EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Accreditation of our Apprentice-level Plumbing, Oil Burner Mechanic, Housing Maintainer, and Electrician programs is currently underway.
When the apprentice-level programs begin early next year, we expect approximately 40 more students to enrol. In all, the trades training centre has a capacity to accommodate 88 more students.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of the staff, consultants, contractors, and skilled tradespeople who helped us make a dream come true.
Working together, Mr. Speaker, we have accomplished our goal.
At this time, I would like to cordially invite my fellow members and all Nunavutmiut to join us in celebrating this historic milestone for our territory.
The grand opening of the Nunavut Trades Training Centre will take place in Rankin Inlet on November 16, 2010 at 1:30 in the afternoon. To celebrate the success, we welcome you all to attend the opening event.
Member’s Statement 328 – 3(2): Issues in Repulse Bay (Ningark)
I, too, would like to recognize the achievement of Dianne Iyago, I believe.
This is what the dreams and aspirations of Nunavut are all about.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to a number of issues in Repulse Bay.
In January of this year, I received correspondence from the Municipality of Repulse Bay on these issues.
Mr. Speaker, as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Akulliq, one of my duties is to listen to my constituents’ concerns and issues and give them a voice in the House. Mr. Speaker, the correspondence that I received identified the following outstanding issues and I would like to speak about them in the House today.
Mr. Speaker, the municipality has limited funds and cannot afford to build new housing lots. The municipality is in need of a swimming pool, snow fencing in the new subdivision, pump house upgrades, a sewage lagoon, and the ability to make gravel in the community.
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that the government has limited funding, but the issues I just spoke of are essential for a healthy and productive community.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Municipality of Repulse Bay for this correspondence, and I call on the Government of Nunavut to take action on these issues as soon as possible.
Member’s Statement 329 – 3(2): Happy Anniversary (67th) to Peter and Cecile Kamingoak (Taptuna)
I rise today to congratulate Peter and Cecile Kamingoak, who celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary on October 11.
Mr. Speaker, Peter and Cecile live in Kugluktuk and have a large family consisting of 13 children, 42 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. In the early days, Peter and Cecile Kamingoak used their knowledge of the traditional way of life in hunting and trapping as a means of being self-sufficient.
Mr. Speaker, when what you would call the new way of life came to Kugluktuk in the early ‘70s, Kamingoak worked in the wage economy for a major oil company in the Mackenzie Delta. Kamingoak went on to hold various titles ranging from carrying out duties as a liaison contact between the communities and the oil companies to carry out the duties of a foreman for base camp operations.
Mr. Speaker, I need not say too much about Cecile, she has stuck with him for 67 years, raised a big family, is well loved, and is the other side of a solid relationship that lasted this long and continues to grow as the years go by.
Members, Nunavummiut, if you ever want to hear a romance story, this is it.  Mr. Speaker, it’s a great honour indeed to be able to celebrate this many years together as man and wife.
I would like you to join me in congratulating them and wishing all the best for many more years to come.
Member’s Statement 330 – 3(2): Addressing Poverty (Rumbolt)
I rise today to offer some comments and suggestions as the Government of Nunavut and NTI take on their mission to combat poverty in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, poverty means different things to different people. It can affect people at one time in their lives or many times. Poverty seems to be a moving target.
Mr. Speaker, our society does have measures in place to assist those who are in need. Our income support system offers a number of programs, such as social assistance that can help individuals and their families with the basic costs for food and shelter.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Government of Nunavut for being open to making changes to the income support system.
Even just a few dollars more means a great deal to those who have very little, although they continue to struggle.
I would like to remind the government that one of this Assembly’s collective priorities, announced one year ago, was to conduct a comprehensive review of the Income Support Program.
Mr. Speaker, I feel that we need to be more creative in how we evaluate the need for support. In order to combat poverty, we need to take everything into account.
Mr. Speaker, the income support system is heavily based on introducing or reintroducing individuals into the wage economy.
When I come to this community of Iqaluit for Legislative Assembly business, I look around and I see job advertisements all over the place.
In the smaller communities, especially in the non-decentralized communities like Sanikiluaq, there are just not as many jobs, part-time or otherwise.
The formal wage economy is very limited.
Mr. Speaker, in communities like Sanikiluaq, however, the traditional economy is much stronger. A hunter who brings in a polar bear feeds many people and may earn a lump sum of money that he can then put towards equipment and supplies to support his subsistence lifestyle.
But if this hunter also receives assistance from the Income Support Program, he is suddenly cut off.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to continue with my Member’s Statement.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Rumbolt. The member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement.
There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Rumbolt.
Mr. Speaker, I do recognize that the Income Support Program is a program of last resort. It is not to be considered as a permanent or ongoing source of income.
However, when you are evaluating the needs of Nunavummiut, the system needs to take into account the different dynamics of the traditional economy as compared to the wage economy.
Mr. Speaker, Nunavut is unique in that the traditional economy, including hunting and fishing, plays a very important and often unrecognized role in providing for members of our society.
If the government is serious about addressing poverty, then the government has to be creative in reviewing and developing the resources to fight it.
Member’s Statement 331 – 3(2): Congratulations to Dianne Iyago (Aupaluktuq)
It gives me great pleasure to rise today to also provide my joy in realizing that as well, through yesterday’s Members’ Statements, I recognized youth and young adults and their familiarity with what’s affecting and happening with Nunavummiut, and also the fact young people are the key for the future.
It was a great pleasure to hear the Hon. Minister Lorne Kusugak acknowledge the Laura Ulluriaq Gauthier recipient this year from Baker Lake, Dianne Iyago, who is also a nursing student.
I believe we will continue to have more of these successful stories but it also is a great pleasure, not only for Baker Lake, Mr. Speaker, but also for all of Nunavut to have young Nunavummiut who are in the Nursing Program and advancing themselves and also contributing locally.
Like my colleagues in all of Nunavut, we feel education is the foundation and, Mr. Speaker, at a later date, when I receive the complete list of Baker Lake’s graduates. I would like the pleasure of acknowledging their success as well.
With this, I also would like to congratulate Ms. Dianne Iyago for her success and I hope all of Baker Lake can also enjoy this with the rest of Nunavut.
Return to Oral Question 450 – 3(2): Tourism Deposit Assurance Program (Taptuna)
A question was asked by the Hon. Member from Iqaluit West, no. 450 – 3 (2), on October 21, 2010 on the Tourism Deposit Assurance Program.
The question asked, Mr. Speaker, or posed was a question on whether or not the Government of Nunavut has a Tourism Deposit Assurance Program in place, and my response is, I would like to thank the member for bringing my attention to this.
My officials followed up on the question and Nunavut Tourism has identified the error and removed the inaccurate information.
To be clear for the member, the Government of Nunavut does not have and has never had a Tourism Deposit Assurance Program.
The Tourism Sector Development Strategy that was released last May does contemplate my department working with Nunavut Tourism to establish some form of assurance program.
As the member knows, the tourism industry is a regulated industry in Nunavut.
The knowledge that we will take firm action to address operators that are not providing adequate service provides a level of assurance to future visitors.
Through our licensing and enforcement processes, we are working with our industry partners to build confidence in our tourism industry.
The question on whether the government should provide financial backstopping for tourism operators is being actively debated in the Northwest Territories right now.
It was recently reported that this year, the NWT paid out over $390,000 to cover for poor or cancelled tourist trips.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that in Nunavut, money is much better used working with our industry to ensure exceptional tourist experiences.
I rise today to recognize the Hamlet SAO, Ron Mongeau.
He has lived in Pangnirtung for quite sometime back in the 1970s and came back to Pangnirtung after living away for quite some time. Please welcome Mr. Ron Mongeau.
Nobody. Item 6.
Question 482 – 3(2): Tourism Assurance Program (Okalik)
I want to ask a question to the Minister of Economic Development with regard to the response he just provided.
I am sorry but I did not quite believe the response.
(interpretation ends) We are in Nunavut, Mr. Speaker, and I object to figures being used from NWT to try and justify the decisions here in our territory.
The action that I spoke of was an action by government.
It wasn’t an action by the proprietor or the tourists. I merely asked to maintain the confidence of the tourists who come to our territory who had been assured that there was an assurance program advertised by a tourism agency of the government.
I asked the minister: can the minister commit to reviewing this matter of compensating those tourists who want to spend their dollars in our territory?
I didn’t ask about a program in the NWT.
I was asking about the activities taking place in our territory in Nunavut.
Can the minister reconsider his department’s decision on the matter of compensating these tourists who wanted to come to our territory?
At this time, no, I’m not going to consider that.
There have been no requests from the tourists who participated in the Kivalliq expedition. No, not at this time, I will not consider that.
We have no requests from them for any kind of assistance on reimbursement and whatnot.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Perhaps I will table the actual article that was in the press explaining that the tourists were left with lost dollars.
I will file that at the appropriate time so that the minister can be better advised about the situation. At this point, I’ll table it and come back to it tomorrow. (interpretation) I apologize.
I didn’t hear a question, so we will move on.
Question 483 – 3(2): Public Housing Rent Scale Review (Ningeongan)
Last October, Members of the Legislative Assembly announced that one of our collective priorities for this Legislative Assembly was to “conduct comprehensive reviews of the public housing rent scale and the Income Support Program.”
We stated that these reviews should focus on identifying and removing disincentives to enter into the workforce.
In March of this year, the Minister of Housing informed the Legislative Assembly that the Nunavut Housing Corporation was planning to hold a housing forum during which the issue of the public housing rent scale would be discussed.
Can the minister update us today on the status of this plan and can he confirm when the housing forum will be held?
I certainly will commit to reviewing all of the commitments that have been made.
Up to this time, I have not had a chance to fully being briefed on exactly what rental scale reviews have been taking place, but at the moment, I have indicated and at least contacted my officials that I would like to have the full information of the rental housing reviews in more detail.
Once the session is over, and I would like to say at this moment that in the winter session, no doubt, I would have more to say on this particular case.
I know the rent issues continue to be a challenge not only for the people who are employed but as well as those who are not.
So I will make a commitment to provide more information in the winter session.
I am concerned that young working couples who are trying to start out in life should not be bombarded with bills even before they move into their homes.
I believe that we need to review the process by which working people living in public housing are assessed rent so that the system encourages them to seek employment rather than giving up and living on social assistance.
Will the minister commit to ensuring that this issue is on the agenda for their housing forum?
Mr. Speaker, I certainly will commit to that. I also understand fully and have shared that with the Nunavut Housing Corporation officials that we need to find ways to encourage young people to work instead of encouraging them to seek income support assistance.
Because both of them implicate… . The people involved in the industries who should be seeking work are really forced to having not to work because if they do, that would skyrocket their rent. It is not only for the working class, if I may say, Mr. Speaker.
Even the elders, particularly, now have a challenge of whether or not to help out in overcrowding places.
If they have someone move into their home, they are normally assessed and the housing rent goes up.
So it is an issue that we are actively working on, and I will be quite pleased to provide more information and I’ll even allow members to comment on this before we finalize it.
Last year, MLAs held important hearings on the report of the Auditor General on the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
During the hearings, it was revealed that between $11 million and $12 million is outstanding on a Nunavut-wide basis in rental arrears and tenant damages.
I believe in personal responsibility and we need to remember that this money could be used by local housing organizations to improve housing services.
What action is the Nunavut Housing Corporation taking to support local housing organizations in collecting outstanding rental arrears?
Again this particular case is a challenging one.
It has been an ongoing problem faced by every housing association.
I believe they are provided with a number of tools to collect outstanding arrears. It’s very difficult one for the smaller communities, particularly to try and get all of the arrears collected when they have no means of income to provide it, and so on.
I can assure the member that we will make sure the information for collecting arrears is paid more quickly so that it doesn’t escalate nor interest charges added on because in some communities, it’s actually very high for some individuals.
We will provide information as we make progress on it.
I certainly will undertake to find a program of claiming or at least getting rental arrears paid in some fashion.
Normally a payment schedule is worked out between an individual in question and also, once the program is established, it normally would allow the individuals to remain in before being evicted.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Ningeongan.
Question 484 – 3(2): The Fate of Axel Heiberg Forest (Elliott)
Mr. Speaker, several years ago, researchers discovered the fossilized remains of an ancient forest in the High Arctic. The ongoing preservation of these fossils has been threatened by industry and tourism alike.
Can the minister clearly describe what steps his department has taken to protect this important part of Nunavut’s geographic heritage?
I also thank my colleague from the High Arctic for raising that question.
When talking about this issue, the belief was that these islands used to be further south when the ancient forests were formed.
It is part of CLEY’s mandate, but the proposal that was submitted last year for preservation of the forests also conflicted with the coal development proposal.
There was a permit application, but due to the complaints sent to the agency reviewing the proposal, the application was denied.
A proposal is currently being drafted that will look at this matter and what options we have, such as a museum for showcasing the artefacts. Further, options for preserving or protecting the ancient forest, such as designating it as a territorial park, is currently under deliberation.
I can only state that it is finally under consideration. I cannot state how we will be better able to preserve these ancient forests, Mr. Speaker.
In a recent news article, it talks about tourists from cruise ships landing at the area where these forests are and actually removing pieces of the forest as souvenirs.
It goes on to state that more than half of the 200 fossilized trees are no longer there.
Does his department travel with the cruise ships to ensure that these things are not happening, or what does his department do in terms of making sure that these places are not being disturbed?
I want it completely understood that the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth is primarily mandated to deal with archaeological artefacts and traditional ancient sites.
We deal mainly with archaeological issues of our forefathers.
However, with respect to natural resources, such as the ancient forests which are not man-made and which occurred naturally, are dealt with by a different department.
However, with regard to the question about the cruise ship that went up to the Petrified Forest this summer and where the passengers were purported to have grabbed samples, I have not heard of any reports about that incident.
I will have to research that and return to the member. I also want to know about this.
So I will have to take this question as notice in order to find out about what the situation was and whether this actually occurred, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Elliott, your question has been taken as notice and the minister will get back to you.
Oral Questions. Member of Hudson Bay, Mr. Rumbolt.
Question 485 – 3(2): Governance of the Nunavut Housing Corporation (Rumbolt)
The Auditor General’s 2008 report to the Legislative Assembly on the Nunavut Housing Corporation stated, and I quote, “The Corporation does not have appropriate governance practices in place to promote good management.
The Corporate Executive Committee does not fulfil all of its roles and responsibilities for governing the organization strategically.”
As I recall, when Nunavut was first created, housing used to be a part of the Department of Community Government. It was later carved out of the department and became a fully standalone Crown corporation. It may be time to rethink this decision.
In light of the problems with the Nunavut Housing Corporation, is the minister considering changes to the corporation’s governance structure and, if so, what specific changes are being considered?
We certainly welcome the discussion on the governance structure and if one or more members have any ideas about how best the governance structure should be. That’s the kind of discussion we want. Certainly this item will be discussed by the cabinet and the issues related to the governance will definitely be brought in to the executive.
But the first priority that we are working on as we attempt to get controls in place is to ensure that the finance division of the Housing Corporation is set up once and for all. Without good governance as well as good financial controls in place, it is difficult to have an effective Crown or not corporation working to serve the mandate.
With respect to whether or not the issue is being considered, we are, and the priority at the moment is to get the finance division working properly so that we can get on.
With respect to the other issues that the member asked, I think they need broader planning, whether or not they should be, whether or not there is even cost savings if it were to become a department.
It’s not yet clear whether financial management positions that are currently located in the corporation’s Arviat headquarters are going to be recentralized to Iqaluit.
Can the minister explain the process that will be used to make that decision?
Mr. Speaker, I think the question with respect to the finance division has been well discussed by the Auditor General.
The member already indicated the report sent in by the Auditor General that the second part is the audit that was dealt with, which the Committee of the Whole will addressing today, certainly indicates that decisions certainly may have to be made with respect to centralizing to the management as well as to the directorate. That process is working its way to the Financial Management Board.
Once the cabinet has decided which route to take, I’ll be prepared to make a statement. Certainly the option always is status quo, which I don’t believe will serve the Nunavut public today.
The government’s Public Agencies Council is responsible for developing letters of expectation and Memorandums of Understanding with the government’s Crown corporations and agencies.
When will the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s letters of expectations and MOU with the government be tabled in the Legislative Assembly?
That responsibility lies with my colleague.
Once the MOU has been issued, we would certainly review it and it will be the Minister of Finance who would table that document.
Question 486 – 3(2): Work on Public Housing Units (Komoartok)
We were informed that the units currently under construction seem to be in jeopardy because there is a lack of funds to finish these units.
Previously last year around December, the construction of the units was suspended until February.
What are the plans now for this year?
I believe that every community has construction projects ongoing. What are the plans of the department to deal with these units? Are they going to have another break during Christmas?
I would like to know more about this, Mr. Speaker.
Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, (interpretation ends) Hon. Tagak Curley.
With regard to the contractors, it is an ongoing process.
There are quite a few projects that were delayed due to lack of funding, but the negotiated contracts and some that are going through the housing association had to be approved by the cabinet as to whether they can take that route.
However, we are expecting that the contracts we currently have, which were deliberated upon by cabinet and approved, I am expecting that the funds will be disbursed in a timely manner.
I would like to see them continue to cover up these units. The only barrier that may slow down the construction is the winter snow. Once the contract has been awarded, the construction will proceed.
I am very happy to hear that response because the people working will have a hard time supplementing their income.
The fact that they will be working over the winter is good news.
With regard to the workers who were working on the construction projects, I went to speak with some of the workers and they gave their opinions on how it has created larger expenses.
The biggest problem they stated was outside workers who came into the community who incur hotel expenses, tickets, and things of that nature.
My question to the minister is: can you not research these communities to check a labour pool so that you do not have to import workers into all of these communities and incur additional expenses?
Again, we are going to have to look for cost-cutting measures.
It would be prudent to look at the communities and find what kind of labour pool they have and what skills they have so that we can employ as many workers as we can in the communities and not have to import outside workers.