EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
With respect to the secondary issue which relates to the need for a relief for the client service escort, I apologize for not noticing the question. I can respond to this question now.
If a client service escort requires a relief, as I said in my earlier factual statement, the first escort may be relieved by another escort if the treatment for the patient is long-term.
However, if there was a need for escort relief, our policy states that a request has to be approved by Deputy Minister.
As I said earlier, this is approval process is done on a case-by-case basis. This is especially true if the case is a complex or challenging one. The persons making the request usually need and expect a quick response.
Yes, we want to provide the best service we can and where possible, we will select the best options to provide service to Nunavutmiut.
In cases where family members are denied the opportunity to be with their children who are down south for long-term medical care, can the minister clarify what process should be followed by family members who wish to appeal the decision denying their travel?
It is impossible for me right now to reply to this question specifically.
But I will look into it and get back to the member when I get that information.
In cases where individuals are denied, as I said before, we deal with these appeals on a case-by-case basis. We try and get as much information for each case.
We know that children are sent down south for long-term medical care.
I cannot respond to that question just now because I don’t have the details in front of me.
I would like to provide the correct information to the member. I’ll take the question as notice.
Mr. Rumbolt, your question has been taken as notice.
So therefore, I’ll move on to the next member. Oral Questions.
Question 320 – 3(2): Letter Addressing Mould in Workplace (Okalik)
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I tabled a letter from a fellow Iqalummiuq who has had a very difficult time in trying to work in one of the office buildings here in Iqaluit.
I want assurances from the Minister for Human Resources that she will not be punished for expressing her unfortunate situation.
Before I proceed, I would like to ask the minister for assurances on this matter. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I mean, of course, I can assure the member that it’s this government’s policy that everybody has the right to be open and be transparent about any issue with their employment.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) The letter is, I believe, self-explanatory and the situation has been carrying on far too long for all concerned.
I’m asking the minister if he can intervene and assist with the employee.
She is not the only one, unfortunately.
So I would like to get an explanation from the minister how these can be settled in a far more expedient matter for the benefit of our employees and our own government because we’re short of employees who can do their work in this government. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would just like to inform the member and of course, he knows that I’m not going to talk about any specifics of any case.
In general, there are processes that have to be followed under the collective agreement in HR and I assure him that those processes are being followed.
We will, as in any case, try and expedite cases to come to a peaceful and responsible resolution in all cases.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) As employers, usually, they have a duty to accommodate and in this case, unfortunately, the individual is still waiting to be accommodated by our government to find a safer environment to work in.
Can the minister facilitate the situation?
In all cases where we have situations like this, there is an avenue to accommodate employees. We need that process to be respected and followed.
For that to happen, we need an accommodation letter from the employee requesting the accommodation that they may choose or want. With that, we would need a clearance from a medical doctor advising us what safe working conditions that employer can work in so that we can place them properly.
Than you, Mr. Okalik.
Question 321 – 3(2): Creation of Child and Youth Advocate Office (Elliott)
I would like to ask a question about the creation of a child and youth advocacy office for Nunavut.
I believe that my question should be directed to the Premier.
Mr. Speaker, it is the Premier’s prerogative to assign portfolios and responsibilities to the Members of her Executive Council.
The Tamapta Action Plan, which was tabled by the Premier on December 7, 2009, states on page 20, “During this mandate, the government will also create an independent child and youth representative who will report to the Legislative Assembly.”
Will the Premier now clearly state for the benefit of this House which Member of the Executive Council has the responsibility to answer questions in this House regarding the creation of an independent child and youth representative for Nunavut?
With respect to that specific question, it is in the Tamapta mandate as one of the goals we hope to achieve. Social wellness is a very important priority of this government.
Due to the priority level, this matter will not be handled solely by any one Department. There are different aspects to this priority that fall under the mandates of several different departments.
For example, Health and Social Services has responsibility for part of that mandate, as the Hon. Curley reported yesterday, or perhaps it was the day before that.
The same member asked the Minister about the Department’s action plans regarding this matter.
The Poverty Reduction Strategy, as another example, is also under review in terms of this priority by the Department of ED&T.
As well, the other departments are involved as per their particular responsibilities.
We do not want to approach this by having a single department working alone on this. We prefer to tackle this issue through interdepartmental collaboration. This is how we envision this being implemented, by interrelating each of the different Departments’ mandates and responsibilities.
(interpretation ends) I guess if I want to say it in English, we don’t want to tackle social issues in a silo fashion. Many departments are addressing that collectively.
The social advocacy office will initially address four main items, such as gender and diverse issues, which is very much ongoing, suicide prevention is also ongoing that is housed at EIA at this point and will be taken over by Health and Social Services, children and youth advocacy, as well as policy work in the areas of physical disabilities.
I have noted that one of the government’s tactics to avoid answering questions is for ministers to pass off questions to each other.
By the time I have gone through my three supplementaries, I have gone through three ministers and I still don’t have an answer.
If this were a game of hockey, Mr. Speaker, and I know that many of my colleagues like to talk about hockey on Fridays, then you can imagine how upset the fans would be if their team just kept passing the puck around and nobody took a shot on goal.
At this rate, if the government can defer things from year to year, then they will be able to make it through the whole term without having to address some issues at all.
To continue with my hockey analogy, Mr. Speaker, their score would not be the high one.
My question, Mr. Speaker, is: what assurances can the Premier provide to this House that the creation of an independent child and youth representative office will happen during the mandate of this government?
With respect to the matter he raises in his question, we are currently working on it.
Bear with us that we need to be cognizant that anything related to social wellness cannot and must not be handled without forethought.
We are trying to plan and roll out this properly by outlining our goals and objectives in our action plans for legislative reform. We must not be hasty in drafting this type of legislation.
If it were possible, we’d also love to see this completed overnight.
But this is the real world.
We must work and plan together collaboratively in terms of legislation and policy on social issues.
We are working very hard to deal with this important issue.
Our government is working on this issue.
The proposed advocacy office will be directed to work on policy development. We are currently advertising for the position of a child and youth advocacy director and this is open until March 31.
We are constantly working hard on this process.
Can the Premier update this House on whether any steps have been taken to determine the legislation requirements for establishing an independent officer which answers to the Legislative Assembly?
Yes, they would work on that through the planning of the legislation.
We envision that the child and youth advocacy office will be an independent one and it will become an independent office.
That’s what we are planning and the government will work on that. It will become an independent entity and that’s part of our planning.
They are inside our planning.
I guess it is Friday today. I lost track of my questions.
Can the Premier update this House on any discussions that have been held with independent officers representing the interests of children and youth in other jurisdictions?
I think the member had already heard how the Department of Health and Social Services is working on that.
They are doing consultation to on that in Nunavut communities in regard to social issues and this is just a beginning, it’s on its initial stage.
Question 322 – 3(2): Information for Potential Homeowners (Ningeongan)
Mr. Ningeongan: Thank you Mr. Speaker.
In my Member’s Statement, I noted the importance of providing clear information to potential homeowners in Nunavut so that they are clearly aware of both the benefits and risks of homeownership.
When residents apply for such programs as the Nunavut Down Payment Assistance Program, what information or counselling does the Nunavut Housing Corporation provide to them?
Mr. Speaker, in every region through the district office, it’s our program staff in the regions who deliver homeownership education and counselling to clients who are looking to get into the homeownership programs.
There are a wide range of things and just about everything is looked at.
They go everywhere from industry acronyms to insurance, mortgage, mortgage information, mortgage terms.
There is a whole area that they look at as far as homeownership, as far as the purchase, the cost estimates. They take a look at whether someone is financially able to be able to purchase, operate, and maintain a unit.
The whole budgeting process for it is looked at and explained and gone over with it.
Also, the whole step-by-step process with the stuff with CMHC and the mortgage insurance, and all of the different requirements are there; loan insurance, homeowner’s insurance.
They are also counselled or explained on how a bank or a lender would look at them, explaining to clients how the bank would look at their net worth, their income, and their credit rating, everything like that that would determine their eligibility for a mortgage. They are taken through the whole transfer of title and land process.
So there is a very in-depth and substantial work done with clients who are looking to get into homeownership because one of the goals of the corporation and the government has been encouraging for a year even before division for individuals who can afford it to get into homeownership.
Also, looking at it, we want to ensure that the clients who we do assist to get into homeownership are prepared and ready to be there so that they know what they’re getting into.
In my Member’s Statement, I noted that a number of constituents have fallen into situations where they have tried to sell their homes but simply cannot because of the very small housing market in our small communities.
Does the Nunavut Housing Corporation provide any kind of assistance or advice to Nunavut homeowners in these kinds of situations?
If an individual or a former client is in a situation like that where they wish to put their home up for sale and they approach the district office and the program staff for any advice on what things to look for, one of the things I know that usually is mentioned to an individual is if they’re on, for example, NDAP, or EDAP, or whatever program they received assistance on, those types of programs are forgivable over a certain period of time and there may be an outstanding balance on that. So they’re explained.
If you sell and you still owe a certain percentage of that money back to the corporation because you didn’t fulfill your commitments over the length of the unit… so different things like that.
I’m sure the program staff would look at it and also look if there are other clients looking to get into homeownership from that community to try and match that up as well.
I assume if an individual approached our staff, they would assist them however they could through that process.
I would like to ask the minister: to date, have there been any cases here in Nunavut that have fallen into this kind of situation and how many of them have so far been assisted or helped in this type of situation?
I don’t have the specific numbers of individuals who have faced that situation.
I don’t even know if we’re aware of all of the individuals who face that situation if they don’t come forward and discuss it with or look for assistance from our staff.
Mr. Speaker, I know we do have programs for seniors, elders who are in homeownership, looking at ways that they, based on their pension income, can no longer afford to maintain a house.
There are different options that our staff will discuss with them, either buying back the house, or transferring it to another family member, or selling it.
There are a number of different options that are looked at for individuals, by seniors and the disabled person on fixed incomes who have problems or can no longer maintain the unit that they live in based on changes that have happened in their lives.
Those are instances where they’re all looked at on a case-by-case basis and in every case.
After explaining all of the options and all the pros and cons of everything, it’s the client that has the final say.
Thank you, Mr. Ningeongan. (interpretation) Oral Questions.
Question 323 – 3(2): Baffin Bay Polar Bear Quota Decrease (Arvaluk)
The people of Nunavut celebrated when the Minister of Environment announced that the proposal for an international ban on the polar bear had been defeated.
But, with respect to the planned Baffin Bay polar bear quota reduction by ten per year over four years, the Minister didn’t indicate what changes he would make to that decision.
What will be happening with the Baffin Bay polar bear quotas?
I would like to thank the member for that question so I can clarify things.
As I spoke to the Baffin Bay before, nothing will change.
The decision made by me and the government with the decreases coming in at 10 a year will continue.
The Baffin Bay situation is different than what has been decided at CITES.
CITES will now allow European countries and other countries that do not ban export into their countries to continue to support hunting polar bears in Nunavut.
The Baffin Bay is a distinct population, a population that we have to manage and show our management actions.
I have lobbied the federal government by us doing what we have done for them to lift that ban that they have placed on the Baffin Bay.
We will see where that goes.
However, I’m encouraged too that by the time 2013-14 comes around, it will have a new population estimate for Baffin Bay and we can deal with it at that time on our management actions.
So that is our choice right now, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, I understand that there are no plans for any changes regarding the Baffin Bay polar bear quota reductions, and that there will be a decrease of 10 animals per year over four years.
This totals to a reduction of 40 polar bears from the quota, all told.
Will the Minister elaborate as to why he did not follow the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board’s recommendations to put the reductions in force starting next year? What are the reasons why the Minister wants to initiate these reductions immediately?
We decided as a department and as a government to start the decrease a year sooner, this fiscal year, so that we can manage our population responsibly and show to the parties that were involved with polar bear management that we are taking action.
The sooner we take this action, the sooner we will come to a beneficial agreement for Nunavut and the sooner we may be able to lift the ban on the polar bears from Baffin Bay.
Why do you feel that the NWMB decision to start the reduction a year from now was not good, sound management of the polar bear quota?
As I stated, we decided to implement this a year earlier than recommended by NWMB, but it should be noted that one point in NWMB’s recommendation is that they had recommended that we start this actually this year too.
But we are doing this, as I stated, for us and our conservation of sustainable harvest of polar bears in Baffin Bay and that we are going to manage our population properly.
The sooner we deal with this, the sooner that we can get this ban lifted off the Baffin Bay.
Mr. Arvaluk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) I would like to ask the Minister if he still plans to visit the three affected communities of Pond Inlet, Clyde River, and Broughton Island in early April of this year: Will you be traveling to these communities to talk about the export ban?
We will be going at the end of March or the beginning of April to visit all of the affected communities.
At that time, as I spoke before, we will be working with the Department of ED&T to advise the people in the polar bear industry and the outfitters in the communities on avenues that they can explore other businesses.
I think that at that point in time too, we should encourage our outfitters and the people involved in our outfitting business to target Canadians and Canadian hunters to come and sport hunt our polar bears as there is no restriction on them doing so.
Question 324 – 3(2): RCMP Issues in Pangnirtung (Komoartok)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Justice, (interpretation ends) the Hon. Keith Peterson.
(interpretation) In our community of Pangnirtung, we have RCMP staff housing and offices that were built in the 1960s which make them 40 plus years old.
When renovations and retrofit are required for these buildings, the RCMP members have to move house elsewhere temporarily.
I ask the Minister: When will we get new RCMP staff-housing units and offices?
I thank the MLA for that question.
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in the past, I have regular meetings with Commanding Officer Steve McVarnock of the RCMP. I believe he has visited all of the communities in Nunavut since he started last July. He’s taken an assessment of all of the detachment buildings in the various communities and also assessed the inventory of all housings available for all of the officers.
I believe he’s working very diligently with his officials to determine how and which detachment offices should be replaced and update the housing needs in the communities.
I don’t have the detailed information, but I can certainly raise that concern with the commanding officer the next time I meet him.
Without a doubt, these units need to be replaced.
In our community, we are served by only three officers who are always busy. We know that they have a lot of calls to handle, whatever time of day and night.
We know that they sometimes sacrifice sleep to do their jobs properly. With their heavy workload, they have no choice but to go to the office each day. I know that this is a challenge that they are facing since they are short staffed.
I would like to ask the Minister if he is willing or not to assign additional RCMP Officers to the three we already have in the Pangnirtung detachment. Has his Department ever discussed this possibility?
I can’t say with any certainty.
Again, Commanding Officer McVarnock is assessing the local detachments.
He is thinking of very creative ways to move personnel around, working with his budgets and with the amount of personnel he has across the territory.
I can’t say with any certainty if there will be an increase, but again, I’ll certainly talk to the commanding officer about it.
Question 325 – 3(2): Coordination of Child and Youth Advocate (Elliott)
I would like to go back to my line of questioning before to the Premier and I hope she appreciates where I’m coming from with my questions in the sense that I want to get a really good, firm understanding of the child and youth representative position and how the government is working towards this.
I would hate to see all of the hard work that has been done in the past and all of the hard work that will be done over the next couple of years, and then run out of time.
The mandate of the government is pretty hefty and there are a lot of social issues that are being dealt with.
So I wouldn’t want to see something like this fall off the table because legislation doesn’t go through or other things.
There seems to be a lot of legislation that’s going to be coming forward in terms of reviewing it and having it go through the House.
In my last line of questioning, she misunderstood what I was asking in terms of she interpreted that I was asking what government departments within her government were doing to work towards that.
I was asking whether her department had gone outside of Nunavut to talk to the Northwest Territories and other jurisdictions like the Yukon because there are offices like that set up across Canada in every other province and territory, except one.
So I was just wondering if her department has talked to other jurisdictions outside of the GN to get some ideas and other views on how they run their offices.
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Yes, this is all part of the research that is happening right now.
As the minister mentioned, different government departments are working and gathering, I guess Justice, Education, and Health and Social Services.
With different departments working together, we found in the past sometimes that they’re trying not to work and she said, silos, but at times, when you’re working with the whole department, it’s hard to communicate between different departments.
What mechanism is in place to make sure that communication is kept up between, let’s say, Health and Social Services and EIA or EIA and Justice? Is there some type of mechanism in place to make sure that that communication flows freely?
All the Deputy Ministers belong to a committee that meets regularly to share and discuss information. This committee was struck some time ago.
They discuss issues facing them in their respective departmental responsibilities so they are aware of the challenges facing the other departments and of the issues that require collaboration.
Further, we, the elected officials, are constantly briefed on these issues. We meet as a cabinet to deal with these issues.
My next question is: how often will her department, after consulting with all of the other departments, report back to us as regular members and give us an update as to progress that they’re having?
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did not get the member’s question. What was it?
I believe your question is how we will report to the regular members.
If you could clarify your question.
I was just wondering in terms of how often EIA would report back to regular members on the progress of the child youth representative.
Will it be once a year when we get the business plans and where it states the objectives or would we get regular updates?
I doubt if we will be reporting on this on an annual basis.
I have noticed that you have been frequently asking these types of questions over the year.
We are in the planning stages with this.
I recently made an announcement of our plans.