EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
But I am not sure exactly when that will be completed by the Status of Women Council.
After they deal with their legislation, will the minister give us the information as to the Status of Women Council's plans.
Hon. Peter Kattuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 347 - 1(5): Transportation for Agency Nurses
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, maybe I paid a compliment to the minister a little bit too early, earlier on in my questioning in regards to answering questions.
Mr. Speaker, the last question I asked the minister I don't believe he answered. But I would like to ask the same minister, the Minister of Health and Social Services, if it is the Department of Health and Social Services, or the agency that the nurses are being hired from that are responsible for providing the transportation and accommodations to and from the communities that these nurses are working in.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it depends on the agency.
In most cases Mr. Speaker, when we hire a nurse from an agency, it is like a contract, so that would include at that time Mr. Speaker, the transportation and other costs.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Supplementary. Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the contract that the minister talks about, transportation and other costs that I guess, I believe that his answer is that is a cost to the department.
Do the nurses or the agencies have to pay anything for their travel or accommodations themselves and if so, how much. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the same as if the government was going to hire someone on contract from Ottawa, and we would bring them in and we would provide them accommodations, we would pay for them to come and so on.
It's the same thing with the agency nurses.
Depending on the contract that is in place with individual agency nurses, they are here for three weeks in most cases, Mr. Speaker, we would be paying for their accommodations as well as their travel as the member has indicated.
In some cases, if the agency nurse is going to be in a community longer, then there is a residual amount put forward for accommodations.
But in most cases, the member is correct, that when you bring in a casual nurse we would cover those costs.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it would be interesting to find out the residual amount that the minister had indicated and if it is anything close to what an indeterminate nurse in staff housing would have to pay as well.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to ask the minister about other costs aside from the travel and accommodations that the minister talked about.
In the contracts do these nurses that are on contract, do they also receive a daily per diem for food and incidentals that is on top of their regular rate of pay and how much is it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the nurses when you bring them in are contractors and like any other contractor within the government, whether it is Public Works or any other department.
Mr. Speaker, there are negotiations that go on with the individual nurses, with the agencies, and Mr. Speaker, I should point out that this is something that has been happening not only in this jurisdiction but in many jurisdictions over the last several years.
The per diem amount Mr. Speaker, I am not sure of, that's information that I can get for the member, I am not sure if every individual agency nurse, and right now Mr. Speaker, out of 145 positions we are talking about 19 at the present time.
But that's information that I can get for the member.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since the minister is going to be looking up some information anyways, I would like to ask him how much the Department of Health and Social Services has paid out for agency nurses to date, this year. Also, if possible, could it be broken down by the rate of pay, by the transportation costs, and the accommodation costs as well as the other incidental costs that he talked about.
Also, the number of nurses over the year that have been hired with those funds.
Speaker: Thank you. Mr. Tootoo, there is more than one question there and it may be better served as a written question unless the minister cares to attempt to answer all those questions. Minister Picco.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe Mr. McLean has concurred that it is a good question and I concur too.
We will get that information for the member.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Oral Questions. Mr. Havioyak.
Question 348 - 1(5): Dental Visits to Communities
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Earlier he said that dentists in each region would visit all of the communities in the region.
For example, 85 visit days per year.
How is the 85 days arrived at.
Do the smaller communities get the same priority with those 85 days as larger ones you speak about.
He seems to be very popular today.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the 85 days was specifically in response to a question, I believe it was a written question asked by Mr. McLean.
In the member's community for example, they have a dental therapist there.
Each community's dental visits depends on the size of the community and the needs as ascertained by the Health Centre staff and the regular dentists' visits of the work that needs to be carried in that community.
So it varies by community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The 85 days that the dentist visits in the communities.
For example, in Kugluktuk, if 85 days is not enough for visits per year would the minister tell me that they could add more days.
Mr. Speaker, again it depends on what is ascertained by the dental professionals.
Some communities need more visits because of the health of the patients' teeth or the residents’ teeth.
For example Mr. Speaker, if you are in a community where there has been a long time dental therapist, for example in Pond Inlet, then there would be less need for a dentist to follow up on some of the work there.
In some communities where a dental therapist has not been in place for several years, or indeed, where there have not been regularly scheduled visits, then a need for more dental visits in that community may be the case.
So Mr. Speaker, each community is different depending on the needs of the patients in the community.
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the dentist has a home base in Kugluktuk but he goes to the other communities in the region.
My constituents have complained to me that the dentist is not in the community enough.
If the community wanted to request further visits would that be possible.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the member is correct, if there is a need in Kugluktuk for more dental visits that is something that we would review with the dentists that are going into and out of the region.
And Mr. Speaker, the member has brought it up so we will look into it and find out for the member the frequency of visits to Kugluktuk and indeed, if there is a need for more.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Supplementary. Mr. Havioyak.
Mr. Havioyak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just for our information I am not sure how it is calculated, maybe it is an equation that you use to calculate how you reach the 85 days, the example that was used 85 days earlier on, how you arrived with the 85 days.
Just for our information. Koanaqutit, Uqaqti.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we will provide that information to the member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Returning to the Orders of the Day. Item 7.
Committee Report 012 - 1(5): Selection Process for the New Chief Electoral Officer
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to have the opportunity today to provide the House with a brief overview of our Committee's recruitment and selection process for the new Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut.
As Members of the Legislative Assembly will recall, the first Nunavut election in February 1999 was administered by staff of Elections NWT in Yellowknife.
Appointing a new Nunavut-based Chief Electoral Officer at this stage in our mandate will provide sufficient lead-time before the next general election to ensure that we are able to fully administer our future elections.
It will also provide time for the Chief Electoral Officer to work towards establishing a Nunavut-based office, and initiate plans to implement the recommendations contained in the Standing Committee's report on the administration of elections in Nunavut, which was considered by the House last year.
Earlier this year, a selection sub-committee was identified and tasked with the responsibility of recruiting the first independent Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut.
We agreed that this process should be transparent and competitive, in keeping with the manner in which the other independent officers of the Legislative Assembly have been selected.
During the summer, we initiated the recruitment process for the Chief Electoral Officer, and advertised in Nunavut and southern papers for approximately three weeks.
The interviews were held on September 25, 2001, in Iqaluit.
On the selection panel were three members of the Standing Committee.
We were most pleased to also have Mr. Raymond Ningeochiak, who represented Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, sitting with us on the panel.
The Ajauqtiit selection committee was successful in finding a very well qualified individual, who is very well known to Nunavut.
She has been involved in administering a number of elections in NWT and Nunavut, not only for territorial elections, but those at the federal and municipal level, as well as for NTI and other Inuit organizations.
Mr. Speaker, based on the results of the interviews, we will be introducing a motion today to recommend the appointment of the first independent Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut.
In closing, I would like to thank my colleagues for their contributions to this process.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to at this time move that the report of the Standing Committee be received and adopted by the House, and that it be entered into the record as read.
The report is adopted as read.
Report on the Appointment of the Chief Electoral Officer for Nunavut
Mandate of the Standing Committee Ajauqtiit  The Standing Committee Ajauqtiit is a standing committee of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.
It was established with a broad mandate including:
To consider issues related to the Government of Nunavut’s obligations with respect to the implementation of the Nunavut Land claims Agreement (NLCA), including the activities of the Government of Nunavut in relation to the operation of the boards Commissions and other bodies established by the provisions of the NLCA;
To review the budget of the Legislative Assembly;
To recommend the appointment of positions that, by statutory authority, are made by the Legislative Assembly; and
To consider any other matter referred by the House.
Following the first Nunavut Territorial General Election in 1999, David Hamilton, the Chief Electoral Officer, submitted a report on the election with a number of recommendations for legislative and administrative reforms to the elections process.
That report was referred to the Standing Committee Ajauqtiit for review.
Following extensive consultations, and an in-depth review of existing election legislation, the Standing Committee presented its report to the Legislative Assembly in October 2000.
The report contained over 60 recommendations.
Those which are most relevant to this report are:
“… a central elections office be established to administer elections in Nunavut, called Elections Nunavut”; and
“… the Government of Nunavut introduce a new Elections Act for Nunavut that is written in a manner that is easily understood by voters, candidates and election officials”.
Following the acceptance of the recommendations, the Standing Committee Ajauqtiit was directed by the Legislative Assembly to conduct a recruitment campaign to identify a qualified candidate for the position of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for Nunavut.
The Committee was asked to recommend the appointment of the CEO to the Legislative Assembly, so that an elections office could be established to support the important work of election reform.
This report details the recruitment process used by the Committee and includes the name of a recommended candidate for the position.
Role of the Chief Electoral Officer
The role of the Chief Electoral Officer for Nunavut is outlined in the Elections Act.
In summary, the CEO is responsible for the strategic management of territorial general elections and by-elections and enforces fairness, impartiality and compliance with the Elections Act on the part of all election officers.
The CEO is the servant of the Legislative Assembly in carrying out changes to the election process and coordinating the drafting of legislation if it is needed.
The Chief Electoral Officer is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly, appointed by the Commissioner of Nunavut under section 3 (1) of the Elections Act on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly.
The CEO is accountable only to the Legislative Assembly and is independent of executive government.
The first election for the newly established Legislative Assembly of Nunavut was held on February 15th 1999.
The election was administered by the Chief Electoral Officer for the Northwest Territories in the absence of an established government.
This election, spread over the 19 electoral districts of Nunavut, cost over $1 million to administer, not including the costs of the office of a Chief Electoral Officer.
Following the election, the Chief Electoral Officer (NWT) submitted a report with a variety of recommendations for the consideration of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly.
The Legislative Assembly reviewed the recommendations, and established a process of public consultation to assess not only the recommendations of the CEO, but also to seek input on wider reforms to the electoral process which would better reflect the needs of Nunavummiut.
The Legislative Assembly accepted the 65 recommendations of the Standing Committee Ajauqtiit.
The newly appointed Chief Electoral Officer will be accountable for implementing those recommendations and incorporating changes into a new Elections Act, in plain language, for approval within the life of the First Legislative Assembly.
Some of the priorities include:
Finding ways of collaborating and cooperating with other parties administering their own election processes (Federal Government/Inuit Organizations/Municipalities/etc) to achieve cost savings and greater efficiency and effectiveness;
Establishing a boundaries commission to consider reforms to electoral boundaries;
Shortening the election period;
A more effective public education program on the electoral process, the rights of all parties and the penalties for offences.
The Chief Electoral Officer is also responsible for ensuring that the rights of candidates and the electorate are well served through the evolution of progressive and responsive procedures and the provision of an effective public education program.
The CEO will be challenged to train local returning officers and other election officials to ensure that they can perform their duties in an acceptable manner, to ensure that the decentralized election machinery is in a constant state of readiness and, to enforce compliance with the provisions of the Elections Act.
The Chief Electoral Officer is also accountable for financial management of election expenditures charged to public funds.
The Recruitment Process
The Selection Committee
Building on, and benefiting from, their experience in successfully recruiting the Conflict of Interest Commissioner (now referred to as the Integrity Commissioner), the Languages Commissioner and the Information and Privacy Commissioner, the Committee established a standardized process for statutory appointments in support of the Legislative Assembly.
Standard operating procedures were drafted and approved for ongoing recruitment work to ensure that a fair, consistent, objective and defensible process is followed for all appointments.
The Standing Committee established a sub-committee to conduct the interviews consisting of David Iqaqrialu, Chair, Ovide Alakannuark, Co-Chair, Hunter Tootoo, Member, Rebekah Williams, Member and Raymond Ningeochiak who represented Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.
An outline of the costs of the recruitment campaign is attached under Appendix A.
The Committee started its work with the development of an advertisement (Appendix B), which was advertised across Nunavut in Inuktitut, Innuinaqtun and English and in selected locations in southern Canada for the period July 4th to July 26, 2001.
A total of seven applications were received.
Of these, three were from Nunavut.
The remaining four were from southern Canada.
The Committee agreed to use standardized selection criteria to choose the candidates with the most appropriate qualifications.
These criteria emphasized the value of northern experience and knowledge of Nunavut, but the main emphasis was on two key areas:
Management experience, with proven skills in developing subordinate staff to take on gradually increasing responsibilities;
Ability to administer complex legislation.
A total of two candidates appeared to have the basic qualifications to take on the job.
This resulted in a short list of two candidates who were then interviewed by the Committee.
A list of standardized questions was developed by the Committee to ensure that interviews were thorough and that candidates were treated consistently and fairly.
Interviews were conducted by the Selection Committee in Iqaluit on September 25th, 2001.
A point rating system was used to assess the candidate’s responses to questioning and to rank them.
Reference Checks
The selection committees completed the interviews and completed reference checks for both candidates interviewed and, as a result, brought forward a report and a recommendation to the Standing Committee for review.
A listing of the meetings conducted by the selection committee is attached as Appendix C.
Conclusion & Recommendation
The Committee is unanimous in recommending to the Legislative Assembly, the appointment of Sandy Kusugak to the position of Chief Electoral Officer for Nunavut pursuant to section 3 (1) of the Elections Act.
Ms. Sandy Kusugak strongly demonstrated throughout the interview her extensive knowledge and experience in administering and conducting elections as reflected in the selections committees ratings, not only territorial but federal, municipal and with Inuit organizations.
This was further confirmed by her past supervisors and employers through the reference check process.
Ms. Sandy Kusugak’s biography is attached as Appendix D.
Committee Report 013 - 1(5): Nunavut Income Support Policy Review
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to have the opportunity today to provide the House with an overview of our Committee’s Report on the Department of Education’s Nunavut Income Support Policy Review.
The Minister of Education tabled the Nunavut Income Support Policy Review in May of 2001, during the Cambridge Bay sitting of the Legislative Assembly.
On May 28, 2001, the document was referred to the Standing Committee on Health and Education for review.
At that time, the Honourable Peter Kilabuk, Minister of Education, also announced a number of new programs initiated in response to recommendations made in the Review.
The Nunavut Income Support Program Review Panel visited seven Nunavut communities, received 12 written submissions, and conducted a survey of 32 income support workers and regional supervisors across Nunavut.
The Nunavut Income Support Policy Review is a report completed by the Panel and does not contain any departmental response to the recommendations listed within it.
The Review provides forty-six specific recommendations grouped into five major themes: Youth; Adults; Elders; Community; and Nunavut Government.
Over the past five months, the Committee solicited input on the Nunavut Income Support Policy Review from across Nunavut.
Members would like to thank those who presented their views to the Committee for their submissions.
In particular, Members would like to acknowledge the input of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities, which appeared before the Standing Committee on October 12, 2001 to make a formal submission.
Mr. Speaker, the Committee was generally satisfied with the Panel’s consultation process and Members were pleased to see that the Review reflects input from across Nunavut.
The Standing Committee supports the majority of the Panel’s forty-six recommendations and supports the spirit and intent of the report in terms of its focus on training, and the development of skills that foster self-reliance.
The Committee urges all Departments and agencies to address those recommendations that relate to them and fall outside the mandate of the Department of Education.
The Standing Committee on Health and Education also discussed a number of strategies and opportunities for reforming the current Income Support Program that were not directly addressed in the Nunavut Income Support Policy Review.
For example, Committee Members addressed the issue of housing, which is of great concern to Income Support recipients.
Currently, the relationship between the Income Support Program and the Public Housing Program is unbalanced.
Members also discussed the possible reform of the income reporting system currently used in the Income Support program and expressed approval of a positive reporting system similar to the Employment Insurance Program.
Members are of the view that a positive shift towards individual responsibility would serve to reinforce each individual’s sense of pride and self-worth.
The results of the cost of living analysis undertaken by the Department of Education and Nunavut Bureau of Statistics will likely demonstrate that current rates of benefits have not kept pace with increased costs in living.
Members recognize the need for adequate funds to cover the costs of basic necessities.
However, the Committee urges the Department of Education to focus priority resources on creating new opportunities for clients.
For example, Members have noted a certain lack of flexibility within the current Income Support Program that limits clients’ ability to take advantage of programs offered through other departments.
Members believe that empowering individuals to move towards self-reliance will be one of the most effective investments in combating the issues relating to cost of living and poverty in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, based on its consideration of the Nunavut Income Support Policy Review, the Report of the Standing Committee on Health and Education includes the following recommendations:
The Committee recommends that the Department of Education be more creative in developing and supporting training programs for Income Support clients and that training programs are linked to meaningful employment opportunities within the community.
The Committee recommends that the Department of Education work closely with the Nunavut Housing Corporation to harmonize the Income Support Program and the Public Housing Program in as timely a manner as possible.
The Committee recommends that community workers responsible for the Income Support Program be given the training and resources to more adequately support their clients.
The Committee recommends that the Department of Education consider putting resources into community interagency groups that are currently dealing with social issues instead of establishing new community entities such as Circles of Support.
The Committee recommends that the Minister of Education table a progress report in the House in the fall of 2002 in the status of Income Support Program reform in Nunavut.