EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
We have never had a real sampling laboratory in Nunavut, although Rankin Inlet’s facilities were suspected of having that capacity by the previous member from Repulse Bay last year. He raised his questions about wildlife sampling and I dealt with the questions posed by that previous member at that time.
However, there haven’t been enough qualified trained technicians, including nurses, to assist in the laboratories and sampling and we have never been able to fill it.
I will have to collaborate with my colleague, the Minister of Environment, on this issue whereupon we will make a statement on our chosen course of action.
We are still in the initial discussions.
Nonetheless, we understand the concerns of our residents with respect to this issue and we are concerned about this matter as well.
Currently all samples of suspected cases of trichinosis are sent to Kuujjuaq in Northern Quebec, where they have an existing sampling laboratory.
We are in dire need of a laboratory here in Nunavut, but there are many issues to contemplate.
Based on the changes to the situation and our determined course of action, I will keep the House informed about this matter.
I am also thankful that they seem to already be working towards dealing with this matter.
Just recently, they started a scheduled flight to Coral Harbour from Baffin Island.
If you look at the map, Coral Harbour is pretty much right in the middle of the territory.
Could they consider Coral Harbour as one of the sites?
Exactly and personally, that would be the best case scenario because the hospital here in Iqaluit is almost fully equipped to handle sampling.
If we were able to establish one here, then this would be the easiest route.
The flight schedules in the Baffin region mean that there are almost daily flights into Iqaluit, so that would be quite possible to accomplish.
I will commit to continue discussions with my colleague, the Minister of Environment. As a matter of fact, last week, my colleague came to my office to discuss questions he had been asked after one of the regional wildlife organizations had a meeting.
We hope that we will have some news as just recently in our department, I tasked my officials to provide options and solutions to this issue. At this time, I have yet to receive an update.
However, this is a very serious matter that we are dealing with as we do not want our walrus hunters to be in jeopardy.
I also eat walrus meat myself, including raw meat.
Due to this reason, I will ensure that this continues to be a high priority in our department since it is becoming an urgent matter.
Question 467 – 3(2): Information on Cancer Types in Nunavut (Ugyuk)
With regard to breast cancer, we have recognized that people who undergo breast cancer experience a lot of stress and require assistance when they are going through that. Now, I would like to ask a question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
With Nunavut having an approximate population of 30,000, I am not sure of the exact number of our population, especially elders in Nunavut. What is the ratio of people who get sick?
What types of illnesses do they suffer, such as lung cancer, liver cancer, and blood illnesses? Can the minister provide any kind of details about the kind of illnesses that we have? We would like to know which illnesses are more prevalent.
I do understand the member’s question, but with regard to that kind of information from the department, I’ll have to check into that and I’ll have to check to see if there are any reports.
I’ll have to also find out if those kinds of details are available in our reports.
What I can tell the member is that in relation to women who undergo breast cancer in all of Canada, Nunavut has the lowest cases of breast cancer.
In terms of Canada-wide statistics, Nunavut is not suffering from that.
It could be partially based on our health and nutrition, but that’s something that I’ll have to ask Health Canada.
With regard to the actual question, I do not have the details and I’ll have to check with my officials to see if this information is available, but I cannot respond to your question at this time.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): At least we have been informed that Nunavut has the lowest incidences of breast cancer.
However, what I was trying to ask about is, every year, people are starting to get cancer irrespective of whether it’s lung cancer or breast cancer. I would like to know how we can better screen for cancer and that is my follow-up question.
For example, the old DEW line sites could be causing part of the problem and they could be polluting part of our wildlife. In a lot of communities, wildlife is impacted by these oil development sites. We are still very concerned about the pollutants that could stem from these old polluted sites.
We are very concerned about these, so that’s my next question.
Now that I understand her question, what I can state is that this is an issue that we are dealing with on an almost daily basis, with news releases as well as working with our aboriginal partners on public health issues, especially when dealing with public information issuances.
We work with the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and other agencies on public health issues, such as the anti-smoking campaign.
The importance of this preventative measure is that by pushing anti-smoking campaigns, we can lower the incidence of cancer amongst our residents.
Furthermore, people who buy cigarette packs are faced with warnings that smokers may suffer from lung cancer.
This, in itself, is a powerful tool to keep people from smoking. If we want to lower the incidence of lung cancer patients in our territory, then we should be encouraging our residents to quit smoking.
I am glad that quite a number people are able to quit and I am grateful for their choices.
Additionally with regard to some of the issues you raised pertaining to work environmental hazards or other dangers to our people, it took quite a while to determine the exact causes, especially when you talk about aerated environments. In some cases, it was caused by the dangerous work environments.
We now have a multitude of information about workplace hazards. We also have information pertaining to various substances that inform our people about dangers of the workplace.
To reiterate, we will continue to try and improve education amongst our residents because we do not want them exposed to these types of hazardous situations.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you for that adequate response.
Another thing I want to understand is that many people are sometimes said to be in remission.
Are people who are in remission provided more support and assistance to ensure that they remain in remission? What kind of service is available for those people who may be in remission?
For example, if I pass a certain stage and I feel better, what kind of assistance would I be provided if I was a patient who happened to be in remission?
In talking about our health practitioners in the communities, many of our nurses are working diligently to deal with the many health issues and patients.
We have to ensure that we keep communicating with the local nurses, as well as providing public health information notices. Many of our community health representatives receive this information, so our residents should be requesting the information from them.
However, with respect to your question about remission cases, if a patient has entered remission or if they suspect that they are in remission, then they should be checked. What I’m trying to say is that in the communities, we already have existing community health representatives who these patients can approach.
Furthermore, we have to communicate with these workers on the frontlines, including the public health officials, if available.
If there’s a public health representative, the patients should be approaching them to get the information that is already available on various diseases or sicknesses.
The CHRs usually have a multitude of information on various illnesses, including specific sicknesses. The information is also available for taking home for perusal.
That is what I can inform the member about.
We also have a number of associations that deal with aboriginal health issues. When you include all of the initiatives of these parties, we have provided more services to Nunavummiut.
However, in Nunavut, we continue to face barriers, such as the high costs of shipping, and it’s very expensive to ensure that information is made available to all of the communities.
However, our department is focussing on prevention by educating the public about health as this is the most cost-effective means of assisting our residents.
If they have to go elsewhere to get the information, then they have options as there is quite a lot of information available that patients can research. If they are unable to research the disease, they should at least be asking questions to the medical practitioners on alternatives or options in their treatment.
I further urge all residents, where they have a community health representative, to approach them for this information and they can request this information if it is not available.
Thank you, Ms. Ugyuk. (interpretation ends) Oral Questions.
Question 468 – 3(2): Nunavut’s Suicide Prevention Strategy (Elliott)
Mr. Speaker, the minister recently had the privilege of attending QIA’s annual general meeting where he was asked about delays in the introduction of the Government of Nunavut’s Suicide Prevention Strategy.
The media quotes the minister as replying, “It is because I wanted to make changes.”  Can the minister clarify what he meant by this comment?
Is the delay in introducing the Suicide Prevention Strategy due to the fact that the minister wants to make changes himself or are changes being suggested by representatives of his department?
I appreciate the member for that very important question.
Before submitting the final document, the minister certainly has the responsibility to whether or not there is further work needed to be done.
There was one that I did find this summer that I felt the draft that was presented required more clear provisions to go directly to the homes of Nunavutmiut.
I believe it is important to have a strategy that includes families, that includes discussion within the family, rather than just the interest groups out there and our partners in the suicide prevention work.
My contribution to that was, “Could we at least ensure that the Nunavutmiut private homes are given an opportunity to take part in this exercise?”
That was the only contribution that I made and to date, I think we have made a progress on that.
Representatives from NTI, the Embrace Life Council, and the GN consulted with every community across Nunavut to get input on the proposed Suicide Prevention Strategy.
It is quite clear that the consultation process fully respected and incorporated Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit at every step of the way. Can the minister explain why he feels it necessary to make changes to the Suicide Prevention Strategy at this stage?
Mr. Speaker, I am not at all suggesting that it’s a shortcut for anyone to say, “IQ is included in that,” but if you don’t define it and if you don’t stipulate exactly what you mean by IQ, it does not mean anything. I’m an Inuk. I understand it fully.
I’m not 100 percent sure that the member from the other side fully understand how complex IQ means when it’s just two letters included, when, in fact, it should include providing information to families.
It’s quite important that discussion takes place at home in order to save lives of our young people, and so on.
I think we have made progress in that.
The document I submitted has now been approved by the cabinet and will be tabled, perhaps, during this session.
I never actually said or was saying that I was an expert in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, but to me, I would hope that the people who were consulted in every community who were Inuk would have that insight.
It continues on with the whole debate that we have been having in the High Arctic about the Government of Nunavut and also the Government of Canada in terms of meaningful consultation.
To me, I thought the process was excellent in terms of being meaningful because it went to every community. It had NTI, the Embrace Life Council, and also the GN on side and working together.
I just wondered, after all of that consultation, going to every community, talking to every community, getting input from every community, and having input from all of those organizations, why things still needed to be changed.
In terms of once you do the consultation, why does the government still have to make changes after it has already consulted with everybody?
Again, representation within the community, I may not be Inuk, but representation in all three of my communities is the majority being Inuk. Again I just wonder why the consultation is not being meaningful.
That was the question I was asking and I don’t think the minister answered it.
No one disagrees with a need for suicide prevention.
If the member is appearing to try and suggest that I disagree, that’s totally unacceptable.
I think the document, as presented, has improved. Consultations are not normally drafting policy documents for the cabinet. They are creating a discussion document in order to put forward a final policy document.
Out of that discussion and consultation comes a very shorter version of statement of principles and the need to do continuing actual community-by-community implementation of the plan.
That has taken place.
No organization has the authority to actually develop a final document and call it a strategy.
That goes to the policy divisions of each department. From there, it goes to another level of the department, executive as well as the departments, and then the department submits it to the cabinet from there.
My colleagues have been quite respectful of that document and it’s now ready for implementation. I think it strengthened the original discussion document, actually.
I know the minister had answered one of the other questions I was going to be asking in terms of when the document would be tabled, and he said that hopefully within this session, but he wasn’t sure. So that answers that.
He also talked about implementation. I’m just wondering if he could tell us when he feels that would be implemented.
I know, in terms of the way that the GN works, we will be doing our main estimates where they have the business plans included probably in January. I’m sure that all of the GN departments have been working on their business plans for next year.
Are we looking at a year delay in terms of the implementation of the Suicide Prevention Strategy because it hasn’t been tabled yet and it hasn’t been before all of the departments?
I think the member should fully understand that there have been ongoing discussions and work being done by the various partner groups that we have in Nunavut, some of which we call healing groups, and so on, and Ilisaqsivik Society, who does a lot of consultation work, carries on.
There has been tremendous assistance that we have received from our group of partners in communities.
I know that some communities are much stronger in providing that service. GN is only one component of all of the work that is being carried out.
We will implement the policies, even with the current funds that we have towards the healing and funding groups that we have.
To what level, I’ll be prepared to answer that, but it certainly will increase after the next fiscal spending.
But the most important thing is that document is ready for the department and now it has the authority received from the cabinet to proceed with it.
Question 469 – 3(2): Enforcement of the Government of Nunavut Motor Vehicle Policy (Schell)
Many residents in my constituency have come to me with concerns about the government’s Motor Vehicle Policy, which prohibits the use of government vehicles by GN staff for their personal use.
Can the minister explain how the government enforces this policy?
I’ll have to look into how they enforce the vehicle policy as there are many vehicles out there within the government for many different purposes.
Some of them are used by employees who are on call and by such, need the vehicle with them. Some of them are in the emergency services department.
So it depends on which vehicle and what they are being used for, but I definitely will look into it.
Can the minister indicate to me if any GN employees have actually been disciplined for breaching this policy?
Not that I’m aware of, Mr. Speaker.
I took a look at the website for the Department of Community and Government Services this morning, which is where I found a copy of the GN’s Motor Vehicle Policy.
However, the policy document is clearly out of date as it still refers to the “Department of Public Works and Services.”
Will the minister commit to tabling an updated policy in the Legislative Assembly at our winter sitting, yes or no?
I’ll take a look at where we are on the policy and at an appropriate time, if the member from across there would like me to table it, I will see if it could be tabled.
I can’t commit to which sitting it will be at, but we will table one at an appropriate time once we have a new policy in place.
CG&S is also responsible for the monitoring of hamlet issues.
Are the hamlets in Nunavut following the government policy on motor vehicles?
The municipalities have their own by-laws.
My colleague was a mayor of the fine community of Cape Dorset.
The municipalities have their own policies and procedures in terms of how their property is to be used, so they conduct their own business and they follow their own procedures in terms of municipal equipment.
Question 470 – 3(2): Review of the Nunavut Housing Trust (Ningeongan)
Ningeongan: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It’s the start of a new week, so I’m going to attempt to lift some more rocks today in hopes that I get a clear answer and not simply a response.
Last week, I asked the minister how much the GN or the Nunavut Housing Corporation had paid the accounting firm of Deloitte and Touche for the report that it submitted on the Nunavut Housing Trust.
Now that the minister has had the weekend to locate this information, I would like to again ask the minister: how much did the GN or the Nunavut Housing Corporation pay the accounting firm Deloitte and Touche for the report it submitted on the Nunavut Housing Trust?
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I would like answer that question in a factual manner. There were actually two reports that were conducted and I don’t have the details with me today, but I certainly will have it by tomorrow.
That I can say to the member. So I will be glad to table that question tomorrow.
When I was reading the report, I noted that the firm also indicated, and I quote, “Further, our [work] cannot be used to provide assurance that it revealed all errors, omissions, or irregularities.”
Mr. Speaker, this government talks about accountability.
Nunavummiut are entitled to hear all information regarding this $60 million over-expenditure by the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
The minister appears adamant that we accept the report, stop asking questions, forget about the issue, and move on.
I want to remind the minister that Nunavummiut are adamant that this issue be dealt with thoroughly.
Given the magnitude of this issue, the fact that the Nunavut Housing Corporation finds itself needing a further $50 million and given that the minister appears reluctant to support holding a public inquiry, my question is this: will the minister initiate an independent forensic audit concerning the Nunavut Housing Trust, yes or no?
I think this government has been fair, open, and transparent on the issue with respect to the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
We discovered the flawed budgeting process that lead to… .
Some of the investments that were made, in my view, should not have been made, which lead to the tremendous cost overruns in the first place, without having a detailed budget, as well, without taking into consideration the tremendous cost escalators that were going on during the last three years that we have seen. These certainly were not reflected in the budgeting process by the previous administration.
We are not responsible, actually, ourselves, for these costs.
We inherited those costs.
Nothing much we can do even if we tried, but what we did do was a new management team discovered that there were flaws in that budget and that report, with the help of the MLAs and the public, that a proper independent audit be done.
An independent audit has been conducted, which many members on the other side thought would have led to further investigation required, whether a forensic audit is required or not.
We cannot just go in and have a forensic audit without any evidence, really, for going into it.
We’re just going to be incurring additional costs, really, without….
If there is any evidence that should lead to the forensic audit, I would like the member to name one or two.
I want everyone listening to understand that I am not asking these questions for the sake of getting on camera, I hate cameras, or as a publicity stunt.
I am simply conveying the message that many ordinary Nunavummiut have told me: they believe that there is more going on here than meets the eye.
The minister wants us to forget about this issue, but we will not.
What steps is the minister prepared to take to clear the air and begin the process of restoring trust in the corporation?
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the member has any evidence that I am personally trying to ask my colleagues to forget about this issue, I would like for him to state so rather than just making a broad statement that we are trying to hide evidence for not proceeding with any further inquiry, if needed.
I want the member to help us.
If there is any other evidence that requires, not just the government’s side, even maybe asking other agencies to look into any evidence of wrongdoing by the previous administration of the Nunavut Housing Corporation, we would not hesitate to do so.
My colleague from the Department of Justice is ready to do so if there is any evidence.
To date, we have not seen a reason to proceed with that, but if there is any evidence that we find that we must proceed with further investigation, that’s an option the government has to date.
Even the Minister of Finance and our leader have stated that we would not hesitate to move to that direction. We are not attempting to hide anything.
Nunavutmiut need those units, Nunavutmiut need homes, and the only reason that we will continue to implement the building and continue to finish these units are Nunavutmiut.
Even in your own riding, they need these homes and we are going to make sure that we complete them, despite the problems that we have seen with the previous administration.
Members of the Legislative Assembly have repeatedly stressed the need for the former president of the Nunavut Housing Corporation to be interviewed as part of this process given that he was in charge when the major decisions were made.
Why is the minister so reluctant to have even perhaps the accounting firm go back and do this?
Based on the information that I stressed on earlier, we have learned that we have gone only part of the way.
I’m trying to stress that we need to go all the way with this, without me having to attempt to name names from across the House here.
I would like to ask the minister once again: why are you so reluctant, minister, to have this accounting firm go back and do this for the sake of clarification for all Nunavummiut to finally, once and for all, whether they find good things in it or maybe practices that were rendered?
Mr. Speaker, I just cannot understand why there would be a reluctance to go all the way with this.
Are we fearful that just because it’s going to cost more money now that we cannot go back and clear the air once and for all?
It’s going to keep lingering on.
So what is the reason for not wanting to proceed with this?
I’m not sure which question to respond to or answer; it wasn’t all that clear.
This Assembly certainly has the authority and discretion to invite any individual and invite them to the witness stand whenever they wish.