EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Starting with page 4 of the Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act #3, 2006-07.
Subject, Capital.
Not Previously Authorized.
-$1,217,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Total Correction. -$1,217,000.
Chairman: Total Department. -$1,217,000.
Directorate. Not Previously Authorized. $4,000,000.
Chairman: Total Directorate. $4,000,000.
Chairman: Total Department. $4,000,000.
Not Previously Authorized. $74,400,000.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): I just want the correct information.
Is that referring to the piles, the foundations? That $74,400,000, is it divided?
For example, how much is it going to cost to put the steel piles?
Hon. David Simailak (interpretation): I believe the Minister for the Housing Corporation can answer that question. Thank you.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, the foundation development $4,248,000. There are 236 units for that.
Chairman: Total Nunavut Housing Corporation. $74,400,000.
Chairman: Thank you. Go back to page 2 of Schedule 1.
Total Capital Appropriation. $77,183,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Members, go to Bill 2 in your legislation binder, that’s your white binder. I believe you’ve got your copies.
Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act #3, 2006-07.
Clause 1. Definitions.
Committee Motion 003 – 2(4): Amendment to Schedule of Bill 2 by Striking Out Vote 1 and by Substituting Vote 2 (Simailak)
I move that the schedule to the bill be amended by striking out vote 1, and by substituting vote 2 on the schedule.
Chairman: The motion is on your pink paper.
Clause 3 in the schedule as amended. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Go to Page 3. Schedule.
Vote 2, as amended. Capital. Total Capital. $77,183,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Total Supplementary Appropriation. $77,183,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Return to page 1 of the bill. Page 1.
Clause 4. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Clause 7. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Do members agree to Bill 2 as amended?
Chairman: Thank you. Do members agree that pursuant to Rule 62(2) that Bill 2 can immediately be placed on the Orders of the Day for Third Reading?
Chairman: Thank you. Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act #3, 2006-07.
Total Law Enforcement. $381,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Registration Court Services. $106,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Registration Court Services. $106,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Thank you. Total Registration and Court Services. $106,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Correction. $730,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Thank you. Total Correction. $730,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Bill 3. Justice.
Not previously authorized. $600,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Total.
Legal Services Board. $600,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Department. $1,817,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Page 6. Bill 3.
Not previously authorized. $1,415,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Total. Healthy Children, Families, and Communities. $1,415,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Treatment. $9,103,000.
Mr. Curley: Thank you. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance, this is way high for $7,000,000 for medical travel.
Can we get a breakdown how much of these are for the increased costs for each region from that $7,305,000? If we can get a regional breakdown.
The Health Minister could answer that question.
I’ll commit to providing the breakdown for the medical travel to all the members here with the $7 million, not only the $7 million but also the overall total budget breakdown, including the $7 million over-expenditure.
Mr. Curley: Thank you. (interpretation) Thank you, Minister.
For the Minister of Finance I would like to ask him; it states here that the escalation of medical travel and on the same page, $256,000 is for the implementation of a new remuneration package for physicians.
I wonder if the Minister of Finance can say which doctors that applies to.
Is it just for one region, if the minister can inform us?
Hon. David Simailak: The health minister can answer that.
The $256,000 is to enhance the current physician contracts that we have. I have spoken in the House that we need to be more competitive across Canada in compensating physicians in Nunavut. This would enhance the current compensation package we provide to our current level of physicians to make it comparable to other jurisdictions.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask the minister, so with that increase will we be in the competitive range or that the increase, is it an annual increase or is it just one time increase.
My first question, is their salaries competitive now, and is it a one time or an annual increase.
Hon. David Simailak (interpretation): I’ll ask the health minister to respond.
Chairman (interpretation): Minister, Ms. Aglukkaq.
The funding is to try and enhance it so that we’re more competitive.
Right now, physicians in Nunavut are the lowest paid in Canada, so it brings us a bit higher than we have been compared to other jurisdictions. So, our challenge is recruiting and continually looking at that. So, we’ll continue to monitor that to see how we are doing, but this incremental funding will address the issue immediately.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Chairman.
I would like to thank the Minister but I do want to ask another question.
Now that we understand a bit, now that we are a bit more competitive with other provinces but the physicians or the doctors we have are not provided with staff housing by GN. But do they pay for their rent from their salary, or is their physician’s staff housing subsidized? Could the minister respond to that?
Health Minister Health Minister will respond.
Health and Social Services MinisterAglukkaq.
From what I understand the physicians working in the north are part of the same housing pool but I have to confirm that. It may differ by region. As far as I know that is the current arrangement, but I need to get back to them to clarify that.
Most of the physicians that we have are on contract, so I need to get back to the member to address his question.
That’s what we wanted to hear because we get confused. They lost staff housing. Some contracted physicians are housed in hotels, as there is no staff housing available.
Would the Government of Nunavut pay for the hotels for the Department of Health?
The Health Minister can answer that.
Health Minister. Ms. Aglukkaq.
The contract positions can also own their own homes. I know of cases here, some physicians have homes and live in them.
For the current individuals on contract with us on a long-term basis, I believe they’re part of the housing pool but I need to confirm that. As for the short-term specialists physicians that come up outside, they stay in the hotel as far as I know. And in some communities there are transient units so they would stay in a transient unit for that short period of time, but I will provide that information to the member because I don’t have that before me today.
On the travel explanation on medical travel $7,305,000, I’ve noticed that some mining companies are contracting air and charter services outside of Nunavut, maybe because they are cheapest. When she’s requesting proposals from airlines or charter services, has she gone Canada wide, for the purpose of medical travel?
To the Health Minister please.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister. Minister of Health, Ms. Aglukkaq.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Mr. Chairman, when we put out the RFP for Medivac Contracts, that’s open to anyone that’s interested in providing a service.
Because of the high volume or high cost of setting up aviation companies in the north, most companies that are already in the north put in their proposals on that, but it is open to anyone else outside of Nunavut, as well.
Mr. Arvaluk: Isn’t there one airline in southern Canada that applies for these contracts?
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Arvaluk. Minister Simailak.
To the Health Minister, please.
Chairman: Minister of Health, Ms. Aglukkaq.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Mr. Chairman, the Department of Health, when we do our contracting, we do it through the public process. We advertise through newspapers, and so on, for Charter Medical Services, and Medivac Services.
I don’t know what airline in southern Canada the member refers to, but just in terms of the process that we do follow, it is a public process through the contracting procedures guideline and any aviation company can submit proposals based on that.
Last question on this, to the same minister, is that escalation in medical travel.
How is it that they require an extra $7 million that was not previously authorized, when they already have a medical travel contract?
Are they billed for each medical emergency and each passenger for airline services?
Is that why this is not controllable?
Over the last three years the department medical travel budget has increased by 16.3 percent since 2002. Some of that relates to the fact that there are more sick people requiring medivac or medical travel.
Some of it relates to the fact that cost of aviation fuel has gone up which increased our contract and we’re looking at that trend a bit more closely in that there is a very close coalition to the increase of aviation fuel, to the increase of medical travel budgets, but it’s an escalation of two things; one is that piece.
The other piece is related to more sick people requiring transportation out.
Yes, we have contracts in place for medivac, we also have contracts with First Air and Canadian North for transporting people on scheduled aircraft but the volume of people requiring treatment has also increased.
The population growth in Nunavut has increased as well, so it’s a combination of factors. Why have we not been able to predict it?
It’s not easy to predict illness, when people are going to get sick or not, like RSV as an example.
In just days, we medivaced 30 people with RSV, and that’s very costly. So, there are a number of factors that relate to this piece.
Mr. Chairman, isn’t there any cheaper way, for example, if you have a five-year contract with an airline, or a chartered service, that you cannot simply say okay, whether it’s one trip or 100,000 trips, here is the amount of the contract for five years.
That would attract maybe cheaper charter service airlines to bid for that.
We need to get control of this exorbitant expenditure.
I guess my next question is: have you reviewed the method of medical travel including potential air charter service businesses across Canada in order to get the best deal for your money?
We have negotiated with some of the airlines at trying to reduce the escalating cost of medical travel and medivacs in the north.
As much as we put in the effort to try and get the best deals in the north for medical travel and medivacs, it’s difficult to predict the frequency of when that service is required when people get sick. That’s the difficult part that’s difficult to predict because we don’t know on a given day how many people will be sick.
So that’s the challenging part.
Have we reviewed how companies in southern Canada provide service as compared to the north, I can’t say we have. It’s most likely much cheaper to provide some air-type transportation to southern Canada as opposed to the north. But at the same time in southern Canada, there are many more hospitals in the south.
We have one in Nunavut and that’s in Iqaluit.
So the transportation piece for transporting patients is a challenge for us because we do not have the facilities here.
And as much as the flying of patients are the same but if southern Canada/northern Canada is comparing apples and oranges when it comes to what we have for charter services or services we provide within the Department of Health.
Mr. Curley: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like a clarification from the Minister of Health, through our Finance Minister.
First of all, I think the airlines that we do have certainly try to work hard with the resources that they have, and also the equipment that they have.
But I think it’s really up to the government to seek and request exactly what type of equipment they wish to use based on the terms of the proposals, the tender.
I would like to ask the minister exactly, and also clarify perhaps by way of a letter to the committee here, that she indicated all these medivac contracts where they are normally secured through an open tendering process but I think we need to clarify that.
I think it’s important to understand exactly for the essential services that you need, I don’t believe it’s a completely open tender because you can issue an invitational tender for specialized airlines for medivac services for instance.
I believe your department probably uses an invitational tender; it’s not 100 percent open tender.
The second one, obviously, is the limited request for proposals.
Again, that’s one method. I’m not 100 percent sure that open tender process is used where you completely open it up for certain companies. So that information is really essential so that we know exactly from which of the northern companies are bids normally provided.
Can the minister undertake to clearly state exactly how the contracts are secured for medivac services considering the point that I raised?
Chairman: Thank you, Minister. Minister of Health, Ms. Aglukkaq
And I think that I committed to providing that last week in committee of the whole area around that very issue and I will provide that information.
Turn back to page 6.
Treatment. $9,103,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Total Treatment. $9,103,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Total Department. $10,518,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Thank you. Page 7.
Directorate. Not previously Authorized. $2,900,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Total Directorate. $2,900,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Total Department. $2,900,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Mr. Arvaluk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This $6,694,000.
Not previously authorized is that for the production of some of the units that will be built.
To Mr. Akesuk, please.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister. Minister responsible for Housing, Mr. Akesuk
It’s for day to day operations for $5,037,000 in salaries, its $1.6 million. So it’s for day to day.
Then why wasn’t this able to be predicted in the main estimates.
As we’ve been working very closely since last year, a couple years ago, to make sure that there’s adequate funding for local housing organizations in the communities throughout Nunavut and we figured that they would need this much money. And this year we figured out that it’s $6,694,000 that would help them out to be in a better situation of not running into any deficit.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Arvaluk.
Nunavut Housing Corporation. $6,694,000.
Total Nunavut Housing Corporation. $6,694,000.
Chairman: Thank you. Go back to page 2.
Operations and Maintenance. Operations and Maintenance Appropriations. $21,929,000.
Chairman: Members, go to Bill 3 in your white legislation binder.
Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act #3, 2006-07.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Clause 2.
Chairman: Thank you. Clause 3.
Chairman: Go to Page 2 of this schedule.
Vote 1. Operations and Maintenance.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $21,929,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Supplementary Appropriation. $21,929,000.
Chairman: Return to page 1 of the bill.
Clause 3. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Thank you. Clause 6.
Chairman: Thank you. Clause 7.
Chairman: Do members agree to Bill 3 as a whole?
Do members agree that pursuant to Rule 62(2) that Bill 3 can be immediately be added to the Orders of the Day for third reading?
Chairman: Thank you, Members. (interpretation) We still have Bill 8. (interpretation ends) Bill 8, “An Act to Amend the Inocme Tax Act” Reprint.
I would now like to ask the Law Clerk to join us at the table.
Law Clerk.
Bill 08 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – Consideration in Committee
I would now like to ask the Minister responsible for Finance to make his opening remarks. Minister Simailak.
I am pleased to appear before members to speak to Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, specifically a tax credit for single parents.
This is a commitment I made during the December 2006 Session of the Legislative Assembly to the members. The Bill is designed to provide single parents some much needed tax relief.
It does this by introducing a new tax credit for single parents that will see the amount of taxes paid by them decreased by as much as $255.12.
The effective date would be January 1 of this year.
All Nunavummiut who will file the 2007 Income Tax Return will be eligible for a cost of living benefit of up to $1,200.
However, during the Department of Finance’s appearance in front of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Accountability, committee members suggested that single parent families have more difficulty making ends meet than many two parent families.
As a result the government has agreed to introduce an additional tax credit, one that will be available only to single parents.
Single parents will be able to claim this tax credit if they make more than $60,000 in net income. The credit will be calculated at two percent of their net income over $60,000 to a maximum tax credit of $255.12.
Single parents who earn more than $72,756 will also receive the maximum tax credit, which when combined with the previously announced cost of living credit of $1,200 equals $1,455.12.
We would be pleased to answer any questions from the members.
Do you want to change your witnesses? Or do you want to keep the ones you have there now?
Hon. David Simailak: Yes.
Chairman: Thank you Minister. Thank you Minister.
Please for the record introduce your witnesses.
On my right is Peter Tumilty and on my left is Peter Ma. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman: Does the Co-chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations have comments?
I do have some comments.
Mr. Chairman, the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Accountability have had the opportunity to scrutinize Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act.
And I’m pleased to be able to make some brief opening comments today on the initiative.
Mr. Chairman, members enjoyed a productive dialogue with the minister and his officials during his appearance before the standing committee.
When the standing committee scrutinized the increase on Payroll Tax that was introduced during our last session, members were mindful of a number of issues.
Statistics produced by the Canada Revenue Agency, which are publicly available on its website, reveal an informative picture of our Territory and its tax filers. For the 2004 tax year, approximately 32 percent of Nunavut tax filers reported an annual income of $10,000 or less.
Approximately 35 percent of Nunavut tax filers reported an annual income of $60,000 or less. Approximately 20 percent of tax filers reported an annual income of more than $70,000. Just over 1,000 tax filers or seven percent reported an annual income of $100,000 or more.
Mr. Chairman, committee members recognize those in the higher two income categories can afford to make a greater contribution. However the committee was concerned that the lower income Nunavummiut, especially single parent households, be protected from the increase in the Payroll Tax.
The standing committee was pleased to receive a commitment from the minister that he would introduce further legislative measures during the sitting of this assembly to address this issue. Bill 8 accomplishes this shared goal.
Mr. Chairman, on a related note, the standing committee is pleased that the Minister is committed to moving forward with measures to ensure that the payroll tax system is reviewed with the objective of ensuring that it captures revenue from contractors and consultants, especially those who do not live in Nunavut, but may earn significant incomes from contract work with the Government of Nunavut.
The standing committee supports the bill and recommends its passage to all members.
I’ll go through clause-by-clause of the bill.
Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. Reprint.
Clause 1. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 2. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Thank you. Does the committee agree to Bill 8 as a whole?
Chairman: Do members agree pursuant to Rule 62(2) that Bill 8 can immediately be put on the Orders of the Day for third reading?
Chairman: Thank you, very much. (interpretation) Bill 8 is concluded. (interpretation ends) Thank you, Minister Simailak.
Thank you, Mr. Ma. Thank you, Mr. Tumilty. (interpretation) If you have any closing remarks, Minister Simailak.
I thank my staff for being here with me, and also to the ministers that answered all of those questions. Thank you.
I would now like to ask Mr. Speaker to make his opening remarks on Bill 9.
Bill 09 – An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act – Consideration in Committee
My apologies for the late entry. I was watching you on TV and I thought you were going out for a break. My apologies, Mr. Chairman.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear today before the Committee of the Whole to introduce Bill 9, An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act.
As members will recall, the Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 2004 Territorial General Election was tabled in this House on February 22, 2005, and considered in detail by members during the proceedings of the Committee of the Whole.
Subsequent to its consideration of the report, the Committee of the Whole adopted a motion on April 27, 2005, recommending that the Management and Services Board, in cooperation with the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, develop amendments to the Nunavut Elections Act for consideration by the Legislative Assembly.
In December of 2005, the Legislative Assembly passed Bill 10, which implemented a number of recommendations for improvements to this Act.
The bill before you today proposes measures to further strengthen, clarify, and simplify a number of provisions in the Act related to the integrity and accessibility of our electoral process. I would like to take a few moments to highlight the key elements of the bill.
The term “charitable organization” will be clearly defined to allow more non-profit bodies to receive candidates’ surplus contributions.
For example, any one of the 30 Nunavut organizations that the Canada Revenue Agency recognizes as a registered charity will be eligible to benefit from this provision, in addition to municipal corporations and registered societies in good standing.
A declaration process is replacing the nomination process.
The existing requirement to have 15 nominators and witnesses is being removed.
This will avoid the potential for technical errors in the process of becoming a candidate, and simplify the process for Nunavummiut wishing to stand for election.
It will allow potential candidates to focus on identifying financial agents and campaign managers.
The period of disqualification for a candidate whose financial return is not properly filed is being limited to five years. Financial agents will also be subject to this disqualification.
This provision strikes an appropriate balance between the need to encourage compliance with the law and the importance of providing a reasonable sanction that will stand constitutional scrutiny.
Elections Nunavut will appoint an auditor with the expertise to review all candidates’ financial returns to ensure that they are reviewed fairly and consistently. Many jurisdictions currently require candidates to appoint and pay for their own auditors, but Elections Nunavut will be responsible for this function.
Elections officials will be provided with an expanded range of tools with which to provide greater protections for voters from disturbance at a voting place.
A provision is being added to make it clear that election contribution shall only be used to pay for election expenses. This will safeguard against the misuse of funds.