EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I would like to thank those who made their participation here possible, the principals and instructors who allowed them time off from their school, the parents who placed their trust in the staff, both in my office and in the Legislative Assembly, both First Air and Canadian Airlines who assisted us by being able to confirm seating for the ladies at student standby fares.
Last but not least a couple of former Cambridge Bay families who have recently become Iqaluit residents, Mike and Clara O’Gormann and David and Heather Omilgoitok and their daughter Jane for entertaining the two ladies over the weekend.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the ladies have met new friends and hope that their experiences over the past 10 days have been memorable ones.
I also hope that they have been able to learn a little bit about the Legislative Assembly process which they can pass on to their classmates, but please don’t tell them how really boring it is here.
Mr. Speaker, today is their last day as pages, the two young ladies who are up there Mr. Speaker, beside you to your left and right, along with Kitty will be leaving tomorrow morning to go home and we all wish them a safe trip.
I look forward to seeing both young ladies at their future graduation ceremonies and in closing I ask all members to join me in congratulating both Pauline and Elsie on a job well done.
Member’s Statement 031 - 1(4): Social Assistance Procedures
This is in regards to income support. To make it clear for people who are on social assistance.
At this time the procedure is as follows.
Anybody who makes more than the allowable amount are not eligible for a whole month and it seems to create hardship for those people who are on income support.
They have to wait a whole month in order to get assistance.
To follow this procedure they have to strive to try to have some money for food.
For those who are not working they do not have the luxury of having money, this is a very good issue, and I would like to state that the unemployment rate is very high in Nunavut.
They get behind because once they make the limit they have to wait a whole month in order to get assistance.
Many times crimes are committed because of money.
Member’s Statement 032 - 1(4): Substance Abuse in Nunavut
Mr. McLean: Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise an issue today that effects us all deeply here in Nunavut.
Be it alcohol, drugs, or solvent abuse, it takes an incredible toll on our population.
Economically, substance abuse places incredible costs on our government and on the services it provides at all levels.
Accidents, illness, and hospitalization brought on by substance abuse incurs costs in our health system.
Absences from work or accidents at work incur costs for all employers, be they private employers or the government.
A significant number of deaths, including many suicides, involve the abuse of alcohol or drugs incurring immeasurable costs to the mental health of families, friends, and communities as a whole.
The cost of law enforcement from responding to incidents, to pressing charges, to following through with court actions are increased by the role that substance abuse plays in people’s behaviour.
Uqaqti, as we know, an ounce of prevention can go a very long way to solving our serious problems.
One way to prevent the rising cost of substance abuse is to invest more in fighting the illegal trafficking of alcohol and drugs.
Currently our communities do not have adequate policing.
We need more RCMP officers in every community and I look forward to the Minister of Justice’s response to the question from my colleague from Uqqumiut on the status of the Inuit Liaison Officer.
The advice that this individual provides will be critical in improving the effectiveness of the RCMP in our communities.
Uqaqti, substance abuse is widespread in our territory.
A report released by Health Canada less than a year ago indicated that aboriginal people over the age of 15 in the north are roughly three times more likely to have used an illegal drug than their non-aboriginal counterparts.
That same report shows that aboriginal youth are two to six times higher risk of alcohol related problems than their non-aboriginal counterparts in the Canadian population.
As the Minister of Health mentioned, when he was discussing smoking, the best way to quit smoking is not to start and the most effective means of prevention is the promotion of healthy lifestyles and providing information and skills to individuals so they don’t start.
Uqaqti, I would like to recognize the wonderful efforts of the RCMP drug abuse resistance education program. The DARE Program, aims to provide school children with the skills to recognize and resist social pressures to experiment with tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and violence.
The idea is to provide them with this education before they enter high school where the social pressures, the peer pressures become very strong.
I would like to commend the work of the DARE co-ordinator in Baker Lake, Jennifer Ebert for exemplary efforts in running this program in the Baker Lake school.
I know it will make a difference in the future.
Uqaqti, prevention workshops such as the DARE program is a key to ridding ourselves of these additional costs to our government, our communities, and to our lives.
Member’s Statement 033 - 1(4): Joamie School Fun Fair
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform members on the issue that I mentioned yesterday about the great generosity of Nunavummiut.
Today I would like to inform them that they have an opportunity to for those members that are here from out of town, to participate in a charitable function this evening.
Joamie school is having their annual bazaar and family fun night.
For members that are here from out of town and miss their children, this would be a great opportunity to be around lots of kids and have some fun.
There will be things such as a canteen where they will be selling hot dogs, chips, and pops.
There are all kinds of games of chance like a bake sale and a cake walk.
Members who want to go there and bid on a good looking cake, I imagine there will be many around.
Also you can participate in face painting.
There is a hilarious hat booth there so you could get some good pictures there to be displayed around here for Halloween maybe.
The funds that will be raised tonight will be going towards graduation and awards ceremonies for the school and I would encourage all members if they could get an opportunity to go out and participate and have some fun.
Mr. Speaker, it will be taking place at Joamie school between 6 and 8 pm tonight.
Member’s Statement 034 - 1(4): Community Centre in Igloolik
I rise today on behalf of my constituents of Igloolik.
If you have been to Igloolik you know that the community centre is way too small and I have received correspondence from the residents.
I believe they have asked for funding for a new centre and we have requested to get a bigger centre.
If you have been in that centre it is very small.
It was built in the 1970's. Once it was renovated and it got smaller inside. Mr. Speaker, our government will have to look into this very soon.
The fire department and the nurses, if they were to walk in there during Christmas games you can hardly move in there when there is a community event. There is no seating capacity and not many people can be allowed in the building for safety reasons.
So in the very near future this will have to be worked on or considered and if you want more information on it you can write to the Hamlet Council.
You can get more information on their concerns.
Member’s Statement 035 - 1(4): Role Model Patrick Akpalialuk
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate a constituent of mine who is a role model for young people in Nunavut.
Patrick Akpalialuk was born here in Iqaluit and his family moved down south.
In 1995 he moved back to Iqaluit.
Along the way he attended school in Iqaluit, Pang, Hay River and Ontario.
He studied Civil Engineering and Computer Sciences, in Ottawa.
Mr. Speaker, in April of this year, Patrick started his own company, Northstar Networks.
Northstar Networks builds computers and servers and Mr. Speaker, this young Nunavut entrepreneur was one of only 13 individuals awarded the Young Entrepreneur Award by the Business Development Bank of Canada, this week.
Mr. Speaker, the winners were chosen on the basis of their company’s growth, involvement in the new economy, innovation, community work, and export performance.
They will be allied by the BBC for a year with a mentor, a leading senior business person from their Province or Territory.
Mr. Speaker, the success Patrick has shown demonstrates that young Nunavummiut don’t have to take a back seat to anyone.
I’m sure that you Mr. Speaker, and this House join with me to congratulate the achievements of Patrick, and wish him well with future endeavours, and his exciting new business.
Speaker: Members’ statements. Mr. Kattuk
Member’s Statement 036 - 1(4): Congratulations to Elders’ Society
I rise today to congratulate the Baffin Elders’ Society, which is meeting in town.
I am not aware if they have the opportunity to visit the House, and I want to tell their relatives that I saw them today and they are happy and they are okay.
The Elders’ Society, we should all be proud of it, because there is a lot of intelligence amongst its’ members and we should look up to them.
Item 4. Returns to oral questions.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week Minister Picco, acknowledged a couple of the pages here from Iqaluit, Mr. Kevin Dunphy and Laura Simonson.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the other pages from Iqaluit that have participated here this week, Levi Eegeesiak, Ashley Tufts, and Damion Barns.
I’d like ask the members to join me in thanking them for their hard work and time they put in here this week.
I hope that they, like Minister Ng stated enjoyed themselves and learned something at the same time.
Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to acknowledge one of our members today, today this member’s age was rounded off to the nearest 10, he’ll be 50 today.
The member I’d like to wish a Happy Birthday to is the member from Arviat, Speaker of the House, Mr. O'Brien.
>>Applause & Cheers
Speaker: Thank you Mr. Tootoo, you must be getting my age mixed up with your colleague Mr. McLean from Baker Lake.
You are only off by five.
Question 029 - 1(4): Chesterfield Inlet Community Corporation
I would like to direct a question to the Minister of Sustainable Development.
When this House opened not too long ago I submitted a proposal to the minister from Chesterfield Inlet for a Community Corporation to be part of a satellite system to be put up by Americans.
I would like to hear what the latest is on that.
The Department of Sustainable Development has been working on this ever since 1998 when it was first discussed.
They are still waiting for funding.
Before the next fiscal year we are still waiting for one of the communities and the amounts that were approved to date have not been responded to by the community.
Speaker: Supplementary. Mr. Arvaluk.
Is the minister is telling me that they are waiting for the business plan.
If he is waiting for them from Chesterfield Inlet, they do not have any funding and they were asking for help from Sustainable Development.
I worked on this before and I asked people to help them.
What can he say to the residents of Chesterfield Inlet for this plan to go through.
To date the Community Corporation has been funded three times and the business plan is to indicate what other sources they can find funding from.
It has been agreed that the Department of Sustainable Development would assist them further once they have handed in their report.
Question 030 - 1(4): Impact of Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti
On April 1 last year the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti initiative was introduced.
Can the Premier indicate how successful this policy and business incentive has been. For those people who are interested in taking this opportunity.
If it is your birthday, I congratulate you. The Business Incentive Policy is to assist the people of Nunavut in the communities and it is starting to now.
As the minister indicated it is assisting the communities, is it out in public where people can see it, so that they are aware of it.
When this was first introduced, my staff visited the communities and the contractors as to how to use it and to other interested organizations.
If the communities want to get more information once we know who they are we can provide our staff to go to the communities and visit them.
We can send mail.
If they want to learn how it is done then my staff can be available.
So once I know which communities, we can inform them either by mail or by sending one of my staff.
I stated this before that the communities were informed and what it entails I am sure.
It is not hard to comprehend but if the member can indicate which community, I can work on that.
This policy was in place since April 1.
How many communities have been requesting services from your department and which communities have used this policy as it is.
We have published the policy and all the communities are aware of it.
Once our department put the policy out to the public, all the contractors in communities are now aware of it as it is.
If there is any assistance required in the communities, they could use the policy to get assistance from my department.
When you mention business people do they also include big companies.
Or are you talking about small businesses that are operating in Nunavut.
I am sorry if I was not clear enough.
When I talk about business owners I am talking about people who are outside government who are operating their own business.
I am talking about all business owners.
Question 031 - 1(4): Creation of New Positions Within GN
Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Human Resources.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask if the minister if he could explain the process in the event that any positions or jobs are created within the government system.
Are all those positions created, if deemed necessary for the department to create a position, would that position, would the request from the department go through Human Resources.
Would all those positions go to Human Resources to be rated and classified.
Mr. Speaker, yes, normally if there is a request from a department they would develop first of all a job description of what that job would entail and then they would provide it to Human Resources.
They would do the job classifications to find out what equivalent skills are required, compare those skills to other positions and put a salary range around that position.
Mr. Speaker, when they are going through classifications and that, are they all based on the same criteria.
What system is used in determining what classification and what rating these positions are rated at.
I believe they use an index of what skill levels for each position are required and there are comparable factors.
Like I said, equivalent jobs within current government and I believe there is also an index for other comparable classifications of other jurisdictions, other similar related positions.
Mr. Speaker, are all the positions that do go through that process, I know that the system that was used prior to the system used now, it’s like the Hay Plan or a similar type process that used to classify all positions that the government had.
He indicated that he uses a different one.
Are they done using the exact same system or can they pick and choose which system that they want to compare it to in a different jurisdiction or different type of position or are there, you know, really standard guidelines for that process.
Mr. Speaker, I am not certain about that so I can try to find out that information and provide it to the member.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister if for any reason there are any types of positions that are an exception to going through that process.
That are excluded from going through that process or do all positions have to go through that process.
By and large I believe that the majority would, I do not know if there would be exceptions, but again that is something that I can try to find out.
Question 032 - 1(4): Elders’ Multi-Plex for Baker Lake
I would like to congratulate you on your birthday today and I thought you were on the other side of 50’s so I beg to apologize to you there.
Uqaqti, my question today is to the Minister responsible for Housing.
It is no secret in my community that we have a large amount, or we have a large group of elders in our community.
The last count we have was that we have over 1 hundred over the age of 60.
As we know, there is a housing crisis in all of Nunavut.
In the last year or two, the hamlet, the municipality has been lobbying the minister responsible for an additional elders’ residence.
Currently we have one four-plex that was built over 15 years ago and currently we have a large demand for an elders type facility.
I know we are building duplexes this year and the hamlet wrote a letter to the minister responsible requesting rather than build duplexes next year, if the minister would consider building a four or six-plex elders' residence.
Could the minister update me on that.
I thing we are all aware in Baker Lake, particularly in the Keewatin region, I know Baker Lake has the most elders.
When we attended a meeting in Baker Lake when we were visiting the elders’ centre, a lot of elders in that community were out and it was nice to see.
I am also aware that the elders' centre in Bake Lake is inadequate.
It was not made to be an elders’ centre, and we are aware that it is an inadequate building for elders.
I have received some correspondence from the Hamlet of Baker Lake.
When I am travelling through Rankin Inlet or Baker Lake elders have approached me to give me their concerns about this elders' centre.
We are aware that there are some problems with that building.
For this reason, I want to indicate to the Member for Baker Lake that we will be working closely with the Hamlet of Baker Lake so we can construct a decent elders facility in Baker Lake.
We will be dealing with the Hamlet on this.
The minister is absolutely correct.
That facility that was built 15 years ago was just a fourplex with a minor modification for ramps and stuff.
Like I say, it is totally inadequate at this point.
But can the minister be more direct in her answer that instead of building public housing units next year, would she consider building an elders’ residence.
Yes, I have talked to the staff because this has been brought up about the seniors’ facility in Baker Lake since last year.
It has been brought up quite a few times already.
I will ask the staff to work with the Hamlet as soon as possible for the planning of the seniors' facility instead of the duplex.
If it could be modified they will work with the Hamlet.
Question 033 - 1(4): Impact of Income Support Regulations
I did not indicate that I would be raising a question.
However, I would like to direct a question to the Minister of Health & Social Services regarding income support regulations in the communities.
This has created difficulty to some families particularly for low-income families.
Whereas when they have temporary jobs, they are not eligible for income support in the community.
Can the minister look into this matter and get back to the House on it.
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Merci Messieur Presidente.
Yes, I am very happy to indicate that we are reviewing all social assistance programs and income support regulations.
We will be tabling a document in the House sometime soon.
We have had some community consultations as to how best we can deal with the Act and maybe revise the Act, as it would be appropriate for the communities.
I am very happy to hear about this.
How soon can we see some results as I think this should be a priority of the government.
Hopefully in the very near future, because we have a working group, which has almost completed the review and they will be giving me a report in the very near future.
I will be tabling that document in the House.
I just cannot indicate on what day we will be tabling it.
As the Premier indicated that the working group is still working on it, can he indicate that he will be able to table this document when we are still in session.
Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Many Acts and legislation have to be reviewed yet by the working group.
I am not aware when we will be tabling the document and the report.
But I can indicate to the member that as soon as they are ready, I will be able to table them in the House.
However, I cannot give him the date when we will table the reports and other documents, but even if the session is over then I can send the member a copy of the reports.
Question 034 - 1(4): Pond Inlet Solid Waste Site
My question is for the Minister of Community Government & Transportation.
I think it was on June 2, I was talking about the solid waste site.
The minister knows the Hamlet of Pond Inlet is facing a financial crisis as the result of the Hamlet’s inability to use lots that were constructed too close to the solid waste site.
They could not use the lots that would have been used, as planned.
The Hamlet decided that the lots were too close to the solid waste site and they had to get a lot prepared for construction.
That lot that is being used needs a lot of work and they have to build a road connected to that lot.
My question is will the minister’s department be able to provide funding and if he has seen a funding request from the Hamlet to construct the lot.
It was in the amount of 300 thousand that the Hamlet was requesting.
Can the minister indicate if he has been able to give that amount of money.
I did not quite understand what he was saying.
If the member indicated that the Hamlet incurred over 300 thousand, and he asked if I had seen a request from the Hamlet, I can indicate that NCC, Nunavut Construction Corporation is the one that constructs these facilities.
If NCC has been given some funding to build houses, then they would have been given the funding to provide these facilities.
However, I can look into this matter and I can get back to the member.
What I am talking about is, we wrote a letter on July 11 to the Deputy Minister of Community Government and Transportation.
The letter was addressed to the Deputy Minister of Community Government and Transportation on July 11, and July is quite far away now.
The Hamlet of Pond Inlet has tried to request money so their building can be constructed soon.
I have also looked into this matter and it has been two weeks since I contacted his department to see if he can look into this.
I know that the department had allotted over 300 thousand dollars for the Hamlet building.
So can the minister get back to me as soon as possible.
Yes, I will review this matter and get back to the member.
Yes. I was looking forward to this answer.
However, I would like to ask another question.
How quickly will the government act on this emergency that is facing the community.
If not tomorrow then the following week.
Than I will get back to the member.
Question 035 - 1(4): Chesterfield Inlet Runway Upgrade
From time to time, the landing field in Chesterfield Inlet has been upgraded as it is quite close to the two lakes in the community of Chesterfield.
In every year, they have had to upgrade the airstrip during the spring.
There have been some complaints coming from one of the airline pilots that it is very dangerous to try to land on this airstrip in Chesterfield Inlet.
There have been some cracks and potholes on the landing strip.
For that reason why I would like to ask the minister, I know that this is an emergency case, can the minister allocate some funding for upgrading the airstrip.
When I went to Chesterfield this spring by snowmobile, I made a visit to the community and I met with the Hamlet mayor regarding the maintenance of the landing strip.
He indicated to me that there was not enough gravel nearby the community that could be used to upgrade the airstrip.
He requested some funding from my department so they can upgrade the strip as soon as possible.
I am aware of the problem.
I told the mayor that I would get back to him regarding funding for such emergencies.