EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I am not aware, personally, and I have not seen anything in writing to indicate that there is a concern with the families that are providing a service in Cambridge Bay by providing board and lodgings for the students.
Again, it depends on the numbers and we are talking about a small number of students.
However, at the end of the day, the member is correct. If there is a concern with a home stay, and the member is aware of that, the member would let that information come forward to me with the names and the situation in writing, then I would be able to follow it up.
Again, I understand that this is not the place to discuss those types of things, but that is an avenue the member can follow.
I think perhaps the minister misunderstood my question or statement that parents aren’t concerned with the homes, they are more concerned with separating the children, young children being separated from their brothers and sisters when they are sent off to school.  That is something parents are concerned with.
Parents like to keep their children together as much as possible, and in a safe and caring environment where they can study and be productive and learn and not be worried about anything, just going to school.
That leads me to my next concern. One of the issues that my constituents brought up was that they felt that the home boarding fees for students in home boarding environments are quite low. There seems to be an issue with students having to move around a little bit.
They felt that perhaps the fee should be raised to encourage more people to offer their homes to students.
My question for the minister: can the minister explain what plans the Department of Education has to review the home boarding program and increase monthly home boarding fees in Cambridge Bay if his department has no plans to provide a hostel?
There are a couple of things that we’re looking at in this situation. One is: is there an opportunity to partner with other facilities that may be brought forward, for example, in Cambridge Bay; I’m specifically thinking about the hospital boarding home, if that would be an opportunity.
Again, it depends on the mixture with the clientele; we don’t want young people in with adults and so on.
I want to just clarify my earlier answer, and that is when siblings, brothers and sisters, are sent to Cambridge for schooling, where possible, Mr. Speaker, we want to keep those siblings together, and I know that’s what’s been tried.
On the issue with the boarding fee, the member has raised that with me. I am reviewing it right now. The standard for boarding fee or home stay, for example, which we follow is under the hospital allocations is $50 per person a day for private stay.
I believe the amounts that are available right now for students are a little bit less then that, so we are currently reviewing those dollar amounts.
Rankin Inlet North, Mr. Curley.
Question 178 – 2(4): Tabling of the Nunavut Development Corporation and the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation Annual Reports (Curley)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Economic Development.
Last winter, during our session and during the standing committee meetings, the minister said that he would start with the report from February 2007, from the Nunavut Development Corporation and Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, and that he was going to table those reports.
I would like to ask the minister if he’s ready to table the report today, and if not, when you can report it.
Minister of Economic Development, Mr. Simailak.
Yes, the issue is still in the Department of Economic Development and is not completed yet.
And once it is completed, then we will give the report to the Cabinet. Once we get the approval, then we’ll table it in the House.
We understood from the minister that the report was in your hands in February, and you indicated to us that you will be tabling it this session.
So will it be in this session that you will be tabling it?
Hon. David Simailak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once it’s completed we will be able to table it in the House.
The report is being reviewed, although it was given to our officials but its still under review now.
Once the review is completed and once they make the required amendments we’ll be able to table it.
I understood your response, Mr. Speaker.
But my question was actually; will it be tabled during this session?
If not, will it be tabled later in the fall or something?
You had assured us that you would table it during this session so that is the point. If not this spring, then it would likely be a while. So could the minister clarify his response, please?
Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Simailak.
I apologize. There was a delay; they delayed the review, or the drafting of the report is still incomplete.
So I will not be able to table that report that during session but I expect it to table it this coming fall session.
My question is; the Nunavut Development Corporation has not had a president for over a year now.
Can the minister tell us now when he will be making an appointment, and who is the acting president right now?
The President of Nunavut Development Corporation has written a report to support the previous president and they’ve already written a report stating their support for the previous president.
The previous president’s contract lapsed on March 31, 2006.
The president will continue and he is still working under contract through the board, but we’ve asked the executive as to what we will be doing, whether we should open it up to the public. So we’ve asked that question already.
Question 179 – 2(4): Search and Rescue Emergency Disaster Plans (Arreak)
Yesterday she made a statement about search and rescue in the north and that they would be providing $1 million for three years.
Last year, in the summer of 2006, for those of us who come from the central arctic, we had quite a bit of a scare when there was an earthquake in the ocean. We were scared of a potential tsunami.
Are the emergency workers making any plans for how to deal with such an issue?
I would like to thank my colleague for his question.
The statement I made with regard to the $1 million that will be used by the three territories; the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, has not be allocated yet. Once the funding has been allocated we’ll find out how it will be distributed. We expect it to come to our community.
But with regard to your question, in all the Nunavut communities, they have received $2,500. Also, for the planning, the department is involved with all the planning, and when there are emergencies, the Department of Community and Government Services is always available, and also the communities… it’s evident that the municipalities are responsible for emergency measures.
There is a Search and Rescue Committee and they are operating very well.
As the Department of Community and Government Services, we are in support of those committees and we’re so proud of them.
My question was regarding a potential tsunami.
Are there any plans to put in some kind of testing equipment in the ocean so that we’ll know whether a tsunami will hit our communities?
The Department of Community and Government Services has received personal locator beacons and they’ve been allocated to the communities.
But with regard to your question, to date, I have no knowledge of that but there has been some training programs for the communities.
When they do provide training for search and rescue and they have annual meetings for the search and rescue teams for all of Nunavut.
In regard to the issue you’re speaking to, I will look into that and get it back the information to the member.
Question 180 – 2(4): Update on Minister’s Meetings in the United States (Kattuk)
I would like to ask a question in regard to my Members’ Statement to the Minister of Environment.
We were so proud to see the minister go down to the United States but Nunavut residents would like to be informed and be knowledgeable in regard to your visit to the United States.
What transpired from that meeting and what kind of expectation should we expect?
I visited Washington last winter because the United States Government wanted to put polar bears on the threatened listing. We went down to the States to oppose the proposal for polar bear being listed on the threatened species list.
Perhaps I will ask another question. In your meeting, what kind of response did you get from the United States Government?
In January 2007 a lot of things were covered.
The minutes will be reviewed and then in January 2008, they’ll be making a decision.
I would like to tell Nunavumiut that even if they put polar bears under the threatened listing, Inuit will still be allowed to harvest polar bears.
Question 181 – 2(4): Cancer Treatment Services (Alagalak)
I will try and ask a great question because I did not ask a question the day before. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
First of all, I’ll make a short preamble.
Although we all know that it’s not good to get cancer and we now are seeing many Inuit people in the world that have cancer sicknesses.
We hear a lot of times that one out of 20 can recover from cancer. Sometimes the patients are told that you’re too late to get treatment.
They would be treated so that they could live as long as they can, even though the cancer will not be completely removed.
I would like to ask the minister if she discussed this with the federal government counterparts.
When a patient leaves and they get tested by a scanner or by blood; the equipment to do testing is perhaps because they’re too expensive or because Nunavut is too small, or perhaps we don’t have a facility to put them in, can’t we get those big testing equipment to come up to Inuit regions so that the Inuit can be tested earlier on?
Although the last few years a lot of efforts have been made to try and do the diagnoses of various illnesses in the north, for example, mammograms, presently all cancer care treatments are done in the centres that can do the testing.
Presently in Nunavut we do not have the resources or the capabilities of providing that service as it stands right now. We’re working towards trying to get further diagnostics done in the territory.
At this point in time, we rely on the jurisdictions in Manitoba as well as Ontario, and Alberta to do the testing for us and then treatments.
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): Thank you, Madame Minister and Mr. Speaker.
I’m sure that’s the case, but we are able to access diagnostic equipment, for example, mammogram equipment.
We can find out whether the patient requires further treatment or not through diagnosis, and because of the diagnostic equipment, we can find out what kind of treatment the patient requires.
Usually what we do is to set aside funds that would be used for different facilities in Nunavut but it’s also very important to make sure that the people of Nunavut are well and healthy.
We’re working very hard to make sure that we reverse or minimize global warming or climate change.
I think it’s up to us to make sure that we have the best equipment available to make sure that the people of Nunavut are diagnosed as early as possible, so that they can be further treated and possibly go into remission.
To date, what has the department done to diagnose or to… what is the treatment process of a person diagnosed with cancer in Nunavut?
To remind all the members, please make sure that you keep your questions and responses as brief as possible.
When an individual has been diagnosed with cancer, presently all those treatments are provided in jurisdictions that have the capabilities of providing the chemotherapy or radiation, in most cases mostly in Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Ottawa.
We don’t have that service available in our territory as of right now. We don’t have the capabilities, or the staff, or the infrastructure to provide those types of services.
What we try and do and in everyday, are to do preventative-type measures through initiatives for public health in our communities to get people to go for regular physical examinations and so on.
It’s a huge challenge for us.
We are trying to bring some of these services to our territory, but as it is right now, it’s very difficult to meet all the different types of medical needs services required in the territory.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister. Your second supplementary, Mr. Alagalak.
But, Mr. Speaker, once a patient is diagnosed, they are sent out to a southern hospital for further treatment.
What I’m trying to say is that is it possible, with the cancer treatment, what is preventing them from going to the hospital for regular checkups, or is it their reluctance to go to the hospital or the health centre to find out what is wrong with them? Even though his wife might be urging him to go to the hospital or the health centre, he might not want to go.
I think it’s up to the government to urge the people of Nunavut to go for regular checkups.
What can we do to make sure that people go out there, or will be required to have a checkup every six months or so? Is it possible for your department to consider making it a requirement for all Nunavummiut to go for regular checkups every six months?
Through our public health and through our health centres, we have programs in place to encourage people to go for regular checkups at the health centre.
It’s up to each individual person to request certain types of assessments, and it’s up to individuals to come to the health centre. We have a number of programs where we try to educate the public on preventative measures. At the same time, testing can be done to prevent or diagnose cancer early on through public health.
One of the other areas that we’re working on this year is the whole Public Health Strategy on initiatives to keeping people healthy and to strengthen that in terms of how we can work with our communities to better educate Nunavummiut in initiatives to keeping people healthy.
So that’s part of the whole prevention plan, but I certainly take the member’s concerns and will look to see what more initiatives we can do to educate the general public on prevention around cancer.
Question 182 – 2(4): Repulse Bay School Overcrowding (Mapsalak)
When you were in Repulse Bay, you heard from the DEA that the school was becoming overcrowded and too small for the size of the school population.
What kind of review have you done to date on the size of the school in Repulse Bay?
I’d like to begin by thanking the member for inviting us to Repulse Bay to review a lot of community issues in the community.
We did have an opportunity to visit the school and I want to thank the principal and the staff for their hospitality.
We met with the DEA. Although the school is full in Repulse Bay, the members saw while we were there, the school is in excellent condition.
We are looking for some opportunities for supplementary targets within the budget to see if there is an opportunity to do some work in the community with the school.
Has your department made a decision on when our school will be getting an addition, and can you let us know what year?
Like every government department, we have targets to meet under the capital.
In this case, Mr. Speaker, on the supplementary capital budget of the government, we are looking at some opportunities for some dollar values there to see if we can bring the project forward.
If that is the case and if we get approval, we would be looking at the 2009, 2010, and 2011 for the period, which is not that far off when we look at where we are because we are planning the 2007 and the 2008, and then this fall we will be doing 2008 and 2009 capital budgets.
I would also like to thank the minister for his excellent responses.
The DEA in Repulse Bay has stated that the school is now overcrowded and there is also a rapid increase in the school’s population number.
Do you agree with the Repulse Bay DEA that the school is now overcrowded and too small for the school population?
Very quickly, the school was built in 1987. We did a major renovation to the school in 1997. It is about 10 years since the last renovation.
The member is correct. We found that Repulse Bay is one of the fastest growing communities in Nunavut. We have a lot of families moving back to the communities and new families moving into the communities.
That has put pressure on the school enrolment population, and right now we are at a 101 percent enrolment capacity at the school. The capacity for the school is, I believe, 263 students, and we have 266 students in the school.
So the member is correct when he says that there is an issue with capacity.
We brought forth the supplementary target in 2006. We were not successful. It is something we are going to look at again this fall when we get the new numbers from Repulse Bay on the enrolment, which will be about in October.
We will then have an opportunity to bring the amount up to the supplementary target.
First of all, will it be possible in the spring to identify some capital funding to expand the school in Repulse Bay?
Minister of Education, Mr. Picco
Later today, or the next couple days after we finish the energy briefing, we might have an opportunity to discuss the supplementary capital budgets. And, we all know that there are some issues with the pressure on the capital budgets in that supplementary. I cannot commit at this time to be able to bring those monies forward.
What I can say is that when the enrolment numbers come in October, we will have an opportunity to look at the energy that may be around the opportunity for attendance at that time if they have increased.
Question 183 – 2(4): Employee Transfer Policy (Tootoo)
My question to the minister, I know there seems to be some ambiguity around how things are handled. I guess my question to the ministers is: when employees are being informed of changes to their positions or organizational structure that affects their positions, is there a standard practice or procedure of informing them in the process that is followed that the government uses?
When there is going to be a change of employment for an individual working in the government, the Department of Human Resources looks at helping out the departments the best way that they can to try and help that individual, and we give them information about the policy that we have.
There is a policy in place that is followed by the government.
I can understand that the central agency that the Department of Human Resources provides that advice to the affected departments.
I would assume if a minister is aware of exactly what’s in that policy, does it explain what employees are to be told when they’re first informed? Does it outline exactly the process and options, or appeals, or any kind of process that write those rights an employee has under conditions of employment?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I understand his question, we have to be able to look at the job description, the job evaluation, and organizational designs.
The Human Resources Department is asked questions as to what the employee has to do. There is a division dealing with employees and they do evaluations on the individual, whether it has to be changed or not. We are asked by the departments whether we can assist them and how they can be assisted.
Also, the northern union has to be told as well because we have to tell them about the policy because of the agreement that we have between the union and the government.
If we’re going to change anything, then they have to be told.
I was wondering in that policy or the procedures that are followed, is that something that is right in the collective agreement, or is it just a policy of the government?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the collective agreement between the union and the government, we agreed that the information is already in there.
If the government is going to let go of an employee, or they’re going to change the job for an employee, we have to agree amongst ourselves with the union.
It’s all written in the policy about that information.
I don’t know if the minister has knowledge of exactly what is in that policy, but if he doesn’t, I know it’s probably not a short little thing in there, there are probably a number of steps in there.
I’m just wondering if he is aware of when an employee is informed that their position is being moved or their employment is being changed, is there a requirement for the employer to inform that employee of different options that are available to them?
And, if he doesn’t have that information, I would appreciate it if he could get that policy that he talked about and provide it to the Members of this House.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Tootoo. I believe Mr. Premier will take that question. Mr. Premier.
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I just want to make a couple of points on this matter. I’ve just been festering for quite some time.
My colleague advised us to check out the source of where you may rely on, where that reference was.
I got this document that my colleague tabled, and it’s referring to my Minister of Finance as having volunteered, that people have volunteered.
Speaker: Sorry, Mr. Premier, a Point of Order has been called.
He is not answering the question that I asked. I just asked if the minister had that information of what exactly was in that policy and if he could provide it to me.
I don’t know why the Premier has to stand up and try to cover things up by going off on a different angle.
So he’s not answering the question.
He can answer the question. He can take it as notice, or he can not answer the question, and he’s not doing any of those.
That is true to the fact, and I will ask Mr. Premier to stick to the question being asked. Mr. Premier.
I am trying to correct for the record, on this matter, the facts that have been presented to this House.
My colleague tabled a letter from the President of the Union saying that the employees volunteered.
The reference on this matter was that the department had volunteered, so I just want to straighten out some facts...
Speaker: Members, I will make a comment on this question being asked. This question being asked by the Member for Iqaluit Centre should be answered to the question and there is some truth to his Point of Order.
With that, I will ask that the response be directly to the question being asked and that only.
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I am only trying to explain the background on this matter so that it’s open and that it’s clear for everyone, that this matter, which is rather insignificant in my opinion.
No employees are losing their jobs; they are going to continue to be paid. This matter has been blown out...
Speaker: Mr. Premier, I will rule that out of order, and I will not allow any more discussion on this matter being asked.
Question 184 – 2(4): Update on the Fuel Rider (Barnabas)
My question is directed to the Minister responsible for Energy.
During the March sitting, I said that the smaller communities are paying a higher fuel rider.
The minister stated that he would look at what the smaller communities are paying under the fuel rider. If you look at the utility bills, they pay more for the fuel rider.
What stage is that in today?
The fuel rider is a mechanism that is put on the customers’ bills to recoup any extra costs that have been incurred by the Power Corporation for the fluctuation of fuel prices. As members know all electricity in Nunavut are generated by diesel fuel.
That recommendation for the fuel rider was brought forward to the URRC, which is the Utility Rate Review Council. They review the numbers and facts and then they make a recommendation back on what has been asked by the Power Corporation, and therefore, the amount that we have on the bills today.
I know what the minister is talking about.
Will you be considering that the fuel rider be cheaper for the smaller communities because they don’t have any jobs? Will you be looking at the subsidies for people that are paying more for their fuel rider?