
Will it have an effect on their monthly personal assistance?
For the old age pensioners, there is no deduction for rent and also for the child tax credits.
If a program is administered from the Federal Government level, it wouldn’t have any effect on the deductions for the rent.
There is no effect on their rent scale and I said before we could give you the information.
Question 313 – 1(6): Romanow Report – Recommendation # 42
Mr. Speaker, today my question is for the Minister of Health & Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, earlier in my Member’s Statement I was talking about the Romanow Report that was just released this morning and over lunchtime I read some of it.
I’d like to ask the minister, I know he was briefed during lunchtime about the Romanow Report; he’s probably up to speed on it.
But I want to ask the minister responsible about recommendation 42 and I’ll read it out.
Current funding for aboriginal health services provided by the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Governments and aboriginal organizations should be pooled into a single consolidated budget in each province and territory to be used to integrate aboriginal health care services, improve access, and provide adequate, stable, and predictable funding.
Can the minister tell me if he supports this and if he can, will he implement it?
Mr. Speaker, just before we started the session at 1:30, I was on a conference call with Mr. Romanow as well as the other health ministers across Canada and the Federal Health Minister, Anne McClelland.
We discussed some of the recommendations, Mr. Romanow made 47 recommendations.
And I think we can say from the Nunavut point of view that he highlighted Nunavut several times in report, he specifically mentioned the Tele-Health Program that we’re running and so on, so we we’re quite pleased with some of the issues in the report.
However, one of the concerns we have is what Mr. McLean has just raised and that is the recommendation about the core programs that are out there from the federal government and how amalgamated and integrated those programs are within a single delivery system.
Right now for example Mr. Speaker, when we look at the programs under the National Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Programs, under Brighter Futures, those programs that are running very well here in this jurisdiction.
What the recommendation seems to indicate and we will need more clarification next week when I meet with Minister McClelland and the rest of the Health Ministers in Toronto next Friday to clarify the recommendations that have been made by Mr. Romanow, to see exactly what position, what strategic initiative, what direction Mr. Romanow is moving, and what he really meant by some of those recommendations including recommendation number 42.
On page 103 of the report, it states that Nunavut as a whole territory has 7 doctors and I know the Minister responsible has only been the Health Minister for almost 4 years.
But in this report, it also says Northwest Territories has 37 doctors and Yukon, which is about the same size as Nunavut has 54 doctors.
And I don’t think this is new information for the Minister, but does he have a simple plan or plans to make sure that we have doctors in Nunavut and not the lowest amount of doctors per capita in North America?
Speaker: Minister Responsible for Health. Mr. Picco.
Mr. Speaker, those numbers are a bit misleading.
Mr. Speaker, if you look at the actuality, our programs delivered in Nunavut are actually delivered in other jurisdictions.
For example the secondary case Mr. Speaker, many of our patients unfortunately have to travel to Ottawa, Mr. Speaker, Edmonton, Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife Mr. Speaker, as well as Winnipeg, Mr. Speaker and Churchill, Manitoba, Mr. Speaker.
When you include those doctors, nurse practitioners, and surgical services that we are paying for, as well as other jurisdictions, the per capita amount would increase.
The numbers given in the Romanow report don’t use that number.
I didn’t get to see specifically that number, I would suggest it is wrong.
I believe at the present time we have 12 doctors that are based in Nunavut as well as visiting physicians that provide continuing care and local coverage in Nunavut on a monthly basis.
So the numbers are a little bit misleading however I would agree with the Member that indeed, the Government of Nunavut has to be able to look at opportunities to increase the number of physicians.
This morning in conversation in a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Health, Doctor Best, we talked about some of the strategies that we would like to put in place in the coming months to attract more doctors, general practitioners, and specialists to Nunavut.
I know Mr. Romanow spent 2 ½ days up here talking with the Honourable Minister.
I would’ve hoped that Romanow report would reflect the fact that we’re getting through here because they’re not, you know, it doesn’t reflect needing additional funding or requiring an injection of funding into rural communities.
My next question, my supplementary is, in New Brunswick for example, close to 10% of its total health care budget is spent on home care compared to less than 2% in Nunavut.
And Mr. Speaker, we heard yesterday, or the other day, about health care in Rankin Inlet.
That’s a hundred and fifty elders there and very little health care for them, so does the Minister have a plan on how territorial wide, how to deliver better home care for the elders?
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada, our Federal partner has allocated over 4.9 million dollars to Nunavut for a home care program and we did say in response to that question yesterday in the house Mr. Speaker, that we have over 110 Nunavut residents right now, today, being cared for through home care.
We believe that’s a successful program.
We have trained over 40 individuals across Nunavut to deliver home care.
We’ve actually hired new dedicated home care nurses and we have dedicated vehicles for home care relief in every community in Nunavut Mr. Speaker.
So, I would suggest to you that we are actually doing the home care program as outlined by Mr. Romanow.
However, I would suggest also to you Mr. Speaker, that under some of the programs and recommendations that Mr. Romanow made, for example, under access and remote and rural issues, northerners’ issues for Canadians, the extra $1.5 billion dollars that Mr. Romanow talks about.
There is an opportunity there to access some of that money to attract some of the positions that McLean has talked about.
We believe that is an important part of the Romanow Commission’s Report and I believe if you read the report and the reports 47 recommendations over 200 pages, that he does indeed in several places specifically mention Nunavut and some of the health care challenges that we’re facing I believe in the recommendations that are in the report. Next week, when we have an opportunity to sit down with Minister McClellan, the Federal Health Minister to see in what direction the Federal Government will take with the Romanow Commission Report and indeed will it be able to implement the recommendations as well as the dollar values attached.
I should point out that the Finance Ministers will also be meeting to discuss some of the recommendations coming out of the Commission’s Report later in December and the Premier will be attending the First Ministers’ Meeting on the Commission’s Report in early January.
So there are several meetings to discuss at the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial level, the recommendations made by Mr. Romanow as well as the financial implications and the funding mechanisms.
Like I said earlier in my Member’s Statement, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples is a document that was embraced by the aboriginal people of Canada with much hope and like I say today, it sits on a shelf collecting dust.
One of the issues was housing and health and now I see the Romanow Commission and you know I have to give Mr. Romanow credit for spending 2.5 days in Nunavut, you know looking and listening to the health concerns, and I’m sure the minister did a good job.
But the stark reality in Nunavut is that Nunavut has the lowest life expectancy of any jurisdiction in Canada.
I know it’s only Nunavut, up there in the middle of nowhere, so you know, is it really a big issue to us.
Now in the report, it says injections of funds to rural communities and we know in the past by the Federal Government, that when it comes to per capita financing we always get the short end of the stick.
Could the minister, when he goes to Ottawa, to meet with McClelland, say that we’re under unusual circumstances here and if we’re going to be funded under proportionately, we’re going to come up short again and nothing is going to change. So would the minister carry that to Ottawa that we have an epidemic in the health care system and that it’s just not going any further ahead?
Will he bring that message to them and I’m sure he will but would he commit to this House and let the members know?
Mr. Speaker, since March 1999 I think as a government here in Nunavut we have made the case on many occasions at Federal, Provincial, Territorial forums about the needs of health care in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, that message came I think loud and clear earlier this week in a documentary that was on the National CBC Network that I believe gave an unsanitized version of some of the issues that we’re trying to deal with in Nunavut. I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker, that I have as well as the Premier, the Minister of Finance, and other ministers of this government, tried to make the point that per capita funding does not cut it.
It should be needs based funded.
In my teleconference today with Minister McClellan, Mr. Romanow, and the other health ministers, this issue was brought up and I would suggest to you again, Mr. Speaker, that next week in Toronto when we meet with Minister McClellan and the other Federal, Provincial, and Territorial health ministers, we’re having an opportunity to discuss per capita funding.
I want to point out to you Mr. Speaker, that in 2000 when the extra CHST 4 billion was put into transfers, the CHST is the Canadian Health and Social Transfers, when I extrapolate the numbers for the Government of Nunavut, that’s $3 million. Mr. Speaker, and that’s not acceptable.
So we have been saying these things long enough and we will be bringing the message again to our federal counterparts.
Question 314 – 1(6): Response to Special Committee for the Review of the Official Languages Act
I have a question for the premier.
As the Special Committee for the Review of the Official Languages Act, we’d like to conclude our report and the response that we get will be very beneficial.
Can the premier give us an idea when his response will be made on the Official Languages Act?
In order to give our response we have to work with the Official Languages Commissioner and at this time, I can’t answer that at this time, as I still have to communicate with the Official Languages Commissioner at this time.
Ms. Williams: Thank you, Uqaqti.
To be clearer, I’m the Chairperson of the Official Languages Special Committee.
We tabled the document before and we are waiting for a response from the government.
For us to be able to complete the final report we need the response what the position is provided by the government to our report.
Yes, I am aware of this.
We are trying to work with department of CLEY at this time, that is why we can’t give you our response right away, but we are almost finished with the Access to Information and Privacy Act.
Because we have been appointed to the special committee and we are given a certain number of days to complete our assignment, can the minister respond when, about when we can expect to hear a response?
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): I’ll check into this and before tomorrow, before the end of the day tomorrow I’ll give you an answer as to the status of that.
Question 315 – 1(6): Plans for an Arena
I think she has answered in regards to the proposed arena in Pond Inlet I asked about.
I was wondering if there have been any plans.
Can she indicate to me if there have been any plans to date?
This has come up a couple of times from the member and from the residents of Pond Inlet, in regards to the arena.
During the mayor’s conference, I informed the Mayor of Pond Inlet, we have thought of making plans for the arena in 2004/2005, maybe 2007/2008 or around 2006, it would be completed, that is our plan, it hasn’t disappeared.
We’re getting closer to election, and we’ll have an election before 2007; we’ll probably have a new Minister hopefully the new Minister who will take over will pursue this.
Speaker: Mr. Nutarak, I rule that question out of order, and move on to the next member on the list.
Question 316 – 1(6): Quality of Fish - Fisheries Report
Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Sustainable Development in regards to the fisheries report that he tabled.
We know down south, southern Canada, there were some fish that were taken and spawned down in southern Canada. I wonder if the government is looking at those fish that came from Nunavut that were transported down south.
I wonder if they taste the same as the fish from up here.
That was a very unique question and quite hard to answer but maybe in regards to the question maybe what we can do is have a look and determine if they look the same and maybe bring one up from down south; we saw them, the Premier and I saw them.
I can look into this.
They were fed different things that they would normally eat up here so I can check into this and maybe bring some up here and get some from here and eat them at the same time, than we can determine if they taste the same, or different.
That is very important to me when they taste different I think it’s like that with everybody, but because we have our own taste, and they have to smell nice, the fish we have up here smell nice.
The fish that we have up here are better.
Our fish eat shrimp.
They eat a different food, so I think for that reason those fish that were farmed down there should be looked at.
I wonder from the communities that have an abundance of fish if there have been any studies how they could sell to international companies.
Have there been any plans looking into this?
Yes, we have done feasibility studies and we also met with people from Prince Edward Island.
They were wondering how else we can set up a similar one where we bring some down and then they can farm it and sell down south.
When the people from the south demand more of that, then we can try and figure out if we would have a market for the people of Prince Edward Island and for international markets.
I am happy with his response and I encourage him.
Within Nunavut there are a lot of unemployed hunters and fishermen.
After a study and when they find out if there is a market for international trade, I wonder how they would be able to plan it.
We want to help the residents of Nunavut.
We want to try and find ways that they would be able to make more money because this is a very important issue to the hunters.
We have to be careful with wildlife too as we have to manage them well.
Question 317 – 1(6): Technical Evaluation of Building
My question today again is for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to compliment you on your attire today.
I prefer that to the penguin outfit, but it is very nice.
The Minister of Health was in my community recently to open up the new 24 hour Chronic Care Facility.
The old hospice building is now almost ready to fall down and collapse.
It is used as a 24 hour women’s shelter, it is used for a pre-natal program, and it is used for alcohol and drug programs.
Could the Minister commit to sending some people in to do a technical evaluation on the building?
I will also caution you that you may be joining Mr. Iqaqrialu on the outside looking in.
I would agree with you that Parliamentary decorum is one of the major thrusts of the Assembly.
You have done an excellent job.
I think that you have to keep an eye on some of those members when they make remarks about your clothes like that.
I would suggest to you that the answer is yes, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker: Mr. Picco, you could be joining that crowd.
Mr. McLean: Mr. Speaker, sorry I offended you, but I was trying to give you a compliment today and I’m actually a little disappointed, that you look very dapper today, I’m sorry if the meaning came out wrong, you look very good in traditional clothing.
So my supplementary question today to the minister is how could he initiate an evaluation of the building?
Mr. Speaker, I would suggest you look very nice too.
Mr. McLean needs a new suit.
Mr. Speaker the answer would be an expedition.
Question 318 – 1(6): Update on Status of Children’s Advocate
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education. A few days ago I was talking about the proposed Education Act.
About the Children’s Advocate statement, there is an application from the community of Cambridge Bay and they have given it to the District Education Authority.
Can the Minister update us as to the status because this was going to be a pilot project?
I can inform the member that I don’t have any information on Child Advocate guidelines but I can check into it and find out how far they have gone.
During the Department of Education’s presentation in the budget session last May, we learned that the secretary would be coming forward with a report. Can the Minister update the House on the status of that report?
In regards to her question, I have no detailed information at this time in front of me; I have to ask for the copy of the report, and then I can answer the member and also the rest of the members once I get the copies.
Yes I know that the minister doesn’t have the information in front of him but perhaps the minister can tell me if he’s in support and come up with proposed legislation while we have this First Assembly for a Nunavut Children’s Advocate.
Yes I’m very pleased that the Department of Education is working with Health and Social Services, Culture, Language, Elders and Youth and the Department of Justice.
Yes I am in support of a Children’s Advocate in Nunavut and Mr. Speaker I can say that they deal with research or they can review new projects or existing projects as long as they direct it towards the Child Advocate issue in Nunavut.
So I just want to elaborate to the Member that we’re in full support of this and the organizations are very happy to see it.
Can the Minister confirm that he will support initiatives to introduce legislation here in the life of this government that would establish a Children’s Advocate in Nunavut?
I could tell the member that I am committed to child advocacy and young people during the life this Legislative Assembly I will support children’s advocacy documents.
Yes I’ll be able to support them.
Question 319 – 1(6): Ratio of Inuit Employment
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Human Resources.
To date, the Nunavummiut staff, Inuit and non-native, what are the statistics of their employment?
I did not quite understand the member’s question, whether it’s the number of Inuit staff or the number of full time staff.
If he could elaborate on the question to me.
Clarification on the question.