EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Some people, there are seasonal employees and full time employees, I am not sure which category he is talking about.
Are you talking about people that are on seasonal employment or on full time employment.
Can he rephrase his question.
Speaker: Just before we get further clarification on the question I will just remind members that they should address the question to one minister.
It is very difficult when you ask two ministers to address the same question.
So Mr. Irqittuq, could you clarify the question and the minister.
The question that I have is, say for instance, I have been working for quite some time or there is an individual who has been working for about twenty years in the community, or more than twenty years, and I would have a retirement benefit.
However, if I get sick just before my retirement, I would not make it to my retirement date because of my heart problem.
How can those individuals get more help from the government in their retirement payments.
Speaker: The question I believe is directed to the Minister of Health & Social Services, Mr. Picco.
Mr. Speaker, I think the member brings up a good point and in actuality I believe it would be the Minister of Human Resources who would answer this question.
Mr. Speaker, the member talks about a couple of different issues.
One is long term disability and the other could be short term disability.
My experience has been Mr. Speaker, if a person is almost at the point where they could retire, Mr. Speaker, they could be put on long term disability or short term disability depending on the incidence or how long they would have to go before their retirement date.
So, for example, Mr. Speaker, if I was going to retire before a year, and I am not able to continue at work, I would go on long term disability so that I would have my pensionable time brought forward and be eligible for the pension that the member is talking about.
It also depends Mr. Speaker, if they are working in what we call a union shop, in those cases, Mr. Speaker, there are terms and conditions outlined in the collective agreement between the employer and the employee.
In some cases, Mr. Speaker, where there isn't a union involved then there are other guidelines under the government labour laws and labour legislation in Nunavut and also a federal law that would come into play.
If there is a specific case that the members is talking about I think it would be good to get that in writing and the conditions and probably forward it on to the Human Resource Minister.
Time is up for question period.
Return to WQ 06 - 1(3): Culture, Language, Elders & Youth Funding
I wish to inform members that Reply to Written Question 06 – 1(3) by the Premier has been filed with the Clerk.
Speaker: Thank you Mr. Quirke.
Tabled Document 71 – 1(3): Waiting on the Edge Material
Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a package containing the following Items.
The "Waiting at the Edge" video, "Sealing in Nunavut: Our Tradition, Our Future" booklet, and the new Fur Grading Manual booklet.
Also in the package Mr. Speaker, is the results of the focus group testing of the Nunavut Sealing Video, "Waiting at the Edge".
Mr. Puqiqnak (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, I would like to apologize, I was out for a few minutes, I would like to go back to agenda Item 10.
Speaker: Which Item would the member like to go back to.
Under petitions, Item 10.
The member is seeking unanimous consent to go back to Item 10, petitions.
Petition 10 – 1(3): Water Reservoir and Community Hall for Gjoa Haven
Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition in regards to getting a new water reservoir and community hall.
There are 315 signatures from the community of Gjoa Haven.
Tabled Document 72 – 1(3): Letters from Northern Employees Union Member’s
I wish to table these eleven letters containing 23 signatures from my community.
These are in reference to the current contract negotiations between the Government of Nunavut and the Nunavut Employees' Union.
Bill 13, Tabled Documents 41 – 1(3), Tabled Document 51 – 1(3), Tabled Document 60 – 1(3), Tabled Document 61 – 1(3), Tabled Document 68 – 1(3).
Accordingly to the authority vested in me Motion 3 – 1(3) the Committee of the Whole will stay in session until it reports itself out.
Mr. Puqiqnak is the Chairperson.
We will now take a 20 minute health break prior to committee of the whole.
>>House recessed at 3.43 p.m. and resumed at 4.10 p.m.
Chairperson (interpretation): I will ask if we wish to continue on the tabled documents.
It is up to the members.
These tabled documents are for the committee to consider during committee of the whole and you can ask questions on those documents.
Are you clear on that.
We were under the Department of Education and we have not moved from the Department of Education from last week, if the minister and his staff could go to the witness table.
Chairperson (interpretation): Just to clarify to the members.
First I mentioned that the committee deferred parts of the budget for the Department of Education.
I just wanted to find out from the members what is the wish of the members from last week's discussion.
If you want to continue with the Department of Education we can go ahead, but I just want to find out from the members as to what you want to do with the deferral of the Department of Education's budget.
We all already agreed this morning that when we met as a regular caucus that we would deal with that.
The motion still stands to recommend the deferral of part of the budget of the Department of Education at this time.
Because of the deferral of part of the budget for the Kitikmeot region, the budget of the Department of Education, do you want to go back to the Main Estimates, 2000/2001.
We have not completed this Item.
The motion that we made in regards to the deferral of the budget maybe we could just have the minister at the witness table with his staff and we could continue to question him.
We could continue from there.
Chairperson (interpretation): I just wanted to clarify to the members that the member for High Arctic said this morning that we made a decision as regular members that the deferral made in the committee of the whole will stay as is.
That is my understanding from this morning.
So because the committee deferred part of the Department of Education's budget, will we go to the operations and maintenance of the Department of Education.
That is my question to the committee right now.
The capital budget for the Department of Education we were on the last page and that is the deferral that we were referring to.
We are still in this book here.
Perhaps we could begin with the Department of Health & Social Services under their capital budget.
Perhaps if we could deal with the Department of Education O&M right now that is my preference.
Chairperson (interpretation): I am hearing two things that you want to discuss.
Some members want to deal with the Department of Education and some people just want to leave it for a bit and go to the Department of Health & Social Services.
But from my understanding of Mr. Akesuk's comments, he would like to deal with the operations and maintenance budget for education.
Okay we will do that.
I think we all have this book, 2000/2001 under 9 – 4 is where we are.
Main Estimates.
Minister you can go to the witness table with your staff.
I know the person on your right but I do not know the person on your left.
Possibly you could introduce your staff at this time.
Hon. James Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Chairman, on my right and on your left is Robert Moody, Deputy Minister of Education and also on my left is Connie Brown.
She is our controller for the Department of Education.
Chairperson (interpretation): We are on page 9 – 4.
The Department of Education directorate, operations and maintenance.
Total operations and maintenance, 737 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 9 – 4.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Where are we.
Chairperson (interpretation): Main Estimates 2000/2001, 9 – 4 under the Department of Education.
Operations and maintenance, 737 thousand.
Total expenditures, 737 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 9 – 5.
Department of Education, branch summary, policy and planning.
Operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance, 1 million 336 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, 1 million 336 thousand.
Department of Education, it says branch summary, policy and planning.
I apologize, I have a question for the minister in regards to the 354 thousand.
Is that including the school operations and maintenance for the library portions of the schools.
Chairperson (interpretation): We are on page 9 – 6.
This 354 thousand library services is for six communities.
Page 9 – 6.
Which six communities are we referring to.
Coral Harbour, Pangnirtung, Rankin Inlet, Baker Lake, Arviat, Pond Inlet, Iqaluit, Nanisivik, Igloolik and Clyde River.
Page 9 – 6, Mr. Iqaqrialu.
My next question since you referred to those six communities is, do all the communities get money for library services, or do you have a plan for library services to be available in all the communities.
I would like to have Connie Brown respond to this question.
Chairperson: Ms. Brown.
Ms. Brown: Thank you Mr. Chairman.
It is actually eleven communities.
The Baffin 225, the Kivalliq 86 thousand and the Kitikmeot 43 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Minister did you want to supplement that answer.
Hon. James Arvaluk (interpretation): Yes, like Mr. Iqaqrialu said, are there any plans for the other communities.
You have to make a proposal and a request to get some of this money.
Sometimes they are able to access funds although they are very small through the Hamlet Councils.
In the plans for the Cambridge school there is a library that will be in that school.
Is there a library in there.
Hon. James Arvaluk (interpretation): I apologize Mr. Chairman.
I would like to hear from Ian.
The way it is the requests or proposals are submitted to our department, but I am not quite sure what kind of libraries or services they have available in the communities.
Possibly Mr. Rose could address this issue, if you could wait a minute.
Chairperson (interpretation): Mr. Minister are you going to get that note right away or did you need a few minutes.
Like I said the requests are made through the Hamlet Councils, but the library is in the school.
My question was, if these monies are set aside for the Cambridge Bay school.
Mr. Chairman, I have visited the community of Cambridge Bay and they already have an existing library.
Are they not funding that library, or have they set aside some money.
I will get Mr. Moody to answer your question.
The monies described here in operations go to the eleven community libraries for operational expenses.
In this particular case, Cambridge Bay and the other ten that were mentioned, Mr. Chairman.
So they are for operational expenses.
That would be the same regardless of whether the community library was in a separate facility or co-sharing the facility with the school.
So it is money that is applied for and the department gives it out to help the community libraries operate.
In the capital budget for consideration by the committee, that relates to capital construction costs of the Cambridge Bay school and there is a library in there and possibly some day the community library will share those facilities but that would not relate directly to this.
This is operational money for day to day.
In this particular case in question it's for technology related services.
So one is for capital and one is for current.
Mr. McLean: Ma'na Itsivautaq.
Community libraries in my opinion are very important to the communities.
In my community they combine the elementary school library with the community library because they were very, very small and very poorly financed for O&M.
How is the O&M distributed.
By the size of the community based on per capita, or whatever funding proposal is sent in.
How are they funded, per capita or by what they request.
I guess we will have to do a little bit of waiting now and then.
There is still four years to go to deal with all the operations dollars.
I am told that this is an historical practice from the past and based on the past allocations and not on a per capita basis.
Yes, I know that we have only been around for a year so far, but is your department considering re-looking at a policy that treats everybody fairly and equitably in Nunavut.
When I look at the distribution of dollars, it is no secret where the lion's share goes.
Over 50 or 60% of it goes to one region and probably rightly so.
But can your department commit to maybe looking at a policy that treats every community fairly and equitably in the distribution of dollars. In the long run in the smaller communities it is harder to raise money to purchase books for libraries while in larger regional centres you have lots of industry, you have lots of businesses that can contribute fairly and evenly.
So I hope the minister when he is revisiting this can rewrite the policy where everybody is treated fairly and equitably.
Thank you, that's all I had.
Yes, last year, in the last twelve months we have been very busy trying to develop our department and the programs that are important to us like the Inuktitut curriculum development and all that.
With this year we will be looking at trying to develop our plans for example, for curriculum and programs that we provide to the communities, they will all be reviewed as to what is the best way for the funds to move between communities.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. McLean.
Can I have consensus amongst the members to go back to the directorate for a question that just popped up with that answer.
Chairperson (interpretation): The member for Baker Lake is asking consent to go back to 9 – 4.
Mr. McLean: Ma'na Itsivautaq and my colleagues for being very kind to let me do this, I appreciate it.
Under the directorate part it has budget co-ordination and capital planning.
Historically Yellowknife did all our capital plans and as we are finding out today, or in this budget session they haven't really been taking really good care of us in regards to capital plans that have been brought over into Nunavut.
It's no secret that we are into a crisis in our schools in Nunavut and if we can ever get out of it I think we will be miracle workers.
The Finance Minister is going to be under tremendous pressure to keep us all happy along with the Education Minister.
I know that they are both very committed to education and I know that for a fact.
The fact of the matter is that your department has been developing a twenty year capital plan which I think is showing a lot of insight, foresight, vision within your department because if you ask any other department I don't think they are even thinking about five years let alone twenty.
My point here is that I think we can all agree that education is probably going to be one of the most important issues in the next four to five to six years and how your department delivers it to make sure that we have an educated work force in Nunavut which we lack at a certain point right now, but I am sure we will get there.
But the point I am getting to here is in the capital planning.
Does your department employ a capital planner that is going to do an evaluation of all the schools in Nunavut and taking into account our population growth in the future and that our needs will be addressed.
I know the educators and the people in the Education Department know what we need more in regards to capital plans for our schools, and I don't want Public Works to take any offence to what I am saying here today, but has the Department of Education had their own capital planner on side or in the department that is going to study all the needs in all the communities in Nunavut over the next few years, to show, to genuinely reflect the capital plan for the next twenty years.
That's a mouthful there for you.
We have corporate services in our department now that is responsible for the accounting and the capital planning part of it.
We hired a capital planner for this fiscal year that will be looking at all the schools. He will be performing a needs assessment for our twenty year capital plan, to update every school on an annual basis whether they are deteriorating faster or holding their own or the population is growing faster than expected.
This will be done on an annual basis within that twenty-year capital plan.
On that note, like I was saying earlier, dollars are very tight and as we found out there is a need in a majority of the communities for some kind of a school extension or replacement.
In order to save money I think at this point, is the department considering when they are building and when they're designing schools as of this week would they consider when they are doing this we don't spend exorbitant amounts of money on superficial designs that are not cost effective.
When we are designing schools is there some way that we can stick to a plan where there are a lot of communities with a population like the population of Baker Lake is close to the population of Cape Dorset to Pangnirtung.
You've got the Chesterfield Inlets, the Whale Coves, the Clyde Rivers the Grise Fiords. In fact we could go to a standard plan of schools that we could just take of the shelf and build with minor modifications.
In the long run I think this would save us money and you would have that plan in place and you would be able to save money on design with a few modifications.
You would also be able to have contractors that are building these schools familiar as it is being built.
What I'm saying is, can we get at a standard design concept and construction concept in schools in the future with a few modifications.
Look at doing something like that to save money, because I look at the schools in Iqaluit, the older schools.
They were probably funded by the federal government with their design and their concepts.
They were probably well made and constructed, but I see the newer schools seem to be consistent with what I see in other communities, like the Repulse Bay school and the Iqaluit school.
So is your department going in that direction during the capital planning and designing stage.
We are looking at that because we have had experience from the GNWT's Department of Education, which had a generic design in schools that are expandable, or that could be added on.
Chesterfield is one of them and I think there are some other communities that have a generic design quality to them.
We are looking at that too.
However, you also have to consider terrain of individual communities.
Will the design suit that type of soil and the community land base.
Given the similarities of two communities, including the population of the students, then we would consider that as we already committed to the most cost effective way of building schools.
We will consider building more and larger if we can cut down on very costly architectural engineering as part of the school.
We are on page 9-4 directory.
This will be my final question for the directory, on the policy budget co-ordination.
Hearing you talk about the income support review, the high unemployment rate in communities across Nunavut.
I was reading a newspaper article regarding school construction and projects in your department where you would try to maximise the local labour component as much as you can and build a training component in it.
It is no secret that schools are going to cost in the ballpark of anywhere between 5 to 15 million dollars which means a substantial capital project in a community.
You were saying that you were trying to maximise this along with the income support policy review.
Is this going to be debated or is your department going to try to integrate this on all the new capital projects over the next few years.
That has to be done with the Department of Education, the Department of Sustainable Development, Human Resources and Public Works. It is Public Works that are ultimately the ones who will design and build those schools after they have met our requirements in the Department of Education.
So we are certainly, as the Minister responsible for Income Support, we will be having a discussion with the respective departments especially Public Works, as to integrating some of the designing work the best way in the community.
If you make the school requiring special tools and very complicated and highly technical designs then the capacity of the community will be reduced.
So we will keep that in mind when we are talking with Public Works.
Making sure that the design is such that the community can participate in employment and training.
Mr. Kattuk, or Mr. Kattuk has left, next is Mr. Iqaqrialu.
Some of the questions that I wanted to ask were already asked.
When we were in Rankin Inlet, during our last session there I was asking many questions regarding the funds that have been distributed to the communities.
It is becoming apparent that if the communities have not sent out any proposals for funding the government has the tendency to ignore the needs of those communities that have not put in those proposals.
We want to treat the people of Nunavut fairly.
Having said that there are only eleven communities that will be receiving library services and getting contributions from the government.
I know that libraries are very useful to the communities but there are many other communities that will be overlooked when it comes to libraries.
This is somewhat unfair to the other communities.
However, I am asking the minister if you can avoid this kind of thing in the future.
Chairperson: Mr. Iqaqrialu before the minister responds to the question.
The member for Baker Lake wanted to go back to 9-4 under directorate.
He made his comments under this page and when we first started I was asking if you wanted to go to the next page.
We are now under page 9-6.
Mr. Iqaqrialu was referring to this Item, under policy and planning.
Minister are you going to respond to his question.
Yes, the communities are being considered for contribution funds and Mr. Iqaqrialu's comments are very true.
I remember showing some members that they were going to have a library services manager based in Baker Lake and once he is up and running he will be going into the communities to review how best they can serve them with library services.
He will be open to suggestions from the public, but I cannot say how much money we will be funded for the branch in Baker Lake.
We from the Department of Education believe that we have to treat all the communities fairly and equitably and if one community does not have a library available then we will do our best to set up a library in the community.
I'm gong to be asking questions under page 9-6.
I want to know the amount of money for 2000/2001, the main estimates are 359 but in 1999/2000 the revised estimates say 391.
I am wondering why there is a reduction here.
Chairperson: (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Barnabas.
Ms. Brown.
It was just a general reduction in computer and computer related equipment for libraries, because Public Works…audio unavailable…
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Ms. Brown.
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Chairman. …audio unavailable…
Ms. Brown: Sorry Mr. Chairman, I didn't hear the question.
Mr. Barnabas: Mr. Chairman has this funding been allocated to communities for the 2000/2001 fiscal year.
Chairperson (interpretation): I think the question is clear, Ms. Brown.
This amount of funding, 13 thousand 6 hundred and 13 for communities will not pay for much library services, books or other materials.
What is expected that the community libraries can do with this amount of money.
Chairperson: Thank you Mr. Barnabas.
As I stated earlier, library services were inherited from the GNWT.
We have funded these libraries not on a per capita basis as we have stated but from an arrangement that was practised by the GNWT.
The communities welcome the 13 thousand, especially where the community has no library, or a school has no library.
We would like to review that and probably seek input from the MLAs and the communities to see what would be an appropriate arrangement for O&M of these library services.