EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Have the report’s findings had any impact on your department’s efforts to address issues such as food insecurity and the high cost of living in Nunavut?
Hon. Johnny Mike: Mr. Chairman, (interpretation) I would like to ask the member where his question is from because it’s not in our (interpretation ends) opening remarks. (interpretation) It’s somewhere else.
Mr. Akoak, if you can identify the page that you are referencing.
Mr. Akoak: Sorry, page D-4.
There was an Auditor General’s report released at that time in November of 2014.
Have the report’s findings had any impact on your department’s efforts to address the issues such as food insecurity and the high cost of living in Nunavut?
Our staff will respond to the question.
Yes, the Auditor General of Canada released a report on the NNC program in November of 2014. We have a coalition that is undertaking research on the store-bought food system. There’s another plan for holding a meeting in late May or early June that will be focused more on the store-bought food system.
That’s what we have in our updates.
This will be my final question on that.
It was last month or a few months ago, we had a meeting with the airlines and we talked about the high cost of living in Nunavut.
With that, did you have any communications with the airlines regarding how they can help out with the high cost of living in Nunavut?
Hon. Johnny Mike (interpretation): We haven’t had additional meetings since then.
Are there any plans on meeting with the airlines?
Probably at the end of March, we expect to meet with them.
We are on Family Services. Branch Summary.
Yes, in listening to the proceedings, I was starting to conduct some research on what we are required to do.
With respect to the positions that are being debated here, even though they can be bilingual with the ability to speak Inuktitut, the requirement is be functionally bilingual.
I started to review our legislation, specifically the Inuit Language Protection Act, which we have to comply with as well. In particular, section 12 states that any employee of the government “has the right to use the Inuit Language at work” and that any person wishing to work shall not have barriers placed before them, as an example, by not being bilingual or not having the other language which is the requirement.
The employer shall “ensure that management is able to communicate with and supervise the employee in the Inuit Language” and “offer Inuit Language training” if the employee can’t speak or write Inuktitut.
Even with these legal requirements, we were advised at length that a bilingual person with the ability to use English is required for this position.
This is reprehensible in light of our need to comply with our own legislation.
I just wanted to remind the witnesses as they responded to concerns that legislation already exists with Inuit language rights enshrined.
I have had employees in the past who could not speak English within our government, and it was very pleasurable.
Issues I may not have contemplated or forgotten were brought back to the forefront.
Therefore, I advise the department to follow through with the legislation.
That formulates my first comment.
Human Resources has set up these qualifications.
We requested that the positions be bilingual and we have said the reasons why they need to be bilingual in English and Inuktitut. They have to work with the staff who speak English and Inuktitut, and Inuktitut would be preferred.
Mr. Chairman, that’s all I can state.
We have to abide by the language legislation. We cannot just abandon this right as Inuit and we’re not going to neglect that. Therefore, we have to follow that.
My MLA colleagues have stated numerous times that counselling has a great impact on Inuit. I believe it should be dealt with because many pieces of legislation that we have for counselling has been adapted from outside of our territory.
On page 126 of the business plan in the English version, it doesn’t include any plans as to how we can phase in traditional Inuit ways.
They have said that income support issues are important, such as further training for income support workers, and that we should deal with legislation first within his department.
My colleagues have been mentioning in the House how we can ensure our legislation is based more on Inuit practices and processes and therefore better enforce them.
That will be my first question on how we do that.
I’m not sure what he’s stating.
I would like to ask if he can clarify his question so that I can respond. I would like to know which page he’s on. I believe we are under Corporate Management at this time.
Please clarify that, Mr. Okalik.
I’m looking at the business plan under Corporate Management on page 126.
It states that “The department has identified the Social Assistance Act and Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations Certification Act as priority legislation requiring review.”
Further on, they will be reviewing legislation in 2017-18, which is after our term ends.
How are they going to turn more towards issues that affect Inuit tradition and culture so that they can learn about our culture?
I believe it’s clear now. Minister Mike.
We have wanted to conduct a review of several pieces of legislation, as we use legislation in our work. When legislation is not present or rather, without laws, we would not be able to be anywhere.
Now, if legislation were more readily available in Inuktitut, it would really help.
Nonetheless, I cannot respond with a solution at this time with respect to that advice, as our department is continually reviewing ways to improve on a daily basis.
I can use an example of children. When children are abused or neglected and the caseworker has to handle the child’s case, the parents, grandparents, and relatives are involved.
The caseworker works with the family to resolve the case.
Perhaps we don’t ask ourselves often enough if we are practising the Inuit way and I doubt that is the case, as the focus is on resolving the problem in a manner most acceptable to the family.
We work with the family at all times.
Actually, if legislation was passed and an Inuktitut version was presented, our department would review it to see the applicable sections.
However, as I said earlier, we have started a review of the pertinent legislation such as the laws on adoption to see if there can be improvements made related to social workers in the communities we have to support.
This advice is something good to hear.
Once legislation is in place, requirements change. We will keep trying to review legislation and try to brainstorm on meeting both the wishes of the communities and families and whether we can create them.
I would like to remind you that we have interpreters. Don’t go too fast so that your comments will be properly understood.
In reviewing the departmental business plan on page 128, it speaks to implementing current legislation only related to families and adoption, and it only states the review on implementation.
It doesn’t speak to any proposed amendments to improve the legislation. This has to be corrected.
We have to focus more on Inuit traditions and that is the only way families can properly learn.
When families are relaxed and peaceful, the relationship improves. The current way is to separate families by advocating outside legislation, although we may have only adopted it prior to drafting new legislation.
What we have is grandfathered and I wonder when legislation review will ever take place to adapt them to the traditional Inuit customs.
Hon. Johnny Mike (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank my colleague for pointing that out.
Indeed, these are what are important to Inuit and our cultural lifestyles, and of the need to incorporate them.
With respect to the possible legislative adaptation, if I understood him properly, this plan will have to be clearly written in how Inuit traditions can be incorporated further.
I totally agree with you on that aspect.
I now understand some of the considerations we ought to have considered currently within our plan that would have to be changed. That is what I understood.
I agree with my colleague on that need, if I understood him properly, to conduct a legislative adaptation and I now understand his wish to incorporate more Inuit traditions into the planning and to consider it.
We will only have the opportunity to do that until the end of our term next year.
I would like to see a proper way of how Inuit traditions can be incorporated further into the plan and legislation.
They aren’t even written here and that’s what’s lacking. We have people who can help us here in our Assembly.
Perhaps we can deal with it next year. It’s too late now, but that’s just a comment to plan more towards that.
Regarding the minister’s comments on our homeless shelters, there’s more than one shelter here in Iqaluit.
We empathize with the homeless people who have little choice but to use those shelters.
How are they given more assistance?
Most of the homeless people are Inuit and could gain from more training so that they can better stand on their own feet.
Are they given training while they stay at the shelters?
After all, we don’t want them to stay there permanently. Instead, we wish them to become more self-reliant.
We are planning and it’s an ongoing thing.
I don’t want to just do planning and studying; I want to implement the plans we come up with.
When men who stay at homeless shelters receive income assistance, they are given counselling and direction on where they can get more training or education.
People in women’s shelters with children are given assistance by the Department of Family Services and mental health services.
Some people who stay at that shelter with children are not given as much training, but they do get counselling on how to improve their lives.
We have contribution agreements with the societies that provide shelters to the homeless and provide them with funding. We try to guide them on how to improve the lives of the homeless people and give them more training or employment counselling.
We all know they are capable. In particular, those who are going through really challenging times need more assistance.
Women in particular tend to stay at homeless shelters.
Many of them don’t get housing even while they’re staying at the shelter, which is called the Sivummut shelter.
We are trying to work with the federal government with what’s called second stage housing and how they can help them get housing.
We don’t want them to stay permanently at that facility. That is where we’re at currently.
The children of the homeless people are put in school.
We sympathize with them, we see them every day, and we work with them.
They’re given sewing or on-the-land training. We try to get them in that direction.
Please consider the interpreters.
Yes, that’s good to hear and I want to see more of that and how we can provide more assistance. Some people are in those shelters for a long time, they have faced challenges in their life, and we need to think of providing more assistance to them.
I would like to look further into that in the future.
When we get to the other pages, I’ll ask more questions.
Hon. Johnny Mike (interpretation): I didn’t hear a question.
Chairman: Family Services. Corporate Management. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $7,404,000.
While we’re on page D-9, I would like to ask a question on grants and contributions.
I would like to know what it’s slated for.
The first one is the Men’s and Boys’ Programming.
I’m just reading the Inuktitut translation, so don’t blame me if it doesn’t make sense.
What will the $50,000 funding be used for?
My deputy minister will elaborate on the details. Thank you.
I know it’s only $50,000 to start with. The reason for that is that young men and children need assistance too.
There’s assistance available for women and they’re provided with shelters.
We would like to start with this to be able to start doing something with children and male youth.
We have consulted with the men’s group in the Kivalliq and a group like that here in Iqaluit.
We were looking at women, children, men, and boys, not just one segment.
That’s what this is slated towards. If they could just start with a meeting and discuss what direction to take for the future, then we will be able to provide more assistance.
That’s what we want to start with.
So that my colleagues all understand, the one they are referring to in the Kivalliq is called “Angutit Makigiarningit.”
Do I understand that you have no idea what that money will be used for?
It may be used for meetings; it may be used for something else.
So you still have no idea what the money will be used for?
We do know what we want to do with the money. We want them to have a meeting to start it off.
The reason I was asking is that you didn’t seem to really know what the money was going to be used for.
In your response, you stated that it may be used for meetings or it may be used for something else. It turns out you know what it’s for.
The reason I asked again was that I didn’t get a definitive answer from the minister.
After you hold the meeting, what’s next? How will that improve things?
Quite a number of things can be under this program. After they hold that meeting, resources will be made available for action.
Once that meeting has taken place, they would be able go from there. There are more than ten items involved.
Do I understand correctly that the $50,000 would be used just for a meeting and maybe planning after?
The minister said that they would proceed from there.
Where is the money that will be used to do something after this initial meeting?
Is it in one of the pages in your submission?
The money will be used for a meeting and then after that meeting, we will try to do other things.
We said that there would be seven new workers and some communities have social workers and some others have income support workers.
The people who are already working in the communities can run a part of this program from this money, for example, hunting with young people who wish to do so.
If a community requests to do a certain activity, then we will allow them.
If they want to do real Inuit counselling of men, then they can initiate something like that. We would utilize the programs already in existence in the communities.
We would work with them to see which kind of programs would be able to run off the bat.
We would then shortlist it.
Once those seven new workers are working, we believe they can make real progress.
As that money will be used for that meeting, who will go to the meeting, where will it take place, and how many people will attend?
We don’t have the $50,000 yet.
If you approve the money, then we will make careful considerations as to how we will use that money, as well as where the meeting will be and who will be involved.
I thought you already considered what was going to be done with the money.
You said that you were going to use the money for a meeting.
What other considerations do you need to do afterwards when you have already allocated the $50,000 for the meeting anyway?
Hon. Johnny Mike (interpretation): It was explained that the Pauktuutit group and the Kivalliq men’s group would take part, as well as other groups that do that kind of work.
It’s all about having healthy families and good relationships.
Those who have gone through difficulties at home can become able productive again.
Right now, we’re talking about putting together something along that line.
I can only say that they have to hold the initial meeting first because that’s the plan that has been set.
After that initial meeting, there will be decisions on how to move forward and determine what activity will be the priority.
Let me understand this correctly. You may not need to use the entire $50,000. You haven’t really decided how much of it you’re going to use yet.
You know that you’re going to need to have a meeting, but you haven’t set up any details yet, so you may end up needing to use only $10,000 because you still haven’t figured out the details.
The $50,000 may seem to be too small, but we can use it to start something, to hold an initial meeting to hear what they want to see.
Once we know what the representatives from the communities want to do, the employees that are already working on a variety of things will be able to do more things.
I’m sure we will be able to brainstorm and come up with more ideas if more funding will be required.
With the $50,000, I can’t say if we’re going to be only using $10,000 of it or $20,000 of it. We’re saying that we need $50,000. If I say it in English, (interpretation ends) it’s our best estimate. (interpretation) We’re dealing with the (interpretation ends) main estimates. (interpretation) That’s what we’re trying to do.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Let me move on to a different topic, but I’m very concerned about that.
It’s clear that you don’t know and you can’t say where the meeting will be held or who will take part.
You say that your best estimate is the $50,000.
I can’t see how you can have that as your best estimate because you don’t even know where the meeting will be held.
I don’t get it at all. We will probably end up approving it anyway.
Also in the budget under D-9, Summary of Grants and Contributions, I’m reading what you have translated into Inuktitut as the Northern Student Initiative.
My deputy minister will respond to that question. Were you asking about human resources or education?
Chairman (interpretation): Mr. Enook, please clarify your question.
It should be easy for them to understand because I’m reading their own document.
It reads, the Northern Student Initiative. What is that all about?
Hon. Johnny Mike (interpretation): At this time, we don’t have the Inuktitut copy and I apologize.
Is it (interpretation ends) Getting Ready for Employment and Training? I believe that’s what he is asking about.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): I’m sure there’s an Inuktitut copy in your office.
It’s on page D-9, $15,000.
It’s right below Career Development.
If there’s no other way than to say it in English, it’s the (interpretation ends) Northern Student Initiative. (interpretation) What will that money be used for?
Hon. Johnny Mike (interpretation): My apologies. I do apologize that we were in a big rush to come to this meeting, along with my officials. I apologize that I did not grab the Inuktitut copy.
My deputy minister will respond to that question. I do apologize for saying that, but I was in a big rush to come to the House today. I only grabbed some of the documents that were readily available.
I do apologize too that I don’t have the details on that right now.
If it’s okay with the member, we would like to respond later with the details.
Please respond again, Ms. Williams.
I apologize that I cannot provide a detailed response.
Can the minister provide the answer?
I don’t seem to have that information, so I can’t respond to that question at this time.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, I will need your direction. I know the funding of $15,000 is minimal when you look at other items. Perhaps with your guidance, could you tell me what the process is to delete this line item?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. If you want to delete this line item, you will have to go through a motion.
The minister should know and I want my colleagues to know that we don’t want to delete anything just for the sake of it.
We absolutely need to have correct budget figures.
If the department doesn’t know what the funding is going to be spent on, I truly believe it should not be approved.
If I can be provided an opportunity, I will draft a motion to delete this line item.
Please direct me, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Yesterday, you moved a motion to delete a line item.
You can use the motion from yesterday, but it will be for this particular line item.
Regarding the figure you are talking about, you will have to identify the reason.
Minister Mike would like to comment.
Hon. Johnny Mike (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The director of corporate, Sol, (interpretation) will provide an explanation.
She’s going to explain the matter.
The $15,000 for the Northern Student Initiative is support to our students studying in a northern Alberta school and that is an ongoing $15,000 grant that we provide for our students.
Now that it’s clarified, that’s it for me.
Corporate Management. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $7,404,000. Agreed?
On to page D-5.
I believe we are on the proper page now to ask questions about those seven positions.
I would like to get started by first asking: how many vacant social worker positions are there currently in Nunavut?
The official from the Corporate Services Division, Sol, will respond.
We have 47 social worker positions across the territory, 32 positions are filled indeterminately and 14 are filled with casuals.
Chairman: Thank you. A friendly reminder to wait for the red light to go on so that your answer is recorded and the interpreters can do proper translation.
Earlier when we talked about the seven family resources positions that you were introducing, you mentioned one for Arctic Bay, Whale Cove, Clyde River, Hall Beach, Kugluktuk, Sanikiluaq, and Taloyoak.
Are any of these positions for these community social workers currently vacant or filled by casual workers?
The official, Sol, will respond.
These positions are new positions and they are not currently filled or filled by the casuals.
That wasn’t my question.
My question was, of those seven communities, there are supposed to be full-time social workers in these communities at the present time.
Are any of these communities’ social workers presently on a casual basis?
Hon Johnny Mike (interpretation): Thank you.
Our staff will respond.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Please wait for the red light to light up prior to answering.
Some of these positions have vacant CSSW positions. One is Arctic Bay and Hall Beach in which we’re waiting for housing to get those indeterminate positions filled.
However, even though those CSSW positions are vacant, we are filling them in or supporting them through getting professional workers assigned from other communities.
Earlier, you stated that there were 14 positions that were being filled by casuals. Can you maybe tell us what stage you’re at in filling these positions full time?
These seven positions are not to replace social workers.
We are in various stages with the competitions that we have.
As of yesterday, we are waiting for five houses for these social workers. One of the reasons why we have seven positions in these communities is because they are not decentralized communities.
They have a lot less resources than the bigger communities do. That’s one of the reasons.
They’re not to replace social workers; they are family resource workers who are to work with the communities along the line of prevention.
If there was a social worker in that community, they will work with that social worker as well.
They are not to be interpreters; they are to be doing outreach work or prevention work in those communities.
I’m aware that these positions aren’t being implemented to replace the social workers. I understand that quite well.
The fact that they’re putting government positions in non-decentralized communities is welcoming for any of us that live in non-decentralized communities.
With these seven new positions, when do you anticipate advertising and filling these positions?
Once the funding is approved, the positions will be advertised.
Earlier in questioning from other members, you talked about training for these new positions and you said that it would take six months of training.
How will this training take place? Will it take place in the communities one-on-one or will all these positions be taken to a central location where they will be trained for six months straight?
Hopefully we could do each region. We would be planning to do… . If there are more communities in the Baffin, they would get them together in the Baffin.
There’s one in Kugluktuk and maybe somebody would be able to go to that community.
We are in the stage of drafting the training plan, so it has to be finalized, but the core of the training, we have mentioned earlier, is what we are envisioning for the staff to do.