EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
What is our government’s position regarding the sale of marijuana through such entities as the Nunavut Liquor Commission?
Just right off the top of my head, thinking about a new name for that, “a subsidiary of the Nunavut Weed and Liquor Commission.”
There are all kinds of names.
Again, we haven’t given much thought to the distribution.
As Mr. Mikkungwak is aware, we’re already struggling with the distribution system for liquor products in Nunavut.
I’m sure at some point we will be giving it some consideration. We do have an interdepartmental working group with Finance, Justice, and Health who will probably be considering those types of concerns.
Question 507 – 4(3): Preventative Immunization for Nunavut Infants (Angnakak)
Mr. Speaker, for several years now, we have been hearing that infants in Nunavut have one of the highest rates of respiratory infection in Canada.
Some time ago an outbreak of RSV led to the mass evacuation of many infants to hospitals in the south.
Can the minister provide an update on what steps are being taken by his department to address the high rates of respiratory infection amongst Nunavut infants?
There has been quite a bit of public information that has been put out through the media on this issue as well as interviews with our chief medical health officer. It’s recognized that the rates in Nunavut are much higher than many other jurisdictions, if not all other jurisdictions, especially in Canada.
One of the things that have been talked about quite a bit, and I’m making an assumption that the member is probably leading this way, is on immunizations that Northern Quebec has recently implemented.
It’s something we’re reviewing.
From the information that I have received, immunizations are effective approximately 50 percent of the time.
I can’t stress enough the other factors that come into play when we’re dealing with RSV amongst infants: overcrowding in our homes; smoking in homes; just the exposure to second-hand smoke in vehicles and in homes while the baby is in the amauti are very disadvantageous to helping to treat RSV in infants.
The evaluation process is ongoing.
I can assure the member that this is very high on the radar for the chief medical officer and we’re working very hard to decide on a longer term strategy to help deal with this.
Typically there are RSV seasons, if you would call it that.
We have ebbs and flows in the number of reported cases and we haven’t seen that this year, which is quite extraordinary to historical data.
We’re analyzing this trend and are reviewing it as I speak, Mr. Speaker.
I am going that way actually. I recognize you’re saying that you’re taking steps to look at inoculations and that. However, if just one infant develops an infection, the medical evacuation costs can be extremely high.
I’m just wondering why it’s taking so long for us to go down that route.
Perhaps the minister can clearly explain why preventative immunization is not administered to all infants across Nunavut before they get sick.
To directly answer her question, and I never like putting costs in front of people’s health, but when we’re talking of instances of medevacs and emergency medical travel for infants, there is a cost associated with that.
It’s something that I take very seriously and I am working on ways to mitigate those costs.
Like I had mentioned, vaccines are one of the solutions or potential solutions that we’re looking at.
That being said, the other factors that I had mentioned earlier, the overcrowding in homes and the exposure to second-hand smoke, are also factors that people can take under their own, especially with the smoking side of things.
They can take steps to make sure that there are reductions.
Like I had mentioned, from the information I have, vaccinations are at best a 50 percent success rate.
Just to speak to some of the further things we are doing, the department has established a working group to evaluate the entire RSV program and has secured a public health officer from this Public Health Agency of Canada to assist with this evaluation.
This will take a little bit of time. There’s data to correlate.
I for one do not like making knee jerk reactions to situations without all the data in front of me.
Until such time as the chief medical health officer and the senior staff at the Department of Health can make their options available to me, we are going to continue to correlate the data to make sure that we’re making an educated path forward.
I think smoking in homes and overcrowding have been around for quite a long time and I think RSV has been around for quite a long time, so I don’t consider it a knee jerk reaction.
In light of that, will the minister commit to looking at this issue and reconsidering the policy to immunize all Nunavut infants by giving them added protection against respiratory disease? Even if it’s 50 percent, at least it’s 50 percent less.
As I had mentioned in my earlier response, we’re looking at all avenues of potential solutions to this issue.
Absolutely a vaccination program is one of the options that we are considering.
Question 508 – 4(3): Strategy for Residential Care (Sammurtok, A)
Mr. Speaker, we recently reviewed the 2017-18 capital estimates for the Department of Family Services.
The Minister of Family Services indicated that program services for some elders’ homes and other residences were going to be transferred to the Department of Health.
Can the minister provide an update on the plans for this transfer and when he expects his department to be responsible for coordinating and supporting services at all elders’ residences and group homes across Nunavut?
I thank the member for bringing forward this issue or I guess this topic.
It’s a very important one to me.
In a previous government the decision to split the Department of Health and Social Services into Family Services and a standalone Department of Health diverged a number of programs related to seniors.
In addition, the Premier himself has taken a lead on the seniors file with a great interest that he follows along with our progress.
That being said, although it wasn’t just the seniors file that was diverged from that one department into two, it did take a period of time to make sure that there wasn’t a gap in the program delivery and the services that are being provided.
There is a transition team that is currently working with Family Services and the Department of Health to make sure that there’s a seamless transition back into the Department of Health and we’re looking at taking full responsibility April 1, 2017.
As the minister will be aware, some elders’ residences are owned by third parties and operated by independent boards with support provided under contract from the Government of Nunavut.
Can the minister clarify what steps need to be taken if a third party were willing to open and operate a building as a new elders’ residence in a Nunavut community?
Speaker: The Hon. Minister of Health, Mr. Hickes.
This is a topic that is again very interesting to me as I’m always open to partnerships that are available within communities or societies to help provide care for elders.
The first step would be to submit a proposal to the Department of Health that we could take a look at in making sure we’re getting the appropriate level of care for our residents within a proposed facility, to make sure that staffing requirements are being met, and to make sure that all health parameters are being adhered to.
I would look forward and I have seen work started on such proposals from other communities. I would very much look forward to getting one from the member’s home community.
Mr. Sammurtok: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that our government has limited resources. However, I feel strongly that keeping our community members at home and ensuring that they receive services in their home community must be more economical than sending them away to facilities in other communities or even out of the territory.
Will the minister commit to positively considering proposals that may come forward from third parties to open and operate new elders facilities in Nunavut’s communities?
This government is very aware of the growing need of senior care and has been very proactive in making ourselves available to listen to submissions and to assist proponents where resources are available.
Absolutely I would look forward any proposal that would be submitted to the Department of Health to provide continuing care in the territory.
Question 509 – 4(3): Northern Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan Act (Rumbolt)
Good afternoon to the people of Sanikiluaq and the people of Nunavut. I would also like to wish my son Gary a happy 22nd birthday.
As the minister will recall, the Northern Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan Act was passed by the Legislative Assembly last year. The statute came into force on October 1 of 2015.
The Minister of CGS is the responsible minister for the statute.
As the minister will also recall, one of the amendments that the Legislative Assembly made in that statute was a provision ensuring that the employees of all housing authorities and associations in Nunavut would belong to the NEBS pension plan.
However, in reviewing the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s most recent annual report for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which was tabled last week, as well as information that is currently on the NEBS website, the communities of Kimmirut and Pond Inlet do not yet appear on the list of participating housing authorities and associations.
Can the minister confirm whether or not all housing authorities and associations in Nunavut are now participating in the NEBS pension plan?
The member is correct that the legislation was passed and all municipalities and all local housing associations have to be a member of it, except for Iqaluit as they have their own plan.
It is in the legislation that they have to be. I can’t confirm whether they all are, but they are all supposed to be.
We will have to look into that to see if there are any.
Chances are they may be on there and it’s not updated or it could that they are not on there yet.
I will look into it and I will find out because we have to follow what legislation is put on there.
I’m sure with the next question he’s probably going to have to get back to me with information too.
Section 22.1 of the legislation also provides that hamlets are to participate in the NEBS pension plan for the benefit of their employees.
This provision does not apply to employees of a city.
Can the minister confirm whether or not all Nunavut hamlets are now participating in the NEBS pension plan?
Before this legislation was passed, some of the hamlets but very few of them were not participants and as the legislation states, all these hamlets have to be a participant.
As I stated earlier, I can’t say for sure that they are all under there now, but they should be and there were very few that were not.
I’ll also get back to the minister…to the member.
If memory serves me correctly, I think there were seven municipalities that weren’t in the NEBS plan just before it was finalized.
As I noted earlier, the Northern Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan Act came into force on October 1 of 2015, just over a year ago. Under the law, the minister is legally required to table a number of reports concerning the administration of the Northern Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan.
Can the minister indicate when he will be tabling the next set of reports that are required under the legislation?
Under the legislation, if the tabling requirements are there, then I will table the requirements as soon as they are available.
Question 510 – 4(3): Disaster Compensation Program (Mapsalak)
Mr. Speaker, we are observed by the people of Nunavut when we have our sessions. I would like to say that many people ask us various questions to us as MLAs and obviously we cannot answer all of their questions.
I would like to ask about expensive hunting equipment. When hunters are out hunting, sometimes they lose some of their equipment because they either sink into the sea or are lost by heavy winds.
Whenever a hunter loses equipment, who do they normally apply to for assistance?
I believe what the member is referring to is the Disaster Compensation Program.
That program is administered through our department. Like you said, if someone loses their snowmobile, boat, or whatever and it’s weather-related or circumstances beyond their control, then the hunter or trapper can apply for the compensation through the wildlife office or through the conservation office.
There are guidelines and eligibility criteria that must be met, but the process is to go to the wildlife officer and apply for the claim.
That being the case, he said that they can get an application from the wildlife office.
For hunters who have lost their main equipment that they will never be able to recover, what is the process they would need to follow for assistance in replacing their machine or whatever equipment that is lost? How do they make the case in applying for assistance?
Do they need to get a letter of support from other people or another group?
Can the member please rephrase his question as I didn’t understand it?
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Mapsalak, please rephrase your question.
If anybody loses hunting equipment and they want to try to get assistance, what sort of information do they need to provide to the wildlife officer?
Do they need to get a letter of support or do they need to provide confirmation that they lost their equipment?
Hon. Joe Savikataaq: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for clarifying it.
The applicant has to sign a statutory declaration saying that they did lose that piece of equipment and that must be signed by a Commissioner of Oaths or a notary public.
Mr. Mapsalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the minister for completely clarifying that.
If the process is followed properly, will the hunter get assistance right away for everything they have lost?
If all the information is provided correctly and they have the supporting documents that are required, would they receive their assistance right away?
I’ll just outline the process for an applicant to apply from the beginning to the end stage.
If a hunter or trapper loses their equipment through a disaster or through circumstances beyond their control, they go to the conservation officer and they pick up a form, fill it out, then the conservation officer will either recommend or not recommend, and then it goes to the hunters and trappers association.
They will recommend or not recommend. It goes to the regional office and they will look at it.
If they recommend it, it will go on to headquarters. If they agree with it, then the applicant will have their claim processed.
Like I stated earlier, if you fit within their criteria, one of the criteria is you must get 25 percent of your income off of the land. That is one of the criteria. There are other criteria, but that is one of them.
Member for Tununiq, Mr. Joe Savikataaq...I’m sorry, Joe Enook.
Question 511 – 4(3): Recruitment of Nurses to Work in Nunavut (Enook)
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) My question is for the Minister of Health.
(interpretation) Before I ask the question, I would like to say “good day” to the people of Pond Inlet and Nunavummiut.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, a number of my colleagues have been raising concerns and questions in recent days regarding the impact of the ongoing shortage of health professionals in our communities.
Nursing shortages can cause staff to burn out, increase the risk of diagnostic errors, worsen delays for people seeking appointments, and result in additional overtime costs for the long hours put in by our frontline staff.
Can the minister update us today on the status of his department’s Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy?
I applaud the member for again giving me some opportunity to be able to highlight some of the enhanced features that we’re looking at utilizing under the Department of Health specifically for health care professionals but for nurses.
The member talks about the Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy that was brought forward, I believe, in 2009.
We’re actually revamping that to turn it into just a health professional recruitment and retention strategy. This will help us improve the classifications of the hiring.
Specifically with nurses, we are in the process of finalizing a contract with a nurse recruitment entity that followed through the RFP process and was approved.
We do work continuously with an agency to provide nursing support where we are unable to fill the indeterminate nurse positions.
We’re also looking at aligning our recruitment strategies.
It has often been said that it’s better to be a casual nurse than an indeterminate nurse and we take those comments very seriously.
We want to make sure that our indeterminate nurses, people that have committed to getting involved in the community, getting involved with their peer groups and participating in the community in providing health care, receive the best benefits to working in Nunavut.
There are a number of initiatives that the Department of Health has ongoing. We have centralized our HR nursing function to be able to provide some more stability and continued focus to this specific group of employees, and I applaud the work that they are doing.
I have spoken to a number of the staff there. It has been a little while now, but when I did my tour through health buildings here in Iqaluit, they’re working feverishly to make sure that the needs of communities are met on an ongoing basis.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I have met and spoken with many of our hard-working frontline health staff in more than one community.
It is clear that filling nursing positions with full-time staff leads to consistency and stability at our health centres, which is good for both health care patients and health care providers.
However, it appears that there are situations where temporary nursing staff try to apply for full-time positions in communities that they have grown to love, but their applications are ignored or not responded to for months and even years.
I have been told that some of them eventually quit even trying.
Mr. Speaker, when temporary nurses who have experience working in our communities want to become full-time nurses, can the minister indicate what steps and timelines are in place to fast-track the hiring process in such situations?
The situation that the member is highlighting is a very serious one and whenever I travel outside of Iqaluit to other communities, I make it a priority to visit the health care staff in that community and I have heard the same stories.
I know of a couple of times where I have been travelling with my deputy minister and she has pulled that individual aside and had them send their resumé directly to her to find out how we can speed the process up.
There are a number of different factors and I don’t want to get into any specifics on specific people’s applications, but if they have submitted an application for employment through our continuing recruitment avenues and if they feel like they are not getting the results that they feel are appropriate, I would encourage them to contact my deputy minister or even myself through a member, if they wish to go through me, and I’ll look into that individual circumstance at that time.
This is my last question. (interpretation ends) A very simple question: can the minister tell us how many agency or contract nurses have been hired by the government within the past two years to become full-time nurses?
I don’t have that level of detail with me. I do know that at any given time there could be as many 50 agency nurses across the territory where needs are demanded at a community.
We have an obligation to make sure that health care is being provided. I would look forward to providing that detailed information to the member at a later date.
Oral Questions. Member for Iqaluit-Sinaa, Mr. Paul Okalik.
Question 512 – 4(3): Devolution Negotiations (Okalik)
My question is to the Premier in regard to the transfer of powers over resource development after devolution.
I am very pleased to hear that the devolution talks will be resuming and I just want to encourage its pursuit in order for Nunavut to move forward.
My first question to the Premier is in regard to whether offshore waters will be included.
Elsewhere in Canada, jurisdiction is held by some provinces over nearby offshore waters and coastal areas.
Will this transfer include the outlying waters, considering its importance to Nunavummiut?
I didn’t clearly understand that question.
Can the member please repeat that question?
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Maybe you can stop my clock for a bit.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I’m encouraged by the press and media about our government proceeding into negotiations with the federal government on devolution. I’m hopeful that we can conclude an agreement that would be beneficial for all parties.
My main question to the Premier is if the issue of internal waters will be included in these discussions, just like any other part of the country, that inland waters be a part of Nunavut for future generations. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Premier of Nunavut, Mr. Peter Taptuna.
Mr. Speaker, again, devolution is key for Nunavut to be a full participant in its lands and resources.
As we have talked about internal waters in the past, there is a table set for negotiations. The first phase of the negotiations is going to include the agreement-in-principle. The second phase includes resources, oil and gas, and internal waters.
That’s how the scheduling is going to be set up through the negotiating table.
I look forward because, at the end of the day, approximately 93 percent of our revenues come from Ottawa. We do have to look forward into the future to ensure that Nunavummiut are going to be able to participate globally, building our own infrastructure and having our own priorities through devolution.
I look forward to the day when we get to that situation and sign the AIP and continue on with the second phase of our negotiations.
This is technically my first supplementary question, but now it is my final supplementary, as a clarification was requested earlier.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my full support of this process. The inclusion of offshore development is very important to the people of Nunavut as most of our communities are on the coast. We are in full support of the Premier and this government while they’re negotiating devolution involving any potential economic development opportunities derived from offshore oil and gas development.
Our government does not usually benefit from the revenues from mining, but a lot of people work in mining.
I just want our government to include offshore development as a goal during the devolution process.
Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the confidence in trying to establish a bright future for all Nunavummiut through devolution and real negotiations which benefit Nunavummiut.
That is exactly what we want, employment and resiliency, and at the end of the day self-respect through good employment.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I’m quite confident and I’m quite optimistic with the table that has been set with the federal government. I’m really hoping that we can come up with an AIP through good negotiations and continue on to the second phase of devolution. I look forward to that.
Question 513 – 4(3): Suicide Prevention (Joanasie)
Mr. Speaker, in his Minister’s Statement today, he explained some of the activities of the Embrace Life Council and I would like to ask a few questions for clarification.
First of all, he indicated that there is a grief support group in Iqaluit.
Could he clarify and explain if all communities in Nunavut have any type of grief counselling support for people impacted by suicide?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Suicide Prevention, Mr. George Hickes.