EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It’s nice to hear the Minister come out with all kinds of other things other than the answer to the question I’m asking.
That is, why didn’t the Department of Education contact the IDEA and inform them that they had contacted Alberta Education to put a stop to the agreement that was in place between the IDEA and Department of Alberta learning.
It’s very evident that the two parties were aware of the outcome.
Not, Mr. Speaker I do not want to try and override the role of the working group and the committee that has been set up to look at testing for the Iqaluit District Education Authority.
I will have to check with my department as to the specifics, as to when the two parties learned that the testing would not proceed as planned by the IDEA and to also specify the details specific as to the outcome of those discussions.
I will have to go back to my department to check on the dates and the communications that have been put on this file.
Mr. Speaker, my concern is the fact that one of the objectives that the Department of Education has in its business plan is to support community District Education Authorities in a manner that fosters cooperation by going to a different jurisdiction that the department and the District Education Authority had an agreement with.
Now whether or not that agreement, according to the Minister is something that they have the right to enter into or not, was right, but the Department of Education and maybe I can clarify for the Minister, I believe it was on February 16th at 1:17 p.m., that there was a communiqué sent to the Alberta Learning, informing them of that.
Now why couldn’t they have been bothered to have the courtesy if they want to live by their business plan, worked in cooperation with the District Education Authority to inform them of that communication?
Again, as I said, not having the specific details as to when and why there would have been a delay in forwarding this information to the Iqaluit District Education Authority, I will have to check with my staff to get an accurate response to the Member.
Question 446 – 1(6): Tammartarvik Boarding Home – Adequate Rooms
I would like to direct my question to my good friend.
I made a Member’s Statement earlier on about the problems that patients face.
The Minister and I worked on this before and I thought that it was going to be resolved but I heard today again and the day before yesterday, and I’ve witnessed it myself, the problems that patients are having; maybe because the people who have the contract for boarding the patients in Tammaatarvik are the ones that are just running and operating Tammartarvik.
Why don’t they set up billeting for the patients before they arrive to Iqaluit?
Speaker: Minister of Health Minister Picco.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for raising the issue and I am acutely aware of the problems of Tammartarvik with the overcrowding.
It’s something that we’ve talked about in the House as the Member has said and there’s something that we would like to begin working on in earnest in the new fiscal year.
I guess the reality is, Mr. Speaker, that again, as I’ve said before in this House, before 1997, we didn’t even have a boarding home in the community.
All patients were boarded out into people’s homes.
We have been fortunate enough to have Tammartarvik open and we need to be able to look at the number of referrals that are being sent to Iqaluit for hospital boarding and that is one of things that’s driving our deficit right now is the number of referrals in and out of communities.
So, Mr. Speaker, the short answer is that we will need to review the size of the boarding homes and see how we can accommodate more patients faster.
Specifically patients that arrive late, there are authorized, certified boarding homes in Iqaluit, homes, that means people’s private units, where patients are boarded to when Tammaatarvik is full.
I’m not asking about the expansion of the boarding home.
I know that it will be expanded at some time.
My question is, the patients that arrive late, when it’s about ten o’clock at night, especially people from Igloolik and Hall Beach, my question is, isn’t it possible that if Tammaatarvik is full, that the patients arriving late at night could be given reservations or an advance warning that they could be boarding at this certain home.
Mr. Speaker, that is difficult to do because Tammaatarvik is set up to handle patients if and when they come.
Last week and this week for example, Mr. Speaker, there have been orthopaedic people in from Ottawa and they’ve been running orthopaedic clinics.
Because of that, there have been a lot of referrals from outside of Iqaluit to Iqaluit.
Because people have to see those specialists when they arrive, in those weeks when the specialist clinics are, then other patients who come in for regular appointments and check-ups, sometimes there isn’t enough room available.
Sometimes the planes come in late, for example, in the Igloolik case, and then there is no more accommodations left at Tammartarvik because of the load, because of the specialist clinics.
The only real solution to do this, Mr. Speaker is to make sure that we have the available space and try to book off as much as possible but again its contingent on when people are travelling.
Especially for example, in emergency situations, those people also need rooms.
We try to house elderly people first, people who need wheelchair access, and so on, mother’s with young children for example.
In cases where the room is not available, then we have to use the good graces of the people of Iqaluit to provide us with private boarding homes.
Mr. Speaker, hopefully in the New Year, we’ll be able to review the status and the number and the frequency of travellers to see what we can do.
Again Mr. Speaker, there is no easy solution to the current problem in the short term.
I’m just asking whether it would be possible to provide, say for instance, somebody that’s coming over here to, there was a bunch of people who came from Igloolik to get their hearts checked and they arrived late at night.
They were supposed to try and find their own accommodations.
They could not get help from anywhere else.
Someone mentioned here that the people who go down south for treatment, when they don’t have any room, they’re put up in a hotel.
My question is, specifically, isn’t it possible that if Tammartarvik is full, that there are arrangements for the patients to be provided with alternate arrangements in advance?
Yes, that is something that we will try follow up to see if it is possible logistically and administratively, to make sure that when patients are coming in late, whether there is an opportunity for a hotel room.
The problem with the hotel room rates, Mr. Speaker, is that they go above and beyond what is allowed in the per/diem and which is the amount that we’re able to charge back.
But that’s something that we can look into.
Is it true that the people who work at Tammaatarvik only work at that building and they don’t have anything to do with home billeting arrangements?
Does the staff working at Tammartarvik only work right inside the building and in fact do not do any outside home billeting arrangements.
Is that why the patients have to look for their own boarding when Tammartarvik is full?
Mr. Speaker, the Tammaatarvik Boarding Home is under a contract with the Elders’ Society in Iqaluit.
Mr. Speaker, their employees are employees of the Elders’ Society.
When people arrive in Iqaluit at Tammartarvik and there is no room available, there is a list at Tammaatarvik of approved or authorized boarding homes.
Those are homes that have been inspected by the hospital staff to ensure that they have proper beds and so on for hospital patients.
There’s a list of those names and then those names are given to patients when they arrive to see if those people would like to take hospital patients when they arrive.
The employees themselves of the boarding home may be on the approved list for taking people also.
But that’s a private arrangement between Tammaatarvik and the patients, Mr. Speaker.
Question 447 – 1(6): Use of IQ on Child Protection
I made a statement earlier, and I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services in regards to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and in regards to professional counsellors.
There have been professionals who take away children from their families and my question is in regards to their lack of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and whether there is any way to keep children in the family, rather than being taken away from the families?
Mr. Speaker, let me say that it is a last resort when children have to be taken away from their parents.
There are legislation, laws, and Acts in place that social workers have to follow, in this case, under the Child and Family Services Act.
That Act specifically states when it is the best interest of the child, to be taken away from the parents.
There are a number of factors that could be involved, Mr. Speaker.
What we have tried to do, and are doing right now, is providing that type of assistance to the social workers, as well as to the parent, to make sure that the reasons, if a child had to be removed from a home, that the reasons are perfectly explained to the parents.
Also, Mr. Speaker, there is an opportunity for the child to be able to go back to the home if changes in the situation have developed over a period of that time.
Mr. Alakannuark (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I understand the Minister’s response.
Sometimes the parents are not informed as to the reasons why the child has to be taken away.
This has adverse effects on the mental condition as well as giving the parents feelings of inadequacy.
According to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, I think that they should talk first to the parents with an elder and the social worker to ensure everything is understood by all parties.
Right now Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is not used when they have to take away a child from a family.
When the child gets back to the parents, they might not know the culture and ways of the parents any longer.
Can this be immediately considered prior to removing a child from a family, to use Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit to counsel the parents?
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think that the Member has made a good point.
I know that in several cases, as the Minister of Health and Social Services, you are made aware of on a daily basis where children have been taken from a home.
In those cases, Mr. Speaker, the implementation and the usage of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit within the framework should be first and foremost.
In most cases, Mr. Speaker, it is.
I would agree with the Member that we should redouble our efforts and make sure that proper counselling is in place, not only for the children, but also the parents and have the opportunity for an elder, if wished by the parent, to be involved in that process.
Mr. Speaker, that is something that we would be very pleased to do in carrying out that procedure.
Yes, I understand the Minister’s response.
When will the Minister implement this policy, or to try and work on this?
When will he be doing that?
Mr. Speaker, there are two things that we have done quite quickly.
One is having a person within the department who is involved in all aspects and policies and procedures.
You have seen them here in the House, Mr.Tagak, who is actually looking at the issues around the Department of Health and Social Services, including the Child and Family Services Act, and the way apprehensions are done.
We are actually doing that right now.
In the next two weeks, we would hope to announce in the House here, about a traditional program.
We are actually bringing in Counsellors, unilingual people from Nunavut.
Who will actually be working with our Social Workers, Nursing staff to be able to make sure that they are incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit within the precepts that the Member has brought up.
Question 448 – 1(6): Lena Pedersen Boarding Home – Adequate Rooms
Mr. Speaker, just before I ask my question, I am in support of my colleague and because we’re in the same situation as the Member’s problems.
Under Members’ Statements, I spoke about the Kitikmeot Boarding Home, Lena Pedersen.
In February 9, 2003, the Member for Akulliq and Kugluktuk had a meeting in Yellowknife but I could not attend because of the weather although I wanted to go.
The Minister was also present in Yellowknife at the meeting at the Lena Pedersen Boarding Home in Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is, since you had a meeting in Yellowknife, at the boarding home, is there adequate room or do you need to expand it?
Mr. Speaker, I have committed to visit the foster homes with the Member in April and I look forward to doing that.
It was unfortunate that because of weather, he was unable to join with me and Mr. Alakannuark and Mr. Havioyak in Yellowknife when we went and had the opportunity to visit the Lena Pedersen Boarding Home.
Mr. Speaker we would hope that in the next few weeks to be able to review the opportunities that present themselves in Yellowknife to see if there is indeed a need to look at more closely, the relationship we have with the building itself and if there is an opportunity, to look at possible other usages of the building but in the context of having a better situation for the hospital patients who are travelling to the home.
The home was put in place in 1988 Mr. Speaker, and we’ve seen over 20 percent increase in patients travelling to there and the facility right now is not lending itself very well to the need and the demand of the hospital patients coming to Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, my fellow Member from Kitikmeot and the Minister had a meeting at the boarding home and I respect what you talked about.
We have been requested numerous times from Kitikmeot region to voice it in the House to make sure that the patients have a better facility.
The Minister mentioned that he will be reviewing the situation as to what kind of building they should build.
I would like to ask the Minister again, I think he has to look for another building.
Are you going to be looking for another building to house the patients that go to Yellowknife?
Mr. Speaker, we have, I think in the past three years, done a very good job with our hospital boarding homes in that we have new facilities in place in Ottawa, Edmonton.
Mr. Speaker, we’re in the process of finishing the building in Winnipeg and now we need to turn our attention to, as Mr. Irqittuq said earlier, the one here in Iqaluit and look at the situation in Yellowknife.
In Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, we’re in a long term lease there with the building but there is some opportunity there to look at what we actually need on the ground based on the new hospital, the new extended health care facility going into Cambridge Bay and what the amount of patient travel will be.
I need to factor that in when we look at the facility we need in Yellowknife.
I agree with the Member, there needs to be either a replacement of that current facility and to look at having another facility put in place.
The reason being, Mr. Speaker, that the Lena Peterson Boarding Home does not lend itself to expansion on that lot and therefore we have to look at another building.
That was a very clear response and we will be looking forward to getting another boarding home in Yellowknife and also in the Kitikmeot.
Just to advise the Minister that there’s always going to be ongoing patient referrals to different centres and my question is, Mr. Speaker, the Lena Peterson Boarding Home is already there, but do you expect to come up with another boarding home and do a review within the this year, 2003?
Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct, we need to be able to look at what we’re going to have on the ground in Cambridge Bay, also in Rankin Inlet because of the facility we’re putting in there, as well as Iqaluit and Yellowknife.
So, those four locations, Mr. Speaker, we’re going to need in the beginning of the new fiscal year, very quickly, move to look at a review of those facilities and then see what we need.
I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker that the Member is correct, we’ll probably need some type of newer facility in Yellowknife to handle the capacity that right now is not being handled by the Lena Peterson Home.
Kitikmeot residents will now expect to see a boarding home in the summer of 2003. Do they expect to see additional space for boarding in the summer of 2003?
Do you expect they’ll have additional space for them?
Mr. Speaker, it may take on various forms.
We know that there seems to be a capacity problem at the Lena Peterson Home in Yellowknife.
So, there may be an opportunity to look and see what’s on the ground right now in Yellowknife, similar to what we did in Ottawa where we had the Larga Home and there was actually an expansion to the building next door to use.
So, we didn’t build a brand new facility.
There may be another building in Yellowknife that we’ll be able to access, that’s conveniently located and so on.
If that’s not the case, then we might have to look at something else.
I’m not in a position to say what that will be.
I am in a position to say that the department recognizes there are needs in Yellowknife and we’ll need to meet those expectations over the coming months.
Question 449 – 1(6): Differences in Employee Benefits
My question is to follow up on the one I brought up yesterday to the Minister of Finance, I’m going to make a supplementary to that question about the staff working in the long time northerners in the communities.
You agreed that there are people who come up here to the north who receive compensation and salaries and very good benefits like for housing and others.
You also said that long time northerners or Aboriginals who are in the communities are hired on a different level and are not receiving the same benefits as the people who are just being hired.
Especially in our communities, we have Inuktitut as the spoken language in the work place.
When they come from down south, and they come to our communities, they depend on the Inuit people to communicate with the general public, in order to do their jobs.
Why are you are excluding the beneficiaries or long time Northerners in receiving the same benefits from the southern hires. They should be given the same benefits.
Can you look into this?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Member misunderstood.
I never said that there were not the same benefits applied to individuals hired in Nunavut versus from the south.
I said yesterday, I thought that I was quite clear, that we treat all our employees the same based on the classifications of their jobs, the requirements that they need.
In respect of that issue about classification pay levels, that is more of a Human Resources Ministry responsibility.
I did say that in some instances there is staff housing that is provided, based on availability and accessibility, in different communities.
That is where there may be a perceived difference in possible benefits from that perspective.
Having said that, I also said individuals who are hired from the communities, long-term Nunavummiut, are more than likely, already have accommodation, if they are already in that community, based on where there is public housing, or through one of the Housing Programs offered through the Housing Corporation, currently, or in the past.
I always say Mr. Chairman, myself.
According to your response, can you give us documentation or a briefing note of some kind?
Can you give me a written response as to what kind of compensation and benefits that you provide to all the employees in Nunavut?
Mr. Speaker, we have a Collective Agreement for those who are unionized, which is translated in respect of all the pay and benefits for unionized employees.
And as well the Department of Human Resources has manuals in respect to excluded employees, managerial employees, etc.
Between myself and the Minister of Human Resources, we will provide that information to the Member.
I look forward to seeing that information.
All the employees in the Nunavut Government, if they were noted down in the Written Response.
Are you going to include which people are the employees?
Which people receive benefits, and which do not?
Are you going to include that in your response?
I am not exactly sure, Mr. Speaker, of what the Member is asking.
I would say that of the information that we provide to him, if there any additional clarification, or information that you request, we will certainly work with him to try to clarify that for him.
Question 450 – 1(6): Sivumut Economic Development Conference – Amend Invitation List
I am very happy about the Conference that will be going on in Rankin Inlet.
The MLA for Rankin South will be attending that Conference.
The Minister of the Department of Sustainable Development stated that they will be meeting on economic development and Sivumut Economic Development Conference on economic development opportunities for Nunavut.
I’m happy to see the people attending that conference, but on the other hand it seems as though they have missed out on important aspects of organizations, the smaller businesses like Bob Hanson’s company and those companies who might be the foundation of our economics in Nunavut, those people should be attending that conference because they know where our economies stand and there are different organizations out there who have their own small businesses.
Are you going to be amending the invitation list to include those small businesses in the communities?
Just to clarify a little bit, in Naujaat, Repulse Bay, we had a cabinet retreat there to do business plans and I’ve had a chance to visit the larger communities who have their own businesses.
I’ve had a chance to meet with several businesses in Rankin Inlet and we started working towards how we can better develop our economy in Nunavut.
There were businesses from Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay.
We discussed with them on how we can improve the economy through the local small businesses and larger businesses and they have been involved in the past in similar conferences such as this.
This economic development strategy conference is organized by Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and our government and we’re going to be including our own economic development strategies within the government.
We will be doing a presentation and then report to them on different conferences that we had in the past so that we can develop the economy in Nunavut.
As I mentioned earlier, when they are going to do an economic development strategy such as this, they’re the ones, the small businesses are the ones to dictate where the economy is going.
Artists within the communities know how much money they’re making.
Even sewing groups or arts and crafts or businesses who rent vehicles are the ones who know where the economy stands.
Since those companies are familiar with the smaller communities’ economy, my question is, are you going to be holding another conference such as this one with the small business before you decide to hold an economic development strategy conference such as this.
Will you be able to meet with them again in the future?
Mr. Speaker, I’m not Mr. Anawak.
Mr. Anawak was asking the questions.
Those are very good questions and we’ll bring this up with NTI to see how we can resolve the economic development challenges we face in Nunavut.
As well, the idea of the Nunavut Chamber of Commerce and to seek their input in getting this in front of a conference and I’ll talk to the person who I'm working with to set up this conference.
I’ll ask them what kind of conference to hold with these different companies.
In the briefing notes it states that since their meeting in Naujaat, the Naujaat Challenge stated that they would inform Nunavummiut about government operations and businesses so that opportunities that are available will be taken.
Are you going to be informing us in that conference the kind of economic development opportunities they’re building for Nunavut such as Pangnirtung Fisheries or the Rankin Inlet Meat Plant?
Are you going to be informing those delegates at the conference of these different types of opportunities that they can take advantage of to develop our economy?