EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Chairman, the department coordinates Team Nunavut’s participation in major multi-sport games, including the 2012 Arctic Winter Games. This year, Team Nunavut will travel to Whitehorse, Yukon from March 4 to 11.
Team Nunavut consists of 289 participants from 21 Nunavut communities participating in 13 sports and the cultural program.
Participation in sport and recreation programs, including events such as the Arctic Winter Games, encourages Nunavummiut to enjoy a physically active lifestyle and pursue their goals.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to highlight the successful grants and contributions program the department administers each year.
Funds are awarded to individuals, not-for-profit community-based organizations, and local governments for social, cultural, language, sport, recreation, and physical activity projects in Nunavut.
Each year, the deadline for funding requests is March 31 and we anticipate that the funds will be awarded by the end of April 2012.
I would like to encourage communities, organizations, and individuals to apply for this funding as applications are now available.
Ms. Ugyuk: As Chair of the Standing Committee on Social Wellness, I am pleased to deliver the standing committee’s opening comments as we begin consideration of the 2012-13 main estimates and business plan for the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
Before I begin, I would note that the Minister of Finance recently announced in his Budget Address that the government is proposing to transfer sport and recreation responsibilities from the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth to the Department of Community and Government Services.
In addition, Nunavut Arctic College will take over responsibility for the Piqqusilirivvik Cultural School in Clyde River.
Until such a time as the relevant supplementary appropriation requests to transfer these programs are approved in this House, the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth remains responsible for the proposed budget.
The Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth is proposing a budget of $27,942,000 for 2012-13, which is $50,000 more than the department’s approved budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year.
The standing committee has noted that there is an overall increase in compensation and benefits with the addition of eight new positions, mainly in the area of language services.
The standing committee commends the Department of CLEY for achieving two significant milestones in 2011-12 with the opening of the Piqqusilirivvik Cultural School and the establishment of the Inuit Language Authority, the Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit, as an independent public body.
Committee members have noted that the minister, in his capacity as Minister of Languages, tabled a proposed implementation plan for Nunavut’s language legislation in June of 2011 and the committee looks forward to the final version being tabled in the near future as well as the coming into force of Nunavut’s new Official Languages Act.
Mr. Chairman, with the transfer of Piqqusilirivvik, the Inuit cultural school in Clyde River, to Nunavut Arctic College, committee members encourage the minister to continue working with the Minister responsible for NAC with respect to projects and initiatives relating to culture and heritage.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of CLEY distributes a significant amount of funding every year in grants and contributions.
On October 25, 2011, the minister tabled his department’s grants and contributions report for 2010-11.
Committee members noted that the information in that report differed from that provided in the government-wide grants and contributions report for 2010-11 tabled by the minister on October 28, 2011 and raised this issue with the minister during his appearance before the committee. The standing committee is somewhat disappointed that the minister has not yet provided an update and clarification of the information to members and looks forward to receiving that information at the earliest opportunity.
Committee members stress the importance of ensuring that the process for distributing public funds for community or group-based initiatives be seen as a fair one.
The committee recommends that greater efforts are made to assist communities and groups in the funding application process.
Members are aware that the Department of CLEY also distributes funding on behalf of the federal government for French language initiatives and Inuktitut language initiatives, and encourages the minister to provide details in this area as well.
Mr. Chairman, through the Department of Culture, Languages, Elders and Youth, the government provides financial support through its grants and contributions process for sport and recreation across the territory.
As members will recall from the 2009 review of Bill 3, the Western Canada Lottery Act, section 4 of the Act requires that “profits accruing to the Government of Nunavut from the Western Canada Lottery shall be used for the purpose of promoting sport and recreational opportunities for Nunavummiut.”
The 2009-2010 and the 2010-11 annual reports required under section 5 of the Western Canada Lottery Act have not yet been tabled and it is unclear to members whether this requirement has been met to date.
The standing committee recommends that the minister identify how lottery funds have been specifically earmarked or allocated to sport and recreational opportunities across Nunavut.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee recognizes that the department has a number of programs, initiatives, and services for Nunavut elders.
However, members remain concerned that the issues of elder abuse and support for elders are not being given adequate attention.
Members encourage the minister to work with his counterparts in the departments of Justice and Health and Social Services to ensure that Nunavut’s elders are protected and supported.
I am confident that members will have their own comments and concerns as we proceed.
Mr. Ningark: Mr. Chairman, I would like to move a motion to report progress.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Ningeongan. (interpretation ends) We have a motion on the floor to report progress and the motion is not debatable.
Speaker: Members, we will move on in our orders of the day.
This House stands adjourned until Thursday, March 8, at 10:00 a.m. in the morning.
I’ll just remind everyone and all the officials that, who knows how quickly things will go, we could go into Committee of the Whole earlier.
So I’ll just make sure that all officials are potentially ready to roll when the time comes for us to go into Committee of the Whole.
>>House adjourned at 21:02
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Pages 2320 – 2472
Opening Prayer 2320
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 2320
Report of the Committee of the Whole 2469
Third Reading of Bills 2469
Assent to Bills 2471
Orders of the Day 2472
Thursday, March 8, 2012 2320
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Culture, Language, Elders and Youth – Consideration in Committee 2320
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Human Resources – Consideration in Committee 2367
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Environment – Consideration in Committee 2383
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs – Consideration in Committee 2422
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Legislative Assembly – Consideration in Committee 2442
Bill 25 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 6, 2011-2012 –Consideration in Committee 2447
Bill 26 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2011-2012 –Consideration in Committee 2449
Bill 27 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2012-2013 –Consideration in Committee 2451
Bill 28 – Write-off of Assets Act, 2011-2012 – Consideration in Committee 2464
Bill 29 – Write-off of Assets Act, No. 1, 2010-2011 – Consideration in Committee 2465
Bill 34 – An Act to Amend the Integrity Act – Consideration in Committee 2467
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Third Reading 2469
Bill 25 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 6, 2010-2011 – Third Reading 2469
Bill 26 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2011-2012 – Third Reading 2470
Bill 27 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2012-2013 – Third Reading 2470
Bill 28 – Write-off of Assets Act, 2011-2012 – Third Reading 2470
Bill 29 – Write-off of Assets Act, No. 1, 2010-2011 – Third Reading 2470
Bill 34 – An Act to Amend the Integrity Act – Third Reading 2471
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Assent 2471
Bill 25 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 6, 2010-2011 – Assent 2471
Bill 26 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2011-2012 – Assent 2471
Bill 27 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2012-2013 – Assent 2471
Bill 28 – Write-off of Assets Act, 2011-2012 – Assent 2471
Bill 29 – Write-off of Assets Act, No. 1, 2010-2011 – Assent 2471
Bill 34 – An Act to Amend the Integrity Act – Assent 2471
>>House commenced at 10:00
Before we proceed, I would like to ask Ms. Ugyuk if she could lead us off with a prayer, please.
Mr. Rumbolt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, everybody.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to proceed directly to Item 19 on the order paper.
The member is requesting unanimous consent to proceed directly to Item 19, Committee of the Whole.
We will proceed then to Item 19 in the Orders of the Day.
I ask members to stay in their seats and we will proceed directly to Committee of the Whole.
Chairman (Mr. Enook)(interpretation): Good morning, members.
We have the following items to deal with: Bills 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 34.
Mr. Ningark: Thank you and good morning, Mr. Chairman.
We wish to continue with the review of Bill 24 and commence the review of CLEY, followed by the Department of Human Resources, Environment, EIA, and the Legislative Assembly, followed by the clause-by-clause review of Bill 24.
We then will proceed with the clause-by-clause review of Bills 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 34.
Minister Arreak made his opening comments yesterday and so did Ms. Ugyuk.
Minister Arreak, do you have any witnesses that you would like to bring to the table?
Yes, I would like to bring witnesses to the table.
Minister Arreak, for the record, please introduce your witnesses.
To my right is Simon Awa, Deputy Minister, and to my left is Michael Rudolph, financial consultant.
I welcome both of you to the witness table.
We can now proceed with general comments. Are there any general comments on the opening comments?
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to welcome the Minister of CLEY and his officials.
I’m quite glad this morning as we’re nicely refreshed. I believe we will have very good questions.
When you’re tired in the evening, you kind of just slough off a lot of questions. Mr. Chairman, I will ask questions at a later time when it’s appropriate.
When you look at the business plan for the Department of CLEY and with the legislation passed that became the Inuit Language Protection Act, we do understand that it’s being delayed due to the fact that the Official Languages Act is still not implemented.
We have also known that, as we hear through the media and radio and various other print media, it’s still obvious that the Inuktitut language is not being utilized as much, even though legislation is now passed, as well as the Education Act, which speaks to the fact that Inuktitut has to be used.
In recognition of the fact that funding is given to the Government of Nunavut related to languages, which is $1.1 million, it seems like that fund is decreasing, even though the cost of living is increasing.
What I wish to understand is what the department’s priorities are. Are they trying to negotiate with the federal government on language protection or have they tried to obtain further funding now that the Official Languages Act recognizes English, Inuktitut, and French as the main languages, to try to further protect the language and to promote these services?
Mr. Chairman, it also states in the opening comments that the Piqqusilivvik Cultural School is an initiative that they really want to undertake.
We also heard that 24 students have started, but I didn’t see any comment on that particular school.
There are also satellite campuses in Igloolik and Baker Lake. I would like to know why the government has not studied these satellite campuses. The government has stated that Igloolik and Baker Lake can be the two satellite campuses where students will also be taking courses.
To me, it seems as if Baker Lake and Igloolik are kind of being left on the sidelines because there is no mention of these schools in the new communities, particularly in Igloolik, where the residents are awaiting the school specific to teaching Inuit customs and culture.
The school is in Clyde River and the intention was to create two satellite campuses in Igloolik and Baker Lake.
For that reason, I would like to know what the plans are for the two new satellite campuses.
Mr. Chairman, with the other initiatives that the department has undertaken, we have been made aware of these initiatives, such as sport and recreation responsibilities to the Department of Community and Government Services, as well as other divisions that will be moved to different departments.
We have also been advised that the Piqqusilirivvik Cultural School will be moved to Nunavut Arctic College.
It seems that there is a lot of consideration that has kind of been stopped in its tracks, particularly where it involves Inuit culture.
Mr. Chairman, if you look at the time when Nunavut was being created, one of the priorities of the negotiators was to protect languages. During the development of the Nunavut government, the culture, language, elders and youth department was one of the priorities.
In looking at the particular business plan, it seems to me that the department is well on its way to being dismantled.
I would like more information about that at the appropriate time and I will be raising questions on these issues, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning to Nunavummiut and to the residents of Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk, and my relatives, especially my wife.
It’s still very early in the morning in the Kitikmeot region, so I wish them a good morning.
I also thank the Hon. Minister Arreak, who is in front of us at this table.
I believe he recalls, including Louis Tapardjuk and Simon Awa, that in the past, we were in the same committee on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and I really enjoyed that particular time because we were able to work cohesively on these issues.
Sometimes the barrier we would face was that we were not very well versed in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. For that reason, we would run into problems because we were sent off to school.
I am very glad that I was able to go to school because it provided a benefit.
I will not make a long comment, but in looking at all of the government’s departments, as we did during our tenure as the members of the committee on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit has to be applied to every department and we wish it could be incorporated in all of them.
It’s obvious that through the good offices of the Hon. Minister Arreak, particularly with Simon Awa being responsible for Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit matters, these issues will start surfacing.
Mr. Chairman, we all know that nothing can be created overnight.
The world was said by some to be billions of years old while others maintain it was made in seven days. (interpretation ends) Well, that’s beside the point. (interpretation) When we talk about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, let’s go, let’s go, let’s push it so that it is incorporated into every department, and that it not only be the priority of the Department of CLEY.
It has to be a priority for all, not just CLEY or the Languages Commissioner.
Like my colleague, Louis Tapardjuk, I fully recognize the French language within Nunavut since French is an official language of Canada.
I recognize English as this language is recognized throughout the world.
Be that as it may, let’s start prioritizing Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, as well as the protection of the Inuktitut language.
When you are not an interpreter, sometimes you run into terminology issues as it can be very hard to convey your thoughts without the proper terminology.
With respect to the protection of the language, let’s continue to encourage its implementation and in particular, let’s incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
I will always keep returning to that because if you didn’t know enough of the land when the weather was cold, when daylight is fleeting, or in areas of dangerous passage, then you have to operate it by using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, especially in this land of the Arctic.
I doubt that our arctic conditions will change overnight, even though all the proponents of global warming state that it will.
I am commenting primarily to urge that the issue of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit be incorporated into every department.
Perhaps, as we go into the page-by-page review, I will also have questions at the appropriate time.
However, I am quite satisfied that the Hon. Minister Arreak is handling his portfolio and I have no doubt that he will fulfill his responsibilities.
Further, his official, Simon Awa, is very capable, along with the other person at the witness table.
Thank you and good morning, (interpretation ends) Mr. Chairman.
Prior to moving on to our meeting, I wish to remind all members that the comments are very interesting and we want to ensure they are heard by our audience.
So if you have any electronic devices or cellphones that can disturb the audio, you should either put it on silent mode or turn it off completely.
I’ll try to make this a short comment.
I was touched during our Committee of the Whole meeting yesterday when we were discussing Inuit culture, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, and societal values, and that it has to become incorporated into our government. There were many comments relating to that issue conveyed by our colleagues, particularly by the regular members.
When we deal with draft legislation, it seems like Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is being left behind. As Mr. Tapardjuk has reiterated from time to time, we should not just treat it as a side benefit, but it has to start being taught at a very young age.
We have to start incorporating a lot of the Inuit ways of teaching and learning.
I believe a lot of us agree that we have to delineate and define a lot of these items. I just wanted to comment on these issues.
With respect to this issue, all departments will have to start paying attention and start incorporating on this, as my colleague, Mr. John Ningark, stated that they have to start incorporating Inuktitut and Inuit values into every piece of legislation.
As members, we convey the thoughts and concerns of our constituents.
I want people to know that this is something we will continue to push.
We, along with all Nunavummiut, are still expecting a lot of change and expecting Inuktitut.
I thank the minister. I would like to welcome his deputy minister and the financial consultant.
I just wanted to comment on this matter. It has only been a short while, perhaps 12 years, since the Department of CLEY was profiled when the Nunavut territory was created.
I want to recognize the fact that while the former minister, who is the MLA for Amittuq, was the Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, a lot of these initiatives were being created and a lot of people enjoyed seeing these initiatives. A lot of these grants related to the protection of culture as well as encouraging traditional activities, something a lot of people enjoy.
I also know for a fact that if it became a department, it should not be specific to culture because, again, the southerners, both the French and non-Inuit, have their own distinct culture and it’s pervading the entire territory because that’s all we watch on television.
If there will be a Department of Culture, pretty much all of the arts programs would have to be included into the department, which includes film media, as promoting culture.
The feature films at this time go through ED&T.
In my opinion, all of these ought to be in the Department of Culture because they’re related to promoting culture.
I would prefer that.
If we look at libraries, I also believe that they could be slotted into that department.
One thing I’m concerned about referring to the opening comments is how you profile the mandate of the department.
Let’s say if the Premier states that we will be creating a new department of such and such.
Once it’s created, a minister is appointed.
In my opinion, it should all be laid out in the legislation.
For example, the Department of Education has to have a legal foundation so that it’s obvious that a minister has to be appointed to the department.
If I were to make this comment which I believe is true, there really is no Department of Culture according to legislation.
I doubt that the cultural department has any legal foundation.
Therefore, the Department of CLEY is pretty much an agency or secretariat of the Nunavut government. I believe that would be a better use of our resources because it would be up to the government to put in resources too.
If you include social services, it would be up to them to deal with that.
I would like the minister to continue to encourage and push that if there will be a Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, it should be approved and established by the Legislative Assembly so that this department will have a legal foundation and continue on throughout the life of the territory.
I don’t want to see the department getting dismantled and eventually disappear because a lot of these resources and other cultural resources are very important.
Although we’re not able to create big infrastructure for housing these cultural resources, this is something we are trying to repatriate.
So I would like to encourage the minister to respond.
Wouldn’t it be better if we were to create a legal foundation for the Department of CLEY and to include the mandate and the responsibilities in that legal foundation?
I’m just making these comments during this time, Mr. Chairman.
I believe we’re under general comments and I would like to make a few comments myself. The elders are under the direction of this department and if there are elders abused, it should be dealt with by your department.
We hear about elder abuse.
We hear about elders’ money being taken by their family or their relatives. Elders are vulnerable.
The government has a reduced rate for housing rent for elders because of their age.
I feel very strongly about this issue because there are a lot of elders out there who are under hardship and I believe that there should be a support system in place for those elders.
We will now proceed. We are on page F-4. Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
I would like to make a comment to the Hon. Minister of CLEY, Hon. Arreak, with respect to the grants and contributions report and I believe it was released in October.
There was a report outlining the grants and contributions that were given out in 2010-11.
In that report, it seems to state $8,594,281, which is slightly different from the figures we received from the Department of Finance that stated there was $7,179,844 that was expended.
What I want to understand from the minister is how you can reconcile these figures, especially when there are reports provided to the Legislative Assembly.
When there’s that kind of disparity between the two figures, is there any way to try and reconcile these reports so that they’re exactly the same, Mr. Chairman?
I thank the Member for Amittuq for raising that question.
At that time during the standing committee, these figures were given and during that time, I had stated that we would again release those figures and we provided the report as to how these funds were expended.
We also explained the differences that come around.