EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Some provinces’ health care costs are 45 to 50 percent of their annual budget.
There has been a concerted effort over the years by all the jurisdictions, territorial and provincial, and we coined the phrase “bend the health care cost curve.”
We’re looking at ways internally for the departments of health in all jurisdictions to be more efficient and effective with the appropriation they have or receive.
I pointed it out years ago that it’s impossible for health care costs to go up exponentially.
Otherwise, eventually, any province or territory is going to ultimately have two departments, one being the Department of Finance and one being the Department of Health, the Department of Health to incur the bills and the Department of Finance to pay the bills.
Ultimately then the health department would consume all the money.
It’s in all of our interests to have the health department find ways to be more efficient and effective in their budgeting process or business cases and that leaves more resources, limited resources I might add, Mr. Speaker, for other government departments and capital projects across Nunavut.
In recent months the federal government has been signing a number of stand-alone bilateral agreements with provinces concerning health funding.
In January of this year the three territorial governments reached an agreement with the federal government concerning health funding.
Mr. Speaker, it has been suggested that the federal government has been pursuing a strategy of “divide and conquer” with the provinces and territories when it comes to health care funding.
Would the minister agree with this description of Ottawa’s strategy?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Mr. Speaker, it’s not a new strategy; it’s an old strategy. The strategy has been around for, I don’t know, five decades or maybe longer.
The other rule, the golden rule is he or she who has the gold rules. They have the funding and the provinces and territories require it.
We worked with my colleague, the Minister of Health, and all the ministers of health in Canada.
We did present what I thought was a fair, well-thought-out business case so that the provinces and territories could provide health care to our citizens.
The Premier himself was involved at his level.
I’m unhappy to say that our concerted effort… .
In fact I had the health minister of Nunavut sitting beside me at a finance ministers’ meeting in Ottawa.
It’s unprecedented to have health ministers sitting with finance ministers talking to the finance minister and health minister of Canada at a finance ministers’ meeting in December.
Unfortunately our arguments fell on deaf ears.
In fact one province caved in within a couple of hours after we all stood in front of the national media and said that we’re very united. One was two or three hours; a couple fell a few days later.
The territories, we came on board, I forget the exact date, but some time in January, and then Saskatchewan after us and then BC. There are four or five bigger provinces that are still holding out and I wish them all the best.
We all negotiated clauses in our respective agreements that if another province or territory negotiates a better deal, then we all get that same deal.
I’m hopeful in the federal budget that the federal minister will see it fair to help the three territories out with some additional funding, but we will see.
Question 616 – 4(3): Status of New School for Coral Harbour (Mapsalak)
Mr. Speaker, for several years the community of Coral Harbour has expressed the need for a new school. At one time a new school for the community was on the capital plan, but it disappeared.
In the meantime the community is growing and there is not enough classroom space for all the students.
Can the minister provide a clear update on what plans are being considered to provide more classroom space for the community of Coral Harbour?
Perhaps the minister can respond to that first.
First of all I recently received a letter from the district education authority’s chairperson, Willie Nakoolak, regarding the need for a new school.
Looking at the books, what we usually say is that we first start with the preplanning stage. Coral Harbour is one of the three communities, I believe, that are in the preplanning stage.
We’re well aware of the problem and the school is now at over 85 percent capacity, which would be one of the requirements. If the capacity is at over 85 percent, then we know that there is a need for an expansion or building of a new school.
At this time the Coral Harbour school is now in the preplanning stage. I can’t tell you exactly when that will be completed, but Coral Harbour is one of the priorities for a new school in Nunavut.
The minister once pointed out some things about the planning taking place.
When can we expect a decision on an extension to Coral Harbour’s current school? Can the minister confirm when he anticipates this decision to be made?
At this time the Department of Community and Government Services is currently looking at the (interpretation ends) business case.
(interpretation) We don’t know whether they’re going to expand the current school. I don’t know whether it’s the same expansion or extension to the current school, but we do know that the school is overcrowded. We have portable classrooms in Naujaat that were being utilized when the current school was being built.
What we can possibly do is use those portable classrooms while the extension is being put in place.
I can tell my colleague that we expect the business case to be concluded in April 2017.
As the minister is aware, the new school in Naujaat is very nice.
The Coral Harbour District Education Authority would really like a new school built because the current school is really old and facilities in that state usually require a lot of maintenance.
Can the minister indicate if he can push to have a brand-new school built for Coral Harbour?
There will be three options for us to decide whether we’re going to expand it, reconstruct it, or renovate it. We’re looking at those three options.
I can tell my colleague, as I indicated earlier, that the Department of CGS will have completed their study in April 2017.
After that date I will be able to provide more details on what we’re going to be doing with the current school.
Question 617 – 4(3): Dust Control in Nunavut (Sammurtok, T)
Mr. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good day to the residents of Chesterfield Inlet and Rankin Inlet.
Mr. Speaker, during his Budget Address last week the Minister of Finance stated that, and I quote, “The Department of Economic Development and Transportation will receive $2.5 million next year to help communities to build more access roads and to improve dust control.”
Can the minister provide a breakdown on how this $2.5 million will be allocated?
Mr. Speaker, during this winter session we will be looking at how we will be allocating those dollars.
We are still working on the plan, but I expect to make an announcement in the House during this winter session.
Your first supplementary. Mr. Tom Sammurtok.
Mr. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) As the minister is aware, the Department of Community and Government Services has allocated funding to the Municipal Training Organization for the delivery of training related to the application of dust suppressants.
As well, the Department of Community of Government Services has conducted research on the feasibility of introducing new and different types of dust suppressants in the communities.
Can the minister clarify if her department will be taking over these initiatives?
We hear in the business plan that this $2.5 million will be used for dust suppressants in the communities.
Since it’s going to be a feasibility study, we are going to be including different types of dust suppressants.
I think the minister may have already kind of responded to my second question here. However, can the minister describe in detail what specific projects to improve dust control in Nunavut will be funded under this $2.5 million appropriation?
Our budget had to be prepared for this session and it still hasn’t been approved, so I cannot definitely say how we will be allocating those funds.
Once we have identified the line items, I will be able to inform him.
Question 618 – 4(3): The Inuit Language Protection Act and the Private Sector (Okalik)
Last week I tabled a document in the Legislative Assembly. It was a letter I had written last spring to the Minister of Languages enquiring as to when legislation would come into force for private businesses that do government work.
They will then be required to implement the Inuktitut language in their operations. Under the legislation, private businesses would be required to provide Inuit language services.
The Act still has not gone into force.
The minister responded that it would take effect on April 1 this year.
If this is the case, it is excellent news because we live in the Inuit homeland and Inuit deserve support to keep their own language strong and vibrant.
Can the minister give us a clear update on whether this promised date is correct or not?
Mr. Speaker, I clearly understand the question he had asked and I had replied to it. Mr. Speaker, to date we are not the only department that is working on this.
We have to work with other departments and they still haven’t gotten back to us.
For that reason, I will take his question as notice.
I shall go on to the next. (interpretation) Oral Questions. Member for Hudson Bay, Mr. Allan Rumbolt.
Question 619 – 4(3): Nunavut Emergency Management (Rumbolt)
Last week the minister tabled his department’s Nunavut Emergency Management Annual Report for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
In this report the department indicates that it has been decided that the government will not be bringing the Emergency Measures Act fully into force “as this would place most, if not all departments in violation of the Act.”
The report goes on to state that “Regulations still need to be developed for certain areas of the Act and that work has not started.”
Can the minister provide a more detailed explanation as to why it has been decided that the Emergency Measures Act will not be brought fully into force at this time and when the department anticipates that the government will be prepared to bring this legislation fully into force?
The reason that that section is not brought into force yet is that there are two communities that have the training, but they haven’t enacted their plan yet.
There is one community that still needs the training and we expect to do that training this year, 2017.
Once those three communities are trained and have a plan, we would put that section into force.
Also in the 2015-16 annual report, the department also states that Nunavut Emergency Management has “started a program to replace some of the older model SPOT units as they fail and are looking at and testing other communication equipment to see if some of the new technology can be utilized to assist citizens when in need.”
Can the minister explain what new communication equipment his department is currently testing?
We are replacing some of the SPOTs with the more advanced version. They’re smaller and they appear to be just the same and they function just as well as the older, bigger ones.
If I can just remind the audience there, if anyone is going out on the land, they can just pick up a SPOT either from their HTO, their hamlet, or the RCMP.
These SPOTS are provided to all the communities free of charge and they’re there to assist the people going out so that if they should have any problems out on the land, then we know where they are.
We won’t know what is wrong, but we will know where they are and it is much faster and cheaper for us to get a person to the location.
To the other part of the member’s question about what new devices, we’re testing other devices that you can text out on the land with.
There will still be satellite phones, but there are other communication devices that you can text and do other functions with.
If these new technologies work well and if they’re better, then they will become part of the tools that we use to assist people in not getting lost and not having emergencies.
We look at any new technologies that come aboard because we want to provide the best service we can to the people of Nunavut.
The annual report also states that Nunavut Emergency Management is looking at replacing its current database to track statistics related to the training and volunteer time.
Can the minister explain what this new database will look like?
As like any database, I imagine it will be on a computer.
That will be the first thing of what it will look like because databases have lots of information.
I’m not sure exactly what information would be in this database, but I imagine it would be who the person is, when they got their training, what the training was for, whether the training that was received is one-time training or would have to be done again.
Also, this database would be there to acknowledge that we have these volunteers that have these skills in these communities and from time to time we would recognize these volunteers and give them praise for the training that they have taken and acquired. It also helps us out so that we can plan our training for the people of Nunavut.
This database would be like a living document.
It would be changing because we know that the volunteers in the communities do change yearly.
Some people get burned out and some people just lose interest, but we have many volunteers in all of the communities.
There are some communities that have the same volunteer people and in other communities they change.
This would be just to make sure that the current information is up to date.
Question 620 – 4(3): Fur Freight Subsidy Pilot Project (Mikkungwak)
Just last week the minister announced his department’s Fur Freight Subsidy Pilot Project, which will “allow hunters across Nunavut to ship undried wolf pelts to buyers such as taxidermists and fur dressers in the south.”
Mr. Speaker, in his statement the minister stated that this pilot project will help his department “to determine if and how the program will be implemented more broadly.”
Can the minister clarify if this means that his department is planning to implement similar projects to subsidize the cost of shipping other types of fur pelts, such as wolverine, grizzly bears, and polar bears, and, if so, can he clarify when we can expect to see this type of expansion of his department’s new fur freight subsidy project?
The member is correct that right now the Department of Environment is targeting only the species of wolves and it’s a pilot project.
The reason it’s a pilot project is to see if we should expand it to involve or entail other species, like the member said, wolverine, polar bears, grizzly bears, white foxes, whatever other species are out there.
This will be run to make sure that if there are any kinks in it, we can work it out before it’s taken on more broadly, if it works out well.
Like I stated, it’s just a pilot project and we should know about other species once the pilot project is completed.
For the information of our viewers today, can the minister tell us what companies or organizations his department has partnered with in order to deliver this pilot project, if any?
We have not partnered with any company in order to run this program.
This program is to assist the hunters to ship their wolf pelts out that they are selling.
This program is not to help someone send their fur to a taxidermist so that they could get their shipping paid on their own fur which they want to taxidermy themselves to taxidermy back.
It’s to assist hunters in shipping their fur to fur buyers and taxidermists that are going to be buying these wolves.
In his statement last week the minister stated that the pilot project will run until March 31, 2018.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the department for implementing this pilot project and I am sure that many harvesters across the territory are looking forward to hearing about the results of this project.
Will the minister commit his department to preparing a report on the results of this pilot project to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly at the earliest possible opportunity?
When the pilot project is done, we will have the results. I don’t know if we will be tabling it or not.
I can’t commit to that, but the results will be analyzed.
The way I see this project working, I think it’s going to be very successful and I imagine that we will possibly continue and expand it.
Once the pilot project is done and the results are in front of us, I will update the official when we’re back here after March 18.
Hon. Member for Rankin Inlet, Mr. Alexander Sammurtok.
Tabled Document 260 – 4(3): Graduates of Underground Mining Program (Sammurtok, A)
In my Member’s Statement earlier today I congratulated the recent graduates of Nunavut Arctic College’s Introduction to Underground Mining program.
I would like to table this photograph of the graduates and their instructor. I am very proud of them.
Bill 36 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – Notice
Bill 42 – An Act to Amend the Tobacco Tax Act – Notice
I have two notices of motions for first reading of bills. The first one is I give notice that on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, that Bill 36, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the first time.
The second one is I give notice that on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, that Bill 42, An Act to Amend the Tobacco Tax Act, be read for the first time.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Item 17. Motions.
Chairman (Mr. Akoak): Good afternoon, Inuit, colleagues, (interpretation) and Inuit watching the proceedings.
(interpretation ends) The last day we were at page H-5. Branch Summary. Public Health.
I’m ahead of myself.
Mr. Chairman, we wish to continue with the review of the main estimates for the Department of Health and, if time permits, the Department of Education.
I would now like to ask the Minister of Health if he has officials that he would like to appear before the committee. Minister Hickes.
Yes, I do, if the committee will allow.
As I stated before, I’m sure she’s no stranger to the proceedings, my deputy minister, Colleen Stockley, Deputy Minister of Health, as well to my left, Karen Kabloona, Associate Deputy Minister of Quality of Life.
Welcome to the proceedings.
The last time we were at page H-5. Branch Summary. Public Health.
Welcome again to the House.
While we were going through the estimates, I went back through the business plan to see what the department plans to do about TB. I don’t see any plans about tuberculosis.
I would first like to get an update on that. Has the number of cases of tuberculosis fallen in Nunavut or what’s new?
With regard to TB, it’s continuing to be an issue across the territory of Nunavut.
I know some of the recent media coverage has highlighted the need for people to make sure that they are following the guidance of health care professionals.
At the end of the day it could result as a terminal illness.
Just to let the members know some of the efforts that are being undertaken by the Department of Health in 2015-16, there was a successful business case where the Department of Health has been receiving additional funds; an increase to the base budget that is being transferred throughout the three regions.
With regard to actual surveillance and information, there have been a number of PYs that have been created. There is a Nunavut TB manual that is ready for printing and distribution in the next couple of months in early 2017.
This will be a guide for health care workers to provide continual care and consistent care across the territory.
In the meantime there is also a faster laboratory test that is being implemented here in Iqaluit. We are looking at current efforts to expand throughout the region to start with.
This takes TB testing in a matter of hours instead of days or potentially weeks from current testing.
There is a tuberculosis prevention and control program following Canadian TB standards, which includes management of active TB disease cases, contact tracing and outbreak investigations, screening for latent tuberculosis infection and active TB disease, surveillance and data management, laboratory diagnostic capacity, education and training of health professionals, community-based awareness, monitoring and evaluation, and lastly measures and high-risk settings.
I had asked where we are at now with TB. Are there fewer cases now in Nunavut? Are our efforts to curb the transmission of TB working?
My apologies for neglecting to answer that portion of the member’s question.
In 2015 we had our lowest number of cases across the territory at 44.
In 2016 we have a very similar number. It did increase slightly up to 50, but in general over the last decade we have seen decreasing numbers.
That being said, three-quarters of the cases that are reported in the territory are still in the Qikiqtaaluk region.
It is good to hear that the numbers are starting to drop. We want to eradicate it in Nunavut and everywhere else.
The people who have TB take really strong medication. Is it made known to them in Inuktitut that the medication may have side effects?
When we get medication there is an English printout explaining how that medication is supposed to be taken, what the possible side effects are, and if you’re taking a particular type of medication, which other medications it cannot be mixed with or cannot be taken with alcohol. There are directions like that that go along with prescriptions to make sure that people are kept safe.
Will patients be made aware of all of this, Inuit who are taking TB medication in Nunavut?
I caution the word “dangerous.” TB medications are a very important component to the treatment of active TB and to make sure that it is not shared with family members and the community.
It is very important to make sure that any time somebody is under TB treatment, their medical practitioner is aware of other medications that they’re taking.
There may be instances where certain medications, like the member mentioned, do not mix well with TB medications.
In addition to when we’re looking at instructions that are being provided to people, we do have interpretive services for people that don’t understand. Again, there is always the patient relations office that can assist with understanding.
We are working with the IUT on Inuktut translations of all materials for instructions of medication for TB to make sure that people do understand any risks that are associated with it but also how the dosages are, in addition to the regular follow-up that is provided by health care professionals to make sure that any concerns or any elevated levels of any of the conditions are noticed right away.
I was just saying that the medication is very strong. It’s not dangerous per se.
I am not trying to scare people with TB. Those are the questions I have for this item for now.
We’re at Branch. Public Health. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $18,973,000.
Health. Health Care Service Delivery.
I don’t have too many questions on that page.
However, I believe this matter is under medical travel, boarding homes for people who go down for diagnosis. I believe it’s somewhere on that page.
In Winnipeg patients stay at the Inuit centre. There have been many complaints being made, especially this year, with people who are not happy with the service and the way they are treated. They feel they are not being treated properly.
The contract was extended by another year.
Where is the contract at now? Has the contract review started?
The current contract with the Winnipeg boarding home expires at the end of May 2018 and there are no further extensions available.
We will be working with Community and Government Services on the best process for tendering that contract.
I would very much like that to be reviewed because many people are unhappy with the boarding home.
I know that my colleagues from the Kivalliq are getting more complaints about this as well.
The contractors just don’t do enough and there is basically one person running it, yet there are supposed to be three people running it.
The two other people don’t seem to do anything there.