EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Can the Minister tell me when these priorities will be incorporated in the Government of Nunavut’s five-year capital plans.
Speaker (interpretation): Your question is completely different from your original question.
Perhaps if you give other Members an opportunity to ask, then you can go back to your second question.
Question 412 – 2(2): Coral Harbour Caribou Study
I would like to ask Minister Akesuk a question.
We were meeting with him all morning.
I am only kidding.
This winter, he mentioned that he will be providing one hundred thousand dollars for the study of the caribou in Coral Harbour.
I want to ask when will that feasibility study will be started.
Speaker (interpretation): Minister for Environment, Mr. Akesuk.
I will try my best to respond.
The feasibility study in Coral Harbour is scheduled to be completed this year, in June.
It would be ideal to have it completed by June.
I do not have all the details here, but it is scheduled to have it completed this year to see how many caribou there are.
In regards to the feasibility study, what does that mean?
I thought it was just a caribou survey.
That is how we understand it in our community.
On the caribou in Coral Harbour and Southampton Island, the community and biologists wanted to do a study on the sustainability of the harvesting level of the caribou, especially when they are being harvested for commercial purposes.
We just want to ensure that there is a stable supply of caribou to harvest.
Just before I arrived in Iqaluit, I went caribou hunting and I have been told quite a few times by the caribou hunters that the caribou population is depleting in Coral Harbour, and it’s becoming evident to the hunters.
Last winter, some caribou died off.
There needs to be a good survey and I am urging your department to do a proper survey.
Yes, we will be sensitive to your concern and properly count the caribou in Southampton Island.
I know we have to be sensitive to the population to make sure the level of harvest is sustainable in Coral Harbour because of the commercial harvest for caribou there.
In Coral Harbour, they had 4 thousand, 300 hundred caribou last winter.
We want to be involved; there are hardly any employment opportunities, commercially harvested caribou is very beneficial.
It would be ideal, once the caribou feasibility study is completed, I would like to make sure that the Hunters and Trappers’ Organization Chairman is involved when they start dealing with the total allowable harvest of caribou.
When the communities work together to manage wildlife that is the best possible way to approach wildlife management.
I will be sensitive to my colleague’s concern, I will urge my officials to do the same and together we will make sure that the Hunters and Trappers’ Organizations and Hamlets are involved as well as the Member for Nanulik.
Question 413 – 2(2): Caribou Harvesting in the Sanikiluaq Area
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Environment.
In Sanikiluaq’s islands, we have caribou that were transplanted there from the West, but today, we can’t freely harvest caribou due to the low population.
Is there a limitation by Government of Nunavut for caribou in Sanikiluaq?
When the population is depleting, no matter where it is, we have to be look after those species.
When it comes to caribou in the Belcher Islands, if there is concern for the caribou population, I would agree to work with you on a recovery plan to increase the number of the caribou.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any information in front of me in regards to the Belcher Island caribou, so I don’t know the state of the population.
If the population of the caribou is low, then we will have to remain cautious about it, especially because the caribou in the Belcher Islands don’t migrate to the mainland.
We are sensitive to the concerns on wildlife.
In dealing with the low number of caribou, perhaps the Member of Hudson Bay can discuss this matter with me.
We will also discuss the matter with the Hunters and Trappers’ Organization in regards to the caribou in Sanikiluaq Island.
We will look into the situation.
Speaker (interpretation): First Supplementary.
The reason why I posed this question to the Government of Nunavut, the HTO has been told by the government that they have limited number of harvest for caribou.
I was wondering if your department has given any limitations on caribou harvesting to the HTO.
The government must work with the community HTOs on management plans in regards to the wildlife.
I can look into our policies; the wildlife division always prefer to work with the community HTOs, rather than making decisions arbitrarily.
Personally, I would like to see the community do their work on a management plan rather then the government officials deciding for them.
I believe we have to work with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board also.
Question 414 – 2(2): Federal Program Funding Agreement for Daycares
We have heard through the CBC national news that the Saskatchewan and Manitoba have signed an agreement with the Federal program of $ 5 billion for day care programs.
Is Nunavut involved in that agreement?
Mr. Speaker the Member is correct, the federal government allocated in this budget $5 billion dollars over five years for early childhood education programs, daycares.
Mr. Speaker we have not signed off with the Federal Government.
Has the Minister discussed this with his federal counter part, Mr. Ken Dryden?
Mr. Speaker I spoke to Minister Ken Dryden last week by teleconference, I explained to Mr. Dryden at that time, that Nunavut still has some outstanding issues with the proposal that has been put on the table by our federal partner.
How much money has been requested by Nunavut?
Mr. Speaker that’s the issue that were having with Mr. Dryden and our Federal partner.
Mr. Speaker I met with Mr. Dryden and the other Ministers in Vancouver a few weeks ago, where we didn’t have an agreement in place, the federal government is doing a bilateral arrangements right now.
Mr. Speaker were their actually doing one off with each individuals jurisdiction.
Mr. Speaker out of the $5 billion that has been put in place across over five years for Canada, across Canada for each jurisdiction, when I extrapolate, when I take out from that $5 billion per capita number, that means that Nunavut will only get $1 million.
Mr. Speaker, $1 million over five years would be $5 million and that’s not very much money for us, so Mr. Speaker we have gone to our federal partners and said we need to have a floor or a base amount.
Mr. Speaker we suggested to our federal partner that we have floor or base of $5 million on top of the per capita allocation which is $1 million and that would give us $6 million a year, multiply by five which would be $30 million.
Mr. Speaker with that money, we could do something good, however Mr. Speaker the federal government has not acquiesced to our request and therefore Mr. Speaker were still in the holding base we are in right now.
Is the Minister working with the Government of Nunavut and the Yukon Territory or the provinces of Canada in regards to this issue?
The federal government has made a big point across Canada of selling their budget and the issues that we are seeing in Ottawa right now that one of their selling points is that they need this $5 billion put in the budget and dispersed to jurisdictions across the country.
Ourselves, Mr. Speaker, Prince Edward Island, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, and yesterday, I spoke with Minister Dent from the Northwest Territories on this issue.
Our Premier, Mr. Okalik will be raising it with the other Premiers from the Yukon and the Northwest Territories because we have not had any movement from our federal partner on providing that base or floor.
The federal government has offered us, Mr. Speaker, $500 thousand as a base.
As I said earlier, we had asked for $5 million, and Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, like every jurisdiction, we need whatever resources we can get from our federal partner.
We are working cooperatively with Mr. Dryden, we have a good relationship with Mr. Ken Dryden, myself personally.
So Mr. Speaker, I am hoping that over the next couple of days, Mr. Dryden will be contacting me, if not, I will be in Ottawa next week meeting with some of our federal people, and Mr. Speaker, one of the meetings that we are seeking right now is to meet with Mr. Dryden and see if we can have an arrangement.
So we are working with the smaller jurisdictions like ourselves on the per capita or base amount.
Question 415 – 2(2): Capital Plans for Cambridge Bay
I must apologize earlier for my change in the line of questioning.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, I had talked about the Nunavut Association of Municipalities’ Annual General Meeting.
There was a reference to a five-year capital plan.
Mr. Speaker, the mayors are concerned that the Government of Nunavut is not listening to the communities on their capital plans.
So I wanted to ask the Minister of Community and Government Services, Mr. Speaker, if he will meet with the Hamlet Council in Cambridge Bay this summer to talk about their capital plan because it’s requires as I mentioned in my Member’s Statement.
Speaker (interpretation): Minister for Community and Government Services, Mr. Kilabuk.
I have heard from the Nunavut Association of Municipalities a number of times regarding the capital planning process and I am very pleased to report that I have now formed a very strong partnership with Nunavut Association of Municipalities, which will significantly improve the capital planning process.
Because of the way the partnership is formed, we are doing the consultations with Nunavut Association of Municipalities and Community and Government Services together, we will be visiting the communities to develop a five-year capital plan, which they will develop from their visits, and also, they will be presenting to the department for an annual proposal plus a longer-term capital plan will be developed from the consultations.
So the responsibility now will have a much stronger foundation because half of the partnership will be with Nunavut Association of Municipalities, which consists of mayors from throughout Nunavut.
Speaker (interpretation): First Supplementary. Mr. Peterson.
It sounds like the department is doing a lot of work to improve the capital planning process.
I know when I was mayor, it was always a great struggle to get our points across throughout Nunavut.
I am reassured and heartened by the Minister’s comments.
When I met with the Hamlet Council and their planning committees, it seems like they didn’t have a full understanding of how the hamlets’ capital planning cycles tie in with the Government of Nunavut’s planning cycle, so I explained that to them.
I think they would like the Minister himself to come to Cambridge Bay sometime in the next couple of months.
There’s great fishing this summer as well.
I would like to have the Minister give us a statement saying that he’ll come and visit us this summer and talk to the hamlet council and their planning committee.
Well that’s very generous of my colleague to offer me that opportunity.
However Mr. Speaker I am more than willing to meet with the community of Cambridge Bay and also the other communities that I have planned to visit over the next little while.
Mr. Speaker just on the capital planning process, I can assure my colleague that the committee that will be set to develop the capital plan for the government and Municipalities will be geared towards getting the most up to date information and allow the opportunity for direct involvement of the municipalities to forward their request of items through the capital planning process, so there will be that opportunity for that community to take full participation in the development for that community.
I thank the Minister again, I’ll have the mayor write him a letter and ask him to come and visit this summer.
Last week Mr. Speaker I asked the Minister of Finance what the effect might be on the government’s budget if the government of Canada was to call an election this summer.
The Minister of Community and Government Services made a statement last month about the gasoline tax, on how the revenues would benefit the municipalities.
I’d like to ask the Minister if he could comment on what he thinks about the likelihood and possibility of the gasoline taxes deal falling through.
If the budget in Ottawa doesn’t get passed, what will the impact be on the capital planning process for the up coming years.
This is a not a good time for me to try and respond to something which may occur, or could possibly occur, but if it is any comfort to my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, I will commit to ensuring that the committee that will be struck with Department of Community and Government Services and Nunavut Association of Municipalities will proceed to develop the capital plans for the funds that we have and also have access too.
Because if you look at the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, and also the Government of Nunavut funds, there is something to work there, but however, it would be at a reduced, working dollars, but the chance of the gas tax not going through all depends on what may happen if there is an election called, that is yet to be determined.
I know he is kind of caught between a rock and a hard place on that question.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, the gas tax deal announced that Nunavut gets $7 and a half millions per year for the next five years and $37 and a half million per year after that.
It’s quite a significant amount, it’s supposed to be for a sustainable type projects, water and sewer projects which are very important to Nunavut communities.
I’m wondering, Mr. Speaker, if in the departments planning, if they’ve talked with the advisory committee that they established and developed a contingency plan that would go into effect should that $7 and a half million per year for the next five years not materialize.
First of all, I think the other Members are very envious of his six questions on this one.
Mr. Speaker, regardless of what the federal government may call us; we are committed to setting up the committee that will develop our five year capital plan and also to look at over the next little while…
Mr. Speaker, let me just back up, my department is watching the actions of the federal government very closely at this time because we know how big this gasoline tax money would be to Nunavut and recognizing over a billion dollars in deficit for our infrastructure needs in Nunavut, we really do have a big need for that.
This government will make the necessary announcement regarding what changes and impacts this may have on other programs depending on what happens down in Ottawa over the next little while.
Member for Rankin Inlet North. Mr. Curley.
Question 416 - 2(2): Plans to Build New Arenas for the Communities
I have a question about a comment that was made by the mayor in regards to the arena and the community complex.
They built it when the population was a little over 1000 people and the population now has grown to about 3000.
If there should be a proposal made from the community, what would you do in regards to increasing that size.
We received a letter from a youth, Jerry Saumik, asking why is it that it’s going to take so long to build a new arena for the community of Rankin Inlet.
Is it going to take that long or are you going to be able to build that arena within six years.
It is a bit long to have to wait for a new arena and this individual is suggesting that it might be better if they built it in one year.
Do you have a plan to build new arenas or new complexes in the communities or is it in the initial planning stages.
I am happy the Member raised that question so that I can explain why there haven’t been many changes to municipal recreation facilities. We have not had money set aside to be used for recreational facilities at the municipal level because of priorities that were set by the communities.
It seems just recently that we were able to see the light at the end of the tunnel because there were monies made available from the federal government to focus on these facilities.
In regards to the support that we’ll be getting from the federal government, we will now be able to start focussing on community structures like the arena for example.
In regards to the questions that were posed by the students, I can’t say at this point but I can tell you that there will be monies available shortly to be used for municipal facilities like arenas and community complexes and currently it is difficult to determine which communities have been made a priority before the proposed community consultations.
I was thinking about the large number of communities that are experiencing forced growth.
There are a lot of students that don’t have anything to do after school hours.
The Minister had stated that they have priorities other than those recreational facilities.
Mr. Speaker, what I would like to ask the Minister is in regards to those community centers; there are usually regional tournaments that are held on an annual basis, what we can to focus on the community centres when you are prioritizing where those buildings are going to be built in consideration of this.
I can say right now that there is forced growth in the communities and there are also the issue of regional try-outs and tournaments, especially, those ones the communities that have those annual events.
I will ensure that the planners and designers keep that in mind.
Question 417 - 2(2): Adequate Vehicles for Group Homes
My question is for the Minister Responsible for Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister a question in regards to the vehicle for the adult group home and it was indicated that the one there was not running properly.
My first question is does that represent any kind of a liability problem for the department and for the government by not having an adequate vehicle there in case they need it.
We know that that home is a 24 hour, 7 day a week home and sometimes if something happens in the middle of the night or after hours, it would require them to have an adequate vehicle on site.
Speaker (interpretation): Minister Responsible for Health and Social Services.
I, of course, feel very strongly about this issue.
I have been told that there is another vehicle available for use and should they experience any emergencies, they have ambulance services available.
As I told the Member yesterday, we are going through Community and Government Services to put out a request for tender put out and to have the vehicle come in by sea lift this summer.
The Minister, I believe said that there is another vehicle available to them.
Is that vehicle that she’s talking about another government vehicle that has been left at the group home or do they have to make some kind of arrangements to get it when they need it?
This is a very important issue because I know exactly what happens when there is an emergency situation.
From what I understand, that vehicle is over there by the facility.
Mr. Speaker, that vehicle at the facility, is that the replacement vehicle that the Minister is talking about or is it the existing vehicle.
They have a vehicle that is broken down that is not functioning.
Because the vehicle is not functioning, we will be getting a replacement vehicle this summer by sea lift.
There is a replacement vehicle at the moment.
I know the van that they had there had specialized equipment for individuals that were staying at the home like a wheelchair lift and that.
The replacement vehicle, does it have or meet the same requirements that the needs that the home requires in order to be able to address the needs of the people staying in the facility or is it just like a vehicle, a truck without a lift or a van without a lift, and if that’s the case, how do they expect to be able to utilize that vehicle for all of the people staying in this facility if they can’t get into it?
As they have disabilities they have to be taken care of.
For wheelchair accessibility, there currently is a vehicle that can take wheelchairs.
As I received this information from my staff I trust the information they have provided to me.
Question 418 – 2(2): Update on the Federal Taskforce on the Slaughter of Inuit Dogs
My question is directed to the Deputy Premier.
In our Winter Session, there was a motion in regards to the dog slaughter.
Just afterwards, we heard that the federal government was going to put a taskforce together.
I would like an update on this issue.
The question is for the Deputy Premier.
Speaker (interpretation): Deputy Premier.
I didn’t realize that I was the Deputy Premier.
Could you rephrase your question?
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Kattuk, if you would rephrase your question, please.
My question is in regards to the Winter Session that we had when we tabled a motion on the issue of the dog slaughter.
We heard in the news that the federal government was going to set a taskforce in place.
Could the Deputy Premier give us an update on the taskforce and what follow-up was done?
As the acting Minister of Justice, the Premier had taken the question in the last Session as the Member has relayed it.
And indeed, the federal government, through the Standing Committee in the House of Commons, held hearings, and indeed, there were witnesses from Nunavut who attended the hearing and then gave factual accounts of issues around the slaughtering of dogs, and Mr. Speaker, as a result of that, the committee had made a motion asking for a full enquiry and it was also backed at that time, Mr. Speaker, by Makivik Corporation.
Mr. Speaker, as of today, that’s the best information that we have where it stands.
It’s my understanding that the federal government has not responded formally to request of the Standing Committee.
I didn’t fully understand his response; which Standing Committee?
The Standing Committee in question that I was referring to was the Standing Committee of the House of Commons in Canada, and I believe it’s the Aboriginal Affairs Standing Committee.
It is inclusive of our representative in the Federal Government, Ms. Nancy Karetak-Lindell, who I believe actually chaired the meeting.
Mr. Speaker, that is the standing committee where they actually called witnesses including, I believe, the president of QIA, who may have been a witness.
I know that there was a person from Panniqtuuq and so on as well people representing Northern Quebec who brought stories of the slaughter.
Mr. Speaker, after hearing this factual testimony from these witnesses, that standing committee put forward a recommendation, a motion to the Federal Government for an inquiry.
Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the Federal Government has not responded to that motion or to the standing committee to this date.
Member for High Arctic. Mr. Barnabas.
Question 419 - 2(2): Consultation to the Communities on Capital Planning
Under my Member’s Statement the Minister Responsible for Community and Government Services responded by saying that there will be consultations with the communities on a five year capital plan.
I’m wondering if the smaller communities will be consulted as well in regards to recreation and community centres.
I very much look forward to working together with the mayors when we go to the communities.
That committee will go to the different communities to find out what the communities consider to be a priority to them.
We want to hear and involve all the communities.
I feel that the smaller communities are often penalized, especially when they’re using criteria where they concentrate on the bigger communities because of the higher populations.
The smaller communities should be treated the same way.
I wonder how this could be done.
I can assure my colleague that there will be no penalties for the communities that are smaller than others.
The intent of the development of the five year capital plan and the longer term plans, plus an annual capital plan to be brought forward to us annually will consider all needs in the communities of Nunavut.
I can assure the Member that there will be no penalties for the communities when you look at the size of the community.
It will be based on the needs of that community.