EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the Cabinet Members are listening, so I would like to tell them lastly that if there’s a recommendation to increase the rent scale, turn it down.
I guess that was just a comment.
I have a question for the minister and his officials. I know it’s on something that has been quite contentious, especially here in Iqaluit, and it deals with the Staff Housing Policy, or rent scale, or whatever you want to call it.
I know in the corporation’s business plan it indicates that the corporation “has prepared a One Year Staff Housing Review and it will continue to monitor the Staff Housing Policy in consultation with the Department of Human Resources.”
Can the minister enlighten us as to what this one-year review determined?
The member is correct that the corporation has completed a draft for the one-year review of the Staff Housing Policy implementation but the draft has not been approved by Cabinet yet.
Does he have an indication as to when it will get approved by Cabinet and why would a review have to get approved by Cabinet? It’s just data, so why would they have to approve it?
In the review, it contains recommendations, etcetera, so it needs to be approved by Cabinet before it can be brought forth.
I guess it’s more than just a review. I thought a review meant it would just be “this what transpired.”
When does the minister anticipate having it brought before Cabinet and then made available to the Members of the Assembly?
We are trying to put it on the agenda as soon as possible.
Hopefully they meet more than they did last summer; have a meeting and look at it.
Without really giving information on it, and I know with the recent announcement of the rollbacks in the rents, if that’s any indication, can the minister give us an idea of what the corporation’s current perspective on the staff housing issue is?
Hon. Patterk Netser (interpretation): Are we being asked to leave? (interpretation ends) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
That’s a very good question from the member.
As far as the corporation’s perspective of the Staff Housing Policy or the situation, essentially, we’re largely dealing with the biggest problem which is the supply problem of staff housing.
In Iqaluit, just as an example, there are over 100 positions out for competition and we do have 35 or 37 vacant housing units.
So our biggest concern is trying to address the supply issue and trying to balance between competitions and with staff coming in and finding them appropriate accommodations.
I remember sitting here and there was a waiting list to get onto staff housing.
There was like zero vacancy for staff housing and I don’t know if the fact that we have 30-something vacant units out there right now is any indication of the effect that the Staff Housing Policy has had.
Is it those vacant units or that change in this very short time… is the department or the corporation aware of whether or not that change is because of people leaving and moving out of staff housing, or leaving because of the rental increases, or because they just brought on more units?
Hon. Patterk Netser: Mr. Chairman, I’m going to ask Mr. Scott to answer that question.
That’s a very good, tough question from the member.
I guess the more tired he gets, the tougher the questions become.
Those are indicators that we have incorporated into the review that we have done. The fact that there are more vacant units now than we’ve had in the past isn’t an all of a sudden occurrence; this has been a gradual build-up over a period of time.
We would like to think that, as a result of the Staff Housing Policy, a lot of our faithful GN staff have bought homes and we know that a lot of them have, and therefore, they don’t need the GN staff housing. I think there are also other indicators out there as well.
There is a very highly competitive and hot job market in other parts of Canada. It is more and more difficult to attract staff to positions here within the GN and it’s not necessarily the direct effect of the Staff Housing Policy.
I think the minister and his officials indicated that there are like 30-something vacant units here but 100 positions that are vacant. I know we were talking earlier on what the vacancy rate is and I think it’s at around 20 percent, so there are like 800 and some positions out there that aren’t filled.
If my memory serves me correct, prior to a position being advertised and that, they have to determine that that position is eligible for staff housing and that the housing unit has to be assigned prior to that competition going out.
It looks like we’re about 70 units short here. How does that reflect across the rest of the territory?
Hon. Patterk Netser: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Because of the central location here in Iqaluit, it’s going to have a bigger impact than the other communities in terms of staff housing shortages.
I’ll get Mr. Scott to maybe elaborate on that a bit more.
It can be a bit of a juggling act, particularly in Iqaluit, but I would like to think that we’ve got it down to a fine art now where we are starting to be able to predict when people are going to be coming in and when we will have a housing unit available for them. In any of the larger centres, there are similar situations.
I’m just looking at the most recent stats that I got this morning. There are 354 vacant GN positions just in Iqaluit and currently, we would require an additional 61 staff housing units to address the open competitions.
We are looking for staff and taking into consideration the units we have available. These positions aren’t going to be all filled at once; they are going to be filled over time and some of them may not get filled for a long time.
So we do a bit of a juggling act to ensure that when somebody does show up at our door looking for staff housing, we will have something available.
I thank Mr. Scott for that answer and that addresses Iqaluit.
I know in the past, there have been concerns with let’s say Cambridge Bay and I don’t know about Rankin Inlet with the health facilities there not having the staff housing units to hire the staff, if they would hire the staff to put them in. So I’m just wondering, say for example the other two regional centres, if there are similar types of problems with the shortage of staff housing.
Hon. Patterk Netser: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, it’s similar to the other two communities. For instance, I think Cambridge Bay has competitions for 42 and the total vacancy is 26, so the numbers are right there.
I know when we had the Minister of CLEY or Education, I can’t remember which one it was, and they were talking about the major projects that are on hold like the cultural school and the trade school as two examples, and I know that some of the other announcements that were made in the Budget Address will have housing related issues tied with them.
So I’m just wondering if there has been any assessment of what’s required for staff housing as a result of all these other projects coming online.
Anytime we have capital projects going into communities as the member mentioned, staff housing is always part of the process that needs to be addressed before the capital projects are actually started.
So we really have a bit of a crisis here as well in terms of staff housing all across Nunavut.
There’s another issue that I have raised in the past and I don’t know if it ever got clarified, so I would just like to ask the minister or his officials if they could clarify it.
I know the Housing Corporation is supposedly responsible for all staff housing and the issue came up in a number of communities, including here in Iqaluit, where the Department of Health has their own units. Are those under the auspices of staff housing and under the minister through the Housing Corporation, or are they separate and the Housing Corporation has nothing to do with those?
I think I had asked it before at one time: do we know how many of those units are out there that we don’t have control over?
I understand when apartments are adjacent to or attached to the medical centres, CGS is responsible for the upkeep of the apartments but if the hospitals do not have apartments attached to them, then the Housing Corporation in responsible for staff housing.
At some time I’ll ask the appropriate ministers what they have out there in inventory.
The next question I have is and I’ll just tie it in with the rent increases that have happened in staff housing, I know the government has a rental assistance program that was announced to help offset costs so that people in housing aren’t paying more than I think it was 30 percent of their income, then they were eligible for a subsidy under that program.
I’m just wondering if I could get an indication. Since the Staff Housing Policy was introduced in 2005, has the uptake on that program increased?
As of February 13, 2008, the NHC has received 131 applicants, 93 have been approved, and 72 applications were received in 2007 compared to 27 in 2006.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $112,817,000.
Are you agreed that the Nunavut Housing Corporation is concluded?
I would like to thank you, minister and your officials. I quickly want to move on to get the opening comments of the Minister of Justice and the Chair.
Thank you, Minister and I would like to thank your staff for coming, too.
Minister of Justice, Premier.
Bill 23 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee – Justice
I am pleased to present to the committee the proposed 2008-09 Main Estimates and Business Plan for the Department of Justice.
The department has been allocated a total operating budget of $66,749,000, which represents an increase of $9,427,000, a 16 percent increase over last year’s budget.
The largest allocation of new funding ($2.8 million) is for the implementation needs of the Family Abuse Intervention Act passed by this Assembly in November 2006 and which is coming into force on March 1, 2008.
This funding will ensure that each of our 25 communities have their own full-time Community Justice Outreach Worker.
These outreach workers are the pivotal points for a successful implementation of the Family Abuse Intervention Act as they will assist victims and coordinate community intervention at the frontlines of family abuse situations in every community in Nunavut.
They will also work with the Community Justice Committees on crime prevention, healing, and diversion programs.
The Community Justice Division of the Department of Justice will offer these outreach workers ongoing support, training, and guidance, in addition to a community implementation workshop.
This Family Abuse Intervention Act budget will also fund the remaining parts of the system which will have some central administration and will offer family mediation services through mediators resident in four communities.
All these items require sufficient funding, of course, to enable the Act to successfully move forward, be embraced by all communities, and become a critical tool in reversing the damaging effects that family abuse and violence have on our families and communities.
There is an increase of $1,536,000 to the RCMP contract to bring it to a total of $22,823,000 for 2008-09.
This will fund necessary increases for an Inuit Policing position, a Corporate Services position, and an additional RCMP member for Baker Lake, which is experiencing a large growth through new mine construction. $544,000 of the budget increase will be allocated to increases to RCMP members’ salaries through their collective agreement.
This additional funding for the RCMP will enable the continuation of essential policing services to all Nunavut communities.
Corrections, Court Services and the Legal Services Board
In 2007, the federal government amended the Criminal Code through Bill C-9 and removed the availability of a conditional sentence for serious personal injury offences.
This will increase costs to Nunavut corrections, courts, and legal aid to an estimated total of $2,199,000 annually.
Increased costs are anticipated in longer remands, more jail sentences, and more trials being conducted.
All these changes will put additional stress on these services, and it is estimated that Court Services alone will need an additional $484,000, while the Legal Services Board will require an estimated $234,000.
The remaining $1,481,000 will cover the increase to Corrections in the cost of housing inmates both inside Nunavut and outside due to the ongoing lack of adequate correctional facility space within the territory.
Forced Growth
Other divisions within the Department of Justice are experiencing growth and change as well and require additional funding. The Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal, which was formed only three years ago, has been allocated an additional $250,000 to develop its program delivery.
Legislation Division’s increase of $240,000 is to hire another lawyer to enable the division to meet current and increasing demands for legislation, and to continue with the consolidations of Nunavut’s Acts and Regulations.
Costs associated with transferring the Liquor Licensing Board to the Department of Justice, increasing Justice of the Peace services and training, hiring an additional Deputy Sheriff needed for security at the new justice centre, and hiring a Senior Public Trustee Officer amount to almost $1 million.
We are continually working to enhance the quality of Justice programs and services to better serve Nunavummiut. We continue to work to find ways for our justice system to better reflect Nunavut. One such example is our push to increase Inuit employment in our department.
Over 50 Inuit employees have been hired over the last four years. Today, the majority of the department’s staff is Inuit.
We also strive to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into both our workplaces and the services the Department of Justice provides. Realizing these objectives remains a challenge when we are faced with increasing demands on our resources, both financial and otherwise, and additional funding will ease some of the strain of these increased demands.
Those are my comments and I’m pretty sure my colleagues will have some questions.
Mr. Mapsalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) I am pleased to deliver the standing committee’s opening comments as we begin consideration of the 2008-09 Main Estimates and Business Plan of the Department of Justice.
Mr. Chairman, members noted that the Department of Justice is proposing a significant increase in its budget for 2008-09.
The department’s proposed budget is increasing by 16.4 percent.
Much of this increase is due to corrections expenditures and the implementation of the new Family Abuse Intervention Act.
Mr. Chairman, members are pleased that this new Act will soon be implemented and that the majority of community justice outreach workers have been hired in most communities and are being prepared and trained for its implementation.
The standing committee stressed the importance of ensuring that the needs of elders who may be suffering abuse are adequately addressed, and encouraged the Departments of Justice and CLEY to work together, where appropriate, given CLEY’s role in developing the GN’s Promoting Elders’ Needs Strategy.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee strongly supports measures and initiatives to not only address the consequences of criminal acts, but to develop effective crime prevention programs.
Too many of our youth are in conflict with the law. All too often, funding is available for incarceration but not enough is being put towards crime prevention programs.
The standing committee again encourages the Departments of Justice and CLEY to work together, where appropriate, given CLEY’s role in developing the GN’s Youth Identity Development Strategy.
The standing committee remains supportive of Community Justice Committees and supports adequate training for their members.
Mr. Chairman, we must carefully consider policing needs in Nunavut. In March of 2007, the minister tabled in the Legislative Assembly a major report on policing services in Nunavut. The standing committee encourages the department to work towards the implementation of the recommendations in the report.
The standing committee notes that the department’s proposed budget for 2008-09 includes over $1.5 million in new funding for the GN’s contract with the RCMP for policing services.
The standing committee also notes that the department’s 2008-09 business plan indicates that two of its priorities are to “improve the ability of the RCMP to communicate with the public in their preferred language, including particular focus on providing services in the Inuit language” and to “improve the recruitment and retention of Inuit members in Nunavut.”
The standing committee strongly supports progress in these areas, including looking at such options as greater use of special constables. Many incidents in communities are not always adequately reported or resolved due to communication barriers.
Although the standing committee recognizes and supports the dedication of those members of the RCMP who serve in our communities, it is also important to draw on the knowledge of our lifelong residents who are most familiar with our communities and people.
Recent tragedies across the north involving the death of police officers on duty reinforce the need for communities and law enforcement to work closely together.
Mr. Chairman, members are pleased to see the department promoting and increasing its use of outpost camps for territorial inmates. These types of initiatives are an extremely important component of effective rehabilitation programming as they help to instill a greater sense of social responsibility in offenders by providing a sense of “giving back” to the community through providing food for elders and other residents.
This kind of programming also helps to foster respect for cultural traditions and values.
These camps should be focused on rehabilitation and not simply used as a means to address overcrowding in corrections facilities.
Mr. Chairman, members are also concerned that adequate training, including courses in self-defence, be provided to all staff who work at correctional and outpost facilities, including new facilities in the Kitikmeot and Kivalliq. Their safety and that of the public must not be compromised.
Members also support the department in its efforts to increase Inuit employment at our correctional and healing facilities, and applaud the department for its efforts to work with such organizations as Nunavut Arctic College to provide pre-employment training and counselling in anticipation of the opening of the new men’s correctional healing facility in the Kivalliq.
The standing committee also noted that the department’s business plan indicates that the department recently signed new agreements with the NWT and Ontario for the exchange of inmates.
The standing committee recognizes that costs in this area continue to rise, and are hopeful that the department’s long-term strategy of establishing new correctional facilities in the territory and delivering made-in-Nunavut rehabilitation programs will ultimately reduce the rate at which inmates reoffend.
Mr. Chairman, the functions of the Liquor Revolving Fund and the Nunavut Liquor Commission fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Finance. Responsibility for the Liquor Licensing Board was transferred in 2007-08 to the Department of Justice. The standing committee looks forward to seeing detailed annual reports of the Nunavut Liquor Licensing Board tabled in this House as is required under the Liquor Act.
Mr. Chairman, members were concerned to note in the department’s business plan that it has dedicated three lawyers to work on “complex and costly litigation” against the government and would appreciate further clarification on exactly how many lawsuits the Government of Nunavut currently faces and which of them are the most serious.
The standing committee notes that the GN’s 2006-07 Interim Financial Report, which was tabled in the House on February 21, 2008, indicates that “there are 24 claims and threatened litigation cases outstanding against the Government for which the outcomes are not determinable.”
Mr. Chairman, the issue of access to justice for all of our residents is a fundamental concern. The standing committee noted that following a meeting of federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Justice in November 2007, ministers issued a news release in which they indicated that “legal aid is an essential element of providing Canadians with this access.
In particular, provincial and territorial ministers pressed the federal Minister of Justice to recognize the shared responsibility for delivery of legal aid to Canadians, to increase federal funding for criminal legal aid, and to provide new funding to support civil legal aid.”
The standing committee supports our government in its efforts to obtain increased support for the provision of legal aid services in Nunavut.
This concludes my opening remarks and other members may have their own remarks as we proceed.
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to move to report progress.
We have a motion on the floor to report progress and the motion is not debatable. All those in favour of the motion, raise your hand.
Speaker (interpretation): Going back to the Orders of the Day. (interpretation ends) Item 20.
A reminder for tomorrow, the Nunavut Leadership Forum is at ten o’clock in the morning in the Chambers.
Orders of the Day for March 13:
This House stands adjourned until Thursday, March 13, at 1:30 p.m.
>>House adjourned at 20:20
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Pages 3868 – 3996
Opening Prayer 3868
Ministers’ Statements 3868
Members’ Statements 3869
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 3874
Speaker’s Ruling 3875
Oral Questions 3876
Written Questions 3895
Tabled Documents 3896
Notices of Motions 3896
Motions 3897
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 3899
Chairman’s Ruling 3899
Report of the Committee of the Whole 3995
Orders of the Day 3995
Thursday, March 13, 2008 3868
172– 2(4): Report on the Future of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation and the Nunavut Development Corporation (Netser) 3868
412 – 2(4): New Role as Member of the Executive Council (Barnabas) 3869
413 – 2(4): Community Needs in Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk (Mapsalak) 3870
414 – 2(4): Assistance Provided for Search of Sanikiluaq Resident (Kattuk) 3871
415 – 2(4): Whale Cove Athletes at the 2008 Arctic Winter Games (Brown) 3872
416 – 2(4): Nunavut’s Skills Canada Competition (Tootoo) 3873
417 – 2(4): Need for Open and Transparent Government (Curley) 3873
515 – 2(4): Announcement on Territorial Election (Tootoo) 3876
516 – 2(4): Utility Rates Review Council (Curley) 3878
517 – 2(4): Dental Benefits for Nunavummiut (Arreak) 3879
518– 2(4): Implants for the Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (Arvaluk) 3881
519 – 2(4): Homeless Shelter for Women Update (Peterson) 3882
520 – 2(4): Construction of New School in Sanikiluaq (Kattuk) 3885
521 – 2(4): Update on Repulse Bay School (Mapsalak) 3887
522 – 2(4): Taxes on Per Diems for Medical Home Boarding (Tootoo) 3889
523 – 2(4): New Pricing Arrangement with PPD (Curley) 3892
011 – 2(4): Fuel Stabilization Riders and Other Matters (Curley) 3895
012 – 2(4): Annual Fuel Purchases (Curley) 3896
222 – 2(4): The Law Foundation of Nunavut’s Annual Report 2006-2007 (Okalik) 3896
223 – 2(4): A 2006-2007 Merit and Bonus Summary – All Senior Managers, ADMs and DMs (Okalik) 3896
031 – 2(4): Appointment to the Executive Council of Nunavut – Notice (Kattuk) 3896
032 – 2(4): Standing Committee Appointments and Revocations – Notice (Tootoo) 3897
031 – 2(4): Appointment to the Executive Council of Nunavut (Kattuk) 3897
032 – 2(4): Standing Committee Appointments and Revocations (Tootoo) 3898
Bill 23 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee – Justice 3900
Bill 23 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee – Economic Development & Transportation 3929
Bill 23 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee – Legislative Assembly 3987
Speaker (Hon. Peter Kilabuk): Good afternoon.