EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
She also organized a session whereby two musicians were brought into our community. The two performers were Gordon Miles and Susan Aglukark.
They went to our community as part of the healthy living project, including some recordings for our youth.
She worked tirelessly for five months.
Today, we can congratulate her and wish her a nice summer break starting on June 25 since she undertook a tremendous amount of work and we are extremely grateful.
Every year, we’ve had outdoor activities and on-the-land programs for our students.
This is the 19th year where the students are taken out on the land and all classes from kindergarten to grade 12 were able to attend this year.
There will be a graduation ceremony for the students who will be graduating on June 18. This year, I am happy to state that there will be 19 students completing their graduation and that’s an increase if we look at the number of last year’s graduates.
With respect to the outdoor program, the people of Pangnirtung would like to thank all of the partners and especially the fundraisers, in particular, the Kakivak Association and the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Education.
With their contributions, we are able to continue our programs…
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Komoartok, if you would like to conclude your statement, you will have to seek unanimous consent of your colleagues.
Mr. Komoartok (interpretation): Thank you, my colleagues.
We would like to say “thank you” to the people who made financial contributions, the Kakivak Association and the GN…
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Komoartok, you did not receive unanimous consent yet from your colleagues.
You have to first seek unanimous consent to conclude your statement. Mr. Komoartok.
Hold on. I apologize.
In order to conclude your statement, you must first seek unanimous consent as you have not been granted consent by your colleagues.
In following our protocol, I now seek unanimous consent from my colleagues to conclude my statement.
You may conclude your statement, Mr. Komoartok.
It felt like I tripped up, but I am now back on my feet. Thank you.
I would like to reiterate our congratulations to all of the people who work at our schools. They work tirelessly and are very dedicated.
We send our children and grandchildren to school and they are under their care for most of the day, so we have to send our gratitude to the teachers who work hard all year and take pride in their efforts.
Again these dedicated individuals will be taking their summer break for approximately two months. We wish them a very nice break where they can recharge and regain their enthusiasm for the next school year.
Thank you for allowing me to conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker.
Member’s Statement 273 – 3(2): Akitsiraq Law Program (Okalik)
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Too often, I am blamed for things that went wrong and it’s nice to see that some things went right.
I recognize the current CGS minister’s recognition officially that was completed under my watch on time and on budget is finally being recognized. So it’s nice to see something…
… that we did is being recognized for something worthy.
Another project that we undertook was first started by our first Justice Minister, Jack Anawak, and that was the Akitsiraq Law School Program, which I carried forward as the next justice minister, and we successfully completed this program.
We started with 12 students and we finished with 10, which was a very high standard that we set for students.
We would like to see a similar program for a four-year program.
I’m puzzled by the questions that are being asked of the law program. Some of these students don’t work in law.
We graduate teachers, we graduate nurses. Not all of them work in teaching or nursing, but they are working nonetheless and using that expertise to help Nunavummiut out. The same is true for these law students that graduated.
So I’m puzzled by these questions that are being set up for these students that want to go to law school.
I am told that there is no money this year. The society that is asking to run this program is not asking for money this year, so that argument does not make much sense for me today.
We are setting these standards that we are somehow establishing a university, so we cannot start this program.
I have been to a few universities myself. There are about 25,000 students in those facilities.
We only have 30,000 citizens here in Nunavut. How would you want to fill a university?
So it is best perhaps to start small and succeed where we can, and focus on the skills that we need today and tomorrow. Let’s fill this justice centre with Inuit and reflect the territory that we are, professionals, hopefully, that can work in any field. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member for Rankin Inlet North and Whale Cove, Mr. Kusugak.
Member’s Statement 274 – 3(2): Search and Rescue Volunteers of Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove (Kusugak)
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Rankin Inlet South and Whale Cove.
Mr. Speaker, you almost had it right this time.
Today, I rise as I would like to thank the people of Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove who comprise the search and rescue teams and emergency workers. Pretty well for most of the winter, they have been receiving phone calls of reports of people missing and people stuck out on the land either due to weather or broken machines. They were able to rescue most of these people.
Whether it’s during the day, the middle of the night, or even in a blizzard, the search and rescue teams from Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove have never had any trepidation about searching for any individual who is in trouble.
So on behalf of my constituency, I would like to thank the search and rescue teams from both communities and acknowledge them today.
I would like to let the members know that we have extremely competent search and rescue teams in Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Kusugak. The next time, I am going to say “Rankin Inlet South.”
Before we get to Item 5… oops, my error.
We were on another item (interpretation ends) Item 4.
Returns to Oral Questions. (interpretation) Now, we are finally on Item 5.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do occasionally receive visits by our fellow Iqaluit residents. I want to acknowledge an individual who just walked in from my riding, Celestine Erkidjuk.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Okalik. Welcome to the Gallery.
Question 412 – 3(2): Greenland-Canada Joint Commission on Polar Bears (Arvaluk)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Environment, Hon. Daniel Shewchuk, and I would like him to eschew the word “Aasii” (not again).
Mr. Speaker, members of the Greenland-Canada Joint Commission on Polar Bear met last week in Ilulissat, Greenland.
This joint commission is composed of representatives of the Nunavut hunters and trappers organizations from the affected communities, the Greenland Home Rule Government, the federal Department of the Environment, the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Environment, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and the Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board.
During this meeting, a recommendation was made on the need for more up-to-date information and data on the Baffin Bay polar bear population.
Can the minister indicate what other recommendations such as the one I referred to, if any, were made during this meeting and will he table a report on this meeting?
I would like to thank the member for that question and for his information.
I have not received the report from the meeting that has just taken place and I would be more than happy to share that information once I get it with the member.
The member is right that the discussion, I believe, was on the agenda to take place in doing more research and updated research on Baffin Bay, that was part of the agenda, but once I get the information on the results of the meeting, I can provide it to him.
Yesterday, I asked the same minister in the House a question about the Baffin Bay’s total allowable harvest of polar bears.
I also asked him about what the Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board had recommended on the issue, which he has in his position.
The minister made the decision to initiate the reduction in the quota one year earlier in 2010 than what was recommended.
The decision in 2010 to reduce the total allowable harvest on the Baffin Bay population was made with 2008 data.
Obviously, more recent data is needed to make a sound decision.
Can the minister explain why he made this decision to reduce the TAH using outdated information?
I thank the member for the question and concern.
Mr. Speaker, the decision was made and recommended to me by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board on the best information that was available.
The member is right in saying that that information that was provided to them in 2008 is the most recent information that was available.
However, part of our management plan in the joint commission is to update that information and that is what we seek and try to do through this joint commission.  It is a priority of the Government of Nunavut to do research on the Baffin Bay and get an updated polar bear estimate as soon as we can.
On May 22, 2008, the minister at the time stated in the House that “The GN will pursue all available options to ensure that the US listing of the polar bear has a minimum effect on communities relying on income from polar bear sport hunts.”
He said that when he communicated the up-listing of the polar bear, they would like to get assistance from Nunavummiut as well as my colleagues here in the House to ensure that this is well planned.
Can the minister explain exactly what assistance his department has provided to the sport hunts outfitters and their assistants in the communities to date?
I thank the member for his question again.
First of all, the listing of the Americans, the United States, has taken to list polar bears as endangered species; we have no control over it. That is their jurisdictional right to do what they choose, I suppose.
The listing of Baffin Bay and the non-detriment finding applies to the European Union.
As we all know, it is our intent as a government to keep lobbying our federal government to lift that non-detriment finding and the export ban and show that we are taking management measures to deal with the population.
As far as what we have done since the decline of the TAH, first of all, the TAH will come into effect on July 1 of this year.
As the member knows, we have had consultations and visited all communities outlining the alternative programs that are available through this government to assist in promoting and looking at different, adverse ways to promote the tourism industry and assist the community’s outfitters in the respective communities.
Yes, I understand that part.
The minister already knows, as the minister stated his decision not to offer financial assistance to hunters and outfitters affected by the quota reduction, there was not going to be any form of financial assistance.
We are also aware that when these sport hunt tags are filled, they are usually to export the polar bear skins to Europe and the United States. As we all know, there is a ban on their export.
Within the same year, the minister had made the decision to reduce ten polar bear tags per year for four years and we know that there will be a reduction of 40 polar bears with regard to the quota.
The picture here with regard to these hunters is that all avenues where they can try to create revenue have all now been lost.
For that reason, will the minister commit to reconsidering his decision to not offer financial assistance to hunters and outfitters affected by the quota reduction and polar bear export bans?
I again thank the member for his concern.
I will not commit at this time to revisiting the compensation to affected hunters and outfitters directly by the impact of the reduced TAH.  However, as I have stated before in the House, I have gone to the communities to talk about other programs that we do have in place to assist and help the communities, the hunters, the outfitters, to get through this time that we are going through.
It is in our interest to get an updated polar bear population through this joint commission so that we can manage that polar bear population properly and hopefully we can also, with more information, lift that non-detriment finding and export to European countries again.
Question 413 – 3(2): Investigation of Incidents in Baker Lake (Aupaluktuq)
My questions are for the Hon. Minister Keith Peterson, Minister of Justice.
Residents of Baker Lake are outraged at recent incidents that have occurred in the community involving the desecration of graves in our cemetery. The most recent incident occurred this past weekend.
I want to state very clearly today that the community stands together in the face of such violations of fundamental decency.
Can the minister confirm for me that the RCMP detachment in the community has been aware of these incidents and that it is investigating them as a matter of the highest priority?
First, I would like to extend my condolences from the Government of Nunavut and all Members of the Assembly to the elder and the family, the elder’s grave that was desecrated, and the elders in the community of Baker Lake. I had heard about it early on Monday.
I checked with the chief superintendent of RCMP and he had already been briefed by the detachment. They have made it a priority and they are investigating.
Unfortunately, I can’t provide details of any investigation.
Mr. Aupaluktuq: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the hon. minister for that response as well.
It is not the first time that an incident of this nature has occurred in Baker Lake.
I have the unfortunate task of being able to bring this attention, but I hope that we can provide some closure and resolution to the community of Baker Lake.
Mr. Speaker, I want to ask: can the minister indicate what resources are being made available from the government to enable the community to repair the damage done to gravesites?
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Aupaluktuq. Minister Peterson.
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for asking that question.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, I am unaware of any resources as the Minister of Justice.
As a former mayor myself, I am familiar that in Cambridge Bay, the cemeteries are a fair distance from town, so we budgeted as a hamlet to maintain the cemeteries for the community. So I would suggest that the Hamlet Council of Baker Lake discuss it and then they approach the Government of Nunavut through their channels.
I thank the hon. minister. Mr. Speaker, in recent years, the government installed surveillance cameras at a number of schools as a result of incidents of arson and vandalism throughout the territory.
Can the minister indicate if support is available from the government to improve security measures at our territory’s cemeteries?
Unfortunately, I can’t provide any information on that again.
Similar to my last response, I would suggest that the hamlet council discuss the issue as a council and if they require resources or information, they should approach the Government of Nunavut then perhaps or other organizations for helping with security at the cemetery.
Question 414 – 3(2): Transparency at the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation (Elliott)
Before I ask my oral question, I’m wondering if we could stop the clock and go back to Item 5 in the Orders of the Day, Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Is that not possible?
My questions are for the Minister of Finance, who is the Chairperson of the government’s Public Agencies Council.
On March 4 of this year, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police publicly announced and I quote, “During the course of the investigation into the business loans provided by the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, the RCMP in Iqaluit requested the assistance of the “O” Division (Ontario) Commercial Crime Section where an thorough Forensic Accounting Report was prepared... The investigation was completed and returned to “V” Division (Nunavut) in February 2010.
The matter is still under investigation and over the coming weeks, investigators will meet with representatives from” the Department of Finance “and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to determine the next course of action…”
Mr. Speaker, that was three months ago. Can the minister update the House today on the outcome of his department’s discussions with the RCMP and the Public Prosecution Service?
Minister responsible for the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, Hon. Peter Taptuna.
I believe the question was directed to the Minister of Justice.
I have spoken to the chief superintendent of the RCMP about the file and he had indicated to me at that time that they were going to deliver the files to the Crown Prosecutor’s Office for the Crown Prosecution to review and I cannot provide any further update on the status of that file.
As I recall from following the news, the minister played a leading role in bringing the NBCC to account during the previous Legislative Assembly, when he sat on this side of the House.
As the minister is aware, the NBCC has not tabled financial statements in this House since June of 2008 and those were for the 2006-07 fiscal year.
Can the minister indicate what specific actions the government’s Public Agencies Council is taking to improve financial management at the NBCC and can he tell us when we will see some current financial statements for this Crown corporation?
I thank Mr. Elliott for those questions.
Yes, I remember with vivid detail the excruciating work that we had to do with several of my colleagues on that side of the House. It was a very difficult time with NBCC because they were really struggling and it was indeed a positive development when the government of the day made the decision to move the operations and headquarters from Cape Dorset to Iqaluit.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, since that time, the NBCC has been undergoing a number of restructurings and they’ve had difficulties recruiting staff. The board has been working diligently to develop policies.
The Minister responsible for NBCC has been interacting with the Public Agencies Council on a regular basis for advice and direction, and I believe they provide monthly reports.
I cannot tell the member when we will be able to be given the financial statements. I would have to defer that part of the question to my colleague from Economic Development and Transportation.
As I recall, the minister played a leading role in trying to improve transparency at the NBCC during the previous Legislative Assembly.
At that time, his committee strongly recommended that the NBCC follow the practice that is done in other jurisdictions and make its loans public.
Can the minister explain why the NBCC’s loans are still kept secret and will he commit to ensuring that the Public Agencies Council takes action to correct this situation, yes or no?
He certainly did a lot of research on my former activities as an MLA in that file.
Mr. Speaker, as a government, as I said, we want to see the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation as strong and effective in helping to develop our economy. I don’t think it’s a matter of keeping loans secret. There is the issue of confidentiality; there are a number of issues related to that with respect to security and individuals who may have to be contacted.
I know the NBCC and the minister are doing work in that regard.
We are committed to transparency, openness, and accountability, but I can’t commit to any timeframe for being able to provide details of tabling loan documents or information on loans.
It’s certainly something that the department will likely bring to the Public Agencies Council and we will discuss it there. If we can make any progress in that regard, we will certainly inform the member and the House.
Question 415 – 3(2): Implementation of New Language Laws (Okalik)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Languages.
Yesterday, during Committee of the Whole, it became clear that cuts were made to the department’s funding.
In addition, with the implementation of the language legislation just starting, we are all aware that we need to change the way we operate, especially to ensure that unilingual Inuktitut-speaking people can keep up with the English-speaking people, particularly with relation to our legislation.
In the beginning, with the budget cutbacks, will that have an impact on the implementation process of the Inuit language legislation?
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Okalik. Minister of Languages, Hon. Louis Tapardjuk.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my colleague for the question.
With regard to the specific question, we do not think it will have a large impact on the implementation of the legislation.
It is due to this reason that we will not be implementing a big cut to our budgets, at least within the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
The majority of these cutbacks are on the travel and accommodations funding and this will impact some of our programs.
Mr. Speaker, the reason why we are doing this is because the Minister of Languages will have to explain the details on the implementation process and to ensure that the public can envision and understand exactly how the implementation process will be.
This process and the planning will continue.
As I stated, this coming fall, I’ll be tabling the implementation plan for the language legislation and regulations and what this process will entail.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond by saying that there won’t be much of an impact, but at that time, it will be clear once the plans to implement the Act are completed and we can then envision the process.
Therefore, I don’t expect to see it having an impact on the new language bill… oops, it is now legislation and not a bill anymore, Mr. Speaker.
Question 416 – 3(2): Suicide Alertness and Intervention (Komoartok)
Mr. Komoartok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) My question is for the Hon. Minister of Health and Social Services.
I am very pleased that due to a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Services and our hamlet’s Connections for Youth project, this week, 24 Panniqtuurmiutait are being trained in suicide alertness and intervention.
The training is being delivered by Inuit trainers using their own language.
I am pleased to hear on the CBC Radio that the entire staff at the Nasivvik High School in Pond Inlet, from the janitor to the principal, has received the same suicide alertness and intervention training in their own choice of Inuktitut or English.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the minister on this initiative, which I am told results in Nunavummiut receiving very practical skills in identifying and assisting persons in distress.
Mr. Speaker, my question is: when will the Department of Health and Social Services be able to offer this training to the staff of the high school in Pangnirtung?
With regard to his question, I know that the Department of Education is the department who set up this training program for suicide alertness and intervention training.
The Minister of Education can make provide a better response to your question.
Minister of Education, Mr. Louis Tapardjuk.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank Mr. Komoartok for requesting that information.
Yes, it is true that there is such a program, albeit this program was set up quite a while back.
It’s in regard to being alert to suicidal tendencies and intervention training.
We have dealt with improvements to the program and it is ongoing, but I cannot tell you when this program will be offered in Pangnirtung and I cannot answer the question as to whether it is included in their plans.
Mr. Speaker, I will take this question regarding the program offering in Pangnirtung as notice.
I do believe that there might be an impact in some way or another.
I don’t want to guess nor do I want to make any commitments without further research, so I’ll take this question as notice, Mr. Speaker.
Your question is taken as notice. (interpretation ends) Oral Questions.
Question 417 – 3(2): Child and Family Services Act Review (Elliott)