EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
As you will appreciate, the past few months have been very difficult for me, my family, especially my wife and my sons, my friends and my constituents.
I want to thank them for their unwavering support of me during this time, as it is their strength that enabled me to get through this experience.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for having tabled the Integrity Commissioner’s report at the first opportunity.
I want to state clearly that I accept without reservation the findings of the Integrity Commissioner.
I would like to take the time to read into public record a section from the Integrity Commissioner’s report, which states as follows:
“The member admits that he failed on four occasions to fulfill his obligation of disclosure.
He pleads that his failure was the result of honest error and his explanation is plausible.”
And he wrote, “I am prepared to accept the Honourable Member’s word that his failure was inadvertent and not deliberate, nevertheless it left incomplete and inaccurate the record, which the public is entitled to reply.”
Mr. Speaker, I fully accept the Integrity Commissioner’s judgment in this matter.
As he points out in his report, it is essential that all Members of the House be fully compliant at all times with the...
Mr. Simailak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker and all my colleagues.
Let me state again, I fully accept the Integrity Commissioner’s judgment in this matter.
At this time I acknowledge his findings in this matter, and formally apologize to the Legislative Assembly, my family, my constituents and all Nunavummiut for my conduct.
Mr. Speaker, I want to close today by saying that I look forward to continuing to represent my constituents in Baker Lake to the best of my ability during this session.
Member’s Statement 347 – 2(4): Hudson Bay Quest (Alagalak)
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) As the sun rises high and clear in the skies over the Western Hudson Bay coast, the people of my constituency will once again experience the thrill of the mighty dog team race which is called the Hudson Bay Quest.
Mr. Speaker, the race is to start from Churchill, Manitoba, on March 29, 2008.
Teams of excited dogs will race 250 miles along the frozen shore of Hudson Bay to their final destination of Arviat, Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, over the past few years this even has risen in popularity. The elders and general public of Arviat watch with amazement as the dog teams race each other to be the first to arrive.
It takes about two to three days for the teams to reach their destination.
Mr. Speaker, this event brings back good memories to the elders and the general community, as they recall the dog teams of the past which were the major mode of transportation. The dog teams of the past carried whole families from place to place, brought mail and supplies between Churchill and the Kivalliq communities.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the members to join me and celebrate and encourage the dog team owners who are in Arviat right now preparing for the upcoming mighty dog team race, the Hudson Bay Quest. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member’s Statement 348 – 2(4): Alcohol Education in Kugluktuk (Evyagotailak)
I rise today to acknowledge an important lifestyle development in the community of Kugluktuk.
Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of this month, Kugluktuk’s recently appointed Alcohol Education Committee began reviewing applications for the purchase of alcohol.
No longer can alcohol be freely brought into the community – it must first be approved.
Kugluktuk now has a way to manage who can purchase, possess and consume alcohol in the community.
And already, Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has noticed a reduction in the number of alcohol-related incidents.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the volunteers who sit on Kugluktuk’s new Alcohol Education Committee:
Millie Kuliktana,
Melissa McDonald,
Doreen Evyagotailak,
Susie Evyagotailak,
Valerie Daniels,
Catherine Kunelok, and also Chairman of the Committee,
Gary Kennedy.
Mr. Speaker, while it is important that we acknowledge the community’s willingness to establish this committee, and the important work of the committee itself, a lot of credit for alcohol education in Kugluktuk goes to our youth.
Mr. Speaker, when this issue was first brought forward, the children and youth of Kugluktuk took a stand. They made posters; they spoke to their parents; they marched from the high school.
Mr. Speaker, the voice of our children was heard loud and clear. It is our children who campaigned the loudest and had the most effect on public awareness of the damage that alcohol can inflict on our lives and families.
I ask my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the youth and children of Kugluktuk for their important role in addressing the issue of alcohol in our lives.
And, also Mr. Speaker, have a good weekend and some of us will be here in Iqaluit who will be trying to have a good weekend here also.
Your timing was perfect.
Member’s Statement 349 – 2(4): Praise for Repulse Bay’s RCMP Communication with Community (Mapsalak)
First of all, I want to remember and acknowledge a family that lost a son in Kugaaruk, and Katherine and her spouse, and I love you all and support you.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say how pleased I am with the Repulse Bay RCMP who are continuing to make efforts in keeping their lines of communications open with the community.
Mr. Speaker, the RCMP recently delivered a Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program, also known as DARE, to the grade five and six students at the Tusarvik School.
Mr. Speaker, the students are shown how to be assertive in saying no to drugs and to resist peer pressure.
This program also encourages students to live a drug and alcohol-free environment.
Mr. Speaker, visiting the schools also helps the students to know who their officers are so that they may feel comfortable in approaching them.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the RCMP’s efforts to getting to know the community members and promoting the DARE program in the community.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all RCMP officers in Nunavut to attend public events, community feasts, visit schools, so that they may get to know people in their community better.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Member Mapsalak.
Member’s Statement 350 – 2(4): Aboriginal Financial Officers Association (Peterson)
I rise today to inform the House about a good news initiative that I believe has the potential to pay huge dividends to organizations and businesses in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, sound financial management practices are the foundation upon which the success of our public government rests. We consider the issue of sound financial practices every time this House sits.
Mr. Speaker, I often point out to people from other parts of Canada that one of the strengths of our public government is that we are regularly audited, just like any other mature level of government in the country.
This transparency strengthens our credibility as a jurisdiction and should give confidence to our constituents. The fact that audit reports on the government are publicly considered and debated is another source of systemic strength.
Mr. Speaker, as the Co-Chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Accountability, I can say without hesitation that our ongoing and rigorous scrutiny of the government’s financial management practices has shown me that our financial officers are some of the hardest working employees in the government.
They have to be, because there aren’t enough of them, and they have to review countless financial documents to ensure compliance with government policies and regulations.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, finance officers from the Government of Nunavut, regional Inuit associations, municipalities and NTI attended the National Aboriginal Financial Officers Association conference held from February 12 to 14 in Montreal.
Mr. Speaker, there were participants from all corners of Canada at this important conference.
The conference facilitated the exchange of knowledge and information regarding aboriginal finance and management in Canada. Participants attended plenary sessions and learned best practices that used in other organizations which might benefit them in their own work.
Mr. Speaker, as an MLA, I have had the opportunity to participate in the annual deliberations of the Canadian Council of Public Accounts Committees.
I have learned that all levels of government face challenges and issues with respect to financial management.
In fact, my colleagues and I have exchanged information with our provincial and territorial counterparts that we think could benefit them.
Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to continue my statement. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Nunavut financial officers who attended the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association event held a meeting to discuss establishing a Nunavut chapter of the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association.
I believe that this is a commendable idea and we should support and encourage our financial officers to establish their association.
Mr. Speaker, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that representatives of NAM and NAMIX were invited to make a presentation at the conference on our very own Nunavut Association of Municipalities Insurance Exchange.
This insurance program has been very successful since its inception in helping NAM provide affordable insurance to their members. It was a very worthwhile investment by the Government of Nunavut and I’m confident their continued support will be appreciated.
Mr. Speaker, I would like the House to join me in congratulating our finance officers across Nunavut for their dedication and commitment to strengthening financial practices in their respective organizations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member’s Statement 351 – 2(4): Recognition of Tara Tootoo Fotheringham (Brown)
I didn’t forget yesterday but I didn’t want to say this yesterday.
My daughter had a birthday here, Mannie, I wish you a happy birthday.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today... I have to put on my glasses. (interpretation ends) I would like to make a happy announcement on behalf of my constituents in Rankin Inlet South.
The Honourable Chuck Strahl, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, had announced on February 21 the appointment of Tara Tootoo Fotheringham as a Member of the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board.
I think we all know who Tara Tootoo is. She is a very extremely active person in her community and she also has her own business and that business is running very well. I would like to congratulate her for her new appointment and it’s for two years.
(interpretation) I just wanted to congratulate her with you because she’s a young woman as young people are becoming more and more independent within Nunavut, and she’s very active in her community.
Tara, I congratulate you.
Member’s Statement 352 – 2(4): Implementation of Family Abuse Intervention Act (Tapardjuk)
We Inuit are changing with time; we are changing quite a lot.
When I was a young boy, I recall the mornings when I was trying to put on my Kamiik, they would be frozen solid. Further, our water buckets would be iced up because it was so cold in our house.
When undergoing that kind of experience, it seemed normal since that was the way we lived and this was our lifestyle; it was fine since we knew no other lifestyle.
This winter, in Igloolik, when walking through the streets, I see young men and women with frozen garments and frost bitten facial parts because of being outside in this extreme cold climate.
The school actually was closed for one day due to the extreme cold. This was due to the fact that the school furnaces could not keep up the heat in the school and the classrooms were actually cold. If the weather had been warmer, our children would have just walked to the school.
In hearing about closures due to the extreme temperatures, as Inuit, we often wonder why. It seems that Inuit are being softened up and losing their adaptation to this arctic climate. Whenever any type of hardship visits our communities, it seems that we must always stop our activities or close our schools and workplaces.
As Inuit, we grew up being taught about hardship and we would be strengthened by experiencing these hardships. We have to retain these strengths and continue to practice them, and that is what I wanted to mention.
And, in regard to the matter that the Premier raised that there will be a gathering to support those who are abused tonight and with the legislation that we are working on to address this, my mind immediately goes to our elders, many of whom are being abused today, frightened in their own homes by their own grandchildren and grown children. A lot of this is due to the loss of our cultural practices and changes in our lifestyles.
I wish to extend my gratitude to my constituents of Igloolik and Hall Beach.
We have been given tools and programs to address our problems, and if our traditional ways and values will be used as a foundation, I am grateful for this opportunity.
That is what I wanted to speak to.
Member’s Statement 353 – 2(4): “ED” Act and “ED” Department (Picco)
I know that it’s Friday and people usually do a lighter statement, but I would like to do a more serious statement if I may, Mr. Speaker.
Over the past several years in and out of this House, I have been the recipient of many gifts of words, items, comments, criticisms, accusations, and objects. I have received and been presented with bloodworms in a jar, talking duck dolls; I have been referred to as a rubber stamp, and last week, Mr. Speaker, given a light bulb.
Mr. Speaker, Ed has been compared to the great Thomas Edison. There is the Ed Act, and there’s the Ed Department, there is the Edergy Department, and there is an Ed Minister.
Mr. Speaker, in politics, you have to, as they say, get used to all of the comments, the accusations, and criticisms, that debates, and again, the disagreements between members and colleagues, and you can never, Mr. Speaker, in politics, please everyone.
But, Mr. Speaker, there is one thing I know: there is no greater honour than being elected to serve people and the public, and that’s what we do here every day.
Mr. Speaker, there is a proposed Ed Act by the Ed Department and, Mr. Speaker, they are under Minister Ed., and I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker, three Eds are better than one.
Member’s Statement 354 – 2(4): Radio Collared Seal Hunting Story (Kattuk)
I’m going to make a lighthearted statement since it is Friday morning.
Last fall, when the ice first formed, as per my usual practice, I went seal hunting at the floe edge. I went to a favourite seal hunting location; it’s called Ikirasak or Aukarniliit, which is a polynia. While waiting at the edge, a seal popped up its head so I shot it.
The sea current happened to be flowing in my direction, so I waited for the seal to come closer. I had a long gaff that was about 14 feet long, which is my floe edge gaff.
As soon as it came within range of my gaff, I hooked the seal carcass. Then I saw an unnatural object on the back of the seal, which triggered my suspicions and especially this thought: what the heck is that? I immediately had thoughts of explosives strapped to the back of this seal.
I believe last year, I stated at one point that researchers had placed radio collars on a number of seals, lo and behold; here I had harvested a radio collared seal.
Once I realized that it was nothing but a radio collar, I pulled out the seal onto the sea ice and since I was unsure of how to proceed, I became hesitant to flense the seal, but since I am an Inuk hunter who has harvested many different animals, as per my custom, I proceeded to butcher it as this would allow me to decipher the condition of the animal upon viewing its innards. With this thought in mind, I proceeded with the butchering. I also cut off the radio collar which had been adhered to the skin with some kind of glue.
When I reached home after my hunting trip, I purposefully left the radio outside my house since the wildlife office was closed and I wanted to drop off the radio collar to the wildlife officer in Sanikiluaq.
Mr. Speaker, I would like unanimous consent to conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker (interpretation): You still have a bit of time left.
In any event, the next morning, I went to the wildlife office to drop it off. After a night thinking about it, my original idea was to keep the radio, in case I ever get lost out on the land, if I had that radio, searchers would be able to discern my whereabouts.
Although I wanted to retain the radio, I felt compelled to drop it off at the wildlife office.
Although my snowmobile was on hand, I decided to walk to the office with the radio.
I was thinking that this would fool the satellite into thinking the seal had surfaced at Sanikiluaq and was either walking or crawling around the community, and that the researchers checking out the radio telemetry of this radio would think that was the case.
I just wanted to mention the pitiful seal.
Member’s Statement 355 – 2(4): Gratitude to Employees of CGS, QEC, and Ministers (Curley)
I rise today to state that we’re past the problems we were having in Rankin Inlet and I would like to thank the people who worked very hard.
I would especially like to thank the officials from CGS and QEC, and all of their staff. They worked very hard and I personally want to thank the two ministers because they kept us updated with what was happening.
We thank you for keeping the communities updated through the hamlet or through the radio and informing the public.
Rankin Inlet is reviving again and continuing on. The state of emergency was declared over yesterday and we have now put it behind us.
Further, this weekend there will be a hockey tournament with participants from all over, including from Qikiqtaaluk and our constituents are becoming a lot happier.
It was a stressful period, including our elders who again showed extreme patience and this situation is now over.
However, Mr. Speaker, I wish to remind this House that many of my constituents are raising questions, especially what caused the situation and the reasons for the delayed return to normalcy.
We expect these types of questions, and our job is to get answers to those types of questions next week and we want to hear some answers to these questions.
I just wanted to apprise the House that this will be the case and I thank everyone for their patience during this period.
Member’s Statement 356 – 2(4): Gratitude to Ministers, Mayor of Grise Fiord, RCMP and Teachers (Barnabas)
This morning as I was reading the Nunatsiaq News, I ran across this news item that stated that the Member for Quttiktuq was panicking in relation to Grise Fiord and the news about residents leaving the community.
I would like to inform this House and the public that I did not panic as per this news item.
Firstly, I wish to thank all those who were involved, especially our Premier, as well as the Deputy Premier, Levinia Brown, and Minister Picco, along with Leona Aglukkaq, the Minister of Health.
They were all instrumental in dealing with the issues we faced in the community of Grise Fiord and they were extremely helpful in addressing the challenges we faced in Grise Fiord.
As well, I wish to express my gratitude to the Mayor of Grise Fiord, as well as the residents of Grise Fiord.
Although it initially appeared as a frightful situation, we have met those challenges up to today. It is obvious that there are helpful spirits, thank you for the prayers and assistance.
I also wish to thank the members of the RCMP who met with the teachers and resolved the situation to all parties’ satisfaction.
Further, I wish to acknowledge the Department of Health and Social Services for their tremendous work, especially since the nurse was able to remain in the community, along with teachers, even though there was some tension in the community.
Mr. Speaker, it is quite obvious that we all learned something and due to this particular episode, we now have the experience to better handle future situations and to come up with the solutions as they face our communities and our government.
I would like to recognize a visitor in the Gallery, Mr. Jack Anawak. Welcome back to the House, Mr. Anawak.
As some of you are aware, Jack represented Rankin Inlet in the First Legislative Assembly of Nunavut and he has assisted the community of Rankin Inlet tremendously. Jack has also held various positions all over the world, including as Ambassador for the Arctic Nations.
I would like to welcome Jack Anawak to the Gallery as I hold him in high esteem.
Question 439 – 2(4): Community Awareness of Family Abuse Intervention Act (Alagalak)
My voice is kind of hoarse, although it’s not due to shouting, nor is it due to my advanced age, for your information.
My question is directed to the (interpretation ends) Minister of Justice, our Premier.
As most many times, new Acts seem to be put away in the files after they are passed through the legislature. (interpretation) So for that reason, FAIA, the new Act, which is the Family Abuse Intervention Act, will come into force on March 1.
It will have to be enforced if the law is broken, for instance, for being abusive, or being violent, or misbehaving, or hurting others.
How has the minister prepared to inform the communities about this new Act?
I went on the news and our staff in the communities are aware of this and they have been giving workshops, which I am very happy about.
They are working very hard to keep the communities informed and we will also have to work together on this.
And, I thank him for his question.
I thank Premier Okalik.
Once these Acts are introduced, often there are misunderstandings in the courts.
I’m pretty sure this will be translated but the different communities have different dialects, even though they have the same language. Some words mean different things in the different dialects and we want this Act to be understood.
It is supported and it is very important. If they have to go court, I wonder if the translation will be suitable for the particular community.
Mr. Premier, Minister Okalik.
I thank my colleague for his concern.
Yes, we want this enacted because it will benefit everybody.
I am happy the staff we will have in the community, especially the Committee Justice Committee, will have the numbers.
They want to be on top of this Act, so we will be available everyday.
I would also like to thank the Premier.
The people of Nunavut all know that there is a lack of emergency shelters in most of the communities. They have absolutely nowhere to go in the middle of the night.
In today’s culture, most of the houses are locked, so you can’t access the majority of houses anymore.
Could the minister tell us if we can have more shelters accessible to people who are being abused?
With this Family Abuse Intervention Act, we’re trying to alleviate some of the problems we’re experiencing today.
If we look at Inuit culture, what they did was they held a meeting right away in order to overcome the problem that had been experienced.
They faced the problem right away so that they could overcome it.
With the Family Abuse Intervention Act, we are going to be utilizing more of the elders and the local resources, and work towards healing or reconciliation.
If somebody was in a dangerous situation, they would be able to take a break from each other and the children would be with the victim.
We’re trying to keep the family intact and focus more on healing through this Family Abuse Intervention Act.
The council we have now is to take the men out of the house and just throw them outside without a place to go.
I’m sure that this would have to be factored in today because the houses are all locked up now and you don’t have free access. If a woman has to leave the house, again, she has no place to go and ends up just freezing outside.
Could the Premier inform the House, and I do know that there are few places that can be used as shelters, such as private homes, how many shelters there are in Nunavut that are used by people who are being abused?
At the present time, we use four options, and like I said, we would like to see more of the victims staying in their houses. We’re trying to keep the family intact and focus more on healing.