EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
In 1971 the company Nelson, it’s a school supplies company did a Canada wide study to see if the grade levels were what they were supposed to be at.
Back in 1971, 1972, or 1973 there was standardized testing done in the NWT as to what levels the grade threes are at and today there is no standardized testing and these results are from way back when.
But we do know that the students that complete grade 12 are not able to enter universities.
They need to get further upgrading before they can be admitted because universities have stringent policies for entry.
Once they get back into the communities.
For instance, they used to send high school students to Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Yellowknife before the grade extensions were introduced in the communities.
The academic program is not offered as much in the grades 10, 11, and 12 because they are being offered the basic general level courses.
We should be teaching academic level courses so when students were being sent to away to regional centres, for instance, if they were taking a science course this teacher would only focus his time on that subject and nothing else.
Today now that the communities have up to grade 12, these teachers have to be multi-talented to teach different kinds of subjects.
There are not very many who are interested in taking academic courses.
There are perhaps only five students in Nunavut at this point taking academic level courses and so those that are in grade 12 are taking the general programs.
Because of that Mr. Speaker, the education system can be improved only when we know what levels our students are at.
We will look into standardized testing for grades 3, 6, and 9 because there are no results of any study at this point.
That is why we are intending to do that.
Just before we continue, just to remind members, that we have eight minutes left and we have six members yet to ask questions.
I’ll try to make it brief.
As she said, there are no results as to what levels our students are at.
Grade 3, 6, 9, 12, as she stated how is she going to administer the standardized testing.
When can we expect results of this testing?
We have to find something that is suitable to Nunavut and we will have to find out what the Nunavut students at the grade 3 level are at.
We have to also find what levels the students at grade 6 are at and grade 9 and so on.
Once we have a better idea, we’ll have benchmark to have something to compare to.
As well, we’re not saying let’s use southern testing and adopt it for Nunavut.
There will be studies done as to what is relevant for Nunavut and I’m sure they will find out from other provinces for examples as to how they administer those tests.
(interpretation end) Mr. Speaker, standardized testing takes a lot of work.
We will have to find the norm for Nunavut students.
As soon as we know what the norm is at grade 3, grade 6, and grade 9, and we get those bench marks, then we’ll be able to test the kids.
Right now we don’t have any standardized testing; we don’t have a bench mark.
It’s just different.
It varies from school to school even it’s an hour away from a community.
Mr. Speaker, we will develop a standardized test developed by Nunavummiut, for Nunavummiut.
Question 561 – 1(6): Preferential Hiring Policy
I just want to go back to my Member’s Statement today. (interpretation end) In April 1, 1999 the people of Nunavut took a giant step forward but as soon as that April 1, passed, I think we started back tracking on some areas.
One of those areas was its preferential hiring policy.
The hiring policy developed, I think, by the Government Northwest Territories and adopted I think across Canada, but I think adopted by the Government of Nunavut as well at the beginning, was that it would be beneficiaries, women and the disabled.
But in the process leading up to now, the government dropped women and disabled which I think is inexcusable.
(interpretation) That is why it is harder for these people to obtain jobs for women and people with disabilities.
They are now not a part of the preferential hiring criteria.
So I’m asking the Minister if she will commit to changing that.
Hon. Manitok Thompson: Mr. Speaker, I think it’s Article 23 that says that we have to have Inuit employed at all levels in the government.
That was our priority as a government.
Right now, I can say that the female population in Nunavut are doing very well.
We have 1 thousand 492, 61% female employed in the Government of Nunavut.
We have 967, only 39% male employed in the Government of Nunavut.
According to Article 23, we had to make sure that Inuit were employed whether they are women, male or handicapped.
I can say that the female population has not been discriminated against according to my stats.
If I was a Government, I would not be so quick to pat myself on the back over those figures.
What percentage of those women are at the senior levels of the Government, at the very senior levels of the Government?
This is a public Government, I am all in favour and I have been trying to get the issue of the Government hiring more Inuit based on their ability rather than their type of qualifications, but that does not seem to get anywhere and I am just wondering if the new Minister and by the way, if three people went into to go get a job, a man, a woman, and a disabled today, I doubt very much the disabled would get the first nod or the woman, what the percentage of those women are at the very top levels of the Government.
I think it would be nice to get a lot more Inuit in the Government, but it is no good if we are just going to pay lip service to have Inuit working just for the sake of working, but actually what we should have are people, operating Inuit at the very top levels operating the Government.
So, my question is, again, the disabled have the hardest time because some of the buildings do not have ramps.
As much as we can push Article 23, the fact still remains that we are a public Government and this is traditionally being a policy of any Government and we adopted from the Government of NWT.
So, I ask the Minister again, is she considering any changes to that policy?
I can say for myself that, as a Minister being female, I have in the Human Resources, Carmen Levi who is a beneficiary, who is my Deputy Minister, Assistant Deputy Minister Okalik Eegeetsiak, who is a beneficiary, three females in my Education Department.
I have a female Deputy Minister, who is a non-beneficiary, I have Nowdlak, who is beneficiary, and she is my Assistant Deputy Minister in Education.
I have another Assistant Deputy Minister, Cathy Okpik, who is a female beneficiary as another Assistant Deputy Minister.
So, I am actually 100% female in the senior level for my Department.
I do not have any males at the higher end, not that I am against males, it just happened that way.
I cannot say that we will put the disabled to work just because for the sake of putting them to work.
We will find jobs for them and my staff knows that and I know that most Government buildings now have ramps because I was also the Public Works Minister, that was one of the capital projects we put in.
Right now, I have to go with the Agreement that says Inuit get jobs.
It will be an Inuk handicap that will come first, it will be a female handicap or a male handicap, female Inuk, a male beneficiary that will get the jobs.
That is our priority.
I know that we have handicapped people that are working in the Government.
My priority right now is that Inuit take on the jobs in every sector of the Government and we will train them to get those jobs.
It is good to hear that her department is like that but her department is one and she said one thousand, whatever, are working.
The number of women.
She talked about only five women when there are so many staff within the Government.
It is good to hear that they are working at those levels.
However, the senior management positions, at times we have to sometimes help those that are less advantaged, whether they would be handicapped.
If she says yes we are going to work on it, that is one thing, but we need the action to go with what she says.
If she just says that, it is not going to work.
So that is why we need to discuss more as a Government and by ourselves so that the women and the people with disabilities be more involved in obtaining jobs, because I am not convinced that there will be priority hiring for handicapped people, because I am not convinced that they will be given the priority.
We seem to be going backwards what we have fought for so hard as a Government for Nunavut.
Hon. Manitok Thompson: Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a question.
Mr. Anawak (interpretation): What I said that yes, it is good to hear the words coming out of her mouth.
That the Minister will work on it.
At the lower levels if they hear that then yes, it will happen.
There are barriers, although she says that she intends to work on it but it does not go anywhere from there on end, it is just lip service.
What is she going to do to improve the hiring process for the Government of Nunavut as a public government and we know that the hiring policy for preferential hiring of Inuit in the senior management level positions all across Nunavut, not just the certain departments because there is none.
Speaker: Mr. Anawak one more time if you would like to address the issue.
Mr. Anawak: Mr. Speaker, it is all very well to say this is what the Government is doing, or this is me as the Minister telling my staff what to do.
Somewhere in the middle there seems to be a black hole.
What is the Minister going to do to ensure that what she is saying here in the House gets carried out in the rest of the Government?
I will find out as the Minister where the big hole is and deal with that big hole.
And I will say that the female are doing very well in the Government of Nunavut workforce.
Mr. Speaker, we know that with the suicide statistics, most of our young men are killing themselves, more than the women.
I think we have to address both the female and the male to see that they both get jobs.
Right now we’re doing very well with the female.
We have to make sure the males are also given jobs and have the opportunity, if it’s in training mines, heavy equipment or whatever.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve been to quite a few graduations and most of the graduates are female.
I went to a carpentry course, they were all female.
There was one male in a hairdressing course.
I went to Sanikiluaq, all the graduates for the teacher education program were all female too.
Mr. Speaker, my priority is to put beneficiaries in those jobs and as the Minister I will make that commitment that we will train Inuit to take on the jobs.
That’s all I can say Mr. Speaker.
And if my senior staff don’t hear that direction, I will find out who they are and I will deal with them.
Mr. Anawak (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, yes, it’s very good to hear those statements, but to date, the male have always been ahead in getting jobs and in getting administrative jobs.
I’m glad to see women in the work force in the administrative positions.
What I’m trying to say is that the government, yes they are working very hard as a public government to hire beneficiaries but there’s a barrier and we keep talking about the barriers.
Perhaps we’ll start talking about the barrier issues today.
The staff in the department still don’t understand that they are in the Nunavut Territory.
If the Minister is unwilling to see female and disabled people, I know that there are other people out there considering this.
Yes, I think the Minister will have to focus more on disabled people and also the female should be more in the senior positions.
Speaker: I believe that was more of a comment.
Minister Thompson, do you wish to respond.
The physically disabled people and female, I’m not saying that I will not consider them, what I’m saying is that Inuit beneficiaries should be hired, they should be filling the positions and I will work to the best of my capability with the assistance of the members of this legislature.
Before we continue, I just want to make a general comment, not directed at any one member of the cabinet or the regular members.
Question period is over, we still have four members left to ask questions.
So, I would ask the regular members to be more precise and concise with their preambles and their questions and ask members of cabinet also in response, to be as precise as they can.
It is somewhat unfair that members do not have an opportunity to ask a question here in the house.
Before proceeding with the orders of the day, we’ll break for 20 minutes and there will be coffee served
>>House recessed at 15:45 p.m. and resumed at 16:21 p.m.
Written Question 011 – 1(6): Impact of New Public Housing Rent Scale
Mr. Speaker, my written question today is to the honourable Kelvin Ng, Minister responsible with the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Impact of new public rent scales:
As of June 1st, 2003, broken down by community, how many public housing units were owned or leased by the Nunavut Housing Corporation?
As of June 1st, 2003, broken down by community, how many were vacant?
As of June 1st, 2003, broken down by community, how many income support clients were residing in public housing?
As of June 1st, 2003, broken down by community, how many households were assessed increased rent after the implementation of the new public housing rent scale?
As of June 1st, 2003, broken down by community, how many households were assessed decreased rent after the implementation of the new public housing rent scale?
As of June 1st, 2003, broken down by community, how many households did not experience any changes to their assessed rent after the implementation of the new public housing rent scale?
As of June 1st, 20003, broken down by community, how many households were assessed at the minimum amount of rent?
As of June 1st, 2003, broken down by community, how many households were assessed in amount of rent equalling the actual cost of their unit?
Written Question 012 – 1(6): Mental Health Workers
My question today is to the honourable Ed. Picco, the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding mental health workers.
How many full-time, Inuit mental health workers are currently employed with the Government of Nunavut?
What training programs currently exist in Nunavut to train Nunavummiut for positions in the field of mental health?
In what ways has the Department implemented Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into the new mental health strategy?
Written Question 013 – 1(6): District Education Authorities
Mr. Speaker, my written question is to the Minister responsible for Education:
What formal authorities, responsibilities and powers do District Education Authorities have with respect to hiring, termination and discipline of teachers employed under the collective agreement between the Federation of Nunavut Teachers and the Government of Nunavut?
What formal authorities, responsibilities and power do District Education Authorities have with respect to hiring, termination and discipline of school principals?
In May 2002, I believe, the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut passed a motion regarding District Education Authorities.
What specific actions has the Department of Education taken in response to this motion?
What is the Department of Education’s position with respect to the establishment and funding of the Nunavut-wide District Education Association?
Are there any further written questions?
Reply to Opening Address 002 – 1(6): June 4, 2003
Mr. Anawak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker for giving me the opportunity to reply.
In my reply, since Nunavut was created on April 1, 1999, Nunavummiut had high expectations and even before the creation of Nunavut they high expectations.
And they had expected and celebrated that they would have their own Nunavut Territory.
In response to the Commissioners opening address, at times yes, as a government, we do want to please the public.
For example, when the government says yes, we are successfully operating, I think it was last year, John Amagoalik who worked very hard to create Nunavut, stated that the government should not just sit idle, they have to move forward, it would be better.
In view of that, the government’s operation should not be nervous or should not favour this or that.
Also, I don’t want the cabinet members to think that I’m pointing fingers at them.
I’m talking about government as a whole.
We don’t look at the individuals when we talk about Government of Nunavut.
Yes, we are very pleased to see more housing units being built in the communities because there is a high shortage of housing.
From last year, to date, perhaps when we require 17 hundred houses, we only built 3 hundred units so far and I know there’s still a high shortage of housing and housing shortage is one of the causes in creating problems in social wellbeing at the community level.
When there’s a shortage and overcrowding in the homes, there are disagreements that start, first and second, in the design of the homes, I think we should consult with the public out there on the designs of the homes, that way, we can build and design homes that are more relevant to Inuit way of living.
Also, if a barge arrives with housing materials, whether it’s a barge or a ship, and then they would hire people from outside of Nunavut and then they would arrive after the shipment of the material has arrived.
We all know that they are capable construction workers at the local level.
Whether it be by way of housing association or through hamlet councils or through the private sector, Inuit individuals, perhaps even without a business can construct homes.
I know that I do have a brother in law who can build and construct homes without certification.
Then why, when we award contracts to construct units, why don’t they split them up.
That way we can split the money to the community at the local level if the contract is split up at the local level.
It can be split up this way, that person who is going to be ordering or building the unit and the construction, or the construction of the unit could be contracted out to the local people at the community level that way they can have more people from local communities.
But now a days we see outside people out of Nunavut to construct our units and they don’t even live in Nunavut and that’s inappropriate and we use large sums of money to bring those people up and the money doesn’t stay in Nunavut when it could have stayed in Nunavut by hiring or awarding local people if the government had strength.
The government can say that they these units cab be built by the local level and its not, its very simple to change or amend.
What is the government afraid of?
Are they afraid of the private sector because they’re their friends?
I know that it’s very simple to resolve this issue but is seems like they don’t want to do it.
I many friends in the private sector as well but I know at the local level that there are many people who can construct units.
If they can’t find an individual to fix the furnace yes they would have to order furnace, oil burner furnace contractor.
If they can’t find a local contractor that way the money can stay in Nunavut rather than going outside of Nunavut to southern businesses and it has been the case to date.
Some people in the community level can’t find work or jobs and they end up being supported by income support and they just watch the outside construction workers building the units and these could be done by the local people.
If its for the water heating furnace, if there are no people like that or plumbers like that they can bring in people from the outside to work on those things.
I think that we should keep the money at the local level for the construction of the units and so I would like to advise the minister for Sustainable Development if you want to find out more about economic opportunities then that’s where the money can be made when the contract is split for the ordering and also for the construction of the unit.
The construction of the unit could be done at the local level.
That could be rectified very simply and yes we are very glad that there are many students in schools and yes education is one of our priorities.
When the commissioner during opening address he said that 35% of our budget goes to the schools.
Yes, we’re pleased to see that but education how is the education system set up to date?
I know that it’s going to improve in the upcoming months but how is the system supporting the disabled people within the schools.
Disabled people, people with disabilities, whether it be physical or mental should be given better services within the schools because I don’t think that they’ll be provided the services adequately.
The education system like the minister and I'm very pleased that the minister is now working on these issues that we’re concerned about and I'm sure that she’s very strong in resolving these issues rather than just being pleased and happy.
Rather than just passing students to grade 12 it does not make it better.
Yes, we would like to see more students who can graduate who can go to further their education after grade 12.
We would like to see that, and use the community or Nunavut as a foundation if they would like to further their education.
This is something that we could be proud of
All the communities, I know that they are starting to have graduates in all of the communities.
I just came from Repulse Bay a couple of days ago, and one thing that we need to promote is further education after Grade 12.
I just went to a Grade 12 graduation but both of the graduates had babies in their amautiqs, it was pretty hard to know whether they wanted go to University or College.
Both of these graduates had babies in their amautis so therefore I figured that they will not further their education.
During the Commissioners Opening Address it states that we are now starting to work on the training programs for the Nurses, Lawyers, and that we have been told that we are incapable.
I do not know who told the Government that the Inuit people are incapable of working in this.
I believe that Inuit can do those things.
This is a two fold issue in regards to training nurses.
Nursing students have always been lacking funds.
They never know if more money will go into the Nursing Program, but the Akitsiraq Law Students Program is serviced better and they are trying to make the lives of Nunavummiut better.
I did not say that myself.
I was told that the other one is trying to help. The Nursing Program is trying to provide service to keep healthy and the other training program, the Akitsiraq program is trying to help the people who committed crimes because they are Lawyers that they can defend the criminals.
It is not the case but I was told that.
When I was told that that is how it is understood by the public.
We should look how the public understands these issues rather than what we understand.
We should be talking about the understanding of the public that way we can understand and have a better clear understanding.
It was mentioned that the Nunavut Power Corporation that we were going to be holding the NPC, as was indicated by the Commissioner and he was told that it was going to be impossible, who has told him that the Nunavut Power Corporation was going to be owned by the people of Nunavut.
As an Interim Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Power Corporation has wanted to hang on to the Power Corporation but we get a part of it.
We did not want to get partial because we were going to split it in half, because it was already set up in 1999 that it was going to be split up between the two territories. I know this for a fact because I was the Interim Commissioner and I indicated to them that if we are going to be given a part of the Power Corporation and we were going to reject it.
We would rather have our own Power Corporation within Nunavut.
With Jake Otis, who was the Minister of the Northwest Territories Government, I have indicated to him many times that after the review how the work was being done, but it seems that we were just being made fun of.
There was nothing concrete giving to us for guidelines within the departments stating our departments are going to be doing this and your departments are going to be doing that.
Maybe first of all, I would like to apologise to the interpreter.