EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Will the minister at least assure me that time frame she needs to get the Nunavut Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy complete?
We can’t go on and on with promises only.
I would gladly distribute that information to the members.
I believe, internally, we are looking at the end of July as a target date to have it all finalized and approved by Cabinet this summer. That’s the time we are working on to try and finalize the recruitment strategy because the recruitment strategy will also involve the three new students in the fall.
So we are trying to tie some of that stuff into that, but I would be glad to share with the members.
Mr. Curley: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I am speaking as a Member of the House, so I would appreciate if the minister could rephrase her commitment that she tabled the report that she promised to get to me.
I think it is important that whatever the minister agrees to table also goes to the other Members of the House and to the members of this committee.
So having said that, I certainly am not against any recruitment strategies or anything, but I think it’s important to understand what the time frames are. We understand that the case is developed as soon as possible because we are giving an amount in good faith, and there were so many examples that the government and the ministers have requested something without having their strategic plans really in place when they should be.
The priority is to get them done before asking for dollars. So if I can get that assurance I’ll refrain from obstructing.
I believe we have changed the rules to do some backdoor tabling as well, so I would rather do that and provide it to all the members, not only to all the members but to our potential nursing staff. I believe this is excellent news for people in the nursing profession in the north.
I believe it is excellent news for people who want to enroll in nursing programs in the north, and I look forward to sharing this strategy with my employees and nurses in Nunavut, at the same time, the potential staff and students in this program.
So I think it is excellent news for Nunavut. It’s long overdue I think, and I would gladly table and distribute it as soon as it is completed to the members.
We’re on page 9 of Bill 11.
Health and Social Services. Treatment Programs.
It says in the first one: $1.9 million; recruitment and retaining of physicians on a long-term basis.
So I’m just wondering if the minister could give a little bit more detailed information to us as to exactly how that funding is going to be used to recruit and retain physicians on a long-term basis.
Hon. David Simailak: Thank you. To the Minister of Health, please.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Could the member clarify; is he asking a question related to the $1.9 million?
I do have that strategy in place that I will table in the House to the member on the recruitment of physicians in Nunavut. One of the areas that we’re dealing with in that is some shortfall in some positions in Nunavut.
At the same time, the area I covered earlier was related to trying to be more competitive with other jurisdictions in recruiting physicians in Canada. There is a shortage of physicians in Canada. At the same time, we also discovered that physicians in Nunavut were the lowest paid in Canada.
So some of those incentives are there and I’ll be glad to table that in the House to the members tomorrow.
Maybe I can ask why the minister has not tabled this already, if they have it.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Because we’ve had other areas that we’re trying to translate for tabling tomorrow, the People with Disabilities Handbook, and so on. I can table that information in English only. If there is urgency to it, it’s just a matter of items on the workload.
We look forward to getting that tabled.
Maybe before I move onto my next question, when was that strategy approved and how long has it been approved for?
When we had our Financial Management Board meeting approving in the supplementary bills.
Mr. Tootoo: That’s really nice, but when?
That FMB meeting was on May 25.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So I guess someone knows when they had that meeting.
My next question is dealing with the next line on there and that’s dealing with the Nunavut Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy. I know that the minister indicated that that’s pretty much done but just not in its final format already.
I am just wondering if she could give us an indication as to some of the major components in that strategy.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Different areas that we’re looking at are funding to do recruitment across Canada and within Canada. Another area is in the compensation provided to students that are in school for nursing programs. Thirdly, an area where they need additional training at the end of their training in bachelor’s program and what orientation they need for additional training to work in the various health centres.
Another area is to assist in the professional development of our nurses at the community level. Members will recall that there has been a nurse practitioner legislation that has been passed. How do we then train our nurses to be nurse practitioners as part of the retention piece?
Other areas are to look at some of the challenges that nurses deal with at the community level and the various incentives to keep our nurses. And, some of those have yet to be ironed out and approved at the Cabinet and FMB levels.
The deadline for that is, again, end of July or early August to finalize all of that.
I just want to read something that was in the department’s 2001-02 business plan in dealing with the Nursing Recruitment and Retention Initiatives.
It says; “... this is ongoing with the number of specific projects to be implemented. One was: Hiring a recruitment and retention specialist; the development of materials for recruitment packages, publications and a website use, invest in courses and conferences to maintain health professional skills and effectiveness, training/orientation program to prepare nurses for a community health role in Nunavut, and continuation of the NADE Team.”
Just about everything she said in this new strategy was in that old one. What happened with the old one? What’s different; it seems like it’s the exact same thing.
Maybe if the minister can give us an indication of why we are spending $1.5 million on something that’s already been done six years ago.
It’s the same thing. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The funding that we’ve put forward in the House is to approve for various initiatives with recruitment. We can have a strategy in place but if there is no funding to support it, it won’t go very far.
The other is area is the last year... I mean, in six years, Nunavut has gone through a lot of changes.
We’ve had the serious challenge of keeping nurses, at the same time filling jobs. This line item deals with a recruitment strategy, at the same time dealing with agency nurses.
The recruitment strategy that we’re proposing is broader in the context of we’re trying to tap into students at the very beginning of getting into the field of nursing. Summer employment, as an example, guaranteeing our nurses and our graduates full-time jobs upon completion, developing an orientation for them to work in health centres and not just hospitals, and then developing them to be nurse practitioners and so on.
So I believe this strategy is broader than what the member is talking about. I haven’t seen the one that he’s talked about. What we’re putting forward will also support the development of our nurses at the community level.
It is broader.
The only difference is, in this one, the focus is on the students, and I think that’s good, but I’m surprised that the minister says she hasn’t seen this one.
This was approved in the 2001-02 business plan of her department. Since then, they haven’t had any recruitment and retention strategies? This has been a crisis almost from day one.
So is she saying that until we approve this one that they don’t have one anymore? What happened to the one that was there before if she hasn’t seen it?
I haven’t seen the one that he is referring to. I’m not saying that there haven’t been initiatives in the past.
Major initiatives in the past are related to Trillium; international recruitment of international nurses, for example, dealing with agency nurses and so on.
At the same time the Nursing Program was developed in Nunavut around the same time.
So there have been a number of initiatives. We have a division within the Department of Health that’s trying to deal with developing recruitment strategies, not just for nurses but also for physicians and mental health workers and so on.
Yesterday, I mentioned in the House that we’re looking at the development of other training programs in Nunavut for health care professionals in Nunavut for continuing care workers, service program, mental health, nurses and so on.
So there are a number of training programs the department has undertaken in partnership with Nunavut Arctic College outside of the Nursing Recruitment Strategy. Mind you Nursing Recruitment Strategy is a major challenge for us because there is an international and national shortage of nurses.
The Nurses’ Association can speak to that and have tabled reports in this House and in the NWT. Some of the work that we’re designing is based on work and studies that they have done, as well, to indicate as to where we can put our efforts.
But a Nursing Recruitment Strategy cannot be designed just trying to fill a job.
It has to be much broader than that if we’re going to get a handle on or deal with the national shortage in Canada. We have to tap into our grade 12s right now and provide incentives for them to stay in school to finish their programs and so on.
The way it is done right now in terms of just advertising jobs is not working.
And the other pieces that our nurses have said, they want to continue developing that are on stream. So how do we support that?
So the initiative, in my view, is much broader, and we’re trying to deal with that from the broader context of promoting programs, or these types of programs in the north.
Everything that the minister is saying is in the existing strategy that the department has had for a number of years, and the only difference in this area, and I’m not arguing that point I think it’s a good idea, is focusing on the younger people and get them involved into the Nursing Program.
But is that costing us $1.5 million?
Before I get into that, someone asked earlier, how many vacant nursing positions do we have in the north, to date? We have 54 vacant nurses in the north.
So those positions are currently filled with agency nurses and the funding before you will be also to support the filling of those vacant positions as well.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. She can answer my question after she answers Mr. Curley’s.
Next, Mr. Tootoo.
The minister indicated before she got to my question, she was going to respond to one that she didn’t answer earlier, so I’m still waiting for the response to mine.
Chairman: I’m sorry, Mr. Tootoo.
I believe my response answered his question.
Part of it is to fill those 54 vacant positions with agency nurses and casuals, as well as trying to recruit in the long-term.
The subject line in the document refers to those three. So, yes, it is going to cost us that.
That wasn’t my question. Maybe if I may make it a little more clear to the minister.
She talked about and explained this newly developed Nunavut Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy.
The only thing that really sounds different from the existing strategy that has been in place for a number of years, and as I said I agree with it wholeheartedly, is trying to bring younger people and get them into the Nursing Program, and prepare them so we can have our own home-grown nurses. I think that’s a great idea.
My question was: is that part of it going to cost us $1.5 million?
The funding for $1.5 million is going to cover the development of the Nursing Strategy and the initiatives in that. Secondly, it’s going to fill the vacancies that we have. It’s a combination of both.
While we are recruiting, we have to fill the vacancies of 54 positions, and so on, on any given day to agency nurses and casuals.
That’s what that line item is for.
Maybe I’ll skip the first part because I am not getting the answer for it and I’ll be able to do my own math after.
It says, ‘For strategy and additional funding for casual and agency nurses.’
How much of that $1,742,000 is going for staffing for casual and agency nurses?
The strategy will outline initiatives that we will be working towards in terms of how we fill positions. The majority of this funding will be to fill the vacancies while we are developing and implementing the strategy.
I spoke earlier today in the fact, funding as an example, the money we are contributing towards that. The other area I spoke into was to develop further nurse practitioner programs and so on.
So those are different initiatives undertaken, but this strategy is broad in that it focuses on students from grade 12 and so on. Once it’s done, I will be able to speak what is approved in the document per se.
The strategy will be to always fill the vacancies that we have through whatever means we have, and that the pieces of those strategies will be different, whether it would be talking to students in the classroom, whether it’s recruiting and hiring and making indeterminate offers to our nursing graduates this Friday as an example, giving them orientation programs so that they can work in the health centres.
Those are a number of strategies that we have within the department. I had spoken to some of that earlier today and I responded to some of the members’ concerns around the wait time strategy that we received from the federal government and so on.
The majority of this funding will be spent in filling vacancies while we are recruiting for nurses.
I would like to know, out of the $1,542,000, how of it that in dollar amounts is going to casual and agency nurses.
It’s very simple.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: The majority of the amount of $1.5 million will be to fill the positions that are vacant.
Once we have our strategy in place, the strategy will focus on other means in filling those positions.
Before I recognize the clock, maybe the minister will have some time to figure out exactly how much, or majority of it, or whatever.
I don’t know if she just doesn’t want to say that all of it is going there or not.
But I would like to recognize the clock and move to report in progress.
Thank you, Minister Simailak, Mr. Green, and Mr. Ma. We’ll see you again some time.
Your committee has been considering Bill 11 and would like to report progress, and Mr. Speaker, I move that the Report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Arreak. There is a motion on the floor.
A reminder of a meeting of the Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Housing and Economic Development tomorrow at half past ten tomorrow morning at the Nanuq Boardroom.
Orders of the Day for June 6:
This House stands adjourned until tomorrow, June 6, at 1:30 in the afternoon.
>>House adjourned at 18:09
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Pages 1638 – 1737
Opening Prayer 1638
Ministers’ Statements 1638
Members’ Statements 1642
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 1645
Oral Questions 1647
Tabled Documents 1669
Second Reading of Bills 1672
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 1676
Point of Order 1690
Tabled Document 049 – 2(4): Discussion Paper for Ikummatiit – An Energy Strategy for Nunavut March 2007 – Consideration in Committee 1699
Point of Order 1734
Report of the Committee of the Whole 1735
Third Reading of Bills 1735
Assent to Bills 1736
Orders of the Day 1737
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 1638
077 – 2(4): Contribution to the Rick Hansen Foundation (Okalik) 1638
078 – 2(4): Disabilities Handbook (Aglukkaq) 1639
079 – 2(4): Tribute to Joanasie Maniapik (Brown) 1640
080 – 2(4): First Time Homeowners Seminars (Akesuk) 1640
081 – 2(4): Barriers to Business Initiative Results (Simailak) 1641
170 – 2(4): Congratulations to Pond Inlet Graduation Students (Arvaluk) 1642
171 – 2(4): Harvesting Animals (Kattuk) 1642
172 – 2(4): Homeownership Programs (Curley) 1643
173 – 2(4): Tribute to Pauloosie Paniloo (Arreak) 1644
174 – 2(4): Aboriginal Healing Foundation (Barnabas) 1645
217 – 2(4): Nunavut Housing Corporation Programs for Homeowners (Barnabas) 1647
218 – 2(4): Tuberculosis in Nunavut (Peterson) 1649
219 – 2(4): Status of Fuel Stabilization Rider and Energy Prices (Curley) 1652
220 – 2(4): Police Detachment Emergency Calls (Arreak) 1655
221 – 2(4): Polar Bear Quotas (Mapsalak) 1657
222 – 2(4): KBDC Spending Practices (Tootoo) 1659
223 –2 (4): Arena Construction Project in Pond Inlet (Arvaluk) 1661
224 – 2(4): International Polar Year (Barnabas) 1662
225 – 2(4): Review of the Staff Housing Policy (Peterson) 1665
226 – 2(4): Photo Identification Card (Arreak) 1667
103 – 2(4): Auditor General’s Report on Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students Program – Department of Education (2007) (Speaker) 1669
104 – 2(4): KBDC Loan - Report of Trustee on Bankrupt’s Application for Discharge (Subsection 170(1) of the Act) (Tootoo) 1669
105 – 2(4): Tapiriiliutivaa Bringing Help: A Handbook for People with Disabilities in Nunavut (Aglukkaq) 1670
106 – 2(4): General Practice of Physicians in Nunavut (web page http://nunavut-physicians) (Aglukkaq) 1670
107 – 2(4): Inuit Wellness Programs in Nunavut 2005-2006 (Aglukkaq) 1670
108 – 2(4): Seven Steps to Help You Start Your Business: a Popular Guide to Starting a Business in Nunavut (Simailak) 1670
109 – 2(4): How to Guide: Doing Business with the Government of Nunavut: Reference Guide Volume 1 (Brown) 1671
110 – 2(4): Nunavut Search and Rescue Society – Minister’s Statement (Brown) 1671
111 – 2(4): Delivery of Services to the Public in Nunavut’s Languages Annual Report 2005/06 (CD format) (Tapardjuk) 1671
112 – 2(4): Nunavut Climate Change Workshop December 6-8, 2006: Adaptation Action in Arctic Communities: Final Report (Netser) 1671
113 – 2(4): Statutory Report on Wildlife to the Nunavut Legislative Assembly - Section 176 of the Wildlife Act - May 2007 (Netser) 1671
Bill 06 – Official Languages Act – Second Reading 1672
Bill 07 – Inuit Language Protection Act – Second Reading 1673
Bill 12 – Emergency Measures Act – Second Reading 1675
Bill 11 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2007-2008 – Consideration in Committee 1676
Bill 10 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2007-2008 – Third Reading 1735
Bill 11 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2007-2008 – Third Reading 1735
Bill 10 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2007-2008 – Assent 1736
Bill 11 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2007-2008 – Assent 1736
Speaker (interpretation): Good afternoon, Mr. Premier, Ministers, and Members of the Legislative Assembly.
Minister’s Statement 077 – 2(4): Contribution to the Rick Hansen Foundation (Okalik)
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion Tour inspired us all to see the world through his eyes.
Today in celebration of the Tour’s 20th Anniversary, I am pleased to celebrate with him a partnership which will see the Government of Nunavut contribute $20,000 per year for the next five years to the Rick Hansen Foundation.
The funds will be made available through the Department of Health and Social Services.
The contribution will address three priority areas:
Solutions that work;
Research innovation; and
We will aim for more accessibility and inclusive communities, sustainable solutions and improvements in the health and quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries and mobility impairments.
The foundation will ensure that this contribution will be applied in Nunavut for the people of Nunavut.
Our participation in this national initiative will result in access to a valuable knowledge base, other community and funding organizations, and leadership support for the Nunavut Disabilities Society.
I share Rick Hansen’s dream of improving the quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries and we ask you to join us to celebrate this announcement at approximately 3 p.m. today.
Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation) Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Aglukkaq.
Minister’s Statement 078 – 2(4): Disabilities Handbook (Aglukkaq)
Mr. Speaker, later on today I will be tabling ‘Bringing Help: A Handbook for People with Disabilities in Nunavut.’
The Government of Nunavut provides a wide range of services to people with disabilities, such as physiotherapy, residential care, counselling funding through income support, Housing Corporation programs, and group support systems, as well through the Non-Insured Health Benefits and Extended Health Care Benefits, just to list a few.
Mr. Speaker, there is a perception that there are few services for people with disability in Nunavut. The reality is that help is available from a number of sources, but there is not easy way to know all about them.
As a result I personally led the effort to develop a handbook that would pull all this information together to one place.
‘Bringing Help: A Handbook for People with Disability in Nunavut’ collects in one place the information about services and funding programs available to Nunavummiut with Timimmut Ajurutiliit.
Mr. Speaker, Inuit in Nunavut are twice as likely as the average Canadian to have a disability.
About 4,500 people in Nunavut have limits of their abilities to participate or to be active in daily life.
It is not easy living with a disability, with financial and therapeutic services; however, people with disabilities will have fewer barriers to living life to their full potential.
The ‘Bringing Help Handbook’ will help improve access to these services.
Building healthy communities is an important goal of the Government of Nunavut, helping Nunavummiut who are disabled to meet their full potential; their well-being in an important step towards achieving this goal.
Minister’s Statement 079 – 2(4): Tribute to Joanasie Maniapik (Brown)
Hon. Levinia Brown (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I rise today to pay tribute to Joanasie Maniapik who passed away on May 4, 2007.
Joanasie was an active municipal politician in his home community of Pangnirtung and was well known throughout Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, Joanasie served the people and community of Pangnirtung with diligence and commitment.
From 1977 onward, he served five terms as a hamlet councillor, two terms as deputy mayor, and six terms as the mayor.
In recent years, he continued to actively serve the community as the Chairman of Uqqurmiut Inuit Artists Association.
Mr. Speaker, Joanasie Maniapik was a community leader of great stature and was a role model to all of us.
His passing is a loss to all of us, and those of us who knew him knew Joanasie are richer from his knowledge and experience.
On behalf of CGS and the Government of Nunavut, Mr. Speaker, I applaud the service of Joanasie Maniapik and also convey our sincerest condolences to his wife, Sarah, his family, and his community of Pangnirtung.
(interpretation) Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize you, as you were taught by the late Joanasie Maniapik, and your discussions with him with regard to social issues.
I appreciate the fact that he was able to be your mentor.
Minister’s Statement 080 – 2(4): First Time Homeowners Seminars (Akesuk)
I rise today to speak about the new initiative that the Nunavut Housing Corporation has just developed and initiated to educate potential homeowners in Nunavut about the benefits of homeownership.
The Housing Corporation sponsored the First Time Home Buyers Seminar in Iqaluit on April 17, 2007.
This seminar was well attended and positively received by all participants. The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s seminar provided step-by-step information to potential homeowners to assist them to purchase a home from the beginning to the closing.
Presenters for the three seminars included the Nunavut Housing Corporation, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Royal Bank, and the Imperial Bank of Commerce.