EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Can the minister indicate whether he has given any direction to the Taiguusiliuqtiit on how to prioritize their efforts?
To date, the Inuit Language Authority has been working on medical terminology. That is the priority that they have.
We will direct them to make sure that the standardization is complete. I could also talk with the Office of the Languages Commissioner to make the standardization of the Department of Family Services.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the minister for his response.
In order to properly and effectively deliver government services to the population in the official language of their choice, we must start with ensuring that individuals can be directed to the appropriate department and that the relevant departments are properly identified.
Will the Minister commit to ensuring that terminology used to refer to Nunavut’s government departments be standardized as an immediate priority?
Members will note that the allotted time for question period has run out according to our clock.
Return to Written Question 026 – 3(3): Government of Nunavut Responses to Resolutions Adopted at the 2012 Annual General Meeting of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities (Aariak)
This is the response to Mr. Tapardjuk asked on February 13, 2013 in regard to the Department of Community and Government Services, Return to Written Question 24 – 3(3), Government of Nunavut Responses to Resolutions Adopted at the 2012 Annual General Meeting of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities.
The question was:  What was the Government of Nunavut’s response to the resolution passed at the NAM 2012 Annual General Meeting?
The response:  We haven’t received a copy yet, Mr. Speaker, of the 2012 resolutions at the NAM AGM, however, our officials are conducting some research as to where these resolutions are, and once we have obtained a copy of the resolutions and can provide a written response, we will be able to provide that response.
Speaker: Thank you, Madam Premier, for providing us a provisional return to the written question.
The House looks forward to the final response.
*See Appendix for full text of Return to Written Question 23 – 3(3) filed with the Clerk.
Return to Written Question 023 – 3(3): Annual Fuel Purchases by the Government of Nunavut (Kusugak)
This is a return to written question asked by the MLA for Hudson Bay, No. 23 – 3(3). This is in regard to the annual fuel purchases by the Government of Nunavut.
I ask that it be entered into the record as read.
The return to written question has been filed with the Clerk.
Petition 004 – 3(3): Public Housing Rent Scale (Ningeongan)
I have the honour today of presenting a petition that has been signed by 71 of my constituents in the community of Chesterfield Inlet.
Mr. Speaker, the petitioners are asking the Government of Nunavut to review the public housing rent scale.
Mr. Speaker, I would note that this petition was submitted to my attention on January 14, 2013, prior to the minister’s recent announcement on January 24, 2013 concerning changes to the public housing rent scale.
However, as this is the first opportunity that I’ve had to formally present the petition in the House, I nonetheless anticipate that the government will welcome the opportunity to formally respond to my constituents’ concerns.
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills an Other Matters.
Tabled Document 327 – 3(3): Report on Symposium in Northern and Remote Canada, September 19-20, 2012 in Whitehorse, Yukon (Shewchuk)
I am pleased to table the Report on the Symposium at North Remote Canada dated September 19 to 20 in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Tabled Document 328 – 3(3): Correspondence from the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq Concerning Social Insurance Numbers (Elliott)
Tabled Document 329 – 3(3): Photographs of Jet A-1 Fuel Drums in Grise Fiord (Elliott)
As I indicated in my Member’s Statement, I am very pleased to table a copy of the correspondence that I received earlier today from the Hon. Leona Aglukkaq concerning the application process for social insurance numbers.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table today a collection of photographs that depict the location of drums containing Jet A-1 fuel in the community of Grise Fiord. The community has expressed concerns regarding the storage of fuel drums near the wildlife office. I will have detailed questions on this issue for the Minister of Environment at tomorrow’s sitting.
Tabled Document 330 – 3(3): Public Service Annual Report for 2011-2012 (Ell)
Tabled Document 331 – 3(3): Towards a Representative Public Service Statistics as of September 30, 2012 (Ell)
I am pleased to table the Public Service Annual Report for 2011-12.
Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to table the Towards the Representative Public Services Statistics as of September 30, 2012.
Tabled Document 332 – 3(3): Précis of Proceedings of the Inuit Elders’ Summit on Arctic Sovereignty (Curley)
Tabled Document 333 – 3(3): Speech for the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Curley)
On this item, I am pleased to table this document outlining the recent Inuit Elders Summit on Arctic Sovereignty minutes held on February 6 and 7, 2013.
This important summit was organized by Senator Charlie Watt, and I encourage all members to peruse this document carefully, and the second document I wish to table, Mr. Speaker relates to our recent visit overseas.
I am pleased to table my speaking notes during the speech I delivered at Bangkok, Thailand during the sixteenth conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Tabled Document 334 – 3(3): Office of the Fire Marshal’s 2012 Annual Report (Kusugak)
I would like to table our annual report from the Office of the Fire Marshal, 2012.
Tabled Document 335 – 3(3): Government of Nunavut’s Response to the 2011-2012 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (Aariak)
I am pleased to table a document titled Government of Nunavut’s report for 2011-12 Annual Report for the Information of the Private Commissioner.
Tabling of Documents. Moving on in our orders of the day.
Notices and Motions.
Bill 50 – An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act – Notice
I give notice that on Friday, March 15, I will move that Bill 50, An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act, be read for the first time.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will ask for consent to have the bill read for the first and second time today.
Pursuant to Rule 62(2), I request the consent of this House to waive the notice requirement to allow for the first reading of Bill 50, An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act.
The member is asking consent of this Assembly to allow for the first reading of Bill 50.
Speaker: There is consent.
Bill 50 – An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act – First Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Rankin Inlet South and Whale Cove, that Bill 50, An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act, be read for the first time.
The motion is carried and Bill 50, as a result of that, has been read for the first time.
Pursuant to Rule 62(2), I request the consent of this House to waive the notice requirement to allow for the second reading of Bill 50, An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act.
The member is asking for consent to allow for the second reading of Bill 50.
Bill 50 – An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Rankin Inlet South and Whale Cove, that Bill 50, An Act to Amend the Nunavut Elections Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, Bill 50 amends the Nunavut Elections Act to implement the recommendations of the chief electoral officer in her 2011-12 annual report to the Legislative Assembly.
The motion is carried and Bill 50 has been read for the second time. As Bill 50 is a House Bill, it is referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Bills 47, 48, 49, and 50 with Mr. Enook in the Chair.
Before we proceed into the Committee of the Whole, we will take a 20-minute break.
In Committee of the Whole, we have the following items to deal with: Bills 47, 48, 49, and 50.
We wish to continue with the review of the main estimates for the Department of Finance, followed by the review of the following departments: Economic Development and Transportation, Nunavut Arctic College, the Nunavut Housing Corporation, Culture and Heritage, Environment, and the Legislative Assembly.
Are we in agreement to continue with the review of the main estimates for the Department of Finance?
Minister Peterson, please go to the witness table.
To my left is Deputy Minister Chris D’Arcy, Department of Finance, and to my right is Deputy Minister Joe Kunuk, Department of Human Resources.
Yesterday, the opening comments were made by Minister Peterson and the standing committee chair.
Before we proceed, I would like to remind members that we all have copies and review them all the time since we have been dealing with them.
While we are at this department, let me remind you that whenever possible before we move on to the next page, please try to be in attendance so we can progress.
Sometimes when we backtrack, it tends to slow down the proceedings. If you feel like you have a question to a certain issue, try to attend the session.
We have already heard the opening remarks.
Does anyone have any general comments?
With respect to the minister’s opening remarks, specifically page 2, in the second paragraph, I just wanted it noted that ever since I was elected as an MLA, this is the second year where transparency has been attained within the operations of our government in Nunavut.
The minister, his officials, as well as my colleagues here were brusquely awakened by the Auditor General’s report, and I wanted to express my commendation to the Department of Finance for their progress.
I have no more names. Let us go to page C-4. Let us now move on to this item.
I also wish to welcome Minister Peterson and his officials.
In the 2013-14 business plan, one of the listed priorities is regarding the Liquor Act.
Let me provide some background first.
My constituents misunderstood the purpose of the legislation in Igloolik. Some residents assumed that the entirety of the Liquor Act would be changed and some feared or anticipated their ability to purchase beer or wine at the local level. That was the misunderstanding some of my constituents held regarding this issue.
Can the minister provide some clarity as to exactly how this legislation will come into force? Some people assume that this legislation will be enacted under this current administration. Can the minister provide an update as to how he envisions this legislation being enacted?
Will it be now? How exactly will it be implemented? Can he provide us with some further information, Mr. Chairman?
I thank Mr. Tapardjuk for the question. Mr. Chairman, when we undertook to review the Liquor Act, we struck the minister’s task force on the review of the Liquor Act. We made a commitment that all 25 communities in Nunavut would be visited by the task force.
It is only fair that every community be given an opportunity to come out and talk to the task force about their concerns with liquor in their community and within Nunavut.
I took the position at the time that as minister, I would not interfere or influence the work of the task force. I just wanted to be assured that they can go out, meet in the communities, and get the input and feedback from the communities and then report back at the conclusion of the consultations with all the communities. That’s what they did.
It took a little longer than anticipated because of course, issues with weather; issues with aircraft. In summer, people are unavailable.
The recommendations came back and we received them in September. Our committee has been reviewing the recommendations to see which recommendations could be considered for amendments to the Liquor Act or a new Liquor Act.
I don’t believe that the task force said that there was going to be a new Liquor Act within the mandate of this government, although I wasn’t at the meetings.
Certainly, we recognize that there are issues, but as I have indicated in answers to this House already in question period, it is unlikely that there will be a new Liquor Act within the mandate of this government.
Mr. Tapardjuk, are you done?
I do want to follow up on the recommendations with respect to the review of the task force on liquor.
I think it was quite clear that one of the task force on the Liquor Act review recommendations is to have local community vendors for selling alcohol. That was quite clear.
The question is: has the minister accepted all of the recommendations or partly?
If not, when will he consider approving them all or some of them?
I would just like to again thank the task force for the tremendous work they undertook and the input of close to a thousand Nunavummiut across Nunavut. They made a lot of good recommendations.
Some appear quite possible on the surface, but others may be difficult to implement.
Our plan is to take a slow, careful, measured approach to reviewing the recommendations and incorporating them into either amendments to the Liquor Act or an entirely new Liquor Act.
Having heard the minister indicate that they will take a careful plan on the review of the recommendations, I believe that quite a significant time has already gone in terms of time.
When will the minister likely indicate to the committee or to the House the exact timeframe for concluding the review of the recommendations and actual proposed amendments be tabled in the House or in the form of legislative proposals, if any? Do you have a timeframe at all as to when you would like to bring them? Will they be done during the mandate of this Assembly?
Mr. Chairman, I believe we’re intending, if it’s possible, to get a legislative proposal in the spring.
Mr. Curley: Thank you. If that is the case, would you then push for having these proposals concluded in the fall session?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Minister Peterson.
I thank Mr. Curley for the question. As Mr. Curley knows and all of us here know, we have a very challenging legislative process to get anything through the House between now and the fall.
Of course, we will put the legislative proposal together. The first step is get it prepared and then we will go from there.
I’ll move on to the next phase of my questions. It has to do with HR. I think the public is a bit confused on exactly where HR fits in within the government.
There has been a tremendous amount of unsettling kinds of assignments to various ministers.
Moving forward, though, could the minister maybe outline clearly again for the committee and Nunavutmiut exactly how HR functions, if any, will continue to move forward on April 1 or which department they would be under or what title they would have? Maybe there might be a change by then.
Minister Peterson, before you answer, I want to remind you that yesterday, I mentioned that sometimes when you are a minister and going to speak with your officials, please ensure the mic is turned off because we can hear you when you are whispering.
Please push the mute button when speaking to your officials.
I didn’t realize that the mic was on unless the light was on, so I guess I’ll endeavour to press the button in the future.
Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Curley for the question.
On April 1, it will be business as usual for human resources. There will be a new reporting regime. Certain components of the old human resources department will be within the Department of Finance and other components will be within the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Is that as a result of the recommendations from the independent consultant or is the department or the government itself recommending that it be, at least in my view, slashed around and cut and moved into different parts of the departments within the GN departments?
Mr. Chairman, only Training and Development and the Inuit Employment Plan went to EIA. The rest of the Department of HR came to the Department of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The second part of my question was: was that as a result of the recommendations of the independent consultant?
As Mr. Curley knows, the independent consultant worked for the Government of Nunavut. He worked with all the departments, consulted with many individuals, deputies, and some MLAs within the government, and made a number of recommendations. We received an internal working document with a number of recommendations, some of which have already been implemented last year.
We’re just continuing to implement some of the recommendations.
Some of the recommendations that were in the report were not accepted. We didn’t take it as a document that was cast in stone.
We made some additional changes that we felt would make the government more efficient and more effective.
Mr. Chairman, there was a tremendous amount of public funds spent on that report and to that consultant. When will the minister table the report of the independent consultant concerning the public service functions system to this committee or to the Assembly?
Yes, there were some funds spent on the report, no different than funds just spent on other… . We hired other consultants to assist the Government of Nunavut and our agencies.
You have to spend money to receive good services and good recommendations. I have no issue with tabling a report, but again, it’s an internal working document. At some point, I will table it.
I think the minister knows quite well that this government’s mandate is to be transparent foremost, as it continues to indicate. We’re trying to make you accountable and stick to your word that you’re going to be accountable. Other spending is publicly available through various accountability procedures within the government, but not the consultants.
It’s at the discretion of the minister.
As a result of that, it’s your discretion to table it or not table it.
No one else can force you to do that.
Therefore, I believe that it’s important that Nunavutmiut be given an ability to observe that report and have an opportunity to comment. After all, they are the ones who put us all in this Assembly. I think it’s important that the minister commits that he will table the report of the independent consultant.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Curley. (interpretation ends) I believe the question is: will you commit?
As Mr. Curley knows, he has known me for quite a long time, at least three decades. We have been crossing paths here and there. He knows that there is no one who takes accountability, transparency, and openness more seriously than me.
As the Minister of Finance, I have endeavoured to do that.
In the Second Assembly, as MLA and the Minister of Finance in this Assembly, we have been getting lots of good feedback from MLAs over the years. We are strengthening finance. The Auditor General of Canada is very pleased with the Government of Nunavut because of our openness and transparency in tabling our documents on time, and we strive in that direction.
I have no problem in tabling the document. As I said, I’ve already had approval to table the document; it’s just a timing issue for me.
Is it possible to table it during this sitting, if not, maybe in the spring session?
I thank Mr. Curley for his question. Mr. Chairman, when we set out on this initiative, one of our top priorities was to document the work that we do.
When we were doing the research into this project going back in the history of the Government of Nunavut, we found that it was difficult to find the records of why certain changes were made within the government since we started in 1999. We wanted a document or a series of documents that would document for future governments.
Should they choose to restructure the government, they can go back and they can see exactly what we did every step of the way. I believe it’s important that we have that record.
As I said, I have no problem in tabling it. I don’t know if I can table it in this sitting, but there is a very good chance I could table it in the spring sitting.
I appreciate that. In some ways, I understand the minister.
I think the minister also has to understand that it’s really difficult to make a public comment on the direction the government is taking without actually having seen or read the consultant’s report that restructured the departments and government agencies in some way and changes some of the traditional approaches.
We haven’t seen the report which is guiding the government in some ways.
The reason I mention that is this: I would have loved to read the report on human resource provisions, particularly when it relates to hiring and retaining our public service. The public service is the largest employer in Nunavut.
Some provinces and territories have independent commissions that handle all the human resources.
Functions are given to the independent commissions so that there’s no political interference whatsoever in hiring and maintaining the public service.
This government appears to want to have complete control on HR related to government staff.
Has that idea at all been entertained by the independent consultant or the ministers in the government, whether we should move towards an independent commission to handle all the hiring and retention of public service personnel?
Mr. Chairman, Nunavut is still a small jurisdiction. Even though we do have over 4,000 Government of Nunavut employees, it is relatively small.
We believe that the restructured process, HR functions in Finance, and HR functions in EIA will continue to strengthen the delivery of our human resources programs in Nunavut. We don’t anticipate any difficulties at this time.
We’re cognizant that the Office of the Auditor General’s recommendations in her report from a couple of years ago made many good recommendations. The human resources department was making some headway on some of those recommendations, but we believe that by restructuring where we are it will strengthen our public service within Nunavut.
I know too that the Yukon government is not a large jurisdiction. Their public service may be slightly larger, I’m not sure, but they do have a public service commission that handles all their public service and HR services.
Not having seen the recommendations, I can’t comment on what the minister is alluding to about the recommendations or training functions or whatnot, perhaps even Article 23 provisions. Without having that information in front of me, it’s kind of difficult. Is that something in the future that there is at least room that eventually gets political hands or interference out of that?
It wasn’t too long ago that we experienced in this Assembly or in the mandate of the government that there was political interference with possibly hiring and reviewing senior officials of the government. I would say that if there was an independent commission, that would not have happened.
There is always the chance of political interference or in terms of even appointments that the minister can get involved. As a result of that, one approach that is best is to move towards an independent public service commission to handle all the GN personnel.
I would like the minister to indicate, yes or no, if that’s something could be again considered in the future. Thank you.
I thank Mr. Curley for his question. Mr. Chairman, the government is still in its infancy.
We have a long ways to go to compare ourselves to the Yukon territorial government. They are many decades ahead of us in terms of developing their public service. At this time, I don’t see us going down that road, but it may be something for a future government, whether it’s the Fourth or the Tenth Assembly.
It is the nature of government. You’re always in a state of change trying to find the right balance to improve the level of services for your constituents and the public. Even in perfect circumstances, there is always the risk or potential for political interference.
You can’t rule out anything.
Anything is possible. We will strive to improve our public service. We feel that what we’re doing right now is the right thing to do at this time.