EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I’m glad the Minister brought up experience because during the Government of the Northwest Territories days, different priority levels were established for hiring long term non-Inuit.
Can the Minister confirm that when he’s redoing this, that people who live up here for the last 15, 20, 30 years, that are non-beneficiaries will be given some kind of priority hiring status over new southerners.
We have an agreement under Article 23; under that article we have a goal that we have to aim for in hiring Inuit.
We will not be the only ones deciding when we do a review.
We will look for people who have lived in the north for a long time or in Nunavut to recognise them as being hired as one of the priority hires.
I’d like to go back to Item 5, Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery.
I’d like to recognise some visitors from, actually two individuals that I represent in Rankin Inlet and Whale Cover and also another SAO from Cape Dorset.
Emelda Angutialuk is the Senior Administrative Officer for Whale Cover.
Ron Roach, Senior Administrative Officer for Rankin Inlet.
A lot of you know him already and Art Stuart, Senior Administrative Officer for Cape Dorset.
And Frank Pearce.
They’re here for municipal training organization for the hamlet.
Petition 008 – 1(6): Telephone Call Display Service
I have a petition from the residents of Gjoa Haven.
This petition contains 160 signatures requesting call display service in the community.
Mr. Speaker, they have seen a number of nuisance calls in the community in the early mornings and they feel that this will stop if call display services are available to their community.
Report 013 – 1(6): Bill 28 – An Act to Amend the Young Offenders Act (Nunavut) and Other Acts in Consequence
I wish to report that Bill 28, an Act to Amend the Young Offenders Act and Other Acts in Consequence has been reviewed by the standing committee Ajauqtiit and the Bill as amended and reprinted is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 68 (5) and have Bill 28 moved into Committee of the Whole for today.
Speaker: There is a request to waive Rule 68(5), standing committee report on Bill 28 can be referred to Committee of the Whole.
Bill 28 is referred to Committee of the Whole.
Bill 35 – Wildlife Act – Notice
On Monday, March 31, 2003, that Bill 35, the Wildlife Act will be read for the first time.
Speaker: Item 15 Notice of Motions for First Reading of Bills.
Bill 28, Bill 30, Bill 31, Bill 32, Minister’s Statement 126 – 1(6) with Mr. Puqiqnak in the chair.
In accordance to the authority provided to my by Motion 002-1(6) Committee of the Whole will stay in session until it reports itself out.
Members, I would ask that we proceed with Committee of the Whole immediately and that once the Minster and the Chair of the standing committee have given their opening comments I would suggest that we break for lunch and report back to the House at 1:30 p.m. Agreed?
Good morning to all of you.
Ms. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to continue with the review of Bill 30 and commence with the review of the Department of Finance.
Once we complete the Finance Department, we would want to review Bill 31, Supplementary and then Bill 32, under the Supplementary.
After all of this is done, we will return to Bill 30 and commence the review of the Department of Sustainable Development.
We will start the Committee of the Whole, Minister of Finance, if you have opening comments.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Good morning Mr. Chairman.
I am pleased to appear before the Committee of the Whole to discuss the 2003-2004 Main Estimates for the Department of Finance.
I will begin with a brief overview of the Department’s budget.
For 2003-2004, the Department of Finance has been allocated $44.5 million dollars in maintenance and operations expenditures, compared to $47.4 million dollars for the 2002-2003 Main Estimates.
The major components of the Department’s budget are as follows:
$18.9 million for compensation and benefits;
$4.75 million for the power subsidy program;
$9.4 million for the lease costs of the Legislative Assembly building and other commercial properties constructed by the Nunavut Construction Corporation prior to April 1, 1999;
$8.9 million for Government-wide employee benefit programs such as dental premiums, Workers’ Compensation Board premiums, and employee medical travel; and
$1.5 million for Government insurance premiums
Compared to the 2002-2003 Main Estimates, there were only two major changes, which are as follows:
$2.5 million decrease for the Information Management Branch due to the transfer of Systems Development functions of the branch to the Department of Public Works and Services; and
$1.2 million decrease in the allotment for equal pay litigation.
The Department has five branches: Directorate, Fiscal Management, Information Management, Comptrollership, and Centrally Administered Funds.
The Department has a complement of 172 positions, comprised of 126 in headquarters, 17 in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, 16 in the Kivalliq Region, and 13 in the Kitikmeot Region.
In addition, there are five (5) positions funded through the Liquor Commission Revolving Fund.
Mr. Chairman, the Department’s focus for the 2003-2004 fiscal year will be to continue to provide central agency services in areas that include support for the Financial Management Board, managing the Government’s overall fiscal position, overseeing our financial framework and accounting processes, and the development of information management policies and plans.
You can go down to the Witness Table if you would like to bring your officials.
I apologize, Chairperson of Standing Committee, do you have any opening comments?
I certainly do, and pleased to do them now with your indulgences.
Mr. Chairman, the Standing Committee of Government Operations and Services has reviewed the main estimates in Business Plans in the Department of Finance for the 2003/2004 fiscal year.
The committee notes that the department proposed budget of $44 million, 505 thousand has increased by over 60% and the department’s initial location of $27 million, 548 thousand in the 1999/2000 year.
Members recognize that a significant portion of the department’s budget is allocated to such government wide function as employee benefits, commercial leases, insurance coverage and power subsidies.
Members recognize that the department plays is a central agency.
One of the most important functions that the department performs is coordinating the government’s budget process and preparing the annual estimates documentation and the government’s public accounts.
Over the past several years, the Committee has consistently called on the department to enhance the transparency and accountability of government operations through such measures as ensuring that the government’s financial statements are tabled in a timely fashion, and expanding the level of detail contained in the government’s main estimates.
Although Members have noted improvements in these areas, more can be accomplished.
For example, the budget process would greatly benefit from the inclusion of prior years’ actual expenditures in the main estimate documents that are tabled each year.
Members have also noted that the 2001/2002 public accounts are now overdue.
Mr. Chairman, one of the department’s stated priorities for 2003/2004 is to renegotiate the Canada Nunavut Formula Financing Agreement.
Members are aware of the joint fiscal review that was announced between the federal and territorial Ministers of Finance some time ago, and look forward to reviewing the final report from this process.
Members stand behind the government as it works to negotiate funding arrangements with our federal partners that recognize Nunavut’s unique circumstances, challenges and needs.
Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned earlier, a significant portion of the department’s budget has been allocated for paying commercial leases for the GN in 2003/2004.
Over $9.3 million has been allocated for this purpose.
The Standing Committee has expressed concern in the past about issues of transparency related to the government’s leasing practices, and urges the department, as a central agency, to ensure greater disclosure in this area.
Mr. Chairman, Members are aware that the government’s plan to establish the Qulliq Energy Corporation may involve a restructuring of the way energy subsidies are managed.
The Committee will be interested to learn how the present $4.75 million power subsidy will be dealt with in the future.
Members have taken note of the government’s efforts to establish a so-called crown corporations coordinating council.
Members are hopeful that this entity will make progress in addressing concerns expressed by the Auditor General with respect to crown corporations.
Members recognize that managing the government’s revenues is a critical function.
Members recall the significant tax measures that were considered and passed by this House in 2002, and reiterate their call for the department to monitor their success in achieving such policy goals as attracting more businesses to establish operations in Nunavut.
Members also remain curious about the department’s success in determining whether the revenue collected from the GN’s 1% payroll tax, which was inherited from the GNWT, is raised primarily from permanent residents of Nunavut, or from transient workers.
Members recognize the importance of training beneficiaries to pursue careers in the finance sector.
Members look forward to learning of the department’s success in filling the 12 internship positions that it has planned to establish in the department.
In the past, the Committee has noted with concern the apparently uncontrollable growth of information technology expenditures.
Members are pleased that this appears to be now under greater control, and notes with interest the transfer of certain functions in this area to the Department of Public Works and Services.
Members are aware that the activities of the Nunavut Liquor Commission fall under the department, and look forward to greater clarity as to what will happen to the positions that were originally planned to be located in Gjoa Haven.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments and I’m sure that individual members will have their own questions and concerns that they may like to make as we proceed.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman of the Standing Committee.
At this time we’ll take a short break until 1:30 and we’ll be back here by 1:30.
>>Committee recessed at 11:56 a.m. and resumed at 13:29 p.m.
The Finance Minister already made his opening remarks so we’ll continue.
Do you have witnesses coming?
Please escort your officials to the witness table?
I’ll ask you to introduce your officials please.
Please introduce your witnesses Mr. Minister.
To my right is Mr. Robert Vardy, Deputy Minister.
To my left is Mr. Victor Tootoo, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Department of Finance.
Before we start, according to rule 77(1) you have 10 minutes to speak and according to rule 77(2) subject to the discretion of the chair a member may speak more than once to a matter under discussion but not until every member wishing to speak has spoken.
We will be going through the Department of Finance Main Estimates and the Business Plans.
Try to keep within the discussions before us and remember the time limits of our meeting.
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): I am looking at some of these Main Estimates, regarding the Liquor Commission, I know the Liquor Board makes a lot of money and they have a surplus and that the Government makes money from liquor sales, but I think that surplus should be used to all of the communities.
That money should be given to alcohol and drug programs in the communities.
We all know that there are alcohol problems, not only alcohol, but drugs as well purpose.
I think that surplus should be used for alcohol and drug programs in the communities.
What I was thinking of was having surplus from that finance from liquor sales transferred to alcohol and drug programs because the alcohol and drug programs in the communities always lack funding for their programs.
I think that that surplus can be spread around to other communities that have alcohol and drug programs and some of the employees do not work there because there is no funding to keep them in place for those alcohol and drug workers.
I think that some of that money be used for the community wellness coordinator.
A lot of the employees go elsewhere because the pay is not very good for those alcohol and drug programs in the communities and they move onto better paying jobs.
The other item that I wanted to bring up is that I had asked the Finance Minister the other day, the employees of the Government of Nunavut, when employees do not have employee assistance programs I think that there are $70 thousand to $80 thousand a year for hiring employees.
But some of these employees make a lot of that money.
If that $70,000 can be used for income taxes, CCP and income tax deductions are taken off.
Some of these employees make $70 thousand.
But when you have taken all of that income tax, it is a lot less, it is taken off, the money gets here is small and they are not paid, I know the net is smaller than the gross pay.
I wonder if the Minister and the Department of Finance can think of those.
When you have a good paying job, you tend to stay longer in the government departments.
But when they have a lot of these problems, they don’t get paid and they don’t want to stay in the government and they look for employment elsewhere, where pay is better.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. I don’t have anyone else at this point.
Would you like to go page by page?
On page 3-5, Directorate Branch Summary, for the Department of Finance.
For the Directorate.
Compensation and Benefits. There’s a big reduction in there.
Perhaps there was a reduction of PYs in the department.
The contract services, there’s a big increase.
Can the Minister elaborate on that please?
The decrease in the compensation and benefits line item is a result of reorganisation, some of those positions being realigned.
Later on, there are some increases in other sections of the department.
In respect to the contract services, there is an additional need.
There was some money brought forward, again, it’s realigning the budget’s really from other divisions that you’ll see later.
Thank you for the explanation. What are the contract services?
Why is there a big increase in there?
What additional contracts are expecting?
A bulk of these are miscellaneous consulting service contracts or amounts that were in, like I said earlier, other portions of the budget.
It’s really just been consolidated into this one area under the directorate.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $953 thousand dollars.
Page 3-6, Finance, Branch Summary, Fiscal Management, Total Operations and Maintenance, $6 million, 38 thousand dollars.
Finance, Information Management, Branch Summary, Total Operations and Maintenance, on page 3-7, $1 million, 340 thousand dollars.
Mr. Havioyak: On that page, under contract service again, I know you were talking about maybe that’s where some change; maybe you could just touch on that.
Just over $2 million dollars difference there, so I need some explanation.
This specific item is the decrease of $2 million, 507 thousand dollars.
That was a transfer to Public Works and Services for the systems development division that used to be in finance.
Is it in there that I can ask my question to explain first having gone to different communities in Canada, in Toronto, or other places in Canada, those bank machines may have English or French and different languages are also included in some of the bank machines.
We were in Greenland recently and they have the Greenlandic language in those bank machines.
I’d like to ask the government in Iqaluit whether they have accounts with the local banks?
Yes, we do in the respect to if I may, anticipate the member’s question in respect of the possibility of having Inuktitut on some of the automated banking machine services in Nunavut.
We are going to ask in our upcoming request for proposals from financial institutions for banking services for Nunavut to see what kind of expanded services once again they’ve if they can reply, not just to us, but generally across Nunavut that was just all residents and that will be one criteria of the evaluation and the proposal that will be requested.
Yes, you obviously knew what my other question would be.
That’s very encouraging because there are a lot more people that can access those services if they only spoke those languages and I think that would be very encouraging for Nunavummiut to have Inuktitut on those machines.
Chairperson (interpretation): Is there a question there?
I don’t hear a question in there. 3-7.
In the main estimates for Information Management, the computer systems are only in English, which makes it hard for unilingual people to access those systems.
I’m wondering if there can be funds that could help to develop computers systems within the Legislative Assembly that we can use in our own language.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Mr. Chairman, I do know that there has been considerable work done to some of the fonts and some of the support for Inuktitut programming sponsored through the Department of CLEY in resources education etc.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Many of us who don’t speak English, we’ve seen correspondence that is only in English and that’s a big barrier to us.
For instance, the different fonts in Inuktitut, the icon and all those different systems in the computer, there is nothing in Inuktitut in the systems.
Is there any development in that area through his department?
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is ongoing work in that area and I believe progress is being made.
Probably not as fast as members and all people would want but certainly there is progress being made.
I have no one else on my list.
Going back to page 3-7. Information management.
Total operations and maintenance. $1 million, 340 thousand.
Finance Branch Summary, Comptrollership, Total Operations and Maintenance, $11 million, 630 thousand.
Carried. 3-9, Centrally Administered Funds, so there are two pages under that.
Total Operation and Maintenance, $24 million, 544 thousand, agreed?
Mr. Havioyak: I am off track a little bit.
I just want to ask the Minister if this is for the employees’ program is it in or is it someplace else, the Inuktitut because on my opening comment, I was saying that.
First of all, if it is not clear, maybe if you could direct it to where that might be a program that the employees can apply for on their hardship times.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Mr. Chairman, the employee assistance program, get the Member’s question is actually under the Department of Human Resources.
You are talking about the hardship allowance for housing, then that is a program that Finance administers.
Grants and contributions, on page 3-10, for Power Subsidy, for Domestic and Power Subsidies of Electricity, $4.7 million dollars.
Is that for Government staff housing and buildings, office buildings?
Is that the subsidy for that?
No, that is for private homeowners, but specifically a small portion of it is for commercial, but the majority of it is private homeowners.
Just clarification, private homeowners on that power subsidy?
I just want to get some clarification.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Maybe I should clarify it for private residences and what it is, is right now, it is the first day’s 800 kilowatt hours based on Yellowknife power rates, so the difference between that rate and the local rate is what we pay for the whole pay, full economic rates for the first 800 kilowatt hours.
Centrally Administered Funds, page.
In the Inuktitut, I understood the power subsidy, it says domestic and commercial.
It says domestic and commercial in Inuktitut.
Just a quick explanation of what you mean by commercial power subsidies.
I’ve indicated that there’s also a rate of subsidy for a percentage of the same subsidy for commercial enterprises as well.
But it’s a small component of the overall cost.
The cost is primarily private residents, operators that get the subsidy.
Anything else. Mr. McLean.
I missed you, like a bad habit.
On your opening comments, it refers to page 3-9, $9.4 million dollars for the leased cost of the Legislative Assembly Building and other commercial properties constructed by the Nunavut Construction Corporation prior to April 1, 1999.
How long are those leases for?
Mr. Chairman, those are 20 year leases and as you recall, we passed questions on this.
It was an agreement that was reached with the Federal Government, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Nunavut Construction Corporation, prior to the Government of Nunavut coming into existence.
We get reimbursed fully from the Federal Government in our contributions for the same leases.
So, they come in, and they go back out.
That’s why it’s actually held in the Department of Finance because there were special financial arrangements agreed upon and we’re just reflecting that.
Mr. McLean: On that issue.
They’re 20 year leases but we all know those government offices and those apartment blocks will last probably 40 years.
If you do the math on $9.4 million over 20 years it’s $184 million dollars we’ll be paying in leases over 20 years and if you double that, it works out to probably $370 million dollars over 40 years.
The government purchased the Sivumut Building for $6 million dollars.
Is the government in any kind of position to purchase these buildings from NCC to cut down on lease payments over 20 or 30 years?
Mr. Chairman, these leases from what I understand, there are no purchase options in there, but having said that Mr. Chairman, as you know, at the end of 20 years, we’re under no obligation to continue leasing them.
Obviously that would have to be negotiated as we got to the end of the lease terms with the owners to see what options and what negotiations would take place in respect of those facilities.
So you’re telling me we don’t own these buildings after 20 years.
I know these leases were all negotiated and signed long before we came along and they’re going to be around long after we go.
Can you assure me that the Government of Nunavut, in its short little ten years left, don’t sucked into any of these deals from now on?
Mr. Chairman, The circumstances at the time, I wasn’t involved and certainly, there were others involved in the negotiations over those arrangements.
Like I said, we’ve inherited it.
From our perspective, there cost neutral to the government of Nunavut from the perspective that the Federal Government made adequate allocations through the Government of Nunavut to pay out these leases over the 20 years and it’s a matter of continuing to diligent I guess, in future leases.
As you know, our government enters into, but by and large, the bulk of them are with purchase options and then certainly the condominium program that the Housing Corporation has entered into and ongoing leases, Capital lease projects are continuingly reviewed and scrutinized quite diligently before being entered into.
Mr. McLean: So, the point I’m trying to make is that after the 20 year leases are up, they’re just going to be renewed again for probably a lower cost.
But the fact of the matter is, housing is a priority in Nunavut.
If we had a $185 million, or $300 million dollars at our disposal to put up houses and own it, we would not be in the crisis situation that we are in today.
Can the Minister assure me in these new hospital deals, that if he signs leases with these organizations, that the end of the lease that at least the Government would own them?
Mr. Chairman, we have said before, and I will say again, that in respect of the hospital leases, that the intent of the Government is to own those facilities at some point, either at the end of the lease, or even before that if a decision is made to finance them internally, or to purchase them out directly.
The Minister has gotten me a little nervous here.
Intent, the intent is to own them.
Has the contracts for these leases been signed?
No, they have not been signed.
And the intent is to own them as I said.