EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, in the Premier’s response last week, he had indicated that they looked at the cost benefit allowances and analyses of the situation and indicated that they had looked at all this information prior to making their decision.
I would like to ask the Minister or the Premier if he could help dispel some of the questions that there was some political interference or something else going on behind the scenes that lead to this decision, if he could share with me and the Members of this House exactly what were those numbers.
What exactly did they look at, or what did they base their decision on?
Under the NNI policy there is no set provision that allows us to look at the actual costs and the benefits of a particular project.
What we looked at was what companies were involved, what gains there would be for the people of Nunavut.
This was a substantial contract and we felt politically it would be in the best interest of Nunavummiut to award this contract to a local Nunavut company, in the interest of maintaining benefits to the people of Nunavut.
The actual cost was not that significant. So, we had to weigh the cost of going with a Nunavut-based company or with a southern-based company and in the interest of all Nunavummiut, we felt that in this instant, awarding this contract to a Nunavut-based company was a lot more beneficial to the people of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, the Premier indicated there that they gave the contract to a Nunavut-based company.
The contract was awarded to the Sanajiit Joint Venture.
Is that a Nunavut-based company or is it just part of it a Nunavut-based company?
Although it is Joint Venture, but a substantial portion of the contract would go to a Nunavut-based company.
So, in the interest of making sure that the benefits stayed in the territory, we awarded that particular contract to that company in the place of a southern-based company.
Mr. Speaker, that substantial portion, I am wondering if the Minister could, if he could indicate what that would be; hopefully it is over 51 percent.
That is the target that we use for NNI and also given that, Mr. Speaker, it is also my understanding that the unsuccessful bidder being Ninety North has a parent company that does have a substantial number of shareholders who reside in Nunavut and I understand they also have a number of those shareholders, over a dozen of them are Inuit shareholders.
So, I would like to ask the Premier if that is something that they took into consideration.
I mean, there are shareholders in that company and somebody is saying that they are not considered to be local or northern and they are shareholders.
So, I would like to ask the Premier if he could clarify that.
The company referred to by my Colleague is based in southern Canada and has shareholders everywhere in the country.
They pay their taxes in southern Canada and they pay their dividends largely to southern-based shareholders.
So, for the other companies that are actually based here in Nunavut, they pay their taxes here and they live here and they pass on whatever money they make paid in the local economy.
So, that is pretty obvious for the people of Nunavut and the Government to support locally-based businesses.
It makes sense for the people of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I do not mean to anyone to argue that, but the perception that is out there, based on this decision, is not a very good looking perception.
Like I said last week, that the integrity of the system that this Government uses in awarding and tendering contracts has been jeopardized by the decision that was made and what I am looking for, Mr. Speaker, and I know that there are a lot of other people out there looking for is, they want that security restored to make sure that they know what the rules of the game are before going into the game.
I am sure, Mr. Speaker, you yourself are probably aware that putting together a bid for projects like this is something that you cannot do quickly or cheaply and time and money and investments made in doing that.
So, I guess what people are looking for is they want to have some kind of certainty as to the rules in which the game is going to be played by and they are looking to find out and to make sure that they feel comfortable playing the game, that they are playing a fair game and that is what they are looking for.
So, given that, I would like to ask the Minister, the Premier had indicated that a substantial portion of that contract was being done by the Nunavut portion of the Joint Venture.
I would like to ask him if he could indicate what portion that is.
The fact that the joint venture that is at least half of a $17 million dollars project is substantial in itself.
I will provide the Member with the particular details as soon as I get them.
I cannot say whether we will continue to intervene.
I can say that general rules apply.
In this instance, we looked at the potential benefits and the size of the contract, and will continue to examine those types of contracts that will have large benefits in the interest of Nunavummiut and make sure that the people of Nunavut are given a substantial opportunity to benefit from contracts coming from this Government.
Question 632 – 1(6): Additional Director for Baffin, Keewatin and Kivalliq Regions
The DEAs in the communities, in the Kitikmeot, Keewatin, and the Baffin regions have Directors in each of the regions.
If the DEAs need more support they could get more support from them.
There are 14 communities in the Baffin Region and there is one Director who is supposed to help the communities in the Baffin region.
I was wondering if the Minister can find out if we could get two Directors for the large numbers in the communities in the Baffin, for North Baffin and South Baffin.
Charles Stansfield, who is the Director, and the Pond Inlet staff have made themselves available to the whole of the Baffin communities.
I will look into that, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for recognizing me right away.
As I have stated in my question, there are 14 communities in the Baffin region, and we have one Director who has to visit all of those 14 communities.
Do they have a one Director in each Kitikmeot and Keewatin, or is that Director for the whole Nunavut Territory?
In each region, yes, they do have Directors, the Baffin, the Keewatin, and the Kitikmeot, who visit around to the communities mainly for Inuktitut curriculum and the mathematics curriculum.
They have individual staff like we have one for the Baffin region, who is stationed in Pond Inlet.
The Minister has stated that she will look into this, whether they could be North and South Baffin Directors.
After she reviews that, perhaps after March 31st, you can fill in that position.
After April 1st.
There is more than one staff member in Pond Inlet who is working for the Baffin Region and they’re to visit the communities.
There is more than one position that is filled.
If it just seems to be one employee working there, then yes we’ll look into that and if it requires fixing, we’ll do it.
Although I have asked earlier, I know the staff members and that’s why I’m asking those questions.
They live in Pond Inlet, yes I realize that.
If there needs to be additional staff to work on that after we dealt with the main estimates, would you be able to get that position open?
What I’m trying to say is that there is more than one staff member who has to visit the communities.
Yes, we’ll look into what’s happening with the person there.
We’ll look into it.
Mr. Speaker, there is more than one staff member there and yes, I will look into it to make sure that they’re doing their job.
Question 633 – 1(6): Elders Advisory Counselling Group
My question is directed to the Minister Responsible for Justice.
In his Ministers' statement in regards to the RCMP, I’m very pleased that they can be given funding according to the needs of Nunavummiut.
Yes, we need detachments in all the communities.
My question is that Nunavut elders have no place to deal with the young offenders and they could counsel them in Inuktitut ways, using traditional methods of counselling. Through Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, have there been any applications from the communities to be used by elders for traditional counselling so that a traditional counsellors entity can be established?
I’m not too sure.
We have Nunavut wide elders groups in the Department of Justice at the community level.
They deal with the offenders instead of them having to go through the court system.
Not all communities are utilizing this although we’d like to see it utilized in all the communities.
I also thank him for providing me with a good response.
I would like to ask another question, have any of the communities asked the department if this could be a position at the local level as an alternative justice committee?
According to my knowledge, the communities to date that Justice Committees are running well and we provide honorariums when they have to meet and also, we are at the planning stage to give more power and authority to the Justice Committee.
We are now working with the RCMP today on their level of authority pertaining to crimes that result in summary convictions, not indictable etc.
Yes, we already have a Justice Committee in all of the communities of Nunavut and yes, we would like to utilize these Justice Committees more.
I am very pleased to hear his response, but I have another question.
In all of the communities of Nunavut, I think that we, there are 27 communities, if the communities apply for funding, is there funding available for the elders so that they could work on traditional counselling, and is there adequate funding provided for that within your Department?
To date, the Justice Committees are provided, in all of the Nunavut communities, funding and the funding is set aside for them and we will continue that funding line item and as I had stated before, we would like to see them hold more authority and responsibility.
Just a reminder to Members with 8 and a half minutes left, we still have two speakers yet to speak, so, try to pick up the pace.
Who is responsible for the funding operations for the elders?
Who is providing the funding and who is allocating funding to the Justice Committees, staff, or the youth groups?
Is the position open to allocate funding for the Justice Committees?
Yes, we have staff that allocates funding to the communities, in fact, gives support to the Justice Committee at the local level and they work with the Justice Committee and we will continue to provide funding through Justice Committees annually.
We provide funding and the Federal Government also provides funding for them.
Question 634 – 1(6): Outpost Camp Programs
Mr. Havioyak: (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am just going to explain, for example, in regards to the outpost camps, when the people are incarcerated, when they do not have a serious offence and when they go through these programs to heal, what sort of programs are related?
Yes, there are only a few outpost camps in Nunavut and there is none in Kitikmeot.
The outpost camps that would like to operate camps for inmates, they are given workshops and they are given support.
Although, we’ve supported few outpost camps, they have not continued to run their outpost camps.
How do you as the Minister relate the information to the people of Kitikmeot?
What sort of communications is related to that request if we were to request such a program in the Kitikmeot?
We had, I think it was through the, we were, yes in the past we’ve informed the public out there to see who wants to open outpost camps for the inmates but if there would be anyone who’s willing to apply to get the outpost camps going for the inmates, yes, we’re willing and open.
As you stated, you have communications in regards to the matter in the Kitikmeot.
We’ll use Kugluktuk for instance.
As you stated you have communications in that matter.
As you know the residents of Kugluktuk would like to get into that program.
So, how would they go about getting into that program on the land?
We had made an announcement through the media looking for proposals.
Should you want to make a proposal, we are more than willing to receive submissions so that we can hand them over to our employees.
Thank you, for your response Minister.
As we know, before the Government of Nunavut got into the operations of governing our territory, we had such a program in Kugluktuk which related to on the land programs for persons incarcerated.
I would like to ask the Minister, this type of programming, would that get started again if we made such an application because as we know, this is an urgent matter that we’ve requested.
Has the Minister given this attention for the people who have made this request from Kugluktuk?
Yes, we’re more than willing to receive proposals or submissions.
Should there be training components in your proposal, we’re more than willing to look at that also.
Please forward your submissions to our department and we’ll do all we can to help you get it going.
Question 635 – 1(6): Provide Funds for a Private Consultant Feasibility Study on Coral Harbour Meat Plant
And as Mr. Iqaqrialu stated earlier, here I am in my training mode and thank you, very much for welcoming me.
I would also like to thank the people of Chesterfield Inlet and Coral Harbour for electing me to be their representative in the House.
Last year, in Coral Harbour, the Government directed a consultant to do a feasibility study on meat processing plants.
(interpretation ends) But we all know that when the Government hires a consultant, they only write down what the Government wants to hear and what it does not want to hear, but we all know from when we are at our home communities it is like it is a total different thing and this is what I want to say.
Last year, the Government hired a consultant to do a feasibility study if a meat plant could be established at Coral Harbour, but we all know what the Government, when a Government hires a consultant, it tells the consultant what to say and what not to say.
In other words, you say what I want to say.
So, as everybody knows that Coral Harbour has an abundant supply of caribou on the island and it provides much needed jobs for in our communities and elsewhere like the meat plant in Rankin Inlet.
My question to the Minister of Renewable Resources is: could he provide funds if we were to hire an independent consultant to do a feasibility study if Coral Harbour could support their own meat plant because we all know that there are other communities like Baker Lake, Arviat, Whale Cove, Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield, (interpretation) because of course, those communities have an abundant supply of caribou.
We know this, if we harvested and processed caribou meat, we could increase the number of employed in Rankin Inlet and there is a demand for smoked fish and caribou.
It would increase the capacity and also increase employment.
We have an abundant supply of caribou in Coral Harbour and also an abundant supply of char in Cleveland Lake and Thompson Lake.
We can harvest 25 thousand pounds of char in Coral Harbour.
If we should get a meat processing plant, I do know that it would be an excellent venture and also in the spring, we get a lot of migratory birds passing through our community to the point where they might be polluting the drinking supply and because of the abundant supply of geese; we have at one time got e-coli in our drinking water.
My question is directed to the Minister Akesuk.
Is it possible for the Minister to start a feasibility study and for us to get a private consultant to do a feasibility study on a meat processing plant?
We are in the process of looking through this and the first representative worked extremely hard to get that kind of venture going.
And we’ll work together with you as the representative; we have stated that we should look into working together with the community and the government in order to start such ventures.
We’re starting to complete the studies and I would like to work with the Member to find out exactly what the community wants.
We have been working on the establishment of a meat processing plant in Coral Harbour and that is not the only response I want to give the Member.
What I want is to work with the community as we are a new government to get those initiatives going.
We also have the Nunavut Economic Development Strategy that we’re currently working on.
I don’t seem to hear a response to my question.
My question was is it possible for the Minister to give us funding so that we can hire a private consultant to do an independent feasibility study on a plant?
If the community of Coral Harbour should write a proposal through the Hunters and Trappers Organization or the private businesses, then we could review it and see if it’s going to be beneficial to their community.
I would like to thank the Minister of Sustainable Development for his willingness and I will make sure that I will inform the community residents of Coral Harbour that he is receptive to this idea.
We’ll move onto Item 7, Written Questions.
Tabled Document 134 – 1(6): Letter to Minister Kattuk from the Northwest Territories Construction Association
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a letter that was addressed to the Minister of Public Works and Services last June 17, 2003 from the Northwest Territories Construction Association.
As you know Mr. Speaker, the Construction Association represents all the businesses in Nunavut as well; this is a letter that they’re still waiting for a response from so, I thought I would remind them.
Item 17 First Reading of Bills. First Reading of Bills.
Bill 40 – An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Credit Corporation Act – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Rankin South/Whale Cove that Bill 40, an Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Credit Corporation Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this Bill amends the Northwest Territories Business Credit Corporation Act to remove references to the Northwest Territories and its Government and replace them with a reference to Nunavut and the Government of Nunavut.
The Bill also makes an addition to the definition of business enterprise.
The Motion is in order to the principle of the Bill.
The Motion is carried and Bill 40 has had Second Reading and accordingly the Bill stands referred to the Committee of the Whole.
To a Committee then.
Bill 41 – An Act to Amend the Nursing Act – Second Reading
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Iqaluit West, that Bill 41, an Act to Amend the Nursing Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this Bill amends the Nursing Act to remain consistent with the new Nursing Professions Act of the Northwest Territories, which come into force January 1st, 2004.
The practice of nursing in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories will be regulated by the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
The Bill continues the registration of person engaged in the practice of nursing and adds the registration of Nursing Practitioners, Mr. Speaker.
The Bill also consequentially amends a number of other Health Professions Act.
The Motion is order.
Bill 41 has had Second Reading, and accordingly the Bill stands referred to a Committee.
Bill 42 – An Act to Amend the Labour Standards Act – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Hudson Bay, that Bill 42, an Act to Amend the Labour Standards Act be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this Bill amends the Labour Standards Act to provide for up to 8 weeks of compassionate leave for employees when a family member is seriously ill.
This amendment makes available to employees in Nunavut, similar provisions for compassionate leave for those and for the federal employees under the Canada Labour Code.
The Motion has been carried and Bill 42 has had Second Reading and accordingly the Bill stands referred to a Committee.
Bill 43 – An Act to Amend the Nunavut Personal Income Tax Act – Second Reading
Hon. Peter Kattuk: I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Baffin South, that Bill 43, an Act to Amend the Income Tax Act to be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this Bill is to amend the Nunavut Personal Income Tax Act for the 2004 taxation year, so that the income report remains consistent with the Federal Government’s Tax rate, so the federal Income Tax Act, which will have an affect on lowering income taxes.
The motion is carried, and Bill 43 has had second reading and accordingly the Bill stands referred to a committee.
Bill 44 – Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 1, 2003/2004 – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member of Baffin South, that Bill 44, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 1, 2003/2004 be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this Bill is to seek legislative approval for an additional amount of $15 million, 99 thousand for the Operations and Maintenance of Government of Nunavut departments for the fiscal year 2003/2004.
The motion is carried and Bill 44 has had second reading and accordingly the Bill stands referred to a committee.
Bill 45 – Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 2, 2003/2004 – Second Reading
Hon. Manitok Thompson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues.
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Iqaluit West, that Bill 45, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 2, 2003/2004 be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this Bill is to seek Legislative approval for an additional amount of $4 million, 828 thousand for capital requirements relating to the losses of Joamie School in Iqaluit, the fire hall in Clyde River and the Community Hall and the hamlet complex in Repulse Bay for the fiscal year 2003/2004.
The motion is carried and Bill 45 has had second reading and accordingly the Bill stands referred to a committee.
Bill 47 – Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 3, 2002/2003 – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Baffin South, that Bill 47, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 3, 2002/2003 be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the Bill is to seek legislative approval for an additional amount of $352 thousand dollars for the Operations and Maintenance requirements of Government of Nunavut departments for fiscal year 2002/2003.
Motion is carried and Bill 47 has had second reading and accordingly the Bill stands referred to a committee.
Bill 48 – Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 4, 2002/2003 – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Iqaluit West, that Bill 48, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 4, 2002/2003 be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this Bill is to seek legislative approval for an additional amount of $3 million, 572 thousand dollars to fund requirements for the Qikiqtani Regional Hospital and the Kitikmeot Health Centre for the Department of Health and Social Services for the fiscal year 2002/2003.
Motion is carried and Bill 48 has had second reading and accordingly the Bill stands referred to a committee.
Item 19. Consideration of Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters; Bill 12, Bill 33 and Bill 46, with Mr. Iqaqrialu in the Chair.
Before we proceed to Committee of the Whole, we’ll take a short 20 minute break.
>>House recessed at 15:35 and resumed at 16:01
Chairman (Mr. Iqaqrialu) (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Thompson.
If you could introduce your officials again for the record.
Hon. Manitok Thompson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On my right is Pam Hines, my Deputy Minister for Department of Education.
On my left is the Capital Planner, Lorne Levy for Department of Education.
Donald.
We could like to continue with the review of the Capital Estimates for Education followed by the Department of Human Resources.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Havioyak.
We were on questions, 9-5, if we can begin on 9-6.
There have been some Members who wanted to ask questions.
Mr. Chairman, last week when the Minister for Education was present I asked a question about the bus services for the communities to see whether there could be some money set aside for bus services for Taloyoak.
It has been a concern for the people of Taloyoak to have a bus service.