EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I believe you’re referring to media reports that stated that in the paper.
Through an investigation, there is more that comes out than what’s relayed in the media report.
In all cases, I think you have to be very thorough, talk to specific people who are involved, take statements from people involved, and gather evidence that you need to have to substantiate a case.
So it’s not that easy because you hear about it in the paper that it’s reported like that, that charges can be laid; you have to have the evidence behind it.
Can the minister then clarify to me that the report in the paper is wrong, that we need an investigation in order to substantiate that it is wrong?
I can’t say that the report in the paper is wrong, but I think the paper is making assumptions and not having all of the evidence that is in front of them. It has taken its investigation that goes in front of a court of law.
It is very difficult for Mr. Ningeongan and me, and some other members, probably.
Yes, human beings make mistakes, we all do, but we try not to when it’s our job.
Our job is to police the Wildlife Act, and that particular officer who is supposed to enforce that is said to be or at least suspected to be breaking what he was supposed to enforce.
It is very difficult to swallow.
First, I should ask: how long do you expect the investigation to last? Will it last more than this session?
I expect the investigation to last a while yet because I think this is going to be re-looked at with the guidance and the concern that Mr. Ningeongan has from bringing it up, that maybe an independent investigation should be done.
So I think it’s going to take a little while yet.
But I do agree with you that in the public perception and in the public’s eyes, an officer should be held at very high standards.
I think that we have to investigate it as we would investigate any other person, resident of Nunavut or non-resident of Nunavut. I will commit to advise the House on the status of this once this is complete.
Question 113 – 3(2): Vacancies in Quttiktuq (Elliott)
I thought I wasn’t going to have time.
James was up, so… .
In March, I asked questions about the social worker and CHR being hired in Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay.
At that time, he said that the government was aware of that and it might take up to six months to hire someone in that position.
Since that time, the situation in Quttiktuq has gotten a little worse in a sense that our social worker in Arctic Bay who was servicing Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay is no longer in Arctic Bay, and all of my three communities were being serviced out of Pond Inlet.
I was just wondering if the minister could give me an update as to how the hiring process is going.
I would like to take the question as notice and provide a proper response once I get the update on the status of the social worker for his constituency.
Question 114 – 3(2): Correspondence with Pangnirtung Housing Organization (Komoartok)
I wish to direct my question to the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Although I asked him a question a few days ago and he stated there was correspondence sent, I still haven’t received that letter.
Construction workers in Pangnirtung are mostly all local people.
On their behalf, I want to ask: will they be laid off from November 24 until March? Have you received an update on the status of that project now?
That draft letter was across my desk yesterday and I asked them to make some minor changes to it. I can assure the member that that correspondence will probably be signed off, if not today, tomorrow, depending on how long I’m in Committee of the Whole this afternoon.
Mr. Komoartok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the minister for his response.
So if that’s the case, did you understand the fact that the Pangnirtung construction crew can work inside the building where it’s heated or will they cease the construction for the winter?
The community residents say that once you construct the outer shell of the building and if the building can be heated, they can work inside the building.
Will my local construction workers be able to work during this winter in the construction of units?
As the member knows and I have said before, one of the strong main components behind the Nunavut Housing Trust Delivery Strategy was a training component.
Mr. Speaker, we know in Pangnirtung, there were a couple of journeypersons who were there doing the training. The local people who are employed need to work under the supervision of a journeyperson in order for those hours to count towards their certification and training.
It’s not a simple cut-and-dry thing and that’s why it’s explained in the letter.
The delivery strategy that was approved in the past at the beginning of the housing trust had stipulated that construction would be closed down for a certain period of time. I know that has been exempted in the past because of the delays that have occurred in some of the communities.
In this case, I think they’re just going back to what the initial delivery strategy was for the Nunavut Housing Trust and the projects.
Like I said, it’s clearly explained in the letter that I saw and you will be getting that either later today or tomorrow.
Tabled Document 058 – 3(2): Letter from 9-Year-Old Constituent Concerning the Need for a Swimming Pool in Repulse Bay (Ningark)
I wish to table a copy of a letter that I received from a young constituent from Repulse Bay.
As I stated earlier today, this young constituent said that she would like to learn how to swim.
I trust the same is true for other young Nunavummiut.
I urge the government to consider the construction of a swimming pool in Repulse Bay.
Tabling of Documents. Mr. Okalik.
Tabled Document 059 – 3(2): Correspondence Regarding Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Inuit Employment Plans (Okalik)
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I wish to table an email regarding the Qulliq Energy Corporation on the Inuit Employment Plan. I want to thank the courageous employees who are willing to let their names stand on this email in this matter. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Tabled Document 060 – 3(2): Report of the Integrity Commissioner of Nunavut re. Mr. Paul Okalik, MLA (Speaker)
I wish to table today the Report of the Integrity Commissioner of Nunavut regarding Mr. Paul Okalik, MLA. Thank you.
Motion 009 – 3(2): Appointment of Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole – Notice (Okalik)
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, November 30, 2009, I will move the following motion:
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Hon. Member for Akulliq, that Mr. Fred Schell, Member for South Baffin, be appointed a Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole.
Item 15. Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills. Hon. Tagak Curley.
Bill 19 – An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act – Notice
I give notice that on Monday, November 30, 2009, that Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, be read for the first time.
I request consent of my colleagues to deal with my motion today.
Our colleague is seeking unanimous consent to deal with his motion today.
Motion 009 – 3(2): Appointment of Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole (Okalik)
AND WHEREAS Mr. Enuk Pauloosie, Member for Nattilik, has resigned his position as a Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole;
First Reading of Bills. (interpretation ends) Minister of Finance, Hon. Keith Peterson.
Bill 13 – An Act to Amend the Retirement Plan Beneficiaries Act – First Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Arviat, that Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Retirement Plan Beneficiaries Act, be read for the first time.
Bills 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 with Mr. Ningeongan in the Chair.
>>House recessed at 15:24 and Committee resumed at 16:03
Chairman (Mr. Ningeongan) (interpretation): Good afternoon. (interpretation ends) I would like to call the committee meeting to order.
We wish to continue with Bill 8 and the review of the Nunavut Housing Corporation and, if time permits, the Department of Justice.
Are we in agreement that we first deal with the capital estimates for the Nunavut Housing Corporation?
Bill 08 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2010-2011 – Nunavut Housing Corporation – Consideration in Committee
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) I would now like to ask Minister Tootoo of the Nunavut Housing Corporation to make his opening remarks.
Mr. Tootoo, if I may, think of the interpreters, please.
Hon. Hunter Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You may think of them and I will too.
Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to meet with you here today as the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, which from now on I will refer to as NHC or the corporation.
Joining me today at the witness table will be Ms. Patsy Owlijoot, who is our acting president, and Lori Kimball, who is our executive director of corporate services and chief financial officer.
Also, another individual who will be in the Gallery will be Melody Nice, who is our manager, I believe, of policy and planning.
For two of those individuals, this is their first time being in Committee of the Whole, so I welcome them here.
It will be just like Mr. Schell when this is his first time chairing the Committee of the Whole, so he’s not the only one doing it for the first time.
Mr. Chairman, the corporation’s capital plan for 2010-11 has been set at $27,269,000 from the Government of Nunavut and additional funding of $4,290,000 from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), for a total capital budget of $31,559,000.
We are pleased with the news from the recent federal budget of the allocation of $100 million over the next two years for construction of affordable housing in Nunavut. This is another step in achieving our goals set out in the Ten-Year Inuit Housing Action Plan.
The 2010-11 capital estimates main highlights are as follows:
First, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s funding for Modernization and Improvement (M&I) Retrofit to the LHOs, or the local housing organizations, the Fire Damage Replacement Fund, the Mobile Equipment Fund, and the Seniors and Disabled Persons Preventative Maintenance Program remain at approximately the same level as last year.
The corporation has responded to requests for more staff housing by adding the funding for the new schools in Clyde River, Cape Dorset, Qikiqtarjuaq, and Sanikiluaq, as well as additional units for the new correctional facility in Rankin Inlet.
The corporation continues to renovate older staff units in communities with the greatest needs.
In addition, the corporation has responded to the public demand for homeownership programs by increasing the funding levels.
The corporation is also taking steps to address the Office of the Auditor General’s concern over inventories at the LHO level by purchasing new steel buildings as well as some fencing for secured storage.
I am pleased to report that the Nunavut Housing Trust delivery is proceeding with the last of the 725 units. All materials to complete these units have now been delivered. Construction on the housing units is continuing despite challenges in prior years.
We have learned lessons from these challenges and have remained flexible to suit community circumstances. In addition, preparation has begun for the new 285 units funded by the CMHC Affordable Housing Initiative.
We are finalizing our contract to purchase 141 SIP, or structural insulated panel, units which will provide single family dwellings in 20 of our communities.
Across Nunavut, most construction projects are meeting or exceeding the Nunavut Housing Trust targets of 60 percent Inuit employment and there are over 50 Nunavut apprentices working on job sites across the territory.
Funding for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s affordable housing units have been appropriated outside of the capital estimates process and has not been included in the information provided today.
Mr. Chairman and committee members, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to meet with you here today.
Hon. Hunter Tootoo: Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Sergeant-at-Arms, could you escort the witnesses in, please.
Thank you. (interpretation ends) For the record, Minister Tootoo, please introduce your witnesses.
I realize that you mentioned them in your opening remarks, but for the record.
I would be pleased to do that.
To my right is Ms. Patsy Owlijoot, who is usually the vice-president for the housing corporation, but right now, she’s acting as president for the housing corporation. I would like to also take this opportunity to thank her for coming up on very short notice to appear and assist us in our deliberations here in Committee of the Whole.
On my left, Mr. Chairman, is Lori Kimball. She’s our executive director of corporate services and chief financial officer.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister Tootoo. (interpretation) Welcome. (interpretation ends) Does the Chair of the Standing Committee on Community Empowerment have comments?
Mr. Komoartok: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to provide opening comments on behalf of the Standing Committee on Community and Economic Development as the Committee of the Whole begins its consideration of the proposed 2010-11 Capital Estimates of the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
The announcement in January 2009’s federal budget that Nunavut would receive $100 million over two years in new funding for the construction of housing units was very welcome news.
On March 31, 2009, the corporation announced that 285 new housing units would be constructed with this funding.
During the corporation’s recent presentation to MLAs on October 20, 2009, it indicated that the breakdown would be as follows: 141 single family units, 19 stick build single family units, 105 multiplex builds, and 20 other units.
Members look forward to receiving ongoing updates on the construction of these new housing units and urge the minister to table the delivery strategy for these units in the Legislative Assembly at the earliest possible date.
Members also encourage the Nunavut Housing Corporation to work closely with the Department of Community and Government Services on such issues as inspections of new units so as to minimize delays in their completion.
In May of 2009, the Standing Committee on Oversight of Government Operations and Public Accounts held hearings on the Report of the Auditor General on the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
The committee presented its report and recommendations in June of this year.
In light of the federal announcement of new funding for housing construction in Nunavut, it is essential that the Nunavut Housing Corporation act on the Auditor General’s recommendations and those of Nunavut’s MLAs.
Members urge the corporation to provide ongoing updates on the status of its responses to these recommendations.
Mr. Chairman, the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated jointly submitted a ten-year Inuit housing action plan to the Government of Canada in September of 2004.
On January 26, 2009, the minister announced in the Legislative Assembly that the Nunavut Housing Corporation will be undertaking a housing needs survey.
Members are pleased to note that the survey is in the process of being delivered across the territory.
Members encourage the minister to table its findings in the Legislative Assembly when the survey is completed.
Members are hopeful that the findings of the survey will help the corporation to make a strong case to Ottawa for additional federal investments in housing.
According to the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s recent annual reports and other information provided by the corporation, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s expenditures on its homeownership programs were approximately $3.7 million in 2005-06, $7.4 million in 2006-07, and $6.1 in 2007-08.
The number of Nunavummiut benefiting from these homeownership programs has increased significantly, as is illustrated by the increase in the number of approved applications for Nunavut Housing Corporation programs.
Members have been informed that approximately 425 applications were approved in the 2008-09 fiscal year and that 361 applications were approved between April and August of this year.
Members look forward to receiving ongoing updates on the corporation’s homeownership programs.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation has allocated $4.0 million in its 2010-11 capital estimates for homeownership programs.
This is a significant increase from the corporation’s 2009-2010 capital estimates.
While it is unclear if this amount will be sufficient to meet demand, members support this increase and encourage the Nunavut Housing Corporation to regularly evaluate its homeownership programs in order to determine which are successful and which are not.
Members also look forward to the Nunavut Housing Corporation providing ongoing updates on the status of the GN’s condominium program for staff.
On September 18, 2009, a joint news release by the Nunavut, NWT, and Yukon ministers responsible for housing indicated that “Ministers reiterated the need for long-term, predictable funding to build and operate housing in Canada’s north.
Territorial Ministers will continue their dialogue with the Federal government regarding the fundamental links between housing and the pillars of Canada’s Integrated Northern Strategy.
The territories are unanimous in calling for a new approach to Northern housing that recognizes and supports the essential role that housing plays in addressing issues such as economic development, health, education and Arctic sovereignty.
The Ministers are looking forward to presenting their position to the Federal Housing Minister, the Hon. Diane Finley, before the end of this year.”
The standing committee looks forward to receiving ongoing updates from the minister regarding his success in obtaining additional support from the federal government.
In September of 2008, the former minister announced in the Legislative Assembly that as a result of oil spills and fuel leaks in various communities throughout Nunavut, the corporation and local housing organizations have compiled a Nunavut-wide report resulting from fuel tank inspections.
The minister indicated that the corporation would be developing a strategy for the acquisition and replacement of outdated fuel tanks in the public housing stock and that such a replacement strategy would “likely involve a five-year action plan.”
The minister indicated that the corporation had already ordered 260 new fuel tanks.
Members also note that the corporation’s 2009-2010 business plan indicates that one of the corporation’s priorities for the current fiscal year is to “Explore addressing issues of environmental liability because of ageing oil tanks throughout Nunavut by initiating an oil tank replacement program that prioritizes the replacement of oil tanks of senior and vulnerable homeowners.”
Members support the introduction of a new program to assist homeowners with the cost of purchasing new fuel tanks.
Mr. Chairman, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s proposed capital estimates for 2010-11 include $1.3 million in funding for new staff housing units associated with the GN’s new school additions in Cape Dorset and Qikiqtarjuaq. $8.92 million in funding has been allocated for new staff housing units associated with the Rankin Inlet Correctional Centre and the Clyde River Cultural School. $1.5 million is budgeted for staff housing units for the GN’s new school in Sanikiluaq.
An additional $2.0 million for GN staff housing has been budgeted, although the corporation has not yet identified the communities in which the units will be constructed.
Members support the construction of new units in communities where there are shortages of housing for frontline education and health staff.
The committee also notes the importance of the Nunavut Housing Corporation working closely with departments to ensure that budgets adequately account for the incremental operating costs that accompany new units.
Mr. Chairman, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s proposed capital estimates for 2010-11 include $900,000 in funding for secured storage facilities for local housing organizations.
The substantiation sheet for this project indicates that the Nunavut Housing Corporation has “proposed 3 new warehouses which include a compound fenced area to secure materials.”
The standing committee urges the corporation to provide ongoing updates on its actions to address the needs of local housing organizations for adequate secured storage facilities.
The committee also notes that the corporation is not projecting funding in future years for additional storage facilities.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments on the 2010-11 Capital Estimates of the Nunavut Housing Corporation. (interpretation) Thank you.
Do members have any general comments pertaining to the opening remarks of Minister Tootoo?
I would like to welcome Mr. Tootoo and his staff.
In your opening comments on page 2, you referred to M&Is as retrofits. In the past, retrofits kind of had a different meaning.
I’m just wondering if you can clarify whether you mean retrofits as a building being stripped to the skeleton and rebuilt or as minor repairs to older units.
I believe it’s a combination of minor and major repairs that are included in that. Maybe there should have been a slash in there.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister Tootoo. Mr. Rumbolt.
My second question is on page 3. You mentioned about staff housing for the new school in Sanikiluaq. Can you indicate to us what types of units will be built?
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Rumbolt. Minister Tootoo.
I was looking at the $1.5 million worth of staff housing going into Sanikiluaq and I believe that’s going to be in the form of a five-plex.
As we all know, we’re having problems in a lot of communities with having lots ready for new housing. Have you worked already with CGS in making sure there would be lots available for the staff housing in Sanikiluaq?
The corporation obtains the lots from the municipalities. So what we have done is as soon as we’re aware of what units are going where, we notify the municipalities to let them know, let’s say, in one community X, we’re going to need six lots.
It’s the communities that identify those lots.
I know that the communities work with the Department of Community and Government Services for land development. I was just in Kugaaruk or Taloyoak. They’re working on their plan already for next year.
I would also like to just stress this is one of the issues that we’ve had and faced, especially over the last couple of years and we’re looking at over the next two years, is being able to have lots available for units.
When we find out at the last minute that we’re getting, in this case, $100 million, it’s tough, as soon as we find out where it’s going, to let the municipalities know. That’s part of our argument with the federal government. More long-term, stable funding will allow not only us to be able to plan out further, but also gives more time for the municipalities to develop the land that’s going to be required as well.
My last question is: with the purchase of new steel buildings in the previous year, can you indicate to us how many were built, where they were built, and how much they cost?
Under the funding for last year and again based on the motion that was made in Committee of the Whole to change it from fencing to secured storage, we were able to ship these steel buildings into Hall Beach, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Sanikiluaq, Kugluktuk, and Taloyoak.
The material costs for these were about $53,960 each.
We don’t have all of the rest of the costs yet in on it, but that’s the one we know for sure so far that has the cost for the actual structure itself.
These buildings, I think, are about 1,860 square feet, 31 by 61. They are quite large.
Mr. Rumbolt: I said I didn’t have any more questions, but he created one.
He said the steel buildings cost about $54,000 each.
Does that include delivery to the community or that’s just at the dock in Montreal?
As I said, those were the material costs. As to the docks in Montreal, we haven’t finalized all the numbers for the rest of it yet.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister Tootoo. I have Mr. Okalik.