EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
For people who rent their homes and pay the fuel costs, they should fill out an application form to get the rebate from our program.
I would like to ask if there is going to be an information program for the communities so that they will know what is available under the subsidy program.
Yes, there will be an information program to all communities and through the media.
We will also provide this information to the local housing organizations.
I’d like to thank the minister for the reply and it is good news for my communities to hear.
My last question will be directed to the same minister.
People who are renting from homeowners, will you have a process so there won’t be any overlap in payments.
Anyone who owns their own homes or are renting a home from someone and paying for the fuel of the house is eligible to apply to this program by filling out the applications forms.
Through this process we’ll know if anyone is getting paid twice through this program.
Question 039 - 1(5): Criteria for Fuel Rebate Program
I was very pleased to hear of the new program.
Perhaps the 125 thousand dollar ceiling is too high.
Perhaps if the income limit were lower you would be able to help more lower income individuals.
I would think you would be reviewing this eligibility limit.
How will the minister know if the homeowner who is renting out his home and making the tenant pay for their own fuel, that both of them will not be able to apply.
How will she know exactly who is applying and who is eligible.
Hon. Manitok Thompson (interpretation): Perhaps if I explain this further.
For instance, if Mr. Arvaluk has an income of 50 thousand dollars and pays for his fuel then he would receive a 450 dollar rebate, as a one time payment for the year.
If Mr. Arvaluk owned a house and is renting that house to John and John is paying for the fuel, then John could go and fill out the application forms saying that he pays for the fuel of this particular house and they would review his application. If the application is fine then he would be able to receive the rebate.
Even though it's Arvaluk's house, Arvaluk is not paying for the fuel because he is renting his house to this other individual.
When you fill out a form we know there are about 1600 individual homeowners that may qualify in Nunavut.
I'm a little bit leery about the explanation that was given to me respecting the eligibility criteria to ensure that there is no double dipping with that 450 dollar benefit, for the rebate, for assistance, however you want to call it.
This is a welcome thing and it should not be abused because a lot of people really deserve to get that kind of assistance.
However, I am a little bit leery about the oral explanation to prevent the fraudulent benefit from that.
So can the minister tell the House if she will be tabling some kind of application form, sounds like a reform…
…application form that the committee will be able to review to ensure that this good money is being used for a good purpose for the people who really need it.
Will there be information provided by documents, in terms of application forms or anything like that, so that the communities, the homeowners especially in the remote communities will be able to benefit properly from it.
If we want to delay this program then we will have to go through the House to get approval of the form.
I will have to trust my staff to make sure that it is done properly, because we want the money going into the homeowners’ hands as soon as possible.
I'm happy that the minister trusts her own staff.
However if anything, the Auditor General's report some time down the road, probably will have to report something irregular and the minister herself will have to be accountable for that.
What I'm interested in, with my comment respecting the ceiling amount of 125 thousand dollars, how does the minister come up with that income limit on the subsidy amount.
We use the same criteria for NDAP applicants and the income ceiling was adjusted to 125 thousand dollars taking into consideration inflation and the full cost of living including the cost to maintain and operate a home in Nunavut.
So it has been researched very carefully.
Mr. Arvaluk: Boy it seems like I only asked two questions and I have a last question already.
Mr. Speaker, did she consider at some point if 450 dollars could have been graduated for the people, homeowners who may have a lower income let’s say up to 50 thousand dollars and get about 800 dollars and those who are making 125 thousand dollars or a little bit less get less than 450 dollars. They could get 200 dollars or something.
Did she consider that before she made a blanket benefit to the homeowners of 450 dollars.
We wanted to get the money into the hands of the people right away as the Standing Committee directed me.
And we wanted to make it simple and easy to understand for the homeowners so that we can get the money to them right away.
Of course we considered all options but according to the income ceiling as I already said that is taking into consideration the full cost of living, including the cost to maintain and operate a home in Nunavut.
Question 040 - 1(5): Fiscal and Political Stability
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we had the pleasure of listening to the Minister of Finance when he presented his budget address.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure I wasn’t alone in catching the many interesting comments that were made throughout that address.
But one that I mentioned earlier in my member’s statement, I would like to ask the Minister of Finance if he could elaborate or explain the comments in there where he said I think it is prudent to undertake such a review before longer term problems surface that could threaten the fiscal and political stability of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I think everyone understands the fiscal stability, the problems that we face.
I am wondering if the minister could elaborate on what he meant by the political stability.
Mr. Speaker, what I meant is that if we don’t have the adequate resources to deliver our programs and services then we have to make a critical decision.
As I outlined in the speech, either we reduce the programs that we are supplying to our constituents as a whole, dramatically cut them back, or else we operate with a larger accumulated deficit.
Let our debt grow, which of course has its own problems as well.
When we get into that type of situation and if you are not able to deliver your basic programs and services then the question about the political stability, the ability to deliver programs and services as a government to our constituents would come into question.
That is the context of that comment, Mr. Speaker.
I guess it’s all tied into money.
Mr. Speaker, just in the couple of paragraphs prior to that, the minister indicated that Nunavut would be signing an extension of the current formula financing agreement.
It’ll provide us transfers right through to the 2004 fiscal year.
Given that comment and the following one of the problems that we face, will that in some way tie us in if we sign this agreement for the next number of years and we are stuck with that until then.
Can we go back and ask for more money that we need now, or is there going to be some type of a back door mechanism to allow for certain components of that formula to be opened up for re-negotiations based on any findings of the report on the review that is going to be taking place.
Mr. Speaker it depends on how you look at it.
I guess, given that I have indicated that Minister Martin has agreed to a review with our officials of the fiscal capacity of the Government of Nunavut, if it is found that our gross expenditure base may be severely under funded then there may be an opportunity during the course of a renewal to make some adjustments within the context of the current agreement that will be signed off.
Outside of that, of course, there are other opportunities. If there are specific initiatives – housing I use as an example, where we can justify injection of significant federal dollars to help us along in that area then that would be outside.
I would see that as being outside of the formula financing agreement.
Or for that matter, any other infrastructure needs or program needs that are identified and agreed upon that would have a federal injection of cash.
All those types of initiatives can be done outside of the formula financing agreement and obviously would positively impact on our overall fiscal situation, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker I believe another member in this House and I do not want to say the wrong name of the member but I know one of the members was talking earlier this session, I believe about increased federal funding and in the fact that if we get more funding in one area they would claw it back from another area.
I am just wondering if any of these possible infusions of cash that the minister is talking about, is there a way to ensure that they won’t have a counter negative impact on the funding that we already receive through the formula.
Yes, that is definitely the case.
You have used the example of some of the recent federal reinvestments and the health and social transfers.
Those things are specific and outside of our current formula financing agreement so that there is no negative impact on our formula as a result of new federal initiatives to try to assist provinces and territories.
I did not get up fast enough I guess.
I had one extra question.
Mr. Speaker, the minister also indicated in his opening address and one of the responses earlier about the limited resources that we have and our ability, that we have to be innovative and efficient in the way we deliver our programs.
The minister indicated that they will be conducting a major program review exercise over the coming year.
I am just wondering Mr. Speaker, I know when you do program review and you go back to history where that has been done, there are always things that have been cut or amalgamated or those types of efficiencies identified.
I am just wondering if the minister could elaborate more on what, if there are any specific areas that are going to be targeted first to be reviewed through that exercise.
Probably the Legislative Assembly operations would be first.
No, sorry Mr. Speaker.
I think no, there aren’t any specific programs that we have targeted.
It is going to broad in that we want to look at all our programs and services that we are delivering.
Question 041 - 1(5): Improvements Required for Firearms Registration
To the Minister of Justice. (interpretation) Not too long ago I mentioned this and I do not want to harp on the ministers and their staff.
They say they are working hard.
I just want to support him and let my constituents know the certification for purchase of ammunition needs to be expedited.
This needs to be addressed very quickly whether or not he's talked with his counterparts in Ottawa so that this can be rectified as soon as possible so that certification is given to those that need it most.
Speaker: Minister Responsible for Justice.
Yes, when I passed through Ottawa, I tried to meet with the minister but the scheduling did not work out.
I will continue to try to get a meeting with him.
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): Thank you for the response and the assistance that he is trying to give us.
In October, in the fall, he wrote to the Prime Minister about this issue, the certification process.
Has there been an answer given to this Assembly from the Prime Minister that can be tabled at this Assembly.
I have to get the letter translated.
I'll be able to do that next week.
There is only one staff person at the Firearms Registration Office.
People’s applications are falling behind or they are not getting the answers that they need.
Nunavummiut are having difficulties.
We need to speed up the process.
Minister Responsible for Justice.
Comment on that question.
Yes, we have passed that information on to the federal government.
We are working with the federal government and we'll continue to do this and we keep informing the federal government about the concerns that we have in Nunavut.
If we were informed that would be the best way to inform the people of Nunavut.
If you are given an answer from Ottawa you need to let us know.
Speaker: Thank you. I’ll take that as a comment.
Question 042 - 1(5): Funding for Smoking Cessation Program
My question will be directed to the Minister of Health.
Last year there was money to encourage smoking cessation.
I would like to ask the minister about the three million dollars that was put aside to promote smoking cessation.
Was this money used effectively, for the purposes that were intended.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member bringing the question up because it gives us an opportunity to say how successful the anti-tobacco program has been to date and the excellent reception that we had across Nunavut.
And, indeed Mr. Speaker, we are going to be providing packages to every one of the Members of the House to bring back to their home communities, the posters, pamphlets and the written materials.
To date, Mr. Speaker, we have spent over a quarter of a million dollars on the cessation program.
The reason why I asked this question was to find out if the money was used successfully.
There was three million dollars put aside for the anti-smoking project.
Could the minister provide a report as to how the money was spent for the anti-smoking project.
Mr. Speaker, yes we can provide that information.
When will be able to provide us with that information.
Mr. Speaker, we are still in this fiscal year, and as the member knows it won’t end until March 31.
We still have projects underway.
For example in the media release we spoke about the issuing of another poster.
It should happen within the next two weeks.
We have to be able to get the salary dollars and so on that have been spent to date.
So, I would suspect Mr. Speaker, depending on the level of information the member is requesting, that information could be forthcoming soon.
He stated he would be able to do it soon.
Will it be next week.
Mr. Speaker, I would hope to have that information available for the members at least by the time the Main Estimates for the Department of Health & Social Services are up in this House.
So that we will be able to discuss some of the successes we’ve had in the previous fiscal year and maybe an opportunity to talk about some of things that we are trying to accomplish in the upcoming fiscal year.
Question 043 - 1(3): Clarification on Education Minister’s Statement
To the Minister of Education.
He mentioned a while ago under his minister’s statement that he is impressed with the number of students that are graduating from grade 12.
He stated that when the parents of the students are involved in the schools they are more successful.
What did he mean by that.
Was he talking about whether the student has a teacher that is a parent.
Or when the parent is not a teacher.
I just wanted to find out from him what he meant by the parents assisting the students to graduate.
Speaker: Minister Kilabuk. Minister for Education.
I thought I was clear about that.
What I meant was that if the parents of the students or the school counsellors assist the students or when the student is encouraged in the home by the parents.
So when that happens the student does better on a daily basis, not just inside the school but outside the school as well.
Perhaps if you could answer my question in a short and brief statement.
How does he know that those parents are helping the students even outside the school.
I know some people in the communities in my constituency where the students are assisted and some parents have told me and I am also a parent and I have school children, and I try to assist them with their schoolwork as a parent.
The reason I know this is because I have been informed by parents and by teachers and also by the school staff.
Question 044 - 1(5): Inuktitut School for Nunavut
I wish I could get my voice back.
He went to Greenland with NTI representatives on behalf of the Government of Nunavut.
The schools in Nunavut have no Inuktitut curriculum, at least as much as there should be.
I wonder what the department’s plans are for all-Inuktitut curriculum schools in Nunavut.
Is the department planning on having all-Inuktitut speaking classrooms soon in Nunavut schools.
Speaker: Minister Responsible for Education.
We went to the Greenland schools with Nunavut Tunngavik representatives and Mr. Speaker, I can clarify what we did during our visit.
We wanted to understand more about how their system works so we can apply it to Nunavut if we think it is appropriate.
They run well in Greenland, but what we are doing is planning to see how we can review this again with NTI and when there is some more information we will provide it to the Members of the Legislature.
But today, the schools in Nunavut communities have no all-Inuktitut schooling happening.
Are there any plans of the Department of Education to do that sort of thing here in Nunavut communities.
Maybe if I could clarify Mr. Speaker that the schools today have all been teaching Inuit language and Inuit culture.
Although the Inuktitut is not where it should be, they also have to have English.
They teach Inuktitut language and culture from kindergarten to grade 3 but from grade 4 to grade 12 there's not as many Inuktitut language or culture courses taught and we would like to do that more in the future.
Maybe my question wasn’t clear enough, although I understand his response. But in the schools, in Nunavut schools, they get taught Inuktitut and culture, Inuktitut and English together.
What I'm looking for is if there could be an all-Inuktitut or Innuinaqtut classroom course, straight Inuktitut and Innuinaqtut schooling.
I thought that he meant that there is no Inuktitut curriculum at all, but I know that there is in the lower grades.
The Department of Education cannot themselves introduce, by themselves, all-Inuktitut language and culture programs.
The Inuit organizations have to work with the Department of Education and be in agreement with them in order to provide that service to the schools.
The Department of Education alone cannot do it.
Maybe I can assist the minister on this so that we can provide that service because we, the Nunavut people can do it.
We can help each other to provide that service.
I would like to have the assistance of all members but we have to work with all the Members of the Legislative Assembly and all the organizations that have requested this.
We're open to the organizations that we will be working with and I welcome the member’s comments that he would be able to help me.
But I can't just work with him alone, we have to work with other organizations.
Question 045 - 1(3): Review of Housing Subsidies for Staff
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister Responsible for Human Resources I believe, and if it's not in his area he can re-direct it if he likes.
Mr. Speaker, about an issue that was brought up earlier, when we talked about staff housing and subsidies.
Mr. Speaker, everyone is aware of people living in staff housing, living in subsidized staff housing and those employees, as a result of living in subsidized staff housing, receive an extra benefit of employment, that being a housing subsidy that private homeowners don’t receive.
I would like to ask the minister if this is something that he and his department are looking at addressing at all in this year’s budget or negotiations or if that is something that has been talked about.
Mr. Speaker, staff housing isn’t a part of the collective agreement process right now.
It is outside of that and as the member knows the staff housing responsibility rests with the Minister of Public Works.
So I can refer that question to her, although having said that, we recognize that Human Resources because of the staffing component does work on an intergovernmental committee with the lead department, Public Works, on staff housing matters.
I believe, and correct me if I am wrong, the minister redirected the question to the minister responsible for staff housing, the Minister for Public Works.
Speaker: I am not quite sure whether the rules allow for a minister to redirect a question to another minister, but if the Minister of Public Works is willing to take on that question, proceed.
The issues with staff housing are many and are very complex.
We have been working on a staff housing policy framework in the department and we have had to work with all different types of agencies and departments in this regard.
There have been interviews done with the Departments of Finance, Human Resources, Executive & Intergovernmental Affairs, Community Government & Transportation, Public Works, unions and the Nunavut Housing Corporation, local Housing Organizations, community stakeholders, CMHC, private companies as well as visits to some communities in Nunavut such as Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet, Kimmirut, Cape Dorset.
We are still working on the framework to be approved.
So all I can say is that we are working on the staff housing policy and it is very complex.
Mr. Speaker, I fully understand and recognize the complexity of the staff housing issue.
I guess I would ask that if employees in staff housing receive a benefit of employment, and it is my understanding that most staff housing units are subsidized anywhere between 40 and 70% roughly.
So it’s a benefit of employment that people living in staff housing receive that private homeowners that have made an investment in the community that they are living in and Nunavut, to live here and make this their home don’t receive.
I am just wondering if that is something that the minister is looking at addressing in the development of their staff housing policy.
We have also started a committee on housing with different departments and I think the member is aware of that, because I had given the information to the House on the terms of reference for that committee.
This is one of the areas I know staff have been talking about, so we will be addressing that too.
Mr. Speaker, members know that the staff housing policy is something that I have been inquiring about for almost two years now.
So Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister if she has any type of time frame that she has instructed the committee or her department to have something or a draft for her to bring forward to her cabinet colleagues to look at in the way of a policy.
When are we going to finally see something, I guess is what I am asking.
I have already given my cabinet colleagues a framework of the policy at the beginning of this month.
So we are just reviewing that.
Mr. Speaker I beg your indulgence not to tease me like this.
Say supplementary and I think I have one more.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has indicated that she provided a framework for a policy to her cabinet colleagues.
I would like to just maybe ask her when does she anticipate that is something that they will look at and when, you know what kind of a time frame are we looking at to see a new staff housing policy implemented.
The framework that I have given to my cabinet colleagues is just a draft and I couldn’t tell you on what date we will be finalizing this.
But we are working on this policy and I hope it will take less than two years to finish it. But as I have said it is very complex and I know the staff have put a lot of energy into this draft policy that has gone to cabinet.
That is all I can say right now.
Members will note that time has run out for question period.
We will return to the Orders of the Day.
Item10. Replies to Budget Address.
Replies to Budget Address. Petitions.
Item 11. Petitions. Item 12.
Tabled Document 005 – 1(5): Rankin Inlet Session Incremental Costs
I would like to table the incremental costs of the Government of Nunavut for the third sitting for the Rankin Inlet session, February 2000.
Speaker: Item 14. Tabling of Documents.
Tabled Document 006 – 1(5): Response to Petition 005 - 1(4)
Clerk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the response to petition 5-1 (4).
Motion 002 - 1(5): Extended Sitting Hours - Notice
I give notice that on March 2, 2001 I will move the following motion.
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Cambridge Bay that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker deems fit to assist with the business before the House.