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By restoring these reserves, we will be better able to make prudent investments that will enable more programs and services in the future.
This is especially important as we take on larger capital projects, such as the new Iqaluit airport.
We can attract partners and financing only if we demonstrate that we can manage our own resources properly.
On that point, I’m pleased to note that the Government of Nunavut earned an Aa1 rating this year from Moody’s Investors Services.
Moody’s rates us higher than six provinces, which is excellent news.
Our stable outlook suggests we can keep this rating if we maintain our fiscal discipline.
I began my remarks today by saying that we would further improve programs and services next year.
Our commitment to do just that stands out clearly in the creation of the Department of Family Services.
The government looks forward to the department’s official launch on April 1.
On that day, services that had been spread across the government will come together in one place.
Nunavummiut will gain single-window access to the social safety net.
The establishment of this department is a significant accomplishment.
Many of its services have been transferred from my own Department of Health and Social Services.
It is also taking over services that had been provided through five other departments.
Pulling this together as quickly as we have was a great deal of work, Mr. Speaker, and I congratulate all of our people who helped make this happen.
On April 1, the family services department begins work with a budget approaching $113 million.
That is a rise of 7 percent from the funds allocated for its responsibilities this fiscal year.
Among its first-year priorities, the family services department will work with its partners to complete the Nunavut Food Security Strategy.
It will complete and implement the Homelessness Strategy.
It will prepare to implement the Collaboration for Poverty Reduction Act that the government plans to introduce in this House in the coming days.
Mr. Speaker, these issues of poverty, hunger, and homelessness are serious.
They are exactly the issues that we need to resolve if we are to fulfill our vision of Nunavut.
Establishing this new department is only the first step.
We need to continue our discussions with the public and with our partners to develop our social safety net.
As those talks move forward, we can also take steps to improve the situation today by equipping the Country Food Distribution Program to improve food security and reduce poverty.
Over the current fiscal year, the Department of Economic Development and Transportation has built and broadened partnerships with hunters and trappers.
Our goal is to help Nunavummiut improve their ability to obtain affordable and healthy country food.
In this budget, we are allocating nearly $900,000 of additional support for the Country Food Distribution Program.
Housing our growing population remains an important priority.
In this budget, the government has allocated nearly $29 million to the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s capital budget.
This includes $8 million to build 20 public housing units in Arviat and five units in Clyde River, and $5 million for 10 new staff housing units in Cambridge Bay.
As well, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s Public Housing Program will receive an additional $6.4 million next year, mostly to offset rising operations and utilities costs.
Housing remains a serious challenge for this government, which we are addressing through the development of a long-term housing strategy.
At the health department, we will continue to strengthen and expand mental health services to Nunavummiut.
The relocated Akausisarvik facility in Iqaluit will open in April.
As well, the department will strengthen health care in the Qikiqtani region through greater use of community therapy assistants and community health centre administrative assistants.
In the Kivalliq region, we will add a nurse to each of the three-nurse stations.
Mr. Speaker, improving all of these services - family services, health care, and housing - will mean a lot more if we can deliver these services in communities that are safe and stable.
We are taking needed steps to improve law enforcement and providing the Department of Justice with an additional $8 million next year.
Effective police work depends on many things, including an effective dialogue between the RCMP and the public.
The RCMP is working to improve their Inuit language skills.
At last count, our police force employed 19 Inuit in the territory and the force is finding ways to hire more.
As we improve the quality of life in all of our communities, we must also see that we are creating opportunities for growth.
We know that our territory has great resource wealth, and we have been seeing good, solid increases in business investment and employment.
We expect our steady economic growth will continue, with my department projecting an inflation-adjusted rise in gross domestic product next year of 3.5 percent. The rate should rise in the following year to 3.9 percent.
What do these numbers mean, Mr. Speaker?
More jobs and better wages.
The wage economy now employs about 55 percent of working-age Nunavummiut.
Our services sector is growing and, as it does, there will be real opportunities, but there are also challenges, Mr. Speaker.
To get these jobs, Nunavummiut need skills and access to places where they can use them.
We can help Nunavummiut to get these skills.
We want to make sure that a good education is available to everyone in our territory.
That’s why the government will invest in a program to help adults get their high school diplomas.
We call it PASS, the pathway for adult secondary school graduation.
We’re investing nearly $1.9 million next year to get it started.
The Department of Education and Nunavut Arctic College are joining forces for this important program.
They are developing a program specifically for adult learners.
Very soon, Inuit adults can return to the classroom to earn their high school diplomas.
We look forward to welcoming these adult learners in the coming year and helping them open the doors to a better future.
The government will also help to open further opportunities by improving how we buy goods and services.
In the coming year, this government will take further steps to ensure that Inuit firms continue to be treated fairly in competing for government business.
The Department of Economic Development and Transportation will soon complete its review of the NNI Procurement Policy.
After that, Economic Development and Transportation will revise the policy in consultation with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.
We look forward to completing that work during the coming fiscal year.
Mr. Speaker, as much as we are interested in developing Nunavut’s resources, we are also interested in preserving our environmental heritage for future generations.
Our responsibility is to ensure a high standard of environmental stewardship in sustainable development.
Through our internal Sustainable Development Committee, nine departments and agencies take part in environmental assessments for major mining projects. This will enable the government to participate continuously in assessments for major mining projects conducted by the Nunavut Impact Review Board.
Mr. Speaker, I said at the beginning of this address that the government would not only improve programs and services to the public, but that we would also manage our own work better.
In fact, the more we can make the government efficient and effective, the more we will be able to meet the needs of Nunavummiut and help build our territory for tomorrow.
Behind the scenes, we are making good progress, especially in the areas of managing our people and our finances.
As you know, the government has placed a significant emphasis on improving our human resource management.
The Auditor General’s report in 2010 brought clarity to our issues and we took significant steps this year to resolve them.
As we start a new fiscal year, the work that had been performed by the Department of Human Resources will now be carried out by two other departments.
The Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs takes up responsibility for the training and development of the government’s workforce.
It will also manage Inuit employment planning.
Meanwhile, my Department of Finance takes on all other responsibilities of the human resources department.
That includes recruiting and staffing, employee relations and job evaluation, organizational design, as well as human resources policy and systems.
The government made these changes to ensure that we can recruit and retain the workforce we need.
Already we see progress.
The government has completed the Human Resources Strategic Framework.
It includes revised staffing practices, and we are working now to automate our processes and offer more training initiatives.
The Department of Finance will work closely with Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs to develop a government-wide human resources strategy.
The purpose of this strategy is to ensure that we have the right people in the right place at the right time.
This will allow us to meet the government’s strategic goals and carry out our operational plans.
When the Auditor General looked at this in 2010, it was clear that we had a long way to go.
Today, we can see that we are on the right track to a better future.
We can also see that Inuit are increasingly taking up opportunities in the public service.
At last count, in June of last year, beneficiaries held 49 percent of all filled positions in the ten government departments.
By the latest projection, beneficiaries will hold 52 percent of all filled positions by the end of the coming fiscal year.
There are plenty of opportunities, Mr. Speaker.
We still need skilled applicants.
In addition to these measures to improve our human resources, we are also taking steps to restore and maintain the government’s fiscal resources.
Shortly, the government will adopt a fiscal management strategy that will help all government organizations to improve their long-term planning and budgeting.
The strategy builds on five core principles, Mr. Speaker. They are as follows:
First, all of our planning needs to look forward, to anticipate how events could help or hurt our fiscal situation.
Second, we will remain prudent in how we budget so that we remain in good fiscal shape over time.
Third, we will make choices that are responsible.
That means each decision will be considered for how it fits into the big picture and how it affects our long-term fiscal goals.
Fourth, we will provide reporting that is transparent.
We will provide Nunavummiut with information that helps the public to understand our fiscal decisions.
Fifth, we will be accountable for our decisions.
We will explain our choices, report our results, and face the consequences, both for success and for failure.
Mr. Speaker, we have been doing all of these things until now.
By making these principles formal, the government expects that our fiscal management will improve further.
After all, strong fiscal management is at the heart of good governance.
Mr. Speaker, I have talked about how the government is improving its internal management and operations, and I have described some of the improved programs and services that we provide.
There is another area for improvement and that is in how we communicate with the people whom we serve.
We have already taken several steps forward by engaging government liaison officers in the communities.
So far, 16 hamlets have these officers in place, where they provide a single point of contact for government information.
Now it’s time to enable Nunavummiut to find more information online.
In the coming weeks, we will bring a stronger client focus to the government’s website.
The changes should make it easier for people to learn more about what the government can do on their behalf.
Our ability to handle questions by phone will also improve now that the government has completed the first step of a telecommunications upgrade.
The department will continue the upgrade in the coming year to improve telecommunications services and bring us all a little closer together.
The government has invested an additional $7 million for this work next year.
In this budget, we are making two other key investments in Community and Government Services.
The first is an allocation of $1.3 million to establish a project management office.
We need this centre of technical expertise as we prepare to take on large infrastructure projects, starting with the new Iqaluit International Airport.
Community and Government Services is evaluating other projects as well, including solid waste infrastructure for all communities.
Our other Community and Government Services investment benefits all communities directly and immediately.
In this budget, the government is announcing a new municipal funding formula.
Collectively, the hamlets will receive an additional $4.2 million next year to improve their services to Nunavummiut.
Part of our overall approach to improving the government’s approach to business is to see that we serve Nunavummiut in the Inuit language.
The Department of Culture and Heritage will take several steps forward with this in the coming year.
The government has allocated an additional $7 million to the department for next year.
We will invest most of this money into the Official Languages program, which promotes the equal status of Inuktitut, English, and French.
Through the new $5 million Language Implementation Fund, the department will help all government departments and agencies to meet their language obligations.
The fund will advance key programs to promote the Inuit language within government.
It will also support programs in the communities to help the hamlets and private sector organizations to meet their legal obligations.
Mr. Speaker, improving our communications with the public, our ability to manage people, to provide rewarding opportunities, and to manage our finances prudently: these are all examples of what I meant when I said that we are improving how the government performs its role.
As we improve that capability, we also improve the scope and quality of the programs and services that we provide to the public.
Our ability to accomplish this within the fiscal framework and to produce another surplus, to me, stands as proof that we are managing our resources prudently.
We are well on the way to achieving the future we all desire.
Mr. Speaker, this is the last Budget Address that I will deliver in this Third Assembly.
I would like to make a final point: I think it’s important that we work together to improve how we live together.
When I look back over the work we have done to prepare five budgets, it is clear to me that our finances are better managed today than they were five years ago.
The credit for that belongs in part with the Department of Finance and the other departments and agencies, but the credit also belongs with the Members of this Assembly.
Your continuing encouragement has helped my officials and me a great deal, and I thank you all for your support.
Member’s Statement 378 – 3(3): Search and Rescue in Nunavut (Ugyuk)
I thank the Minister of Finance for delivering his Budget Address.
I rise today to pay tribute to the efforts of all those who take part in search and rescue activities in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, every community knows how it feels when a hunter is missing on the land or the water.
We cannot rest until our loved ones are successfully located and returned to safety.
Mr. Speaker, there are many organizations and individuals who contribute to our search and rescue system and who deserve our thanks and appreciation for their willingness to risk their own lives.
Mr. Speaker, we have search and rescue committees that organize operations to locate missing persons.
We have hard-working employees in our Emergency Management Organization.
We have many volunteers who belong to such groups as the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association.
We have hunters and trappers organizations whose knowledge of the land often saves lives.
We have the Canadian Rangers and the Canadian Armed Forces.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, I have raised concerns about the need to strengthen federal support for search and rescue in the north.
I will have questions on this issue at the appropriate time.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join me in paying tribute to everyone in Nunavut who takes part in search and rescue activities in Nunavut.
Member’s Statement 379 – 3(3): Importance of Conservation Officers (Ningark)
I rise today to speak about the importance of conservation officers in our communities.
Mr. Speaker, for countless generations, Inuit have had close and enduring ties with the land.
For many years, our way of life depended on a respectful relationship with the land and its wildlife that provided us with sustenance.
Mr. Speaker, in today’s world, the role of conservation officers has become extremely important.
Conservation officers provide vital services to our communities and serve as a valuable linkage between hunters and the government.
Mr. Speaker, the community of Kugaaruk is currently without a conservation officer.
I would like to underline that. I urge the Minister of Environment, through you, Mr. Speaker, and his department to take action to fill this essential position at the earliest opportunity, and I urge the minister and his department to ensure that services continue to be provided to the community until this position is filled.
Member’s Statement 380 – 3(3): Community Action against Food Insecurity (Elliott)
I rose in the House yesterday to congratulate and pay tribute to residents of Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay, and Arctic Bay who were recently honoured with Commissioner’s Awards and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay tribute to some unsung heroes in the three communities which I represent in the Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, I was extremely proud of the way in which the Members of this House worked together yesterday to pass Bill 46, the Donation of Food Act.
As legislators, we moved decisively to help build an appropriate legal framework within which community action against food insecurity can take place.
I would again express my appreciation to my colleagues in this House.
Mr. Speaker, I want to share some examples of how individuals and organizations in the High Arctic work every day to help ensure that our families, friends, and neighbours do not go hungry.
Mr. Speaker, I received word last evening from Grise Fiord that a group of hunters was anticipated to be returning to the community.
We honour their skill, determination, and courage in providing for our elders.
Mr. Speaker, although the High Arctic is currently enduring the cold of our long winter, women are active throughout the communities in sewing clothing that allows our hunters to survive the harsh conditions on the land.
We honour their skill, commitment, and dedication.
Mr. Speaker, Arctic Bay celebrated recently at the successful harvesting of over 20 caribou.
The fact that it has been a number of years since caribou were last in the area makes this hunt particularly special.
Mr. Speaker, during my opening comments yesterday concerning Bill 46, I made reference to a hunter in Grise Fiord who recently spoke publicly about the impact that the increase in the total allowable harvest for narwhal.
He indicated that the community is looking forward to an increase in the amount of country food that will be shared as a result of the increased quota.
Mr. Speaker, the work undertaken by our hunters and trappers organizations, regional wildlife organizations, and Nunavut Tunngavik to achieve a new integrated fisheries management plan for narwhal is another example of how cooperation and determination has a real impact on the daily lives of our communities and constituents.
Mr. Speaker, strategic support from the government to community-based organizations is also making a difference.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to request unanimous consent continue with my Member’s Statement today.
The Department of Economic Development and Transportation’s community freezer program is an excellent example of a practical initiative that helps to strengthen food security.
Mr. Speaker, there are many more examples to share and many more heroes to acknowledge.
I would like to conclude by reflecting on how important it is for all of us to find strength in the knowledge that our individual gifts and actions contribute to a greater good for all.
Member’s Statement 381 – 3(3): The Need for Preventative Dental Care (Rumbolt)
I rise today to raise concerns about the lack of preventative dental care in Nunavut’s communities.
Mr. Speaker, many communities across Nunavut do not have local dental care providers.
Dentists and dental hygienists can play an important role in promoting good dental health, as well as providing care and treatment locally.
Mr. Speaker, far too many infants and children in Nunavut end up suffering from cavities or other types of tooth decay.
When dental issues become urgent, instead of receiving care in their home community, children have to be flown out with a parent or guardian as escort to receive treatment at a regional centre.
This is a very expensive way of addressing a mostly preventable situation.
Mr. Speaker, to make matters worse, when dental issues are not adequately addressed at the outset, the ongoing poor dental health can then lead to a number of other health complications, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Overall, the lack of preventative dental care at the community level not only costs the health care system a considerable sum of money for dental services, but it leads to the need for further care and additional costs to address the additional health consequences of tooth decay.
Mr. Speaker, programs relating to dental hygiene, such as encouraging children to brush their teeth, good nutrition, and other principles of dental care could be promoted at the community level in schools and community health centres.
Mr. Speaker, I would also ask that the government give full consideration to providing regular dental hygienist services in all Nunavut communities.
I am confident that preventative activities such as this would significantly reduce the impact on our budget and, more importantly, on the health of all Nunavut residents.
Member’s Statement 382 – 3(3): Congratulations to Nanulik Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Ningeongan)
I rise today to congratulate and acknowledge constituents from my constituency of Nanulik who recently received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Mr. Speaker, the Diamond Jubilee Medal is a national award which recognizes significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.
Individuals are nominated through the Office of the Governor General of Canada.
From the community of Coral Harbour, the recipients were:
Elizabeth Mai Shapangak,
Raymond Ningeocheak, and
The late Mikitok Bruce, whose medal was received by his grandson Darren Bruce on behalf of the family.
From the community of Chesterfield Inlet, the recipients were:
George Tanuyak,
Eli Kimmaliardjuk, and
Andre Tautu.
I was very honoured to be the one to present the medals to Ms. Shapangak, Mr. Tanuyak, and Mr. Kimmiliardjuk.
The Hon. Senator Dennis Patterson travelled to Nanulik to present medals to Mr. Ningeocheak, Mr Tautu, and the Bruce family.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating my constituents on their well-deserved recognition. I am very proud of them.
I join you in congratulating all of them.
Member’s Statement 383 – 3(3): Congratulations to Baker Lake Recipients of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Aupaluktuq)
Mr. Aupaluktuq (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I rise today to pay tribute to four of my constituents who were recently honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Mr. Speaker, on February 8, I had the honour of hosting Premier Aariak and a number of her cabinet colleagues on the occasion of their official visit to Baker Lake.