EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
My question is: occasionally, a woman becomes pregnant and it may not be a situation that she expected.
Can the minister update this House on what kinds of counselling and guidance are provided to expecting mothers?
Mr. Speaker, in our communities, we do have community health centres that have nurses. We also have social workers.
In most communities, we’re trying to staff all of those communities across Nunavut, as per the Auditor General’s report.
We do have other staff who can provide that. If an individual goes to them for seeking advice, they can provide advice.
However, I can’t give the explicit details of what type of counselling is provided, but counselling is available if an individual is seeking it.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) When a woman is pregnant, she can become more emotional than usual and experience life’s challenges much more intensely.
Can the minister clarify what programs are in place to ensure that expecting mothers receive appropriate care and support during their pregnancy?
I think that most of us would agree that having a baby is a life-altering experience, particularly if it’s for the first time. There are a lot of emotional and other changes that go through for a woman.
Mr. Speaker, I can’t clarify at this time what’s specifically available. I can make that information available to Ms. Ugyuk at a later date.
Question 326 – 3(3): Income Support Case Management System (Oshutapik)
Good afternoon, my constituents and fellow residents of Pangnirtung. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education is responsible for the delivery of the income support system.
I understand that a new computerized system for income support case management has been under development for some time and that it will soon be used in my constituency, the community of Pangnirtung.
Can the minister provide an update on the status of the new computerized income support system and indicate which communities are currently using the new system?
That is a relevant question and I thank the member for asking about when the computerized system will go online.
We’re starting it here in Iqaluit first before expanding the computerized system across Nunavut.
As to the exact timing of when it will become available in Pangnirtung, I don’t have that information at this time. Once I have been informed, I will pass it on to my colleague.
Can the minister advise this House of how and when her department plans to roll out this system across all of Nunavut’s communities?
This is being organized and decisions are still being made on which communities will be the first to have this system installed. I still don’t have its completion date, but I will ensure the information is made available as soon as the distribution plan has been completed.
Mr. Oshutapik: The income support case management system has been in development for a number of years.
Can the minister tell this House how much the development of this system has cost the government to date and what she anticipates the final cost of the system will be?
That is another fine question.
Once our officials have completed the cost estimates and the timeframe, I will ensure that the member is provided with the full details.
Question 327 – 3(3): Social Worker for Sanikiluaq (Rumbolt)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Hon. Keith Peterson.
Mr. Speaker, the community of Sanikiluaq currently does not have a social worker or a mental health worker.
It is very unfortunate when certain types of incidents occur, but when they do, it should not be left solely to the RCMP to deal with them.
Can the minister update this House on what measures are in place to ensure that when Nunavut residents are at risk, the government will have the personnel and resources available to assist them?
I thank Mr. Rumbolt for asking the question. I appreciate him raising that issue on behalf of his constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that if there is a vacancy in a social worker position, the regional operations would ensure that there’s a casual or temporary social worker provided to the community. That’s my understanding.
The government’s 2012-15 business plan states that “As of December 2011, the Department has qualified candidates ready for hire to fill all vacant Community Social Services Worker (CSSW) positions.”
It is now March 7, 2012.
Can the minister clearly explain why the community of Sanikiluaq does not currently have a social worker?
I again thank Mr. Rumbolt for the question.
Mr. Speaker, the department has made a very concerted effort to recruit and make offers to social workers in all communities where there are vacant positions.
I personally spoke to the lady who is conducting that recruitment exercise. Mr. Speaker, on several occasions, offers were made and offers were declined.
I can assure the member that in the case of Sanikiluaq, there is an eligible candidate who is interested. We hope to have a person in the community within the next 30 to 40 days.
Mr. Speaker, it is well known that many critical situations can be avoided if we take the time to be proactive and preventative.
A key resource for helping individuals to learn to lead healthy lifestyles is the mental health worker.
Currently, the community of Sanikiluaq does not have a mental health worker.
Can the minister update this House on what efforts are being made to provide and fill a mental health worker position in the community of Sanikiluaq?
Mr. Speaker, I can’t give any specific information on why that position is vacant.
I do know, again, that the department is making a very concerted effort to provide, recruit, and offer positions to mental health workers where they’re vacant.
We do have 12 individuals who are in the Nunavut Arctic College Mental Health Diploma Program who will be offered jobs in Nunavut on April 1.
With respect to his specific community, I’ll have to ask my officials to give me some details that I can provide to Mr. Rumbolt.
Question 328 – 3(3): Permafrost Monitoring (Ningark)
I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for Environment.
He responded to the question I asked on February 29, 2012 regarding the development of the Nunavut Climate Change Adaptation Plan.
Mr. Speaker, I have a follow-up question. This one is for the minister on a project. The Minister of Environment’s office has developed a network of permafrost monitoring stations across Nunavut.
They have one in Repulse Bay and another one in Kugaaruk. These monitoring stations will be useful for community land use planning. These are existing projects.
My question to the hon. minister, Mr. Speaker, is: would the hon. minister be willing to share the results of these projects with the Members of this House?
I thank my colleague, Mr. Ningark, for raising that issue.
At this time, I’m unable to report on that.
As I had said earlier, a lot of these reports will become available in this new fiscal year, 2012-13. When they are available, we will be tabling them in the House. Once the information becomes available for public release, we will be able to share that information with the member.
On February 29, I had asked what kind of preparations they had for Nunavut in light of global warming.
Now I would like to raise this question with the minister. When you’re talking about research projects in the communities, there are quite a number of projects underway in Nunavut.
I would like to ask how much is known about these projects.
There are projects happening in Kugaaruk and Repulse Bay.
Have these research projects just sprung up or are they actually producing detailed results of global warming in Nunavut?
Are they not monitored or visited?
With respect to the research projects that the member is talking about, I can’t even begin to picture what they are.
What I said earlier is that once the reports are available, we will be able to table them.
What I can tell the member is that there is a website now available if you want to check the results and it’s called the Nunavut Climate Change Centre. I believe the acronym is NCCC. You can check that website and we will try to keep the site updated on every research project report that comes into Nunavut.
It’s available to the general public.
Mr. Ningark: Second supplementary, Mr. Speaker, I am talking about the existing network of monitoring stations to see what effect permafrost is having in Nunavut.
I’m not talking about one, two, but a network of these stations.
The hon. minister has stated that he has no idea of these projects.
Will the hon. minister inform the House if his department knows that we have these monitoring stations across Nunavut, including Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk?
I’m aware of the monitoring stations that the member is referring to, but I was truthful in stating that I couldn’t even imagine what they look like. With respect to permafrost, we have been informed that it has warmed up by only one degree, but this is a major change.
With respect to the impact on the environment, more research projects are being concluded and reports produced on the website. Even if we don’t know how to use computers, the younger generation is exposed to it and we can turn to them for assistance.
NCCC, which I referred to, is available.
At this time, I can’t provide a report and I sympathize with the member, but the research results are now available.
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister of the Environment for his response.
Mr. Speaker, when we talk about research in the communities, it can help communities to become better prepared.  If I were to state it in English, it is community land use planning.
I don’t want the communities of Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk to just be treated like guinea pigs.
Perhaps prior to travelling to my home community, the minister can speak to me about the usefulness of the monitoring stations on permafrost to date.
Yes, I can provide the information that we have now. There are various research projects on the rising sea levels, the isostatic rebounding of lands as the glaciers melt, and also going back into the past history and what we may expect in the next 100 years. We’re working with our colleagues in partnership with Inuit organizations and the federal government.
With respect to his question, information is available that includes Kugaaruk. It appears that Kugaaruk is experiencing isostatic rebounding of its land where the land is rising despite rising sea levels.
That is why changes to sea levels and rising land don’t seem to be noticeable. Some land is affected by rising sea levels while there’s no change in other areas.
Question 329 – 3(3): Federal Position on Nunavut Housing Corporation Operations (Curley)
Good afternoon, Rankin Inlet residents. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Premier.
During our sitting of February 23, the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation told the House, and I quote, “Every time the Premier has met with her [federal] counterparts, it has always been the first thing that has been brought out is the mismanagement, they call it, of the housing trust…”
Mr. Speaker, the Premier’s federal counterpart is the Prime Minister of Canada.
Can she confirm to the House today if the Prime Minister has actually raised this issue with her?
The Canadian Prime Minister has never made that statement.
It has been suggested that additional federal support for the construction of new housing units for Nunavutmiut will not be forthcoming unless the Government of Nunavut takes certain actions in relation to additional audits of the Nunavut Housing Trust.
Can the Premier confirm if the Prime Minister of Canada has actually set out conditions for obtaining new federal support for housing?
Every time I meet with the Prime Minister, we usually discuss matters where we need each other’s support.
With respect to the issue of housing, I usually say that we need more housing and talk about the shortage of housing.
He hasn’t spoken about other issues.
Yesterday, my colleague spoke with the Minister responsible for Housing.
However, I haven’t spoken with the Prime Minister of Canada concerning the question that the member asked about.
Mr. Curley: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I am tempted to indicate that this data is stunning.
The minister responsible told the House that “Every time the Premier has met with her federal counterparts, it has always been the first thing that has been brought out is the mismanagement, they call it, of the housing trust…”
And once again, Mr. Speaker, the Premier’s counterpart is the Prime Minister of Canada.
Now, my question is: can the Premier indicate if the federal government has put its position on this issue in writing and, if so, will she commit to tabling this information in the House?
I have never seen anything written coming from the federal government with respect to that issue.
The Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation did indicate “every time.” It assumes that there has been more than one time that the issue has been brought up.
The federal government has made its share of mistakes, Mr. Speaker, as can be confirmed by reading any number of reports of the Auditor General to Parliament.
Is it the Premier’s position that we should order new audits of our own territorial corporations simply because the federal government would like us to do so, as indicated by the Nunavut housing minister?
The Nunavut Housing Corporation is responsible for that issue and they have now established a committee.
The functioning of that committee is being looked after by the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Question 330 – 3(3): Infrastructure Planning for Quttiktuq (Elliott)
My questions are directed towards the Minister of Community and Government Services.
I would like to ask questions today about infrastructure updates in Quttiktuq.
With having three communities and with members asking so many good questions, sometimes I don’t get to ask three questions for three separate communities. So I’ll hopefully try and conquer it in one.
As we’re aware, we passed the capital budget in October and now in terms of the normal process, tenders go out for different buildings and capital projects that have been passed here in this House, obviously to order supplies and get them on the ship to be able to come up to the communities.
In terms of Grise Fiord, I know the community is very excited about receiving the materials for probably a two-year project in constructing their hamlet and new community complex.
I was wondering if the minister could update the House on what’s happening with that project.
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the question, Mr. Elliott.
I did have similar questions from the mayors when I was at the Baffin mayors’ [meeting] and I’m glad to share those with you today.
As for your question, the tendering call is being put out and we’re hoping to have a contract award set by April so that they could begin construction this summer, Mr. Speaker.
In Resolute Bay, I know the community is very excited about the government’s decision to continue on with replacing the current utilidor to provide water for the community.
I know, in terms of a fairly sizable commitment by the federal government as well as the Government of Nunavut, we had a power outage in Resolute Bay and the power being off for over ten hours, the need for an emergency generator has actually been accelerated.
I’m wondering if the minister could update the House on those two projects.
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was glad to be able to be in Resolute Bay when we were talking with the community on the replacement of the old utilidor system.
Mr. Speaker, the awarding of the planning or the design development, I guess, that portion of it should be done in the coming weeks.
In terms of the Resolute Bay utilidor, it’s going to be a massive project replacing the old system. We’re anticipating that construction won’t start until 2013 on that project, Mr. Speaker.
Next, travelling to Arctic Bay, in 2014, we have a replacement health centre, which unfortunately, today, we haven’t been able to convince the government to change the shifting or the numbering of the order for the health centres.
We have a new sewage lagoon that has been sitting not being used. I know there’s still funding that’s in the project for the reclamation of the old sewage lagoon.
I was hoping to get an update as to what’s holding that project up, why it’s not completed, and when the department anticipates having that completed.
His constituency appears to be doing very well for infrastructure, which is good. We need as much infrastructure as we can in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, in terms of the lagoon that he asked about, that is complete now.
We’re waiting for approvals from the water board and we’re hoping that those approvals will be coming through so that the use of that lagoon could begin by as early as this summer.
That depends on how quickly the agencies can approve the use of that lagoon.
Thank you, Mr. Kusugak, for your answer.
In terms of the water licence, I know it has actually taken quite a while to have it processed.
Is there anything or any particular reason why the process has been taking so slow? Is there something in terms of what the hamlet needs to provide or is it just the natural process of how it transpires?
That whole issue with water licensing and stuff is taking longer than we would like it to and hopefully things will speed up as we go along. I’ll keep my colleague and his constituents informed on its progress.
It is taking long. It’s one of these processes that do take longer than we want it to, Mr. Speaker.
I will keep him informed on it.
Question 331 – 3(3): Total Knee Replacement Operations (Ell)
Ms. Ell (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services and it’s in regard to his statement earlier. I, too, would like to thank all the medical professionals that he mentioned in his statement.
In regard to the patients who travel for medical reasons to a southern institute, this one in particular to Ottawa, I am happy to hear of the progress that has been made.
In regard to this, I’m asking the minister, with the notice that he put in here on the statement, if such collaboration and commitment by other medical professionals in other fields are being worked on to translate either booklets or brochures for patients travelling to Ottawa.
Mr. Speaker, I will look into that and get back to her.
Patients who travel for knee surgery usually have to go to Ottawa for surgery.
He is saying here that there will now be no additional costs.
Normally they would have to have gone down a week or two before they actually have the surgery.
With his statement, does this mean now that they will be going down perhaps a day before their surgery?
If he could elaborate more on what he means by no additional costs to the government.
As I mentioned in my [Minister’s] Statement, patients are identified and screened with the assistance of new screening tools, which include community nurse assessments, lab work, and X-rays. Presumably, the work is done here, sent down there, the doctors would review the information, and then they would contact the Qikiqtani General Hospital here.
Are the 12 Nunavut patients that are listed in your statement going down in March over and above the number that would have probably travelled down for knee surgery anyway?
I thank the member for the very good question. Mr. Speaker, I believe this will be a special day for these individuals during the March break.
Question 332 – 3(3): The Effects of Climate Change (Enook)
Good afternoon, people of Pond Inlet and my fellow Nunavummiut.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Environment.
I want to continue that thought as the residents in Pond Inlet and I imagine the rest of Nunavut and the circumpolar regions of the world are being impacted by global warming.
Mr. Minister, if you have been to our community, you would know that Pond Inlet is a huge land, part of which is inhabited and part of which is multilevel.
Last year, there was a landslide just past the community. There was little doubt that global warming had something to do with that event.
Pond Inlet has various hilly areas, which result in some housing being above other sections of town.
It’s becoming noticeable that some communities are being affected by global warming.
Can the minister inform this House which department is responsible for being aware of these changes? Who has to keep track of how communities are being affected?
I have been to Pond Inlet on several occasions, so I can still picture the layout of the community.
Perhaps all of us involved in the community through the various organizations and the municipal government have to be aware of the changes to the lands within municipal boundaries.
Additionally, those of us within the Department of Environment, although we deal with environmental changes occurring throughout Nunavut, are trying to be aware of melting landscapes and they are being monitored via various studies.
This is something we have to collaborate on and we should try to keep tabs on the environment.
It’s clear that we all have to try to be aware of these changes. Even if we’re not paying attention, it’s becoming so obvious that we have no choice but to notice these changes.
I would like to raise this question based on your response about municipal governments that also have to be observant about the changes.
Has the department provided any kind of information to allow them to do that?
The officials in the department have that information, but I don’t have what the member is asking for at this time. Once it has been provided to me, I will be able to update the member.
With respect to municipal governments, there are seven monitoring stations in seven communities that monitor the impacts on infrastructure by environmental changes in partnership with the municipal governments and which Mr. Ningark asked about.
Part of our initiatives is a guide to good environmental practices from the mining department. There are various other initiatives that we’re taking.
You can check the website I mentioned earlier or you may contact our office directly.
Practically every community has a conservation officer and they are very good sources of information.
As I stated, looking after the environment has to be a shared responsibility.
Residents of Pond Inlet have different names for other places, just like residents from Iqaluit and I suppose every community. There are Mittimatalik, Qaaraaluk, Tasiilaq, and Qaiqsuarjuk.
The people in Qaaraaluk are on top of the hill.
Directly underneath is the old town of Pond Inlet.
If that hill ever slid down, the houses directly beneath would be completely buried.
Who would make the warning that the endangered houses have to be moved?
If the Nunavut government states that the municipality should have these homes moved, who would pay for their relocation?
I also thank my colleague representing the Tununiq region.
That is a very good question that it leaves me kind of baffled on who should pay.
Once we do have an answer, we will be able to provide that information to him, perhaps in writing.
Question 333 – 3(3): Total Allowable Fish Harvest at Igloolik (Tapardjuk)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Environment, Minister Arreak, whom I coin my Annuraaqatik.
In Igloolik, fishermen are allowed to fish arctic char in nearby lakes for commercial purposes, with a total allowable harvest of 30,000 lbs. I believe that’s from the three lakes.
Mr. Speaker, who decides how much char is harvested and how is that done?
I would first like to have the specific number that can be fished commercially, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. James Arreak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for Amittuq.
It’s my understanding that Igloolik fishermen can fish commercially for shipment to the Kivalliq.
We’re pleased to see that they have been able to do that to this point.
If they wanted to increase that catch, research would have to be conducted on the lakes and the char, after which the catch can then be negotiated.