EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The Capital Estimate process is on the roll and we will be reviewing them in September, and before the Capital Estimates are being dealt with, can he consider the contracts in the smaller communities?
The smaller communities, I am wondering if they can get an office where they can deal with contracts.
Hon. Peter Kattuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government has stated that they had wanted to be closer to the communities according to the Bathurst Mandate we want to work on the well being of the communities and with that in mind, I will pass on that information to my officials.
Mr. Speaker, the reason why I asked that question was that our Government wants to assist the smaller communities and when that becomes possible, the awarding of contracts in the smaller communities, the Government will then truly be assisting the communities by awarding to community-based businesses.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that he lives up to his commitment and I will believe in what he just told me. Will he be following through with it?
Question 579 – 1(6): Improvements or Promotion of Private Sectors
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting. I was thinking about this question for a bit the last couple of days but not how to phrase it and who to phrase it to, but my Colleague from Hall Beach straightened it out for me and I would like to thank him now because now my question to the Minister, I am phrasing it to the Premier.
Mr. Speaker, the plight of small communities, the non-decentralized communities and as an Member of the Legislative Assembly for a larger community and seeing significant economic development and growth of this community, I think about the smaller communities.
The private sector that we keep talking about and ignoring in our small communities, in all of Nunavut communities, I sometimes wonder if we really promote them enough and assist them and you know, make contracting available to people.
It always seems that the big companies in Nunavut get all of the work and very little is filtered down into the small contractors in the communities and even in the smaller communities, I do not see a lot happening.
The NNI policy shows us that there’s a lot of money staying in the communities, a lot more business going to northern companies, which I applaud.
I think we’ve made great leaps in developing the business community.
But my question is, you have chambers of commerce in the Kivalliq, Baffin and I think there’s one in the Kitikmeot.  But at the end of the day, the little business person, the small business person doesn’t have a lot of money to travel to attend meetings and have conference with the Ministers.
It’s come to mind, would the premier consider setting up a business advisory council that he over sees in Nunavut.
What we have been doing, is a number of things, we’re doing a major review for NNI and I’m sure that we’ll introduce some more changes because we’ve seen that there needs to be some improvement. There needs to be more local contracting.
I’m sure that will be part of the results, I’m sure of the review.
In addition, we have been the major review on our own economy. The Nunavut Economic Strategy that the Minister of Sustainable Development has been working on and will finalize shortly.
So, once that’s done, that will open up potentially more ideas and I’m quite open to what else we can do but I’d like to see those completed before making any other changes because I don’t want to overlap what’s already been happening of late. I’d like to see those completed for the time being.
Mr. McLean: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I say, I think we’re headed in the right direction in business development and small business development. But at the end of the day, you have places like Chesterfield Inlet, Whale Cove, Clyde River, Kimmirut, the smaller communities that are trying to develop their economies.
I’m glad that they’re setting up this NNI appeals board, but I wish the premier would consider that if you get a group of small business people together, I’m not saying from every community, but one from each region, take some southern experience, some long term northern experience and sit down and maybe look at what issues are affecting the private sector in the business community, arts and crafts and carvers and stuff like that, and once a year get together and say okay, we can improve in these areas. Would the Minister consider doing that.
As I said, I’m quite open to ways of trying to help the smaller the community, because they do need help, but at the same time we have been doing a considerable amount of work.
I’d like to stress that those good works are almost done, like the economic strategy and I’d like to see that completed and see what else we can do.
So if there are many major recommendations in there, perhaps they’ll do the same thing.
So, I’d like to see that done and what ever else we can do, we’ll look at it.
Question 580 – 1(6): Assistance for Businesses in Smaller Communities
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Community Government & Transportation.
For the smaller communities, regarding the awarding of contracts and different economic development opportunities, will the Department of Community Government & Transportation be in support of assisting these small communities to be able to take on more contracts?
With my cabinet colleagues, we’re always discussing what opportunities we can think of for the smaller have-not communities and businesses and to ensure that we do not ignore them. So, we are in constant discussions.
Mr. Speaker, the Community Government became a barrier when the community was eager to get into economic development.
Has that position been changed in that the Department of Community Government is in support of these smaller communities’ needs and ability to take on economic development, and activities? What has been worked on by the Community Government in that regards?
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, our Department of Community Government tries to be supportive of communities and the Hamlets not only through contracting, but as well, through the operations we have these support services.
The Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti Policy is the responsibility of the Department of Public Works and we have to follow it and it is not only through contracts that we try to support the communities.
I can tell my colleague that we do support smaller communities and smaller businesses and we try to focus on that with the Department of Public Works.
The communities, the Hamlets and the different subsidiaries, do they understand that position?
Yes, our staff and officials in my Department or my Deputy Minister, when there are different issues brought up, we always to try and ensure that the information flows into the communities and not only within the office.
We pass information onto all of our Nunavut employees through press releases and we always try and stay on top of things.
For the smaller communities who are not able to get their needs met because of different barriers. Are you aware of this and will you be working on it?
I do not exactly understand exactly what his question was because it was very general about whether or not my officials are aware of that and have that commitment.
Through our officials, we try to ensure that they have the information and to ensure that they are in support of communities whenever there is anything new that comes up.
Our staff are always available to support the communities and travel to communities once they are invited.
Question 581 – 1(6): Review of Musk-ox Quota in Kugaaruk
My question is, and I hope that it is clear enough, I would like to ask the Minister of Sustainable Development in regards to the study of wildlife and it takes place every five years.
They wanted an increase to the musk ox quota. I do not think that there is any help to provide gas for using a snowmobile to go out musk ox hunting further from the community.
We wanted a quota closer to the community. When will the quota be reviewed again for musk ox in my community?
Good afternoon, good morning.
First of all, I thank the Member for his question.
The increase in musk ox quota is the responsibility of Sustainable Development and Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.
I would have to ask my Department and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board before we can commit to saying that we will be reviewing the musk ox quota.
Mr. Alakannuark (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I said, I think it takes about every five years, there is a review in quota for musk ox and is there a possibility of doing it in less than five years, doing a study to see whether we can get an increase in quota in my community?
The communities that are affected in regards to the increase in quota, we will try to use the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and we will also use Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit when we are deciding whether we are going to have a review in the increase in quota.
There are a lot of people in the communities that have the knowledge of the wildlife in their surrounding areas. Will they be included as well?
The last study done I believe was in Gjoa Haven.
We are aware the utilizing Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is beneficial when doing studies so, we will be including the people in the communities to work with the biologists and use the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit that way.
Ms. Williams, Ms. Williams was on the list first.
Question 582 – 1(6): Plan for Suicide Task Force
My question, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Department of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for his commitment yesterday about putting the task force together for suicide prevention.
And on that, I would like to further ask the Minister in regards to; in the motion it speaks about the report and that it will be done in six months. Will that regional plan be in place for the members to be able to discuss this matter?
Mr. Speaker, the motion was cast by all the members in this house, the member’s committee.
I would expect the member, is correct, that that report and so on would be made available to all the members.
I thank the Minister for his response and it was originally planned for a six month report tabling.
Will that original plan still be the same even though it’s been delayed?
Mr. Speaker, as the member has indicated, there has been some delay and I explained those reasons yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, I would hope to be able to have the committee constituted by the end of this month and depending again on the schedule that the committee, the people that are appointed from the different nominations we received, see what the time frame and the work that we will put in place for the committee.
I don’t want to rush them and tell them they should have the report to me in September, but I would hope to be able to have it for table in the session in October for sure. That would be the plan.
The members will note that according to the clerk’s clock, question period is now over.
Item 7. Written Questions. Mr. Tootoo.
Written Question 017 – 1(6): Power Subsidy Program
Mr. Speaker, my written question is for the Minister Responsible for Finance.
Mr. Speaker, number 1; with respect to the Government of Nunavut’s Power Subsidy Program, which is funded through the annual appropriation of the Department of Finance, how was this subsidy calculated and applied from the January 1, 2000 to June 1, 2003.
Number 2; if any changes occurred during this period with respect to the calculation an application of the subsidy, what were they and why were they undertaken.
Number 3; during this period, how was the power subsidy calculated and applied in relation to the fuel stabilization rate riders imposed by either the Nunavut Power Corporation or it’s predecessor, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.
Number 4, have any audits or reviews been conducted since June 1, 2003 with respect to the calculation and application of the power subsidy and if so, what were the conclusions.  Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Written Question 018 – 1(6): Income Support Policies
Mr. Speaker, this written question is for the Minister Responsible for Education.
Number1, for the purposes of determining the level of payments made to income support recipients, what is the Department of Education’s policy with the respect to the treatment of coop patronage refunds.
Number 2, if coop patronage refunds are treated as unearned income, what policy objectives are achieved by reducing the amount paid to income support recipients.
Written Question 019 – 1(6): Status of the Government of Nunavut's Medical Travel for the Kivalliq Region
My written question is to Mr. Picco, Minister of Health and Social Services.
As of June 6, 2003, what is the status of the Government of Nunavut’s contracts for scheduled medical travel and medical evacuation services for the Kivalliq Region.
What are the terms of the contract or contracts for these services.
How do they differ from the terms from the contract or contracts, which were previously in place?
What contracts are currently in place between the Government of Nunavut and Kivalliq Air. Forth, what contracts are currently in place between the Government of Nunavut and Skyward Aviation Ltd.
Committee Report 006 – 1(6): Review of the 2001-2002 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut to Legislative Assembly
Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to present the report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Services under review for the 2001/2002 annual report of Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut to the Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, given our time, my colleagues and I will not be reading the report aloud today, but I would like take a brief moment to highlight the attention of the house to a few points.
Members noted the commissioner’s generally positive comments regarding the government’s compliance with the spirit and intent of the act. Member’s also noted the commissioner’s emphasis on the need to think seriously about issues related to the privacy of people’s personal health information.
Recent federal outrages related to the medical consent forms put the spot light on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, the committee has been generally disappointed with the government’s response to our past report and we look forward to a positive one this fall.
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Rule 91 (3) (a), I move that the report be received and adopted to the house and that it be entered into the record as read.
Speaker: Do the members agree that the report of the standing committee be received and adopted by the House pursuant to Rule 91 (3) – (a), and that it be entered into the records as read.
Speaker: Item 11. Reports of Standing and Special Committees.
Tabled Document 125 – 1(6): Arctic Bay, Nunavut Midnight Sun Marathon and Road Races and Challenge, June 30 to July 1, 2003
I have a wonderful invitation. I would like to table the documents from the invitation for the Nunavut Midnight Sun Marathon and Road Races Challenge, 2003 between Nanisivik and Arctic Bay, the longest road in Nunavut.
I invite all the members, their officials and their staff to come and run on this marathon.
Speaker: Item 13, Tabling of documents.
Item 14. Notices of motions. Item 14.
Notices of motions. Item 15. Notices of motions for First Reading of Bills.
Notices of motions for First Reading of Bills. Item 16. Motions.
Motion 027 – 1(6): Extensions – Bill 36 an Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act and Bill 37, an Act to Amend the Liquor Act
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member from Qamanittuaq that notwithstanding Rule 68 (1), the reports of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Services and the review of Bill 36, an Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act and Bill 37, an Act to Amend the Liquor Act be extended until such time as the committee has completed their review.
Speaker: The Motion is in Order to the Motion.
Consideration of Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters. Minister Statements 164-1(6), 167-1(6), Tabled Documents 117-1(6) and 118-1(6).
With Mr. Puqiqnak in the Chair.
We will break for twenty minutes before we proceed to the Committee of the Whole and report back here at 11:30 sharp.
>>House recessed at 11:06 am and resumed at 11:28 a.m.
Chairperson (Mr. Puqiqnak)(interpretation): We will now proceed with Committee of the Whole.
We will be reviewing Bill and Other Matters.
During the Committee of the Whole we will be dealing with Ministers’ Statements 164 – 1(6), and Ministers’ Statement 167 – 1(6), Tabled Document 117 – 1(6), and Tabled Document 118 – 1(6)
The Committee wishes to deal with Ministers’ Statement 164 – 1(6), and as well Tabled Document 117 – 1(6), and 118 – 1(6).
Minister responsible for Energy, do you have Opening Comments?
I am prepared to go to the Witness Table, I had my opening comments and to take questions and debate on the fuel rider.
Chairperson (interpretation): You may proceed to the Witness Table.
Go ahead, go sit down.
Minister Picco, do you have Witnesses with you?
Mr. Chairman, yes, I have helpers with me in files and books in paper, but I do not have any individuals with me, so, it will be just myself, your Minister of Energy trying to do the very best that I can on behalf and for the people of Nunavut.
Chairperson (interpretation): Before he starts are there any general comments.
At this point I will recognize Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Chairman, on this whole issue, I think there is, as I had indicated in my Members’ Statement earlier this week, there are a lot of questions that need to be asked in regards to power rates and riders and just, in general, the financial situation of the Nunavut Power Corporation.
There are things, like I asked the Minister of Finance, you know, for the last two years the Power Corporation has projected paying $2.3 and $2 million dollars respectively in dividends to the Government.
If they are losing money, like they say they are losing money, then how can you pay a dividend? There are questions like that that need to be asked. Do they even know what they are doing or are they just plugging numbers?
One of the other questions that, there are a number of questions that I will have that I will get to it in a minute, but one of the things that I found while I was doing some research on this is, you know, I was quite surprised actually to find out that the power rate in Nunavut, it is the highest in the world per kilowatt hour.
Japan is the next highest and you look at just the demographics of our territory and we have to do something about that.
One of the other things that I found out, I know that the Minister had indicated that the, you know, 80% of the homeowners or private, I won’t say homeowners, I will say private consumers use less than the subsidised 700 kilowatt hours per month.
I have lots of information from someone that is an average homeowner in Iqaluit, you know, about their bills and amounts and the kilowatt hours per month, the number of days that is there, you know, since 1999, since January, 1998, actually.
There are only maybe three or four or so months in there where they use less than the 700 kilowatt hours and those months are months when the billing days are not the full month, anywhere from 21 to 24 days or so that they are under the subsidized amount.
So, I think there the Minister has indicated in comments and statements that he has made in interviews, that is not going to affect the homeowners that much.
When you say 80 percent of the consumers aren’t going to be affected by it. I think 100 percent of homeowners are going to be affected by it.
Out of that 100 percent of private consumers, what kind of percentage of those people live in staff housing and apartments or high density dwellings, multiplexes that don’t use the same amount of power as a detached home.
I think 80 percent use less than that but if you look at what kind of consumers those are, are they homeowners, the people that live in apartments.
That makes a huge difference in your power bill.
I think, this is some clarity that we need to bring to light on this, on some of these issues in order to feel comfortable with what the power corporation is doing, in coming forward with something like this.
I know that the government itself has said that they’re not comfortable with the numbers and I just want to make sure that some of these other issues, that the government may not have though of, that the regular members have issue about it as well. That they want to make sure that it gets looked as well.
So, with that Mr. Chairman, I’ll leave that for my opening comments. I do have a number of questions but I’ll let other members go ahead if they have opening comments.
Before we go back to general comments, Rule 77 (1), I will allow ten minutes for general comments during Committee of the Whole discussion and please respect the Chairperson, and raise your hand if you have any general comments.
Next on my list is Mr. McLean.
Mr. Chairman, it was me that praised the Minister when he made the decision with his cabinet colleagues to split the power corporation from the Northwest Territories and create our own power corporation here in Nunavut.
The Minister was really great in setting up the Nunavut Power Corporation. He did a training program to train local people here in Baker Lake and it was very successful. In the mean time, in the last couple of years, it seems to have drifted away, like a small boat without a rudder.
It’s a $50 million dollar utility. What’s happened was anything that happened in the power corporation, negative, was blamed on the Baker Lake office, which is terribly wrong and so I started enquiring on what’s going on with this utility and it showed that there are questions about power bills, about miscalculations etc. etc.
So, I said okay, I’m going to check into this.
So went over to the office and two years after the power corporation was established, they’re still sending the bills out of Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay.
This office was getting the blame for the mis-billings.
I’m sure the Minister is well aware and us as Members of the Legislative Assembly got to be very careful when we scrutinize certain issues.  It seems like the Minister set the utility up and kind of trusted his staff which he should.
He should trust his staff. And they’re all capable staff and I’m sure they work hard. But in the mean time, the Iqaluit office swelled, to the last report I heard, over 20 staff in the head office over there.
And here we are, supposed to be the head office for the power corporation in Baker Lake.
And so in the spirit of decentralization, it was, okay, we’ll keep Baker Lake happy and we’ll keep decentralization happy but they seem to have grown in size in Iqaluit.
You have the president over there. You have the vice-president over there.
And this you expect this office to carry the load. It just didn’t happen.
And now we get financial statements that we can’t even believe.
We’re told we’ve got a $15 million dollar deficit and in fact there’s a Member of the Legislative Assembly sitting, representing Baker Lake and looking at these financial statement executive reports, I do not know if we can believe them.
And you have tabled the financial statements, so, I think they are correct, but at this point, I do not really know what to believe and then you come across, the Utility Rate Commission comes across with this fuel rider and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly you have got to make the Government accountable and ask the questions.
So, we ask the questions and there is a big debate, the public grab a hold of it and there is an outrage and now, you have come through with your smoking mirrors and decided we do not need a rate increase.
But in fact, what happens if we do? What happens if we face a $20 or 30 million dollar deficit after the next fiscal year?
Now, on that point, I just had to get that off my chest because it has been bugging me for the last year or two.
Like I say, it has been set up, I commended you for doing what you did by taking the initiative to set up the Nunavut Power Corporation, training Inuit staff in Baker Lake, but it seems like after that happened, it got washed away.