EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
This is to help ensure that there is no secrecy when it comes to the public knowing who is acting on behalf of private interests. Generally, a public registry exists that clearly indicates who is lobbying on behalf of whom. This transparency is important when it comes to the public knowing who is attempting to make representations to government decision-makers, and on what subjects.
We need such a system in Nunavut.
Mr. Chairman, it is disappointing to the committee that the department’s business plan makes the questionable claim that “no major disruption of government programs and services” has occurred during the GN’s decentralization process, although the same business plan does indicate that the government is “looking at various issues that are impeding the filling of decentralized positions.”
According to information revealed in a recent return to written question posed by a member, a total of 111 decentralized positions remained vacant as of September 30, 2005.
Although this is an improvement over the 143 vacancies recorded in December 2004, it is clear that decentralization has not been an unqualified success.
Last year, the committee suggested that the government consider undertaking a review of the costs, successes, and challenges of the decentralization initiative.
In light of the recent Auditor General’s Report, which addressed the issue of the impact of the GN’s decentralized structure on its financial management practices, an objective review remains a valid idea.
Mr. Chairman, the committee has noted that EIA is proposing to establish a new Energy Secretariat within the department. This entity has been allocated $35,000, as the Premier has alluded to, to “lead the development of a comprehensive Energy Strategy to deal with the territory’s dependency on imported oil for heat, power, and transportation. The Energy Secretariat will monitor energy related issues and develop options and recommendations on Territorial Energy Policy and will coordinate GN action on Cabinet level energy decisions.”
The committee anticipates monitoring the work of this body with close attention.
Mr. Chairman, the last area that I wish to touch on is performance measurement. Members have noted that EIA continues to have a business plan goal of establishing a GN-wide performance measurement program.
It’s the committee’s understanding from having met with the minister that one of the first priorities for evaluation is in the area of suicide prevention initiatives.
This is a praiseworthy priority. The committee would wish to see departmental business plans begin to explicitly incorporate performance measures that look at actual results and outcomes, and not just activities and outputs.
For example, one of the stated priorities of the Department of Education in 2005-06 was to “undertake the development of initiatives to address dropout rates.”
However, it is totally unclear from that department’s 2006-07 business plan as to whether its activities and expenditures have actually had any measurable success in reducing dropout rates.
We need to be able to honestly, rigorously, and accurately measure our own success in achieving such important goals, and be prepared to re-evaluate our expenditures and approaches if they do not produce results that genuinely benefit our communities and constituents.
On a final note, the standing committee would like to take this opportunity to warmly applaud the people of Nunatsiavut on their recent accomplishment.
We look forward to close cooperation between our jurisdictions.
And Mr. Chairman, that verse concludes my opening comments.
I am sure individual members may have their own comments or concerns as we proceed and I welcome them to take this opportunity to do so.
Before we proceed, I would like to inform members of the following: 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.
I suggest to members that, where possible, you ask your detailed questions during the page-by-page review of the departmental estimates and try to avoid hypothetical questions and not to seek opinions.
Mr. Curley: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) I would first of all like to thank the Premier and his officials. I’m sure you have a lot of work to do within your department.
I have to go to the airport as my son’s plane was delayed due to weather in Rankin Inlet.
They will be leaving around six o’clock.
So I would like to have my opening comments before we go, or before I go, I’m sorry.
In regard to the Premier’s opening comments, even if it’s not today, I would like the Premier to give us some more information on the Energy Secretariat.
I think that it would be better if the energy issues were given to one minister because it seems like we are conflicting.
If there’s going to be a secretariat, I think that everything else should go underneath if it’s energy-related.
The Energy Minister hasn’t put together a long-term strategy and it seems like there’s a conflict in there.
So we would want further information on the Energy Secretariat.
In the Keewatin region, in regard to the Denesuline and the Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces, the Denesuline would like to get some of our land that has been claimed by Nunavut already.
Those are all confidential issues, but I can say that when we were negotiating for the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and when I was a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northwest Territories, the western Members of the Legislative Assembly asked a lot of questions and tried to get some information, even though it was on a confidential basis.
They don’t want land; they want land that is rich in resources. It seems like that land that we’re talking about is close to Arviat. It is land that has been used by the Inuit, all the way up to the Saskatchewan border.
They are being negotiated by negotiators that we don’t even see. It is going to have an effect on us. We have to work harder.
Mr. Chairman, I will be posing some further questions as we go along. I wanted to make my opening comments before I have to leave. I will be posing questions to the minister and I would like to thank the minister already.
When you are having discussions with the federal government, I want to assure you that the Members of the Legislative Assembly are in full support.
We heard about the possibility of increasing the training dollars for trades training. So we would like to urge you, as the minister, to lobby hard. Of course, when we are talking about the trade’s school, we are talking about utilizing an old building.
It would be a lot better if we got a first class building to train our people.
There’s also the issue of mining.
They need electricians and plumbers; heavy equipment operators, and carpenters, and so on. They need journeymen; they need plumbers, so if we increase the number of journeymen they would be able to fill those positions in the mining sector.
We urge the Premier to work hard to lobby the federal government and Prime Minister Harper.
I’ll leave it at that. I have to go to the airport.
I would like to welcome the Premier and his officials.
Again, mining is big within our government. When Nunavut was created, there were two mines that closed down and our source of revenue was lost.
I think that we should be putting out more information on mining and the effects it has on the outlying communities. The communities are not informed about what’s at the exploration stage.
I think the communities who will be affected or who are being affected should be consulted.
For example, there’s diamond exploration around the Igloolik area, and again in a nearby area. The people are concerned because they are not informed about what kind of impact that it would have. Of course, there will a lot of outsiders bringing the exploration crews in between our communities.
The hunters are concerned about what the explorers do in the communities. I fully support mining exploration in Nunavut because the communities that are close by are the ones who benefit from it.
I know of this personally because of Nanisivik and Little Cornwallis Island.
There were a lot of people from all over Nunavut who went to work in those two mines.
So I wanted to make those opening comments.
Mr. Kilabuk (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, first of all, I would like to welcome the Premier and his officials.
I’m sure you have heard this more than once, but while I have the opportunity I would like to touch upon the issue of the government and its reliance on the federal government, especially the gun legislation.
It’s very to do much about it.
The Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs has had a close working relationship with the federal government but in Nunavut, I think that your department has to lobby to ensure that it is processed faster.
I just came back from Pangnirtung, but the forms haven’t gone into our communities yet. These people would like to buy rifles but they don’t have the forms or anything to get the whole thing started.
These individuals have been waiting for over a year because of the extremely slow process that has to go through.
For the information of the Premier, and to remind the Premier, this is something that is very important to the people of Nunavut that we represent.
As the Government of Nunavut, we have always had a problem, and we’re well aware about the issue of fisheries.
In our seas, on our lands, the tonnage is set by the federal government and not our government, especially for turbot fishing, we are concerned about that because the federal minister has allotted quotas that will be divvied up by the Nunavut Fishing Companies, but within the government, there are no personnel that can do that sort of thing within our government.
There is one set in the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, but our federal government, even when we’re trying to get the fisheries off the ground, there are no personnel that do that. And I just remind the Premier and his officials that there is a need and we have to set up some kind of strategy that deals with it and to remind the federal government about that.
Again, I brought this issue up in regard to policing; we hear the same thing about the problems that are encountered at the community level. We have to work closely together so that we find solutions to the problems.
I wanted to urge the government that we need a closer working relationship.
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): I wasn’t expecting that. Mr. Chairman, thank you.
I would like to welcome the Premier and his officials to the witness table.
Please don’t be intimidated by the regular members. We’ll be asking a lot of questions.
Again, I would like to make a few comments on issues that need resolving. We have to remind one another about what is important to the people and that the people who elected us to these positions have to be kept informed.
There are way too many people who are not aware of what the Nunavut Government is trying to do.
They are in the news everyday through the media and I think that we should be airing more government activities on the radio.
For example, on Friday, the people were in Arviat and they were going to be talking about the Nunavut-Manitoba highway.
I also heard that they were very receptive, but again, for example, they can talk to the people of Arviat because we are the closest.
Since all of the animals are from Nunavut and there’s more and more species of animals migrating up north as it gets warmer, further and further north.
Because of that, I fully support and not just on an annual basis, but possibly through the Regional Inuit Associations, the Nunavut Government and the birthright organizations have to be more open to each other and talk to each other about wildlife management and conservation.
Even though that’s the case, in the Keewatin region, we have extremely bountiful rivers that can be managed, lighted up, and make them into recreation areas.
Of course, we have to get approval from the federal government prior to doing anything like that.
So I think that we should talk about devolution and take on some of those responsibilities that are currently being held by the federal government.
We should do that pretty soon and it’s being considered by the Baffin.
So I wanted to make those comments. I think that frontline information is extremely important. The communities and the people should be fully informed and get all of the information.
The Denesuliné in Manitoba have been quiet for many, many years, but when the Nunavut negotiations were coming to a close and when we were talking about overlapping agreements and negotiating for the boundaries, the Denesuliné in Manitoba suddenly came about.
It seems like in most cases they go to meetings in Winnipeg or Saskatchewan. I think our Premier knows that when they are going to be negotiating or making demands, they tend to have their meetings down south and the Nunavut Government seems to agree to that.
It’s something that bugs me a little.
If you are going to be demanding something, you approach the people that you are making a demand of.
So all of the money is going south and do you have to go outside of Nunavut to attend those negotiations or to listen to their demands? So all the money is going down there instead of going up to Nunavut; it’s something that doesn’t sit lightly with me.
I haven’t fully agreed to the present arrangements and the Nunavut Government is spending money on travel and the birthright organizations are spending money to travel also if they weren’t funded by the federal government to attend those meetings.
So it’s something I’m very concerned about and again, we don’t know all the information about how the negotiations are going.
I just wanted to make those opening comments before going into questions.
I am going to make a brief general comment. I would also like to welcome you.
The Premier’s opening comments about the James Bay dam in Northern Quebec; I want to reiterate that Sanikiluaq has a concern regarding our environment.
We believe that Nunavut has to be fully involved when there is a possibility of contaminating part of Nunavut.
I would like to talk about what I have seen, or experienced when they built a hydroelectric dam.
We used to go fishing in the area, but once they worked on the rivers for the hydroelectric dam we are now allowed to harvest fish that can’t even sustain us for a year because these fish are being contaminated and that’s what we are concerned about.
If fresh water is going to be poured into the ocean, the fresh water will be carried by the current and carried very far away into the ocean.
So that is what we are concerned about.
We are concerned about this and we want your department to know because we have seen and experienced the damming of the river and there is some wildlife that is regulated now.
Sanikiluaq residents are quite concerned.
We eat ground fish in the Belcher Islands, and we also eat seals and we’re concerned about those animals that we use for subsistence.
So, I just want you to be aware of the fact that that’s what we’re concerned about.
Also, in regard to the overlapping around the Sanikiluaq area, Northern Quebec harvest from the same area as Nunavummiut and we are lacking information on that.
Perhaps you could inform the users from both sides, to make sure that information is provided to both Nunavut and Nunavik, because sometimes we experience problems in the overlapping areas.
We know that there is an agreement and although we say we’ll work closely with the Northern Quebec communities, sometimes there are some problems occurring, and I just want the department to know that, Mr. Chairman.
We will now proceed with the page-by-page review of the departmental estimates starting with page B-5 in your Main Estimates 2006-07.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $1,725,000.
Chairman: On page B-6.
Communications. Policy Planning and Evaluation.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $2,311,000.
Chairman: Page B-7.
Statistical Summary. Total. Operations and Maintenance.
Under that Statistical Services, I know that was at one point a controversial issue on taking those positions out of Iqaluit and moving them to Pangnirtung.
I am just wondering if the minister could give us an update on that on how many of those positions are filled with indeterminate staff right now.
Hon. Paul Okalik: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. From what I understand, they are all indeterminate; except one’s a secondment for training purposes.
I take it we are on page B-10. Is that correct; for Intergovernmental Affairs?
You’re way ahead of us. We are on page B-7.
Statistical Services.
Chairman: No? Statistical Services.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $453,000.
Chairman: Page B-8.
Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs. Statistical Services.
Branch Summary. Nunavut Cabinet.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $3,982,000.
Chairman: Page B-9.
Commissioner of Nunavut. Total Operations and Maintenance.
This $31,000; it’s more expensive than last year. Did the Commissioner’s salary increase? Is that the reason why; the compensation and benefits?
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The commissioner is paid by the federal government and her staff has a small increase; so that’s why there’s a small increase. All the government employees had an increase in their salaries.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Premier. (interpretation ends) We are on page B-9.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $227,000.
Chairman: Page B-10.
Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs. Branch Summary.
I am thinking that both the minister and I alluded to in our opening comments; that was the Energy Secretariat.
I just have a simple question, hopefully. I’m just wondering why the Energy Secretariat is under EIA.
Hon. Paul Okalik: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I and the Minister of Energy discussed this in quite a few meetings.
I was trying to give the responsibility to the Minister of Energy, but he kept telling me that in order for energy-related matters to be coordinated properly that it should come out of EIA. So he convinced me after numerous meetings to assume this responsibility because there are numerous other agencies like oil and housing matters that relate to energy conservation.
There are cross-departmental matters that should be coordinated as a government overall.
So that’s why we agreed that it should be under EIA for now.
There’s nothing preventing us from looking at this further and see if we have to create a new branch of government in the future.
So we are trying it for now in terms of trying to reduce the resources involved because EIA coordinates overall government activity, we felt that for the time being, we can work with all departments and try and come up with an overall plan as a government.
The idea of consolidating energy-related issues would seem like a good idea.
I know that that’s something that the committee has been concerned about for a while.
There are five or six ministers that have some kind of energy-related responsibilities.
Why EIA, regardless of what the Minister of Energy, whether he was begging you to do or not, why wouldn’t that secretariat fall under the Qulliq Energy Corporation because if memory serves me correct, the QEC Act, the Qulliq Energy Corporation Act had three subsidiaries under it and one was the Nunavut Power, the fuel corporation and the opportunities corporation, which was supposed to do exactly what this secretariat is doing.
So I’m just wondering why it didn’t go there and why it went to EIA because it just doesn’t seem to make sense.
Are we going to be looking at amending the QEC Act to take out that one entity, that one subsidiary that’s in there?
We did attempt to try and consolidate fuel with energy and that didn’t get favour from the House.
So we are trying to do what we can with what we have.
So we are trying to consolidate overall consumption usage for energy, whether it be by power or fuel and trying to find ways to reduce dependence on fuel and either do it through a secretariat or where there’s economies of scale where EIA has an overall responsibility for all government operations, we felt that, at this time, it should be for the EIA to try and handle this energy consumption for government and people of Nunavut overall.
I don’t want him to get me wrong; I think it’s great that we have someone looking out for trying to find ways to conserve energy as we all know that the utilities are the highest cost of living in the north where we are living and operating.
If you are looking at it from a government’s perspective, or a homeowner, or a retailer, or a businessperson, your utility costs are probably the biggest bulk of your expenses.
Having said that, I thought that’s what Qulliq Energy Corporation was formed to do, was to do all of that.
It seems odd to me that something like this would fall under Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs and not under Qulliq Energy Corporation, which I think in the legislation has a section under there for that.
If the intent of the Act isn’t going to be followed through on, then are we going to be looking at amending that Act to make it relevant to what we’re actually doing?
The Qulliq Energy Corporation currently provides power to all of Nunavut and that is their goal and their mandate.
What we would like to do is find ways to manage energy overall, whether it be fuel consumption or electrical use, find ways to coordinate the economies of scale and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels overall, whether it be generating hydro power, we’ll be working with Qulliq Energy Corporation on those matters.
But overall, as a government, we have to do our part in conserving energy.
Those things are cross-departmental issues that should be coordinated so that we have an overall energy policy that makes sense for the people of Nunavut.
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch...I don’t know if it was the switch of the mike going on or off, I didn’t hear what the minister started off with.
I just heard; “...supplies power to all of Nunavut.”
Can he restate who supplies power to all of Nunavut?
Hon. Paul Okalik: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Qulliq Energy Corporation provides electrical power, for example, for all of Nunavummiut, and it’s trying to look for alternative ways to deliver power, whether it is hydro power or wind power.
But overall, as a government, we also use diesel fuel, and fossil fuels, and we construct buildings overall and houses, those affect energy consumption.
So those are all the types of things that we would love to find ways to reduce energy consumption and do our part to ensure that we protect the environment and do our best, and do a coordinated activity in all matters relating to energy for Nunavut.
I thought Nunavut Power Corporation supplied power to all of Nunavut and not Qulliq Energy Corporation.
In getting to the confusion that is out there, is it Qulliq Energy Corporation, or Nunavut Power Corporation, or are they one and the same?
As I recall, when that Act came forward, there were three subsidiaries.
One of them, as far as I know, the fuel one has been put on the backburner for now, but we never heard anything about the third subsidiary, I think it was the Opportunities Corp.
It looks like that isn’t even going to be acted upon now as they have the Energy Secretariat within Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, and what the minister was talking about as far as overall ways to try and reduce the energy costs, I’m pretty sure it was the Minister of Community and Government Services, or Transportation that made an announcement earlier this year, or last year, on conserving energy within the government buildings.
So, when you talk about conserving energy and, I’d look at, it looks like to me, from what I’m hearing unless I get a better explanation of this is; we’re duplicating services where you’re having now, not two, but three, or four different bodies, if you look at housing separately pretty much looking at doing the same thing.