EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I would like to ask the minister: will those two projects be owned by the Government of Nunavut or will they be leased, or will they have boards or will they be run like any other educational institution?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): First of all, I have to go to Cabinet as to how they will be operated, how they will run, whether they will have a separate board, or if it will fall under the Arctic College. Those are the types of things we have not agreed to yet.
What we envision is that if they have their own board, they will be separate from the government and have their own legislation.
That is what we envision but we have not brought this forward to Cabinet yet, and once the funding is approved, we will have to hire a manager who will look after those.
Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Nunavut Heritage Trust are still having discussions and it’s clear now that they will have their own board to run the heritage centre.
Hopefully we will be able to see how they will be managed once the structures are up in the near future, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to thank the minister for giving me that information, but I’m a little concerned as some of my colleagues might be because $8 million is quite a large amount of money and we have to approve this project.
It seems like it’s going to be better if we do not approve it for the following reasons: we don’t have any policies, I don’t believe we can hire a manager, there is also the O&M portion of it, and there is no piece of legislation. The Auditor General doesn’t approve funds when there is no legislation, or policies, or anything for these projects.
It seems like those types of actions have been adopted by the Legislative Assembly.
We would first of all like to see legislation and then afterwards, it would make it a lot simpler to approve these funds because it would be legal, there would be policies and that would be in there already.
Isn’t it going to be a lot easier if we do that?
On June 10 or 11, we will be going to Clyde River in regard to the folk school. We’re going to be going up there with the architects and other staff to start preparing for the folk school.
We have elders’ councils in Kugluktuk, Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, and Igloolik, and they have meetings and are already working on the plans and of course they require money to operate.
Through that council, we will make some recommendations that will be viewed by the Cabinet and it would be in regard to how the folk school is going to operate.
It seems that we might be coming to a decision pretty soon. In regard to the heritage centre, we currently have a contract and in June, there are some outstanding issues that we will be working on, Mr. Chairman.
This is a concern of mine. We have to approve a little over $8.5 million but as I stated earlier, the Auditor General does not recommend approving funds when there is no legislation or policies in place and it’s basically a word of honour. There are no guidelines for the Cabinet to follow.
It’s a little precarious. I believe we’re going to be having a meeting in September and I would strongly suggest that the legislation be drafted and then it would be out in the open.
If we are going to be using $8 million plus with no legislation or no policies, it’s something that is not recommended.
This is a concern of mine and we have to support the department.
The Auditor General does not want us to approve funds, especially over $8 million when there is no legislation or policies.
I would suggest that the Cabinet draft up legislation and I’m reluctant to approve this amount.
I think it’s best if we defer the approval of this $8 million.
It is something that we can consider.
You approved these monies last year and we didn’t use it this year, so we’re asking for approval to use these funds.
This is basically what we’re doing. This was approved last year, so it’s a carryover.
We’re trying to get approval from the Legislative Assembly so that we can use these amounts for the folk school and the heritage centre.
It’s currently in the works and we are going to see tangible results soon. What we’re trying to do is get that money back to be used for these facilities as it’s ready to go ahead and we have included this in our request, Mr. Chairman.
So you’re not concerned that the folk school and the heritage centre are not going to be built.
That’s not what we’re saying. If we’re going to make it, we have to have legislation because it’s becoming a common practice to approve large amounts of money when there is no legislation. We are going to be approving something that has no foundation.
The only way that it will get a foundation is when we see the piece of legislation, when we see the board, and what kind of governance structure it will use to operate.
Once all those are completed, then I wouldn’t be concerned at all to approve this amount.
We can’t really leap in blind faith. We have to have a foundation.
We need the legislation, the regulations, and the policies first before anything is done. With that, I can’t approve it just like that.
They can’t operate because they don’t have the foundation, the policies, or the regulations.
With that, I would suggest that you, first of all, drop the legislation so that you can get this money. There are fund-raisers and they’re looking at capital markets, but they’re not going to give you any money if there is no legislation for it to operate by. That’s the way financial markets go.
Why is it that you didn’t do that first of all before you asked for approval?
It takes money to do anything and to build on any projects.
This was approved last year and we haven’t used this money, so we would like to get it back so that we could put it to use.
Last year, we were a little late when it was in the planning stages. This was approved by you last year and since we didn’t use it, we would like to get it back and we’re making a request to the Legislative Assembly to give us this money back.
As I stated earlier, the working group is currently working on a directive. They want to see a school that will be set up at their recommendation. There has to be also a council also and in order to get one established, we need approval from Cabinet.
That is one of the goals of Pinasuaqtavut.
With that, if the government identifies money for the heritage centre... this was already approved last year.
As a government, we have already approved money that was slotted for the heritage centre and we have also had a fund-raising group that will help offset some of these costs.
These are the monies that we’re requesting back to use by March 31, 2009 and we would like them to be approved, Mr. Chairman.
I have a question on the same project, the Nunavut Heritage Centre. Could the minister give us an update on what the forecasted total costs are on that project? I seem to recall from two years ago or two and a half years ago that it was forecast to be $55 million to $60 million by the time it was going to be constructed.
I’m wondering if the minister has got any more current cost estimates for that project.
We’re looking into how much the heritage centre will cost.
When we did the first study, we were looking at $66 million to build the heritage centre.
During that review, we looked at options and now, we’re looking at a slightly different system. If this should be approved by the Cabinet, we’re looking at ways and means of how we can decrease the price tag.
We’re looking at the two types. There would be a construction phase, and it would also be used as a warehouse and as a research centre, and then afterwards, we would look at the artefact portion of it.
We did that, but the price tag has increased significantly from when this idea came about, Mr. Chairman.
The minister indicated that the price tag has increased substantially.
Can he give us an indication of what the price tag is as of today, on May 26, 2008?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): I’m just going to take a guess. It will cost about $65 million to $66 million today in 2008, Mr. Chairman.
In your capital plan substantiation sheet, you wrote that third party funding in the amount of $50 million will need to be secured from potential third party funders.
I seem to recall again from previous Committees of the Whole that we did discuss this and that the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth was going to begin the process of identifying potential third party funders.
I wonder if the minister could indicate if that process has commenced and if you have identified any potential third party funders who could contribute up to $50 million toward this project.
Like I said, there are some people that are the third party, Uqsiq, who are working with people in Ottawa trying to get funding.
They will be meeting pretty soon to do some planning and they have been working constantly.
I’m not really sure how much funding the federal government would provide us and I’m not really sure exactly how much the Government of Nunavut would provide. This is something that we don’t know yet, but they have been giving us information as to what they’re doing right now.
We’re going to Cabinet as Culture, Language, Elders and Youth to find out from them what the best approach is for this, Mr. Chairman.
As we have seen in other capital projects over the last two years, including early this afternoon, there are significant cost increases every year. For example, a project you estimated at $60 million two years ago could easily be $85 million or $90 million by the time all the costs are in.
I know you have said that this figure is $66 million now, but I’m wondering if you have paid any attention to the possibility that there could be further delays or cost overruns that could run the cost up to $85 million to $100 million, and then seriously jeopardize the project.
As you know, the funds we have available for capital projects in Nunavut are severely limited, so we have to keep that in mind when we’re proceeding with these projects.
I’m wondering if the minister or his officials have thought about the possibility of additional costs over and above what you have told us in the past and then again today.
It’s obvious that the price will keep going up. We have a committee that deals with the planning of the heritage centre and we are concerned about the increasing price.
We can’t have it built at the same time, so we have to build it in phases.
This has been a concern of ours as well because we have some artefacts in Yellowknife at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and it’s very expensive to have those artefacts stored.
What we’re trying to do is if we could have that building built so there is a place for our artefacts, and from there, we could put in a display area for the artefacts and stuff.
Those are the things that we have been thinking about as to how much cheaper we could build it for.
Those are the types of things that we have been talking about and I’m sure that this building will have to be constructed.
We will find out before the end of June as to what other work that we might have to do, Mr. Chairman.
I noted in your capital plan substantiation sheet on page 4, it says, “Current Status, rationale for carryover request any further delay in the construction plan will have a financial impact on this project.”
When I read that, it implies that there’s already been a delay in the construction part of the proposal.
Is that in case the fact that there has been a delay?
I know last year, we carried the funds of what we approved the last year, but has any construction actually commenced on the project?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): In the substantiation sheet, the money that was to be used for the heritage centre last year was returned and it was supposed to be used for when we needed it.
For that reason, what we’re planning to do is I think we have to build it. If we delay it further, it’s going to cost even more money.
So that’s why we’re going to be meeting with the Cabinet to speak to them about the funding.
We had to delay it because of the funding, but it’s still in the planning stages, Mr. Chairman.
There is a lot of money here that was available last year which was not used. It states here that they will not need new funds, so the funding that was put aside will be used.
I’m not happy with that because there was some capital funding for my community to build something.
They just have this money just floating around.
These funds were approved last year, but we’re working on it this year.
I’m kind of nervous that if you’re not going to use that funding again for another two years, this amount of money will just be there.
I can say and I have heard that we will have to have tags, for example, there are tags we get for hunting and they can’t just keep the tag for you.
They will give it to somebody else. That doesn’t make sense.
If you don’t use it, it’s gone now, it’s over and done with, and it should be the same thing.
I would like ask another question.
As you said before and Members of the Legislative Assembly were very positive about the fact that there would be third party funding for this project, we thought that that would happen by now.
Are your staff looking into people that can help out with third party funding?
I can say that the committee has met twice with the third party funders and they have been doing some planning on the types of things that they’re going to be doing.
The only problem we have as a government is if there is no funding allotted for the building, then the third party funding will not come. That’s the only thing that we are worried about.
As the Government of Nunavut, we already agreed to $10 million but this amount of money was then set aside.
So for that reason, the committee is still meeting and the capital funding from the federal government will be there.
We just assumed that this funding would come back to us for that project, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): I thought you weren’t going to recognize me because that facility is going to be in his constituency but I was very pleased to see that this facility is going to be located in Clyde River.
Can you elaborate to us in detail on the $2,774,000 budgeted for this right down to the last detail? We have limited resources for capital funding during the fall session and we have to be very conservative with our capital funding. Can you tell us that it would be used right away?
For that reason, can you inform us as to how this line item funding will be used and make an expenditure report?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Alagalak. At this time, that’s going to be the last question for today. After the minister responds, I’m going to recognize the clock.
For the 2008-09 capital estimates, $2,208,000, I think that’s what you’re asking about on that line item, the Government of Nunavut has to pay 25 percent in cost sharing of the Building Canada Fund for that project. Therefore, the GN has to provide 25 percent cost sharing for the Piqqusilirivik Folk School.
So the Government of Nunavut has to pay 25 percent and the federal government would have to pay for the rest of the funding.
I think the member was asking questions with regards to that, but I’m not too sure if I responded to his question.
I think I did respond to his question in part.
As I stated earlier, we will go back to Mr. Alagalak tomorrow.
I will recognize the clock at this time and report progress to the Speaker.
Your committee has been considering Bill 29 and would like to report progress.
He seconds the motion for today since it’s his birthday.
A reminder for meetings tomorrow morning; a meeting of the Management Services Board at 8:45 in the Tuktu Room, followed by a meeting of the Full Caucus at ten o’clock in the Nanuq Room.
Orders of the Day for May 27:
This House stands adjourned until Tuesday, May 27, at 1:30 p.m.
>>House adjourned at 19:14
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Pages 4178 – 4249
John Avaala
Opening Prayer 4178
Ministers’ Statements 4178
Members’ Statements 4180
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 4190
Oral Questions 4191
Written Questions 4212
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills 4213
Tabling of Documents 4214
Notices of Motions 4215
Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills 4215
Motions 4216
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 4217
Report of the Committee of the Whole 4248
Orders of the Day 4248
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 4178
181– 2(4): Premier Okalik Absent from House (Picco) 4178
182 – 2(4): Job Description Review for Government of Nunavut Positions (Barnabas) 4178
183 – 2(4): Arctic Winter Games 2008 Hodgson Trophy Winners (Tapardjuk) 4179
441 – 2(4): Mining-Related Training Initiatives (Simailak) 4180
442 – 2(4): Visit to Umingmaktok and Bathurst Inlet (Peterson) 4181
443 – 2(4): Congratulations to Grade 12 Graduates (Barnabas) 4182
444 – 2(4): Regulating the Assignment of Rights under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (Curley) 4184
445 – 2(4): Mining Operations in Nunavut (Arvaluk) 4186
446 – 2(4): Annual Anglican Synod (Picco) 4187
447 – 2(4): Rankin Inlet Army Cadet Ceremony (Brown) 4188
448 – 2(4): Congratulations to Aqsarniit Middle School French Students (Tootoo) 4188
449 – 2(4): Congratulations to Lillian Aglukark on Passing the Bar Exam (Aglukkaq) 4189
551 – 2(4): GN’s Involvement in Regulatory Process (Answered June 3, 2008) (Arvaluk) 4191
552 – 2(4): Piqqusilirivvik Cultural School (Arreak) 4193
553 – 2(4): Dealing with Addictions in Nunavut (Alagalak) 4194
554 – 2(4): Services for Senior Citizens of Umingmaktok and Bathurst Inlet (Peterson) 4197
555 – 2(4): Replacement for Conservation Officer for Sanikiluaq (Kattuk) 4200
556 – 2(4): Update on Suicide Prevention Strategy (Evyagotailak) 4202
557 – 2(4): Mining-Related Training Initiatives (Simailak) 4203
558 – 2(4): Report of the Auditor General on the Nunavut Housing Corporation (Curley) 4207
559 – 2(4): GN Response to Government Operations Committee Report on Auditor General’s Report on FANS Program (Tootoo) 4209
014 – 2(4): Attendance and Graduation Rates in the Kitikmeot (Peterson) 4213
Committee Report on Bills 012 – 2(4): Bill 26, Securities Act (As Amended) (Mapsalak) 4213
Committee Report on Bills 013 – 2(4): Bill 27, An Act to Amend the Land Titles Act (Mapsalak) 4214
238 – 2(4): Ministerial Meeting Report – F/P/T Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety, April 2008 from Dept. of Economic Development and Transportation (Netser) 4214
239 – 2(4): Northern Connections: a Multi-Modal Transportation Blueprint for the North (Netser) 4214
240 – 2(4): Dry Cargo Resupply Program - Activity Summary Shipping Year 2007 (Brown) 4214
038 – 2(4): Appointment of Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole – Notice (Mapsalak) 4215
038 – 2(4): Appointment of Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole (Mapsalak) 4216
016 – 2(4): Deferral of Consideration of Bill 30, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009 (Tootoo) 4241
Bill 34 – Nunavut Outfitters Liability Protection Fund Act – Notice 4215
Bill 31 – Legislative Assembly Statutes Amendment Act, 2008 – Notice 4215
Bill 32 – An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act, No. 2 – Notice 4216
Bill 29 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee 4217
Bill 30 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee 4236
Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Honourable Olayuk Akesuk, Mr. David Alagalak, Mr. James Arreak, Mr. James Arvaluk, Honourable Levi Barnabas, Honourable Levinia Brown, Mr. Tagak Curley, Mr. Joe Allen Evyagotailak, Mr. Peter Kattuk, Honourable Peter Kilabuk, Mr. Steve Mapsalak, Honourable Patterk Netser, Mr. Keith Peterson, Honourable Edward Picco, Mr. David Simailak, Honourable Louis Tapardjuk, Mr. Hunter Tootoo.
Speaker (Hon. Peter Kilabuk)(interpretation): Thank you. Good afternoon, Members.
Speaker (interpretation): Good afternoon, Deputy Premier, Ministers, Members, and our visitors in the Gallery.
Minister’s Statement 181– 2(4): Premier Okalik Absent from House (Picco)
Good afternoon and welcome to the visitors in the Gallery.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to advise all members that the Honourable Paul Okalik will be absent from the House from May 27 to May 30, 2008.
Minister’s Statement 182 – 2(4): Job Description Review for Government of Nunavut Positions (Barnabas)
Hon. Levi Barnabas (interpretation): Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker.
I send my regards to my constituents, as well as my wife and children.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to inform my colleagues about the recent completion of a review of qualifications contained in all Government of Nunavut (GN) job descriptions.
Mr. Speaker, this initiative has been an ongoing priority for my department as it responds directly to Article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement which requires the GN to take measures designed to remove systemic employment barriers.
Eliminating these barriers can increase beneficiary employment and development within the public service.
Mr. Speaker, my department reviewed over 3,400 job descriptions by documenting existing qualifications and comparing these qualifications to the nationally accepted standards for the type of position.
The review resulted in the identification of 110 job descriptions that contained over-inflated education and/or experience requirements.
Mr. Speaker, the results of the job description review are currently being shared with departments and we have been very pleased with the action being taken thus so far to revise job descriptions based on our analysis.
Mr. Speaker, this type of initiative demonstrates our commitment to achieving a workforce that is representative of Nunavummiut. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth and Finance, Minister Tapardjuk.
Minister’s Statement 183 – 2(4): Arctic Winter Games 2008 Hodgson Trophy Winners (Tapardjuk)
Before I begin, a long-term government employee in the Department of Finance was transferred to the Department of Community and Government Services last week, Roy Green. His father just passed away. We remember him and his family and will remember them in our prayers.
I would just like them to know that we empathize deeply with the loss of a loved one.
On a less sombre note, my Constituency Assistant, Diane is celebrating her birthday today. I would like to wish her a very Happy Birthday so that the members will know it is her birthday.
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to rise today to update my colleagues on Nunavut’s performance at the 2008 Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories that took place in March 2008.
Nunavut sent a total of 280 athletes, cultural performers, coaches, managers and mission staff to these games through funding from this government.
The team has increased its performance steadily since we started competing as a separate territory in the 2000 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon.
This steady increase in performance has resulted in medal counts of 25 bronze, 27 silver and of particular note, 15 gold medals, the highest gold medal count for Nunavut ever at the Arctic Winter Games.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, while these medal counts are very important to our team’s success and serve as motivation for future participants, an equally important side effect of these competitions is the development of community-based sport and recreation programs.
Of special note, Team Nunavut was awarded the Hodgson Trophy for the third time in the five Arctic Winter Games we have participated in.
This award is given to the contingent whose athletes best exemplify the ideals of fair play and team spirit.
On behalf of all Nunavummiut, I would like to express my gratitude to all the participants on winning this very prestigious award and to all the volunteers that devote their valuable time to enable the youth of Nunavut to reach their dreams.
They are an integral part of the creation of healthy, active communities within Nunavut.
Please join me in thanking them for their hard work and commitment.
For those members who would like to view the picture of the Hudson Trophy Award, it is in the lobby of the Legislative Assembly.