EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Given the fact that we have an office space issue right across the territory right now, we have issued an office space needs assessment. Basically, we have consultants that will be visiting every community across the territory to tell us the condition of shortfalls for office space and we can use this information to determine what options are available for us to address this issue.
It is on ongoing issue and at this point in time, there are no easy solutions to it.
Once we get the needs assessment, we will soon be looking at developing a strategy of how we can address office space needs across the territory in the intermediate and long term.
With this consultant doing a feasibility or a study on office space requirements across the territory, when is this expected to be completed?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister.
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Mr. Green will be able to respond to that.
The contract has been awarded. The consultants have started to do their preliminary analysis.
We suspect we will have the results within six months.
Your department already knows through the RFP that there is no office space available in our community.
Over the past three years, I have been telling you the same story. Now you want a consultant to work for six months to tell you the same story again.
Why are we waiting for a consultant’s report for my community when we already know that there is a lack of office space in our community?
I will defer the question to Mr. Green.
The member is right. We are aware that there are office space issues within Sanikiluaq.
We wanted to get a general idea of what the office conditions were across the territory. There are no easy solutions to some of those problems.
You know, we are looking at options that maybe when we are building hamlet offices within those [communities], there will be an opportunity for us to consolidate some of the outreach programs that we undertake in those communities.
We’re really looking at using those needs analyses to take a look at some of the existing and new infrastructure and how we can do some improvements to those facilities to accommodate the office space requirements within those communities. We’re not really gaining much in the way back from the private sector in terms of expressing a desire to provide office space in some of the smaller communities.
Last year, there was some interest from the private sector that may have been willing to build an office complex for our community, but it seems like the Government of Nunavut was not willing to enter into lease agreements with this private company.
I’m just wondering why you wouldn’t use that option.
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Again I defer it to Mr. Green.
I’m not aware of the specifics of the private sector in the community that offered to lease space for the departments or the GN within Sanikiluaq.
I do know that we did have some contact with one of the private sector in there. It was suggested that they would look at expanding their facility to accommodate office space needs in the community.
To the best of my knowledge, they declined to move in that direction after some discussions with our property management staff.
So we didn’t get the specific details to the minister because, to my knowledge, the private sector withdrew.
It was my understanding that there may have been an opportunity to have the office building built if the GN was willing to lease the office space from the private sector.
My question will be: if somebody comes forward and wants to build an office complex, would the government enter into a lease agreement for these office spaces before the building is built?
If I may, I’ll defer the response to Mr. Green.
That is something that we would have to take a look at. In terms of entering into commercial leases, as part of policy of the Government of Nunavut, we have to look at possibility of lease versus own. That analysis will have to be done to determine what the most cost-effective approach is for the department to look at in terms of lease requirements and that.
I suspect that once the office space needs assessment has been completed, we will look at what our options are in terms of addressing those needs.
Mr. Rumbolt: One final question, Mr. Chairman.
In reality, six months for your consultant to do their work, another couple of months to put the report together, and according to your capital planning structure, it will take at least five years before a building is built.
So in reality, it will be six years before we see any office space available in our community.
I will once again defer it to Mr. Green.
Once again, that depends on once we do our needs assessment and we will determine what’s available in the community. If there are other opportunities that can be formed as part of the study, it’s too early for me to say right now what direction we can go in until we get this information.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Green. (interpretation) Member for Rankin Inlet South, Mr. Sammurtok.
Mr. Sammurtok: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Colleagues, we have a motion on the floor to report progress and the motion is not debatable. (interpretation) Don’t anyone speak to it.
Speaker: Item 20. Report of the Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 2 and the capital estimates and would like to report progress.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) There is a motion on the floor.
Just a reminder that there’s a meeting of the Regular Caucus in the Tuktu Boardroom commencing at nine o’clock.
Speaker: This House stands adjourned until Wednesday, March 12, at 1:30 p.m.
Pages 223 – 280
Opening Prayer 223
Ministers’ Statements 223
Members’ Statements 225
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 229
Petitions 244
Tabling of Documents 244
Revert to Item 5: Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 245
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 245
Orders of the Day 280
Wednesday, March 12, 2014 223
020 – 4(1): Homeowners’ Fuel Rebate (Peterson) 223
021 – 4(1): Nunavut Arctic College and University of Winnipeg Transfer Agreement (Quassa) 223
022 – 4(1): Crime Prevention Community Engagement (Okalik) 224
023 – 4(1): Team Nunavut Headed to 2014 Arctic Winter Games (Sammurtok) 224
059 – 4(1): Ensuring All Nunavummiut Have Health Insurance Coverage (Angnakak) 225
060 – 4(1): A Growing Need for End-of-Life Care (Hickes) 226
061 – 4(1): Arctic Winter Games Participants from Arctic Bay (Shooyook) 227
062 – 4(1): Appreciation of Search and Rescue Teams in Nunavut (Mikkungwak) 228
063 – 4(1): Canadian Rangers Training Program (Joanasie) 228
047 – 4(1): Search and Rescue Initiatives (Mikkungwak) 229
048 – 4(1): Corrections and Parole (Akoak) 230
049 – 4(1): Amendments to the Nunavut Fur Harvester Program (Savikataaq) 232
050 – 4(1): Support for Home-based Caregivers (Shooyook) 234
051 – 4(1): Cape Dorset Housing Authority (Joanasie) 235
052 – 4(1): Natural Resources Conservation Trust Fund (Rumbolt) 236
053 – 4(1): Ensuring All Nunavummiut Have Health Insurance Coverage (Angnakak) 237
054 – 4(1): Purpose of Acquiring Old Health Centre (Mapsalak) 238
055 – 4(1): Providing Support for End-Of-Life Care (Hickes) 239
056 – 4(1): Grants and Contributions in Support of Harvesters Policy (Enook) 240
057 – 4(1): Department of Environment Expenditures (Mikkungwak) 242
058 – 4(1): Nunavut Fur Harvesters Program (Savikataaq) 243
001 – 4(1): Public Housing Shortage in Gjoa Haven (Akoak) 244
002 – 4(1): Eye Team Visits into Hamlet of Gjoa Haven (Akoak) 244
016 – 4(1): 2012-2013 Annual Report – Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal (Okalik) 244
017 – 4(1): 2014-2015 Planned Construction, Land Acquisition and Development Report (Kuksuk) 244
Bill 02 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2014-2015 – Community and Government Services – Consideration in Committee 246
Bill 02 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2014-2015 – Nunavut Housing Corporation – Consideration in Committee 252
Speaker (Hon. George Qulaut) (interpretation): Member Mr. Shooyook, can you say the opening prayer, please.
Speaker (interpretation): Good afternoon, Members, Ministers, and all Nunavummiut.
Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Finance, Mr. Peterson.
Minister’s Statement 020 – 4(1): Homeowners’ Fuel Rebate (Peterson)
The government is pleased to provide access to funding that directly assists homeowners in offsetting their home heating costs.
As of today, homeowners can apply for a one-time payment of $500 under the Homeowners’ Fuel Rebate program. To qualify, homeowners must be a primary resident in their home from January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2014.
Detailed information on eligibility is now available on the Department of Finance website at gov.nu.ca/finance.
Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Arctic College, Paul Quassa.
Minister’s Statement 021 – 4(1): Nunavut Arctic College and University of Winnipeg Transfer Agreement (Quassa)
Good morning to my constituents in Aggu, the people of Igloolik and Nunavut, as well as my colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, as the mineral exploration and mining sectors of our territorial economy continues to grow, so too will the need for a home-grown, skilled, and qualified workforce in the environmental sciences.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to inform my fellow members that Nunavut Arctic College and the University of Winnipeg signed a memorandum of understanding last month which will see graduates of the college’s Environmental Technology Diploma Program able to transfer into the University of Winnipeg’s Bachelor of Science Degree program.
From wildlife officers to lab technicians, developing human capacity in the environmental-related fields is important to our future success.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, this partnership will build on our more than 25 years of success offering quality environmental technology programming and training in Nunavut. It also adds to the 2010 Nunavut and Manitoba memorandum of understanding signed at the Gateway Summit for collaboration between our jurisdictions.
Program transfer agreements have been an important practice at Nunavut Arctic College for many years. This new transfer credit agreement will see our graduates receive advanced standing in the four-year Bachelor of Science in Global Environmental Systems.
(interpretation) Mr. Speaker, we thank the University of Winnipeg for their commitment to Nunavut Arctic College, creating pathways that will provide expanded post-secondary education opportunities for our students and graduates.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Justice, Mr. Okalik.
Minister’s Statement 022 – 4(1): Crime Prevention Community Engagement (Okalik)
In November 2013, the Department of Justice began a territory-wide engagement process on crime prevention.
The goal of this process is to learn from community successes, identify supports needed, and jointly develop a Nunavut Crime Prevention Strategy.
Rather than hire a consultant, engagement meetings are being conducted by community justice staff along with the community justice outreach workers in the communities.
I wish to express my appreciation to the community justice committees, the community justice outreach workers, and the public in the 16 communities visited to date for bringing valuable experience and knowledge to the meetings.
The final nine communities will be visited through the spring.
I encourage Nunavummiut to attend these crime prevention meetings and share their thoughts on crime and justice in Nunavut.
Inuit traditional justice, with a focus on prevention and healing, has an important role to play in our territory.
With the full engagement of our communities, the forthcoming Crime Prevention Strategy will reflect the priorities and needs of Nunavummiut.
Speaker (interpretation): Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Community and Government Services, Tom Sammurtok.
Minister’s Statement 023 – 4(1): Team Nunavut Headed to 2014 Arctic Winter Games (Sammurtok)
Team Nunavut is participating in the 2014 Arctic Winter Games to be held in Fairbanks, Alaska from March 15 to 22, 2014.
(interpretation ends) The Arctic Winter Games is the world’s largest northern multi-sport and cultural event. Team Nunavut will be sending a contingent of 279 participants that includes athletes, coaches, managers, mission staff, and cultural performers from communities across Nunavut.
Team Nunavut will participate in over 15 events at the Arctic Winter Games, including arctic sports, badminton, basketball, curling, Dene games, dog mushing, figure skating, gymnastics, hockey, soccer, speed skating, table tennis, volleyball, wrestling, and cultural events.
Mr. Speaker, these athletes, coaches, and participants will be representing Nunavut on the world stage.
They have trained long and hard for the opportunity to participate in a high-level competition like the Arctic Winter Games.
I know we all feel a sense of great pride when they raise the Nunavut flag at the opening ceremonies.
(interpretation) I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our territorial sport organizations, coaches, parents, and volunteers who help all year long to provide our athletes with opportunities to train and compete in sports in their communities.
Without them, none of this would be possible.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, during break this afternoon, three members of Team Nunavut will be here at the legislature to officially unveil the uniforms that Team Nunavut will be wearing throughout the Arctic Winter Games.
In addition, they will also present to the Premier a commemorative pin set that Team Nunavut will trade with other teams at the Arctic Winter Games.
I invite all Members of the House to join me in the foyer at break time to greet our Team Nunavut athletes and take part in the uniform unveiling and pin presentation ceremony. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member’s Statement 059 – 4(1): Ensuring All Nunavummiut Have Health Insurance Coverage (Angnakak)
Good afternoon, people of Iqaluit and Niaqunnguu. (interpretation ends) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to bring forward an issue that is of growing concern to a small but significant sector of our population: those Nunavut residents who are not covered under the same health insurance programs as most other residents.
Mr. Speaker, over the years, many non-Inuit moved to the north for work and adventure and spent much of their working lives helping to provide services and developing this territory into what it is today.
Many of these individuals settled here, raising families and making Nunavut their home.
Mr. Speaker, all Nunavut residents are covered under the Nunavut Health Care Plan, but some health services are not covered under that plan.
Employers across the territory, such as the Government of Nunavut, provide health insurance benefits to their employees to help cover these additional costs.
In addition, non-insured health benefits are provided to Inuit and other aboriginals across Canada to cover certain costs. However, when non-Inuit residents of Nunavut reach retirement age and their employment ceases, they no longer have the same level of health insurance coverage provided to them to cover certain costs related to receiving medical services.
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that our government does have an extended health benefits program which is available to non-beneficiaries who are 65 years and older or to those who have a chronic disease or illness.
However, I have learned that it falls to the individual resident to apply for that program.
If they don’t apply for it and end up in a situation where they require medical services out of the territory, for example, they can end up incurring huge personal costs.
Mr. Speaker, in 2006, there were 84 non-Inuit residents over the age of 65 across the whole of Nunavut.
By 2013, that number had grown to 317 individuals.
I appreciate that the amount of funding allocated by the Department of Health to the Extended Health Benefits Program has been significantly increased in recent years and I commend the government for recognizing the growing need.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement.
Please proceed, Ms. Angnakak.
I appreciate that the amount of funding allocated by the Department of Health to the Extended Health Benefits Program has been significantly increased in recent years and I commend the government for recognizing the growing need. However, if the funding cannot be accessed by those who need it, then it is wasted effort.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that it behooves our government to take a proactive approach and reach out to those Nunavut residents who do not have adequate health insurance coverage and ensure that they apply for it before it is too late.
Member’s Statement 060 – 4(1): A Growing Need for End-of-Life Care (Hickes)
I would first like to applaud the Minister of Finance’s announcement and appreciate the quick action from his department for my question last week. I look forward to this trend continuing from there.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a sobering issue, but one that we must address sooner rather than later: the need for end-of-life care.
Mr. Speaker, although it is widely known that the largest sector of Nunavut’s population, almost 50 percent, is under the age of 24, the numbers of our elderly and aging residents are growing steadily.
From 2006 to 2012, Nunavut’s population over the age of 65 grew from 810 individuals to 1,244.
Mr. Speaker, our aging population deserves the best quality of care in the later years of their lives. Staying near to their families, communities, culture, and people is critical to their comfort and well-being.
Mr. Speaker, a report released last November by the Health Council of Canada indicated that elderly Inuit receive dramatically lower quality health care than their non-aboriginal peers in southern Canada. This situation must be addressed.
Mr. Speaker, I noted last week that the federal health minister announced an investment of $3 million into palliative, end-of-life care over the next three years.
The funding will be directed to the Pallium Foundation of Canada and will focus on training frontline health care workers.
Mr. Speaker, despite the growing impact of chronic or life-threatening diseases, northern populations do not have access to palliative and end-of-life care in the same way that populations in southern Canada do.
Mr. Speaker, it is critical that Nunavut’s health care professionals and other caregivers are given adequate support and training to help ease the strain on families who are dealing with palliative and end-of-life care issues.
I encourage the government to address this issue in a proactive and timely manner.
Member’s Statement 061 – 4(1): Arctic Winter Games Participants from Arctic Bay (Shooyook)
I want to express my pride in my community.
As everyone knows, the Arctic Winter Games are in Alaska. There are 14 athletes from Arctic Bay who will be partaking in the Games in Alaska.
Part of the entourage will be participating in the Dene games, as well as Inuit games.
I am very proud of these athletes, as most of them are youth, both young women and men.
Member’s Statement 062 – 4(1): Appreciation of Search and Rescue Teams in Nunavut (Mikkungwak)
I rise today by first sending a good day greeting to the people of Baker Lake and I also include a smile to everyone.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a youthful person and, up to the time when I was elected to this Legislative Assembly, I used to volunteer for the search and rescue team.
Every time someone requires assistance or if someone is lost, we need to do search and rescue and it is quite challenging and difficult at times. They work very hard and they volunteer.
Search and rescue teams work very hard to save individuals’ lives, and sometimes the outcome is positive and sometimes the outcome is not positive.
For that reason, I congratulate all the search and rescue teams in Nunavut. I feel for you and I know that you are very strong. I am an experienced search and rescue team individual myself.
To all the search and rescue teams of Nunavut, I congratulate you and I will be in support of all your work.
During my tenure here, I will be making statements in regard to search and rescue teams in Nunavut.
I know that we all feel for the individuals who get lost out on the land, even though they are not in our communities.
With that, at the appropriate time, I will be asking the question to the minister responsible for search and rescue.
Member’s Statement 063 – 4(1): Canadian Rangers Training Program (Joanasie)
Good afternoon to my colleagues and to the people of Cape Dorset, Lake Harbour, and Nunavut.
In Cape Dorset, we just lost an individual and I send my condolences to the family.
I rise today to recognize and express my pride in both the rangers and the junior rangers.
There was recently a training program offered in Kananskis, Alberta for members of these groups. Two of my constituents who were travelling there happened to run into me as they were passing through Iqaluit. These two people are Nikki Michael and Brian Padluq.
They took part in the training program of the rangers.
I encourage Nunavummiut to apply for any kind of training program offered.
I would like to congratulate these two individuals for completing their training program, going outside of Nunavut to take the ranger course.
I, too, would like to acknowledge these two individuals.
Item 5. (interpretation ends) Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. (interpretation) Member for Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu, Ms. Angnakak.
I would like to acknowledge Leetia Nowdlak. (interpretation ends) Leetia Nowdlak is originally from Apex and now she lives in Ottawa and she’s working for Sen. Dennis Patterson.
We miss her here very much.
Thank you. I also would like to welcome the person who has been recognized.
Question 047 – 4(1): Search and Rescue Initiatives (Mikkungwak)
Mr. Mikkungwak (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) My questions are for the Minister of Community and Government Services.
The most recent annual report of Nunavut’s Emergency Management Organization, which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on November 1, 2012, indicates that the department has been purchasing equipment on an annual basis to provide to local search and rescue committees.
In Baker Lake, there is a need for such equipment as up-to-date computers to prepare reports and mobile equipment to help with ground searches.
Can the minister indicate how his department works with local search and rescue committees to identify their equipment needs?
We do provide funding for such things as air searches; some parts for equipment for snowmobiles and boating equipment; radios and satellite phones, including the fees for use of satellite phones; gasoline and supplies.
However, we have not had any dialogue regarding computers at this point.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Your first supplementary, Mr. Mikkungwak.
I thank the minister responsible for search and rescue for his response.
The most recent annual report of Nunavut’s Emergency Management Organization also indicates that the department has been using its position as co-chair of the Northern Round Table on Search and Rescue to “bring issues forward to all agencies involved in search and rescue.”
Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe that the federal government’s goal of asserting arctic sovereignty needs to be backed up with enhanced support to organizations in the north that are active in the area of search and rescue.
Can the minister indicate how his department is working with the Northern Round Table on Search and Rescue to lobby Ottawa for increased support for search and rescue activities, equipment, and infrastructure?
As I don’t have the proper answer for his question at this point, if Mr. Speaker would allow me to get more information, I would be happy to respond to the question.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Yes.
(interpretation) Your final supplementary, Mr. Mikkungwak.