EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I will have to check with the department on what the actual process is now and bring the information back to my colleague.
I know that our Financial Administration Manual indicates that for northern suppliers, they have be paid within 20 days, which is something that the government hasn’t be able to live up to in the past, and there’s a lot frustration by those individuals out there as a result of that.
Mr. Speaker, in cases with families that are taking in children in foster care, I know of an instance, for example, where an individual, as of November 1, hadn’t been paid anything since September.
To me, that’s just unacceptable.
Can the minister indicate if he’s aware that the foster parents and people that provide services for the government would be considered the same as a northern supplier and, according to the Financial Administration Manual, should be paid within 20 days?
Yes, they should be and I’ll check further into that to see what the process is now, and how we were not living up to that 20-day process.
I know the minister indicated this is a new function in the Department of Finance, and it was theoretically done to try and improve the process but here’s an example of since that has occurred, things have gotten worse.
Can the minister commit to doing a complete and thorough review of that, especially with the foster parents?
It shouldn’t be too hard to find out how many people are on that list and ensure that the proper procedures are put in place to ensure that those individuals are paid the money they need to feed the children that they have in foster care without putting undue stress on their own limited resources in some cases.
Yes, I will certainly have the matter looked into.
Question 319 – 2(4): Update on Repulse Bay School (Mapsalak)
Mr. Speaker, I believe it was last year that I raised a question in regard to the Naujaat school indicating that it was too small for the community.
His response was that he was going to check into that, so what is the status?
Did he actually look into it and what is going to happen?
I did have an opportunity to follow up on the issues with the school in Repulse Bay. At the same time I had an opportunity to speak with the member about the issue.
The capital plan is before the House, and indeed, the project for the school in Repulse Bay was not in the capital plan for expending dollars this year. What I have committed to do is review our plan in the New Year to see where we have some slippage monies available to see if there’s an opportunity to move the school up in the capital plan for the five-year planning purposes, similar to what we’ve done in other communities.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minster. Your first supplementary, Mr. Mapsalak.
When they were in our community, it’s too bad they didn’t get a chance to see our school.
The number of students is getting really high in that community and it would’ve been so nice for him to see the school. I wonder in what year it will be put in the capital plan. Do you have an idea what year?
There are three other capital projects right now ahead of the school in Repulse Bay.
When we look at the attendance numbers that the member has indicated, the current capacity in the school in Repulse Bay is 263 and we actually have 266 students in the school.
We’re about three students over the capacity. That would indicate to us that there is a need for, at the very least, an addition to the school and that’s the work that we’ll be planning and doing in January.
Again, given the limitations of the capital budget, we are trying to review and look at schools which are higher on the priority list based on attendance.
Some of the schools are at 113, 118, and 120 percent occupancy and we’re trying to deal with those issues right now.  So what I suggest to the member is that, similarly what we’ve been doing in the capital plan, hopefully in the New Year, to, again, review the opportunities to look at a possible renovation to the school in Repulse Bay to add some capacity based on the student enrolment.
Mr. Mapsalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the minister for his response.
If he personally, or maybe his officials, or maybe his deputy minister would take a visit to the community and actually see for themselves how crowded it is. We expect that the number will increase.
I wonder if he can direct his staff, or himself, or his deputy to actually go visit the school in the community of Naujaat.
I was in the community of Repulse Bay and at the school, I believe it was about nine months ago. The member is correct. I did see that there were some issues with capacity in the school itself.
What I suggest, Mr. Speaker, is that I’ll speak to our officials and our capital planner within the department to ensure that, in the next six weeks, we’ll be able to go in again to see what the capacity is, and again, look at the enrolment numbers.  The enrolment numbers that I’m working right now, Mr. Speaker, are from the end of September.
We usually do the cut-off in October for enrolment numbers because we actually have people moving in and out of the community. Repulse Bay is one of the fastest growing communities in Nunavut and many families are moving back to that community, and that has increased the need for renovation in the community itself.
Question 320 – 2(4): Broken Utilidor at Resolute Bay (Barnabas)
I am very happy that the Premier is wearing a blue tie today.
Mr. Speaker, in Resolute Bay, for the past three years now, the contractors have been working on the pipes.
Every time I go up there there’s usually a flood, even after it’s been worked on, and it freezes.
In some cases the water reaches to the residential areas.
Mr. Speaker, when I met with the hamlet council they were told by Community and Government Services that they were going to bring in their own plumber. I wonder if they actually sent their own plumber.
The people that we said were going to that community were going to check into this regarding the pipes.
At this time I haven’t heard if they finished but I expect that they probably had to do that because they ordered the supplies.
We have seen problems with the new units that are being built. They have to put the pipes in but they can’t move into those units until the plumbing is completed.
What will the Community and Government Services do in this case?
Yes, those are being looked at. I think they’re 95 percent completed. They said that they would finish by August of this year.
I can definitely check into this to see if it has been completed because the material that they ordered came in.
Both the minister and I know that the pipes are very old and it would probably cost a lot to replace them.
I’m also aware that we approved some funding. I wonder when the plumbing will be replaced, especially for the old ones.
The work will commence next year and my briefing says that it should be completed by August 2007, and next year, it should be done by then.
Item 6. Oral Questions. Member for Rankin Inlet North, Mr. Curley.
Question 321 – 2(4): Overflow Guidelines for Winnipeg Medical Boarding Home (Curley)
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
The minister knows that the Winnipeg Boarding Home, Kivalliq Inuit Centre, is used all the time, and even the younger people don’t mind but the boarding home is full to its capacity 12 months of the year.
I wonder if it states in your guidelines what you can do if there is an overflow. Can the minister tell me that?
As it relates to the boarding homes, the issue with overcrowding has been one that we have been dealing with, not just with the Winnipeg Boarding Home but also with the Yellowknife Boarding Home, the Ottawa one, as well as here.  The guidelines that we use in trying to accommodate patients who require hotel or boarding home arrangement is that we look to other accommodations.
It could be a hotel or a billeting arrangement when the boarding homes are overcrowded.
I use the word ‘overflow’ instead of ‘overcrowding’ because overflow often either at least almost triples the number of patients that are in Winnipeg that cannot accommodation at the Inuit Centre.  So I believe the department should have a consistent policy and guideline as to where the elderly that need proper care, as well as the individuals in very serious conditions, have proper care at the hotel.
If that is the case, who makes the decision as to which hotel, or is there a single hotel booked for the purposes of accommodating patients that cannot be accommodated at the Inuit Centre in Winnipeg?
In the case where the boarding homes, if there’s an overflow of patients there, from what I understand, the arrangements would be made through the boarding home staff as to which hotel would be used.  I’m more familiar with the Ottawa ones that are used for patients, but I can certainly look into the ones in Winnipeg to see which hotels or arrangements are identified as accommodation options for patients that are not able to stay at the boarding home in Winnipeg.
Yes, I certainly appreciate that commitment from the minister that she will look into that.
The patients and the elderly who need escorts as well as the proper care, and those that are seriously ill have asked me to let you know that they have not got that much choice. The health officials in Winnipeg have allocated one hotel which is close to 100 years old, which is not adequate; the elevators are so small for terminally ill individuals, it’s very discomforting.
Since we are paying a premium price for many of the hotels, for a public service, as well as the patient, I wonder if the minister could expand that program to allow comparable, in terms of price ranges, hotels available so that there’s some level of comfort, as well as having elevators that are not as slow as turtles.
Once they’re down there they need comfort and it’s important that the minister table that report. Will she do that?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Curley. Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Aglukkaq.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will look in to see what hotel arrangements; what hotels or other accommodation facilities are used in the case of when the boarding home is full and provide that information to the member as well as the House.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister. Oral Questions. Member for Iqaluit Centre, Mr. Tootoo.
Question 322 – 2(4): Priority Hiring Policy Procedures (Tootoo)
Mr. Speaker, earlier today the minister did a Minister’s Statement in regard to the continuation of the Priority Hiring Policy.
We’re all having a hard time today.
Mr. Speaker, I want to first off make it perfectly clear that this is a policy I agree with, and I think most people out there agree with it as well.
Mr. Speaker, I know in the past I had raised some concerns where the policy wasn’t being followed properly, and when people applied for positions who were non-beneficiaries, they went through, according to the Priority Hiring Policy, went through the list and didn’t find suitable candidates that either they cancelled the position or reclassified the position.
So I guess my question to the minister is: with the continuation of this policy, is it still a fact that if they find a suitable beneficiary that they will interview and process that way, but if they don’t that they would continue on through the rest of the applications and look for a suitable non-beneficiary that’s a northerner?
Yes, the Priority Hiring Policy has increased for hiring practices.
This is not going to change accordingly and sometimes the Priority Hiring Policy for beneficiaries is our priority.
If there are none that we can hire, then we look for others and the departments do what they wish if they want to hire internally, or if they want to re-advertise jobs.
Are there any criteria or policy, or anything that the department monitors or watches to ensure that it is implemented properly as far as reclassifying a position if they don’t find a suitable beneficiary?
I raise this Mr. Speaker, because there are a lot of individuals out there who are not beneficiaries but who call this their home, they’re feeling that they are not getting opportunities fairly even though they agree with the Priority Hiring Policy.
Positions get advertised and re-advertised. Is there a policy or procedure in place that the department uses to monitor to see if departments are cancelling positions, or putting them out, or reclassifying them to different positions that they use to monitor that?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Tootoo. Minister of Human Resources, Minister Tapardjuk.
Looking at each department within the government, when they’re looking for employees, they have an opportunity, if that position is not able to be filled, to re-advertise it and revise it, etcetera.
If they want to change the policy, then they would have to come to Human Resources. We keep them up to date with the changes they can make if they want to amend advertisements when they can’t fill the position and they may put it out again.
If the department is not able to find someone to fill the position, then we will consider other ways following the policy accordingly.
Your second supplementary, Mr. Tootoo, for Iqaluit Centre.
My understanding of the Priority Hiring Policy is to find a suitable beneficiary and they can proceed with that. If they don’t, then they continue through the applicants to see if there’s a local northern non-beneficiary.
Mr. Speaker, the minister just indicated that if the department wants to re-advertise or look at it where they’re not in breach of the Priority Hiring Policy, if they don’t continue on going through the list of applicants, that’s what I’m asking.
Are they monitoring the process if there are other suitable applicants who are non-beneficiaries after going through all the applicants who are beneficiaries and they weren’t able to find any?  Are the departments obligated to look at the other local northern applicants as outlined in the policy?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, it’s in three stages. We look at the land claims agreement and hiring practices, and then we look at those accordingly.
Applicants may apply if they have the experience within the government and if they have a health care plan in Nunavut, then they are able to apply.
If no beneficiary has applied, then anybody within Canada can apply for the position.
It’s in three stages: beneficiaries, others from Nunavut, and then throughout Canada.
Again, I know that’s supposedly the process but it’s been brought to my attention a number of times over the last few years that it appears that that isn’t the case.
So I guess what I was asking the minister is: what steps or what procedures do they have in place to ensure that the departments follow the Priority Hiring Policy in the event where they don’t come up with a suitable beneficiary candidate, when there may be a suitable non-beneficiary candidate in there?
The Department of Human Resources, according to their policy, should be looking at those.  What is the Department of Human Resources doing to ensure that they do that, instead of just cancelling the job, or re-advertising it, or re-classifying it?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, for positions and job opportunities that are applied within the government department, according to our Priority Hiring Policy, what we do is we try to get qualified beneficiaries for positions, and I think it’s helpful to everybody in Nunavut for this reason.
Statistics Canada put out a number saying 96 percent of non-Inuit are now working in Nunavut.
What we are trying to do is to urge the beneficiaries to get hired so that we could have a higher percentage of beneficiaries working within the Government of Nunavut.
This is our priority and our policy within this department since we started in 2000.
It’s been implemented properly and we’re trying to hire qualified beneficiaries into these positions. They are our priorities. Later on, others can apply for the positions if they wish.
This was approved by the Cabinet, so this is the policy that we have in place.
Oral Questions. Member for Uqqummiut,
Question 323 – 2(4): Medical Travel for Breastfeeding Mothers (Arreak)
She was talking about the Nutritional Framework for Action for Nunavut and the Public Health Strategy.
In our community, my constituents would like to find out if there’s a new policy in place where little babies that are breast fed are to be left in the community when the mother is going out for medical. I would like to find out if this is the case, Mr. Speaker.
When a patient is travelling and has an infant, sometimes the position is not to have the baby travel with the mother depending on the procedure the mother will have in the hospital. For instance, if the mother is going in for surgery, then the staff would not recommend the child could go to the hospital because someone would have to care for the child down there while she’s in the hospital.
There have been decisions of that nature to not allow infants to travel with their mothers, depending on the situation, again, of the patient.
It’s not always the case. It’s on a case-by-case basis and based on the recommendations of the nurses and the physicians.
Yes, I don’t think the public understands this very clearly. The community health centre notified us that patients with infants who are breastfeeding are asked to leave their infants behind.
I would like you to inform the public out there and make sure that you let the health centre know about this information.
I will commit to having that information clearly stated to people who are travelling that have infants and make sure the policy is clear. It can be indicated at which time when infants are denied to go with their parents and whatnot to clarify the policy.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister and Mr. Arreak.
Question 324 – 2(4): Response to Question on Polar Bear Study (Kattuk)
Although I asked this before, prior to him assuming his portfolio, I was told that they were going to respond to me in regard to the polar bear research or study that was done down in the Hudson Bay area.
I was wondering if the minister has the results to inform us now.
Which polar bears are you talking about?
Member Kattuk, if you can rephrase your question. Mr. Kattuk.
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Down in the Hudson Bay area.
The Ontario Government has done the research on the polar bear around the Hudson Bay area.
Is the study completed by the Ontario Wildlife Service?
I am not too sure if the study has been completed yet but they have not gone to his community yet. We have told the Hudson Bay communities that the study is incomplete.
Is the Nunavut Government Wildlife Division a part of the research or study that was done?
We meet with the researchers to discuss what they’re doing in regard to polar bears. Although we don’t take part, we do a study.
I did not quite understand his last remark in regard to the study.
Following the research results on the polar bears, there have been numerous studies done in that area but the main thing that they’ve noticed is that they’ve lost weight.
Question 325 – 2(4): Stage of “Closer to Home” Strategy (Peterson)
Mr. Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, for a number of years now, we have been hearing about the Health and Social Services ‘Closer to Home’ Strategy. To date, a copy of the ‘Closer to Home’ Strategy has never been tabled, nor provided to MLAs for review.
Mr. Speaker, my question: can the minister clarify for the House at what stage the ‘Closer to Home’ Strategy is in, and when might we expect to see a copy if it?
I thought we had tabled that report.  The ‘Closer to Home’ Strategy, there have been some work involved in reviewing what programs we can provide in our territory as opposed to programs out of territory, or in our communities as opposed to the regional centres.
Some work have been developed in the last few years, such as expanding the infrastructure in the three regional centres, the continuing care facilities, investment in diagnostic imaging equipment that we can use in our communities to provide services in the communities as opposed to other centres.
So there have been a number of initiatives in that.
The second part of it is also training our own personnel to work in our various facilities in Nunavut to provide services such as midwifery training, and later today I will be doing the second reading for the midwifery legislation to allow midwives to practice at the community level.
So a number of different projects have been undertaken by the government.
Mr. Speaker, on the March 14, 2005 Hansard, the previous Minister of Health said that, “The Care Closer to Home Strategy, recently approved by Cabinet is designed to improve health in Nunavut, creating a system that is sustainable and meets the needs of Nunavummiut for years to come.”
The minister has mentioned some initiatives that they’re working on. I wonder if the minister could clarify those. Can she tell us which ones are still in the planning stages?
I think for clarification as well, in the study itself, we also had to look at whether it was viable to have all the services provided in the territory, whether we had the capacity to build infrastructures in the North to accommodate the 200-and-some people that live in out-of-territory facilities as an example.
Those are some of the work and research done for that review.
Not all of those recommendations are viable for us to pursue but other areas where we can within the limited resources, the government has.
We had invested in training, as an example, for home care workers; over 40 people have been provided that service, instead of sending patients out to hospitals for treatment; the purchase of a portable mammography to be used in the territory.
Those are the kinds of initiatives that we’re undertaking in the North.
At the same time, we’ve also invested into... another example, an announcement I had made last year on the Fetal Fibronectin testing to detect false labours in the community level.  So there are a number of initiatives; exactly what some of those other items are, I don’t have that in front of me to speak to.
The former Minister Levinia Brown and the former Deputy Minister Bernie Blais had crossed Nunavut several times. They came to Cambridge Bay; they consulted with the hamlet council and consulted with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association at an annual general meeting about the ‘Closer to Home’ Strategy.
So there’s a document and it must exist. The MLAs have not seen it. Well, it’s kind of hard for us to measure the success of the strategy if we haven’t seen it.
My question for the minister though, Mr. Speaker: can the minister update the House how much it has cost the Department of Health and Social Services to implement the ‘Closer to Home’ Strategy so far and what costs are anticipated in the future?
Some of the initiatives include the two continuing care capital projects, the $64 million hospital here, the two regional hospitals in Rankin Inlet and in Cambridge Bay, our infrastructure development that has been undertaken that would support the ‘Closer to Home’ initiatives, the long-term care facilities, the training that’s required into mental health, nursing, home care workers, or social workers and so on.
So there are a number of initiatives that have been undertaken, and in terms of the dollars, I think we see them through our capital as well as our main estimates what initiatives we have undertaken in Nunavut to deliver more services in Nunavut.  Having said that, we also need to recognize that we cannot provide all services in the territory; we will continue to rely on Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and so on, for cancer care as an example, and/or specialist services because we do not have the resources or the capacity to deliver all the services within the health care files in our territory.
Your final supplementary, Member for Cambridge Bay, Mr. Peterson.