EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The Minister of Finance gave us a fiscal update last year and we were in a surplus situation.
I find it hard to swallow that we are getting close to 30 % in fuel price increases and gasoline increases.
We don’t live in a territory where the snowmobiles and Honda’s are being used for pleasure.
Where I come from they are used to hunt and fish and gather food because the cost of living is tremendous up here.
So, my question today is to the minister.
How much is this fuel price increase actually costing the Government of Nunavut in dollars.
Is it millions. Is it multi-millions.
Or is it just into the thousands.
The stabilization fund that we were referring to takes over 400 thousand.
It was even higher than 400 thousand but the Auditor General was reviewing that and it used to be 5 million dollars, which would compensate for higher prices.
The Auditor General indicated that we can put it at zero because the prices of fuel are going up all over Nunavut at 14.8 %. (interpretation ends).
The stabilization fund right now with the increase is over 400 thousand. (interpretation) Mr. Speaker, is that what he’s referring to.
I am not sure if I am responding to his question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I know it’s a very technical answer she probably has to give to me, so I don’t want to be unfair here.
But what I’m trying to ask is if the government took some of the surplus, if the Executive Council, or FMB could say okay we’re going to try and bring the fuel prices down, you know a few more cents a litre.
I don’t want to sound like I’m asking all of Cabinet this, but I’m asking the minister responsible, did she make a case to FMB to say give me more money to put into the fuel stabilization fund to try to keep the fuel prices down a bit.
That’s my question and how much did she ask for.
During our meeting in Apex, when we were expecting that the fuel prices were going to go up, we discussed this further, what avenues we should take, so the fuel prices won’t have a big impact.
The figure we came up with was 13.9 and we had to justify this because of the fact that for two years it did not go up.
My colleagues, the Cabinet Ministers are aware of this.
We have looked at some ways we could decrease the burden of the fuel prices and we will try to assist.
In my Minister’s Statement I said for low-income families we would try to produce some support.
For the hunters we will try to initiate something through working with NTI.
My colleagues the ministers, I have told them that is the route we will try to take.
So, it will be the same all over.
Uqaqti, the minister raised a few issues in that answer, which are also very dear to me also.
We all know that not everything is great in Nunavut.
There are the working poor, the single moms that have to maintain their own homes.
You have the hunters that rely on a lot of country food to feed their families, and she mentioned that she is going to look at some kind of support to homeowners and what I call the traditional economy.
Will the minister be bringing something forward soon.
I am looking at the fact of giving the private homeowners a break on the high prices of fuel and the hunters and trappers being given a break on the high price of fuel.
I understand that the low-income families go through a difficult time and we are presently working on this to alleviate some problems that we are encountering.
I will be producing a paper very soon.
I think this is my final supplementary, but if it isn’t, I will another question after this one.
But on the proposed increases on a confidential document that the minister gave us, I do not want to sound like I am picking on anybody but Iqaluit was not there.
Does Iqaluit benefit from the fuel stabilization program.
Uqsuq oil buys the fuel and we sell the fuel.
We introduce the price and then they sell it to the Town of Iqaluit and it is up to them.
It is up to the Uqsuq company.
So, we do not put the prices on it.
That was your final supplementary.
Question 019 - 1(4): Advertisements for Nursing Staff
I am not trying to pick on the Minister of the Department of Health & Social Services of all the ministers and he already answered my question in regards to the nurses, where they do some advertising down south.
When will he show me that paper.
Speaker: Minister of Health & Social Services.
That letter concerning the advertisements and some of the other strategies that we have been involved in with the recruitment of nurses and other health professionals has been drafted.
I understand that it is being translated and the member should have it by Friday at the latest.
Question 020 - 1(4): Fuel Price Increases
My question is directed to the Minister responsible for Petroleum Products.
As we are aware the price of fuel is going up and I have a concern that it will not only be the fuel prices that will go up but everything else as well.
When the price of one particular item goes up then the others tend to follow.
That is what I am concerned about, if the other product prices will go up too.
We receive our funding from the Federal Government because we are Canadian.
Have there been any discussions about increasing our funding from the Federal Government because of the increases in prices we will have to pay.
That question is more directed to the Minister of Finance because it is referring to the Federal Government funding that we get and he was referring to that.
I think it would be more appropriate if directed to the Minister of Finance.
That was a quick response.
For example, our means of transportation in Nunavut are airlines.
We do not have any other means of going to another community.
So, if the fuel prices go up then the airfare will go up.
So, for that reason I am concerned.
I think that is why it makes it more logical that our funding increase because the airfare will go up because of the fuel prices.
It is getting a little more difficult to ask the questions.
We have two ministers now answering the questions from one member.
I think we will stick with the Deputy Premier on this particular issue.
Would you care Mr. Deputy to address the question.
I do not believe I heard a question there.
I believe the honourable member raised concerns about increased transportation cost because of fuel costs but there is really no specific question there.
I mean we would obviously have that same concern Mr. Speaker.
Question 021 - 1(4): Location of Gas Caches
I have a question to the Minister of the Department of Sustainable Development.
In the past there were geologists or mining prospectors and they would leave their fuel that they had cached away for future use.
They would cache drums and if their survey was done ahead of time, they would just leave them.
That is what we thought.
My question is about those sites that were surveyed, I wonder if the minister can find out where those sites were.
Can he produce that.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker and my colleague.
As of now, we are running the Nunavut Government and in the past there were projects that impacted NIRB.
After that organization was put in place in regards to mapping and what activities will take place, they had to be agreed upon if it affected the wildlife or the environment.
They can only be approved by these organizations.
But in the past those sites that he was referring to maybe, I can only say at this time, it would take a while to be able to tell him what those sites are.
But if he is requesting me to find out, I can direct my staff to see where those sites might be.
If he can possibly produce the paper even though it might take a while.
If he does there can be a couple of uses for them for cleaning crews, and the HTOs can be asked and employed to clean up those sites.
So, before three years if he can inform me of those sites.
If we are fortunate to find out where those sites might be, I will present it to the House.
Question 022 - 1(4): P3 Arrangement for Coral Harbour Meat Plant
Mr. Arvaluk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Can the Minister responsible for P3 Projects answer my question.
In response to my question to Mr. Kilabuk, about the planned proposal from Coral Harbour.
If the money cannot be found from the department to construct after the feasibility study or it cannot be ordered in time for sealift, can a P3 project type be arranged through the government especially for something that will be economical, financially economical for a Nunavut community like Coral Harbour.
Speaker: Minister of Finance. Minister Ng.
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in the last session I believe it was, this government has moved away from that concept of a Public, Private Partnership financing for major capital projects because of some of the accounting changes.
We are moving towards a more conventional capital lease arrangement for supply of any of our major assets as an alternative to self-financing it.
I take that answer as no.
I think it is a lot clearer that way.
Would then the Minister of Finance review to find out what projects like the Coral Harbour Meat Plant can be financed through private banks or any other means with the assistance of the government.
Or if some kind of guarantee or encouragement from the government could be arranged so that non-decentralized communities like Coral Harbour can benefit from their own initiatives like the meat plant.
Mr. Speaker, from the respective of the honourable member’s question about whether or not it could be public/private partnership financing for something such as a meat plant in Coral Harbour.
The answer would be no from the perspective of public/private partnership financing.
From the perspective of if it was a government asset and we wanted to build that type of facility in Coral Harbour or any other community, it may be yes.
I guess what I want to clarify, Mr. Speaker, is the honourable member speaking more of a private sector economic initiative versus government owned infrastructure, such as health facilities that we are looking at as possibly financing through the public/private partnerships.
I would think that in trying to be simple in answering the honourable member’s question, if it was proved viable that the meat plant, it wouldn’t be for the Department of Finance to determine that, obviously the lead minister would be Sustainable Development or through one of his corporations that he would be responsible for such as the Business Credit Corporation or the Nunavut Development Corporation.
If they were to determine that a facility might prove economical or whatever other assets for providing employment opportunities in a smaller community, such as Coral Harbour, if that would prove to be economically viable or a decision was made to try to establish that type of facility, then we could look at what forms of financing would be available.
Either conventionally as a regular loan through a business loan through one of the major banks or a financial institution or through an institution that the government, either directly or through a guarantee through the private sector, those kinds of alternative financing options would be considered, if a project like that was tried or trying to advance that for any community or any business venture.
Question 023 - 1(4): Change in Fuel Subsidy
Mr. Speaker, I guess I’ll address my question to the Minister responsible for Petroleum Products, save my housing questions for another day.
Mr. Speaker, last year, last February, it was in Rankin Inlet, the minister informed the House that the subsidy the government provided for fuel, for petroleum products was about 9.6 million dollars.
I’d like to ask the minister, if that subsidy has changed this year.
The subsidy program has been changed as of the Auditor General’s audit.
We indicated since our Government in Nunavut is new, we used to have a five million dollar stabilization program in place, however he suggested that it go down to zero.
I think we will be spending over 4 million dollars under the stabilization program.
Coming from the Federal Auditor General this was good news to us, but in regards to the previous stabilization program that had a 9.6 million budget, I can indicate today that the subsidy program that we put out has been changed to zero as suggested by the Auditor General.
We now have a 400 million dollar subsidy program in place for fuel price increases.
Mr. Speaker, maybe I can get this clarified.
Did the minister say 400 million dollars, is that what the member said and what does that refer to.
Does it refer to this subsidy out there or the total cost of all the fuels for Nunavut Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My apology, if I was not clear enough.
What I am trying to say is, the fuel subsidy program is at 470 million.
Pardon me, four hundred seventy thousand.
This is an interim subsidy program.
If the fuel price increases or goes up in a couple of years, I think that this 470 thousand will be sufficient for two years.
We have a start up fund for five million dollars, for two years.
So, we are keeping up with the fuel price increases in Nunavut.
We have already used 470 thousand dollars so far from this five million dollar subsidy program that we have put in place.
As the Auditor General suggested that we increase our subsidy program up to five million dollars, we have already used 470 thousand as of today.
Mr. Speaker, I am very puzzled yet.
I can understand how my colleague, Mr. McLean was asking earlier about adding from our huge surplus that the Minister of Finance was talking about earlier some money into subsidizing fuel costs for residents of Nunavut.
The minister is now telling us that the subsidies that were provided by this government last year of 9.5 million dollars has actually dropped to only under ½ million dollars.
Is that what she has indicated.
Speaker: Thank you Mr. Tootoo. Ms. Thompson.
Hon. Manitok Thompson (interpretation): We have two figures that I announced, the 470 thousand amount that I stated.
We have not provided any further increases here in the stabilization program like I indicated.
The amount of 9.6 million dollars, I understand he is talking about was provided for last year for all fuel subsidy programs.
We have different types of fuel in Nunavut, the amount that he is talking about of 9.6 million, I understand, and I will look into this further and clarify to the member.
The stabilization fund that I am talking about has a limit, and the limit is up to 5 million dollars.
But as of today, we have already used 470 thousand dollars from the 5 million dollar subsidy program.
Mr. Speaker I'd like to ask while the minister is looking up that information, last year the subsidies for heating fuel for homeowners in Nunavut was 3.8 million dollars.
Last year the subsidy for gas that people used was 2.6 million dollars.
I'd like to know if those subsidies are still there and if not why the government did not feel that it's important to subsidize the residents of Nunavut on these areas.
I'm sorry I don't have the figures right in front of me, however I indicated that we would have programs, different types of programs good for harvesters and homeowners but I will get all the information ready and give the member the information that he is seeking.
I will produce it in the House.
I know my department has all the subsidy programs in my department.
I will be producing the information that he is requesting.
Speaker: By the clock, question period is now over.
Item 10. Petitions. Item 10.
Mr. McLean: Mr. Speaker I have to apologize but I missed written questions.
Can we go back to written questions.
Speaker: The member has requested that we go back to written questions.
Written Question 001 - 1(4): RFP for Keewatin Business Development Centre
In the future, I will try to pay more attention to the agenda.
Mr. Speaker, my written question today is for the Minister of Sustainable Development.
I noticed earlier this week that the Minister’s Department has issued an RFP for an organizational and operational assessment on the Keewatin Business Development Centre.
One of my main topics.
Could the minister take this opportunity to advise the House the reason behind issuing of this RFP.
Support topics.
What specific problems the assessment is intended to resolve.
What does the department hope to accomplish.
Does the minister have any particular direction he would like to see the KBDC go in.
Time line for the assessment.
Will the results of the assessments be made public.
Moving on to item 11.
Reports of standing and special committees.
Tabled Document 003 - 1(4): Letter from Repulse Bay Hamlet on Community Freezer
Mr. Speaker I wish to table a letter coming from the Hamlet of Repulse Bay pertaining to the questions that I raised to the Minister Sustainable Development regarding community freezers.
The Hamlet of Repulse Bay is requesting a new community freezer.
Tabled Document 004 - 1(4): Nunatsiaq News Article “Nunavut Spurns Gates Foundation”
I would like to table documents from Nunatsiaq News.
“Nunavut spurns free money from Gates Foundation”.
Representatives from the multi-billion dollar Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are scratching their heads at Nunavut’s inability to accept donations that could range into the millions of dollars.
Tabled Document 005 - 1(4): GN Interim Financial Statements
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Mr. Speaker I am pleased to table the interim financial statements of the Government of Nunavut for the year ended March 31, 2000 and I would also like to table the mid-year budget update for the Government of Nunavut.
Item. Mr. Tootoo. Item 14.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Mr. Speaker I give notice that on Thursday, October 26, I will move the following motion.
I move, seconded by the honourable member for Kugluktuk that notwithstanding rule 4 when the House adjourns on Friday October 27, 2000, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, October 31.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Mr. Speaker, I seek consent of the assembly to waive the two day notice requirement for the first reading of Bill 1, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No.1, 2000/2001.
Speaker: Mr. Ng. Are the members agreed.
Bill 1 - Supplementary Appropriation Act, No.1, 2000/2001
I move seconded by the Honourable Member for Sanikiluaq, that Bill 1, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No.1, 2000/2001, be read for the first time.
It is so moved. Bill 1 has had first reading.
Bill 1, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No.1, 2000/2001
I move seconded by the Honourable Member for Pangnirtung, that Bill 1, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No.1, 2000/2001, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker the purpose of this supplementary appropriation is to provide additional funding for the Government of Nunavut for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2001.
Authority is requested for a total of 28 million 438 thousand dollars in additional appropriations.
This is made up of 17 million 210 thousand dollars for operations and maintenance and 11 million, 228 thousand dollars for capital expenditures.
Bill 1 has had second reading and accordingly the bill stands referred to the committee of the whole.
Bill 1.
Committee report 1-1 (4).
With Mr. Irqittuq as the Chair.
Prior to committee of the whole, we will recess for 15 minutes.
>>House recessed at 3.24 p.m. and resumed at 3.48 p.m.
Chairperson (Mr. Irqittuq) (interpretation): Welcome back.
Thank you for returning to the Chambers.
We will proceed with Item 19, on review of bills.
Bill 1. Mr. Havioyak.
The item we wish to deal with today is the Committee Report, 1-1(4).
Do you all have a copy.
Mr. Tootoo, would you like to do the presentation.
Mr. Chairman maybe before I start on this, I want to say that all the members will be receiving the consolidated copy of all the recommendations, and motions, they’ll be passed out.
So we won’t have to worry about combing through the report, trying to locate certain recommendations, there will be a list, just the recommendations being handed out to everybody.
Mr. Chairman, I spoke very briefly yesterday to the report, when it was tabled and it provided some of the background to the Standing Committee Ajauqtiit’s report.
Before we move on to any discussion on the recommendations, I would like to remind the members that as noted yesterday, the recommendations are broadly directed to the Government of Nunavut, with the expectation that the Legislative Assembly will collaborate fully in the follow up.
However, to the extent that provisions for how elections will be conducted in the future in Nunavut, will involve a new Elections Act and new working relationships with election officials from federal, municipal and Inuit organizations, the Government of Nunavut will play a key role.
Mr. Chairman maybe I would like at this point in time, to ask any of members if they have any general comments or inquiries to make based on the overview that I gave yesterday.
Chairperson (interpretation): Any questions.
You may proceed Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Tootoo: No news is good news, so it’s nice to hear it.
Mr. Chairman I will try to explain how we are going to do this.
The report contains 65 recommendations and we will be asking for 65 motions, one on each of the recommendations.
The motions and recommendations will be shared by myself and the other members, the other four members, the other 3 members of the committee that worked on them.
Mr. Chairman without further ado looking at recommendation number 1.
Committee Motion 001 - 1(4): New Elections Act
I move that the committee recommend that the Government of Nunavut introduce a new Elections Act for Nunavut rather than amending the current statute.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Those in favour.
Mr. Tootoo: I thought you were asking for a vote on the motions, Mr. Chairman.
Chairperson (interpretation): Everyone approved.
Committee Motion 002 - 1(4): Incorporation of Recommendations in Election Act
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, recommendation number 2.
I move that the committee recommends that the new Elections Act for Nunavut incorporate the recommendations contained in this report.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Everyone approve.
Committee Motion 003 - 1(4): Elections Act to be Easily Understood
Recommendation number three.
I move that the committee recommends that the new Elections Act for Nunavut be written in a manner that is easily understood by the voters, candidates and election officials.
Chairperson (interpretation): Could you please wait for the interpreter to complete.
Committee Motion 004 - 1(4): Development of One Elections Act for all of Nunavut
Recommendation 4.
I move that the Committee recommends that the Government of Nunavut review all Legislation which impacts on elections to determine if any of these Acts could be incorporated into one Elections Act for Nunavut.
Ensure that they are written in plain language and ensure that any consequential amendments or similar amendments to those made in the Elections Act for Nunavut are made in other relevant legislation.
Committee Motion 005 - 1(4): Analysis of Cost Saving Options
I move that the Committee recommends that the Government of Nunavut determine the full cost of running Territorial elections, including staff time so that proper budgeting can occur and effective analysis can be done as to where cost savings may be realized by considering various options for administering elections in Nunavut.
Committee Motion 006 - 1(4): Analysis of Non GN Potential Cost Savings
I move that the Committee recommends that the Government of Nunavut request information from other levels of Government and other organizations regarding the full cost of running their elections in Nunavut including staff time so that an effective analysis can be done of where cost savings may be realized by considering various options for administering elections in Nunavut.
Committee Motion 007 - 1(4): Incorporation of Values Statement in Elections Act
The Standing Committee’s report sets out a number of principles and values.
This should underpin a new Elections Act in Nunavut.
The result is recommendation 7.
I move that the Committee recommends that there should be a principles section in any new legislation dealing with elections, incorporating the principles and values listed in this report.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. The motion is in order.
Chairperson (interpretation): Motion carried.
Committee Motion 008 - 1(4): Establishment of a Central Elections Office