EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Member’s Statement 014 – 2(2): Kugluktuk Resident’s Concerns
I rise today to serve the people of Kugluktuk.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, over the coming weeks, I look forward to raising issues of concern to my community and constituents.
Over the past several months, I have been listening to what Kugluktuk residents have had to say on a number of issues.
During the same time I have had the opportunity to host a number of ministers who have made the effort to come to Kugluktuk to see the needs of the community first-hand.
(interpretation) I would like to thank Ministers Brown, Picco and Simailak for their willingness to listen to the community, and to look at the issues that face us in the areas of health, education, and economic development.
I invite all ministers to spend time in the Kitikmeot, a part of our territory which often feels left out of decision making in Iqaluit.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association recently held its board meeting in Kugluktuk.
I look forward to working with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association to advance priority issues of mutual concern, especially in the areas of natural resource development.
The Kitikmeot has potential to drive economic growth and development in all Nunavut, and I will be working with my Kitimeot colleagues on this issue.
I want to close by taking this moment to mourn the recent passing of two well respected members of our community, Sam and Lena Kikpak and also Jack Kaoloak.
Koana, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Members' statements. Mr. Tootoo.
Member’s Statement 015 – 2(2): Education and Employment for Nunavumiut
I rise to urge the government and the Assembly to take a good hard look at what is happening with our school population.
We have to face the fact that we have a problem.
It is not something to be ashamed of, it is not something to hide, it is not something that we should gloss over with numbers and figures that don’t mean the same things as they do in other parts of the country.
Mr. Speaker, those in the health field tell us that one of the first and most important steps for overcoming a problem is admitting that it exists.
The situation is no different when we move into education.
It is important to accept that we have a problem so we can work to overcome it.
Mr. Speaker, we have heard that the number of grade 12 graduates in Nunavut is increasing.
But we know that our graduation standards are often considered to be below national levels.
We voted to increase the amount of grant funding in support of students accessing post secondary education.
But the number of students, of Nunavut students, obtaining university degrees is still unacceptably low, while we face huge challenges in producing grade 12 graduates who can enter the work force or even go on to obtain higher levels of education.
We must continue to import workers from the south and elsewhere. The local labour force too often lacks the necessary technical skills to take advantage of opportunities that are locally available.
Mr. Speaker, one year ago this month, the government tabled its 2002-2003 Public Service Report.
That report revealed some striking characteristics of the Government of Nunavut’s workforce, characteristics that should give our education department some food for thought.
That report revealed that far more female beneficiaries than male beneficiaries are employed in the government.
It reveals that more non-beneficiary females are employed than any other group.
It reveals that beneficiaries do not fill close to half of all higher level occupation categories.
Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to ask for consent to complete my statement.
Speaker (interpretation): The member is asking unanimous consent to conclude his statement.
There are no nays; please proceed, Mr. Tootoo.
We need to take a good look at what kinds of educational success is being achieved by our population and what factors are affecting achievement levels.
We should know what obstacles faced by grade 12 graduates stop them from going on to college or university education.
We need to know what kind of challenges are limiting opportunities for males to take on jobs within the government.
We need to know what kind of factors are influencing boys and girls to drop out of school.
Mr. Speaker, the reform of our school system must take these factors into account.
We must be committed to take the rights steps to help our youth of Nunavut become future leaders of our territory.
I strongly urge the government and members of this Assembly to take those steps.
At the appropriate time, I’m sure the honourable minister responsible for those will be looking forward to my questions on this matter.
Member’s Statement 016 – 2(2): Financial Burden for a Sanikiluaq Elder
In my member's statement yesterday... . (interpretation ends) I was speaking this morning with an elder who lives in Sanikiluaq.
I would like to take a moment to share with this House what he told me.
Like many elders in Nunavut my constituent has to make ends meet from a fixed income.
Each month he receives his old age pension from the federal government; it’s about $450-500 each month.
He also receives $150 in elders' support from NTI, for a total monthly of only $600.
That is less than $10,000 per year.
That is less than what is considered the low income cut-off for one person.
I see newcomers in the city going to the store and spending twice that amount on new TVs and other toys.
The elder in my community needs to pay his bills and help out his family on very little.
I believe that our residents shouldn’t have to make an elder live in poverty.
They are entitled to dignity in their lives.
If the power corporation's General Rate Application goes ahead, Sanikiluaq residents will have to pay almost 20 percent more per month for their electricity.
Before the cabinet approves the rate increases, I must carefully consider the impact on Nunavummiut living on fixed incomes, such as my constituent.
I know that the Government of Nunavut does not control the issue of old age pensions.
However, when we are talking with Ottawa we must make them understand the difficult circumstances in which so many elders are living.
Hon. David Simailak.
I say "hi" to Baker Lake, and I also would like to recognize my wife in the gallery.
I would also like to recognize my friend and wife, Susie Evyagotailak.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize my grandchild, Mark Arreak, and his mother Susan, my daughter and my other daughter who are attending school here, taking a cooking course.
Also, this individual who just moved here, Geela Ipeeliee, and also my younger brother's wife, Leah Tasugak.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize this individual from Pond Inlet: Abraham.
He is a member of the hamlet council, and he is also being recognized for his leadership.
I would like to recognize James Qillaq; in Inuktitut I call him Tujurmiamaaq.
He is from Clyde River.
Question 013 – 2(2): Graduating Requirement Planning Initiative
Thank you for recognizing me first, because I know that the minister just... .
In anticipating questions I am just going to answer them, and I will be doing him a favour by putting it on early.
I would like to direct my question to the minister responsible for education.
Mr. Speaker, as you know and as all members know, during the Arviat caucus retreat one of our collective goals as members of the Assembly was to work for a public education system that focuses on graduating bilingual youth who are equipped with the skills and the knowledge to succeed in post-secondary studies.
Can the minister confirm that this goal has been clearly communicated to his departmental official for inclusion in strategic planning initiatives?
I guess I can confirm that it has been, and indeed, several strategic meetings with the department and myself occurred after being appointed as Minister of Education.
At the present time, the graduation rate in Nunavut hasn’t been up to par; for every 100 children who enter kindergarten, only 25 graduate grade 12.
That is an attrition, or a dropout, rate of 75 percent.
The plans and goals of the department are to begin to very aggressively address that number.
I believe that in the coming weeks and months, when we have an opportunity to table some of the documentation to back up the business plan of the department, that will illustrate what Mr. Tootoo has asked and has said.
I know the minister generalized on some things that have happened; there have been some meetings.
I was just wondering if he could update this House on what specific changes are being proposed to ensure that Nunavut high school graduation requirements will give graduates the appropriate course levels to be able to enter directly into college- or university-level programs.
First of all, you have heard some of the disappointing numbers in education.
We have had some very good things happen in education over the past several years in Nunavut.
For example, for the first time ever we have graduated Inuit with degrees in nursing.
Those nurses, after they graduate, can go and work anywhere in Canada.
We will be graduating our first Inuit lawyers with degrees, and we have graduated hundreds of people from the Nunavut Teacher Education Program.
So, that is something to be very happy about.
For the first time ever, we have an Inuk attending Harvard University, probably one of the premier schools in the country.
That person went through and got their grade 12 through the Nunavut education system.
So, there are actually some really good things happening.
At the same time, any person that graduates in Nunavut, academically, in grade 12 has the Alberta exams.
Therefore and thus, they can enter any university in the country and be accepted.
Mr. Speaker, graduation requirements for Nunavut are being reviewed.
We are in the process of Nunavutizing the Alberta curriculum.
For example, I’ve had an opportunity to speak to Dr. Lyle Oberg, who is the minister of education in Alberta.
We have made the commitment to have some Nunavummiut work on the Alberta exams to be able to start Nunavutizing them, at the same time not lowering the curriculum results of those exams but maintaining the high academic standards that are in place.
The minister makes a very important distinction in his answer when he had said “those students graduating from the academic program”.
I’m just wondering... . I’m sure that the minister doesn’t have that information at his finger tips, and I’d very surprised if he did, pleasantly surprised.
Would he commit to providing to this House a breakdown of graduating students that have gone through the academic stream and those that are graduating that haven’t gone through the academic stream.
I can say that since 1999 there have been 659 graduates of grade 12 in Nunavut.
When I say the academic grade 12, that’s the Alberta exams, because we still use the Alberta exams; those are very high academic standards.
And students, I said earlier, that meet the requirements of that exam are eligible, of course, to enter universities and colleges in Canada.
Every jurisdiction in the country has streams for students.
So, for example, if you’re not in an academic program in Nova Scotia or in Manitoba, you may have a harder time to get into post-secondary education.
That’s not unique just to Nunavut. What we are trying to do is provide a core group of courses, that our students would be in tuned to, that would be able to reach those academic standards that Mr. Tootoo has asked about.
I will be able to, I think, provide the number of graduates of grade 12 since 1999 on the Alberta exams and how many have graduated with the Nunavut high school diploma.
I will try to get that information for the member.
I’m just trying to confirm with the minister to provide that information to the Assembly and not just to me.
I’m sure he would have caught that in the review of the Hansard for tomorrow.
Just to save him looking for it... .
Mr. Speaker, can the minister assure this House that education reform will not remove any current opportunities that graduating students have to acquire high-level course credits in preparation for university or college level programs.
In the process of looking at what curriculum is in place and what those resources are, we’ll be looking at it depending on what the grade is in restructuring some of those programs.
We won’t be doing anything that will take away from the academic opportunities that are in place for our students.
Question 014 – 2(2): Support for Qikiqtarjuaq Fish Quota Increase
He was in Broughton Island this spring and had a meeting with the fishermen of Qikitaqjuaq.
The minister stated that they would give further support to the fishermen in Broughton Island and that they would do more work on it.
Could you give us an update on what’s happening on that issue.
We did have a visit with the fishermen in Qikiqtarjuaq who were operating an independent business up there.
We will give them support wherever we can, possibly by trying to increase the quota on shrimp and turbot fishing around that area.
We are trying to make changes to that and to see that an increased quota is awarded to Nunavut.
A large chunk, possibly around $55 million, is awarded to the southern provinces; what we are trying to do at this point is to have discussions with the federal government.
Nunavut gets only 23 percent of that quota at this point.
I would like to thank the Premier for lobbying the government, but what I did not hear about is regarding the support that is required by the Qikiqtarjuaq fishermen in increasing their quota.
Are you going to see the Qikiqtarjuaq fishermen?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Hon. Paul Okalik.
We are doing all we can at this point.
We will be going to court on December 6, next month, on this issue, especially for the shrimp quota for around the Qikiqtarjuaq-Clyde River area.
We are trying to get the court to reverse their decision, and yes, I know that they have invited us to go up there, but there is not much we can do.
All we can do is use whatever avenue we can to help them out.
Speaker (interpretation): Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.
Question 015 – 2(2): Building Elders’ Facilities in Nunavut
I don’t want to keep asking the same minister, but I do want to voice the concerns of my constituents.
When there was a retreat in Arviat, we outlined some goals for the government.
We supported the establishment of a 24-hour elders' care facility.
Right after that retreat I wrote to the Minister of Health and Social Services and to the Minister of the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, and I also sent a copy of the letter to the Nunavut Housing Corporation on behalf of the people in my riding.
At the appropriate time I will be tabling the responses that I got.
(interpretation ends) This question refers to yesterday’s Throne Speech.
With the promise to open a new elders’ facility every year of the government’s mandate, can the minister clarify which communities will be chosen for the establishment of new elders’ facilities.
Speaker (interpretation): Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Levinia Brown.
We are just starting to initiate the work here, but since it is brand new we are going to be working hard and we would like to use the Arviat elders’ centre as a model.
I can’t say at this point when we are going to be building the facility.
Could the minister tell me if they are going to decide where they are going to be building that 24-hour health care elders’ facility? Based on the population of the commmunity?
As elected officials, we know that there are 25 communities in Nunavut and we are getting more and more requests to build those facilities from the communities.
We are going to have to work very closely with the hamlet councils and see where the need is the most.
We will have to look carefully at where it should be located before making an announcement as to where the first one is going to be built.
I know it is in progress, but could the minister indicate where this facility is going to be?
The hamlet of Arctic Bay has already made a request to have it built in their community.
Could the minister let me know when we are going to see this elders’ facility in Arctic Bay or when you can make an indication of when you are going to building one in Arctic Bay?
I am sure that there are going to be more requests coming from the communities; baby boomers are aging.
I know that you did write a letter to my office, but I can’t respond at this time.
We will make sure that we have all of the plans put together and we will work closely together with you to decide on where the first 24-hour health care facility will be located.
We will have to work together as the people of Nunavut.
There are 25 communities in Nunavut and we can’t build one in each community all at the same time.
We will have to plan it properly in order to get this off the ground.
Question 016 – 2(2): Update on the $90 million Allocation from the Federal Government
Mr. Peterson: Koana Uqaqti.
I would like to have the minister explain or provide the House with an update on the $90 million in economic development funding that was announced earlier this year by the federal government.
Speaker: Minister of Department of Economic Development and Transportation, Mr. Simailak.
Yes, there is $90 million that has been allocated to the three territories over five years.
We are looking at $3 million for Nunavut in the 2004-05 fiscal year, and a further $6 million a year for the next four years, again, in Nunavut.
Yes, I am aware of those numbers.
The Nunavut Economic Development Board received 28 applications from across Nunavut earlier this year and they prioritized them 1 to 28.
They sent their recommendations to a committee in Ottawa, and to date I am not sure if that committee has made any recommendations which applications to fund.
So, I am wondering if the minister could tell the House if any of those parties will be funded in this fiscal year.
There are discussions that are ongoing between my department and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Nunavut Economic Forum, which is an advisory body to this government on how best to deliver the program in Nunavut.
We are hopeful that most, if not all, of that money will be expended in this fiscal year, although those discussions are still ongoing.
So, at this point I am not able to give any actual timeframe.
Again, this is an example where we, in Nunavut, can't make decisions on projects that are important to Nunavut.
We have to go to Ottawa and let them decide on them.
I am wondering if the minister could tell the House whether his department is making any plans to move the decision-making mechanism to Nunavut so decisions affecting Nunavut will be made by Nunammiut.
As I mentioned, discussions are still ongoing between the federal government and ourselves on an actual mechanism for actually delivering that program.
As I said, the Nunavut Economic Forum has been very active in making the recommendations that the members mentioned.
My department has been very active.
We are very actively trying to find a way that satisfies both levels of government, ours and the federal government's, ways to deliver that program in Nunavut.
As everybody knows, economic development funding is very difficult to come by at the best of times; it is now the middle of November, and March is not too far off.
Can the minister assure us that if the funding that is earmarked for this fiscal year, the current fiscal year, if not used, that it will be carried over; it will be available in the future fiscal years.
I cannot give that assurance right now because that program, this year, is being delivered through one of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s programs.
So, that money is within the federal government for this fiscal year.
As I said, discussions are ongoing.
We are hopeful that we will be able to find a way to carry that money over to the next fiscal year, if there is in fact money left over.
Question 017 – 2(2): Baker Lake Incident
I would like to address the Minister of Health and Social Services.
I apologize; I have been meaning to ask this question for a while now.
After that accident in Baker Lake it was very serious.
We lost the life of an elder.
We were told that he had a stroke, but when we listened to the reports, it seemed that he had slipped and there was a crack in his skull.
I would like to ask the minister if her department looked into this incident and see if everything around the facilities was in proper order, because I am sure that if you don’t rectify this problem there is going to be another case.  I would like to ask the minister if the government looked into this to find out exactly what happened to that individual who lost his life.
That is my first question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
When we are talking about one individual, I cannot disclose any information.
There are two elders’ facilities where there have been some accidents.
I believe that those should be looked into and made sure that the walkways, ramps, steps, and so on are well maintained so that there are no accidents.
It is very important to make sure that they are safe facilities.
Speaker (interpretation): Hon. Levinia Brown.
I’ll make sure our department looks into these facilities.
We will have to find out who owns the facilities or whether they are owned by the government.
If that is the case it will be looked after by Public Works.
We will look into it, Thank you.
Question 018 – 2(2): Health Centre for Repulse Bay
The hamlet of Repulse Bay has asked many times for a health centre in their community.
I would like to ask the minister when a new health facility will be built in Repulse Bay.
I believe this has been deferred three years in a row.
Could the minister indicate to me when the health centre will be built in Repulse Bay.
In Nunavut there are old facilities and some that cannot be used. I apologize to the member; I will take his question as notice.
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Mapsalak.
Could the minister let me know at the earliest opportunity when that health centre will be built.
I believe the hamlets usually have a work plan and prioritize what is most needed in their communities, and then their lists are sent to the Nunavut government.
Yes, I will give you a response as soon as possible.
Speaker (interpretation): The question was taken as notice.
Question 019 – 2(2): Extension Request from the Utility Rate Review Council
Mr. Tootoo: Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the minister responsible for the Utility Rate Review Council if they have received a request for an extension from the chairman of the council.
He had indicated at that time that the responsibility went to the minister responsible for energy.
Well, I’d like to ask the Minister of Energy today if his department has received a request from the Utility Rate Review Council as outlined in the Act for an extension on the review period, the recording period for the current General Rate Applications.
Speaker (interpretation): The minister responsible for energy, Hon. Ed Picco.
The member is correct, the request has been received by our office.
I believe that was what the Premier had indicated yesterday.
Can the minister inform this House of when that request came forward?
I do not have the paper in front of me, so I can’t give the actual date.
I believe in the last couple weeks it had come through to Mr. Simailak’s office, and I had received it earlier this week.
Today is Wednesday, so I would have gotten it on Monday.
Mr. Speaker, we have responded to the chair of the Utility Rates Review Council in an appropriate manner, as per the original request.
So, we concurred with the request.
It is good to see that he is concurring with the original requests by people.
I am just wondering if the minister could commit to providing to the members of this House the date on which the letter was sent, or the receive date on the letter, to the minister and when the response was issued and if there is a great time difference in there; if he could explain why it took so long to respond.
I think I indicated to the member that as soon as the request was received by the minister we responded within two days, and I think I received the request on Monday as opposed to Friday.