EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, in small communities we do want to keep jobs in our communities and we want more jobs in our communities.
My question to the minister is: can the minister clearly explain whether or not this means that positions may be removed from Gjoa Haven?
As far as I know, the three positions that currently exist in Gjoa Haven will remain in Gjoa Haven.
Committee Report 020 – 4(3): Bill 27, Waste Reduction and Diversion Act (Sammurtok, T)
Mr. Tom Sammurtok.: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I wish to report that Bill 27, Waste Reduction and Diversion Act, has been reviewed by the Standing Committee on Legislation and that the bill is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Bill 27 will appear on the order paper on Thursday, March 9.
Reports of Standing and Special Committees on Bills and Other Matters. Hon. Member for Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet, Mr. Tom Sammurtok.
Committee Report 021 – 4(3): Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act (Sammurtok, T)
I wish to report that Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act, has been reviewed by the Standing Committee on Legislation and that the bill, as amended and reprinted, is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
Bill 30 will appear on the order paper on Thursday, March 9.
Item 13. (interpretation) Tabling of Documents. (interpretation ends) I have one.
Tabled Document 270 – 4(3): 2017 Report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut on Health Care Services in Nunavut (Speaker)
I wish to table the 2017 Report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut on Health Care Services in Nunavut. (interpretation) Thank you.
Notices of Motions. (interpretation) Sorry. (interpretation ends) Item 13.
Tabling of Documents. (interpretation) Minister of Economic Development and Transportation, Ms. Monica Ell-Kanayuk.
Tabled Document 271 – 4(3): Nunavut Motor Vehicles Act Consultation Report (Ell-Kanayuk)
Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table the Nunavut Motor Vehicles Act Consultation Report, August 2016.
The Hon. Minister for the Status of Women, Ms. Ell-Kanayuk.
Tabled Document 272 – 4(3): Nunavut Status of Women Council Annual Report 2015-2016 (Ell-Kanayuk)
Today I am tabling the 2015-16 Annual Report for the Nunavut Status of Women Council, Qulliit.
Tabled Document 273 – 4(3): Nunavut Food Security Coalition 2016 Meeting Report (Mike)
I am pleased to table the Nunavut Food Security Coalition 2016 Meeting Report.
Tabled Document 274 – 4(3): First Ministers’ Meeting on Climate Change, December 9, 2016 (Taptuna)
Tabled Document 275 – 4(3): Annual Report on the Administration of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy 2015-2016 (Taptuna)
I am pleased to table the First Ministers’ Meeting on Climate Change, December 9, 2016.
Also, I am tabling today the Annual Report on the Administration of Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the period of April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016.
I have no more names. (interpretation) Moving on. (interpretation ends) Item 14.
That’s Item 14. (interpretation ends) Notices of Motions. (interpretation) You had your hand up.
Hon. Minister of Education, Hon. Paul Quassa.
Bill 37 – An Act to Amend the Education Act and the Inuit Language Protection Act – Notice
I give notice that on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, that Bill 37, An Act to Amend the Education Act and the Inuit Language Protection Act, be read for the first time.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills. Hon. Minister of Justice, Hon. Keith Peterson.
Bill 40 – Corrections Act – Notice
Hon. Keith Peterson: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, that Bill 40, Corrections Act, be read for the first time.
Before proceeding to the Committee of the Whole, we will take a 20-minute break.
>>House recessed at 15:04 and Committee resumed at 15:34
Mr. Chairman, we wish to continue with Bill 34 and the review of the main estimates for the Department of Justice and, if time permits, followed by the Department of Finance and Economic Development and Transportation.
Are we in agreement that we deal with Bill 34?
Bill 34 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2017-2018 – Justice – Consideration in Committee
Chairman: Thank you. I would now like to ask the Minister of Justice if he has officials that he would like to appear before the committee.
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do have two witnesses.
To my right is Bill Mackay, Deputy Minister, Department of Justice, and to my left is Ji Liu, Director of Corporate Services, Department of Justice.
Welcome, Mr. Mackay and Mr. Liu.
I now ask the minister to proceed with your opening comments. Minister Peterson.
I appear today to present the Department of Justice’s main estimates for operations and maintenance for the 2017-18 fiscal year.
A total of $114,274,000 is being requested for the operations of the Department of Justice in the coming fiscal year.
This marks a $2,239,000 increase in base funding.
For law enforcement, the RCMP will get an increase of $1,754,000 to add nine regular members to communities across all three regions of Nunavut.
In the area of community justice, the department requests $115,000 to make five community justice outreach workers into Government of Nunavut employees.
Currently the community justice outreach workers are working as hamlet employees but taking direction from Community Justice.
To provide better support and supervision from the Government of Nunavut and better service to clients, Community Justice would like to begin transferring the community justice outreach workers from the hamlets to the Government of Nunavut.
The community justice outreach workers will still be located in the communities. The $115,000 is to cover the difference between Government of Nunavut and hamlet salaries and benefits.
The department has agreed to take over prisoner transfers in Iqaluit from the RCMP to allow the police to focus on more pressing issues. The department requests $120,000 for salaries for three deputy sheriffs in the Court
Services Division who will be primarily responsible for Iqaluit prisoner transfers.
The RCMP will return the funding of $160,000 which was approved for provost services.
Lastly, the coroner’s office requested a $250,000 increase in contract services for legal support services to address the rising number of inquests.
Does the chair of the standing committee have opening comments? Mr. Joanasie.
Mr. Joanasie: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome, Minister Peterson as well as your staff.
I am pleased to provide opening comments on behalf of the Standing Committee on Government Estimates and Operations on its review of the proposed 2017-18 main estimates and 2017-2020 business plan of the Department of Justice.
The standing committee notes that the department’s proposed 2017-18 operations and maintenance budget of $114,274,000 has increased by approximately 0.4 percent since the introduction of the department’s 2016-17 main estimates.
The number of positions in the department is 378.
This is an increase of eight positions from the 2016-17 main estimates.
Mr. Chairman, Nunavut’s Legal Services Board is responsible for ensuring that all eligible persons in Nunavut receive legal aid and related services.
The department’s proposed 2017-18 main estimates indicate that $11,818,000 in contribution funding has been allocated to the Legal Services Board for the 2017-18 fiscal year.
This amount remains unchanged from the 2016-17 fiscal year.
During the minister’s recent appearance before the standing committee, members raised concerns that the organizational structure of the Legal Services Board includes positions that are currently staffed outside of the territory.
The standing committee recognizes that the Legal Services Board is an arm’s-length public agency and is independently governed by a territorial board of directors.
The standing committee emphasizes the importance of ensuring that this board is supported and represented by staff within the territory whenever possible.
On November 8, 2016 the minister tabled the 2016-18 Government of Nunavut and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Shared Directional Statement.
In their shared directional statement, the GN and RCMP indicate that their partnership will “focus on public safety through communication, crime reduction, crime prevention, community engagement and enforcement.”
The standing committee looks forward to receiving detailed and ongoing updates on specific community initiatives that will be undertaken through this partnership.
During his recent appearance before the standing committee, the minister indicated that the RCMP “V” Division will include nine new RCMP member positions in a number of communities in the upcoming 2017-18 fiscal year.
The standing committee recognizes the need for increased community programming and support that new RCMP member positions can provide communities.
However, during the minister’s recent appearance, members raised a number of concerns regarding the challenges that Nunavut’s communities are currently facing in relation to filling vacant government positions due to the lack of available housing units.
The standing committee looks forward to ongoing updates on how these challenges will be overcome to fill the new RCMP member positions.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s Corrections Division is responsible for providing safe custody and detention, probation and parole supervision, counselling and aftercare services, and rehabilitation treatment for inmates throughout Nunavut.
On November 8, 2016 the minister tabled his department’s first annual report on the activities and initiatives of the Nunavut Corrections Division.
The standing committee applauds the minister and his department for providing detailed information concerning statistics and programming within Nunavut corrections in this report.
On May 1, 2015 the Department of Justice issued a request for proposals titled Staffing, Overtime and Organizational Review of the Nunavut Corrections Division.
In its October 29, 2015 response the department indicated that the results of this review are scheduled to be tabled in the House during the spring 2016 sitting of the Legislative Assembly and that the department “hopes to have the necessary positions created to allow for an assessment of programs and services within Nunavut’s correctional facilities.”
However, the results of this review have yet to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
The standing committee encourages the minister to table these results in the House at the earliest opportunity.
Mr. Chairman, community justice outreach workers are currently municipal employees that work with community justice committees and justice specialists to carry out programs, activities, and services in the areas of crime prevention, diversions, victims support, and the facilitation of remedies under the Family Abuse Intervention Act.
During his recent appearance before the standing committee, the minister indicated that a number of community justice outreach worker positions would be transferred from municipal positions to new government positions under his department.
The minister indicated that this transfer would allow current community justice outreach workers to focus on their duties as they relate to community justice initiatives.
The standing committee emphasizes that these changes should be made in such a way so as to minimize any negative effects that these transfers may have on the employees who currently fill these positions.
The standing committee looks forward to ongoing updates on the outcomes of these transfers.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments on the proposed 2017-18 main estimates and 2017-2020 business plan of the Department of Justice.
Are there any general comments? I would like to remind my colleagues that the contents of the minister’s opening comments are covered under the different branches of the department and you can ask your detailed questions under the appropriate pages.
I have no names on my list. (interpretation ends) I have no more members on my list for general comments.
Justice. Directorate. Mr. Okalik.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman as well as the officials here.
I would first like to ask a question that was brought up by the Member for Gjoa Haven in regard to the operations of the Legal Services Board. It seems there needs to be some slight adjustments made and the minister stated that they don’t have much leeway as they were created by law.
Perhaps the minister would be open to reviewing this law so that it would be more Nunavut-friendly.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister of Justice, Mr. Peterson.
I believe Mr. Okalik is referring to the Legal Services Act.
Yes, we are open to reviewing that. It’s always good to review our legislation to make sure it’s current and updated.
There is approximately $11 million that we will have to approve for this organization.
I think it would be better if we target this money to the needs of Nunavummiut.
When would the minister be able to table the proposed amendments to the Act for our review?
Given that we’ve only got eight more months in the life of this government and the legislative agenda is very heavy, it’s unlikely that this government could look at a review or a legislative proposal for the Legal Services Act.
It would certainly be something that could be considered as part of the transition to the next government.
If that will be the case, I wonder if the report will be more complete for this organization so it can be acted upon immediately in the near future.
We haven’t initiated a review, but again as I said, all of our legislation could use a review from time to time. We did talk about it during standing committee and we would be open to initiating a review again. Given the legislative agenda and the short time frame, as we only have two sittings left, it would be very unlikely we could get through all the steps and hurdles to make any changes in this government.
Again, as I said, it would have to be part of a transition for the next government to consider.
If they won’t be able to do that, maybe they can make preparations so that the next government can start the review right away.
That is my next question.
That’s more or less what I have been saying we could do. We could begin the process to review the Legal Services Act. It’s going to take some time, but we would ensure that, as a transition from this Department of Justice minister to the next Minister of Justice, it would be in the transition plans or in the transition book so that they know it is something that should be considered.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. Following my list of names, Mr. Enook
I would like to ask a question on the information listed on page E-4.
You have made some changes to the job descriptions from September 30, 2015 to September 30, 2016.
I am unsure of the equivalent Inuktitut terminology for (interpretation ends) paraprofessionals, (interpretation) but the positions in that category were decreased by 73 percent from 258 to 68 positions.
Also keeping that in mind, the assistant positions in your department for operations or (interpretation ends) administrative support (interpretation) increased by over 500 percent.
It went from 33 positions in that category to 200 positions.
Can you explain exactly what that means and what the reasons were for making those changes?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank Mr. Enook for the question. That was a reclassification of corrections officers from paraprofessionals to administration and that was at the request of the Department of Finance.
I would also like to ask if the fact that you made these changes to reclassify these positions affected the salary and benefits of employees and, if so, how much of an impact did they have?
There were no impacts on salaries.
Also, in regard to my question on the reclassification of duties that you made on paper, how many positions were filled and how many positions were vacant?
Can you answer that for me today?
If you give us a moment, my director of corporate services is looking that information up.
While he’s looking for that information, I’ll ask if you are able to respond to this question.
Of the jobs that were reclassified, were there any appeals or was anyone dissatisfied for being reclassified?
Were there any cases like that?
We’re unaware of any appeals on the jobs that were reclassified.
He’s still looking for the information, so I’ll ask more questions.
Also in the plan, between September 30, 2015 and September 30, 2016, the number of positions in your department that were located in Iqaluit decreased by 22.4 percent.
There were 98 positions to 120 positions.
During the same period, if the positions in your department were transferred from Iqaluit to other communities, how many positions were filled?
I thank Mr. Enook for the question. I’m unaware of any positions being moved from Iqaluit to other communities, unless I misunderstand your question.
Typically if we’re moving positions around, they have to go through a process. The Department of Justice would have to bring that information to the Department of Finance and they would have to look at the decentralized numbers in a particular community.
If you move positions out of a decentralized community, you have to move a similar number of positions in.
I’m unaware that any Justice positions were transferred to another community.
I’m just waiting for the information that you were looking for.
Can you respond to my question now?
My corporate services director says 80 percent of positions were filled.
Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) We are on Justice.
With Mr. Enook’s question on the reclassification of positions, the minister indicated that the salary didn’t change, but he didn’t mention anything about the benefits.
Did the benefits change?
The salary and the benefits would remain the same.
On August 25, 2016 your department made an announcement that the government will be holding public consultations on a new made-in-Nunavut Corrections Act in the fall of 2016.
Can he indicate which communities his department held its public consultations and can you describe the outcomes of these consultations?
The community consultations were held in Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk, Cape Dorset, Rankin Inlet, and Iqaluit.
For the initial consultations, there were issues with conflicting dates and misinformation, but we did get them rescheduled and they were quite successful.
We got a lot of good input from the people we consulted with. They recommended an Inuit-specific group to work with the inmates, also to provide counselling, and also there should be more elder involvement, and then that there should be a process of aftercare to help our inmates to reintegrate into their communities after they leave the corrections system. There was some positive input.
We were able to amend our legislative proposal.
As you heard earlier today, I gave notice of first reading of the Corrections Act for tomorrow.
Will what you heard from the communities be put in a report as well?
As we heard earlier today, the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation tabled her report on consultations to amend legislation.
Will you be doing the same thing for the Corrections Division?
I’ll have to discuss that with my cabinet colleagues if I can table it.
If it does contain sensitive information… . Sometimes reports have names and other information that is not for public consumption.
We would have to look at that, but we will take that under consideration.
We will anticipate that information as not all members were able to attend the consultations in the communities. If the information were contained in a report, it would allow us to reference it, as members usually want to gauge the progress on proposed legislative amendments.
On October 29, 2015, in response to the report of the Standing Committee on Oversight of Government Operations and Public Accounts on the review of the Auditor General’s report in 2015 to this House on corrections, the government stated that a new legislative proposal would be presented in the spring.
I’m wondering if that legislative proposal is on schedule for this upcoming spring.
If I understand Mr. Joanasie correctly, he may be referring to staffing, overtime, and organizational review of the Corrections Division.
Maybe he can clarify.
It’s the response to the standing committee. (interpretation ends) The Standing Committee on Oversight, Government Operations and Public Accounts did a review on the Auditor General’s 2015 report to the Legislative Assembly on corrections in Nunavut.
It talks about your planned introduction of new corrections legislation this spring.
Is this on schedule?
I thank Mr. Joanasie for the clarification.
Yes, it’s on schedule. I gave a notice of motion for first reading of bills today, and that will be something I’ll introduce tomorrow and then the process officially kicks in.
Mr. Joanasie: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for that clarification.
Moving along, I’m going to refer to your department.
There are 378 positions, if I’m not mistaken. Looking at the business plan, the Inuit Employment Plan is on pages 64 and 65.
I note that in October 2015 you had an employee successfully complete a senior Sivuliqtiksat Program, and then they assumed the role of manager of Inuktitut translation services for the Legislation Division.
It might have been on page 64. As of September 30, 2016 there are 92 positions that are sitting vacant in your department.
Can the minister say out of those 92 if any of those positions have a requirement for an Inuktitut-speaking skill set?
I don’t have that information available with me right now.
Can the minister commit to providing some follow-up information perhaps once we’re done here or some time before the end of the sitting or before the spring sitting?
I noted in the Inuit employment chart here on page 64, it looks like there are eight positions that you’re planning on filling for Inuit in the paraprofessional position and seven positions in the administrative.
Not only if you can include any positions that require Inuktitut proficiency, but I’m hoping that the minister can come forward with any positions that are… . What is it? I can’t think of the term now.
Specific for beneficiary competitions, can he provide that information as well?
Yes, certainly we can do that.
Directorate. Following the list of names, Mr. Akoak.
Good afternoon, minister and staff.
On November 8, 2016 you tabled the Legal Services Board’s annual report for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
In its annual report the board states, “With an annual budget of $11,818,000, LSB recorded a surplus of only $73,000, which is less than 1% of the total budget.
This also indicates that the current funding levels for LSB are tightly matched to core operational needs, and any increases in demand or operational costs will require additionally financial resources without compromising quality and consistency of services.”
How is your office working to ensure that the Legal Services Board will have the necessary funding to meet the future legal services needs of Nunavut residents?
If I go back years and years, the federal government and the Government of Nunavut are supposed to be 50-50 in providing access to justice.
Over the years the ratio of funding to legal services in Nunavut has become a ratio of 81 percent Government of Nunavut and 19 percent federal government.
We raised that concern with the federal government and the Minister of Justice, not just Nunavut but also the other provinces and territories.
In Nunavut we have, I think since 2009-2010 roughly, the Government of Nunavut has increased the funding. It has almost doubled.
We do work very closely with the Legal Services Board and we do work very closely with the Government of Canada.
Every once in a while they give us a little bit of additional money for legal services in Nunavut, but it is certainly not enough. We believe that the Government of Canada should provide a more equitable share of funding for access to justice.