EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Yes, this is not new and I have given the opportunity to the regular members on February 22, I think it was about a week before the session was over, I wanted to get input from them, from my colleagues here and we were unable to deal with this issue on the last day.
I did the opening remarks and stated at that time that I would give the members another week to consult and get input from my colleagues.
We kept that open for anybody but I did not hear any input from the members and we had to implement this and bring it into effect for April 1st.
So it will take effect on April 1st, because we have to inform all our staff and we have to train on the new system.
I think there are over 90 businesses so they have to know the policy.
The private businesses will have to be consulted prior to April 1st.
In view of that we have to consult with the communities.
If we defer this policy we would have to use the old policy, which does not reflect Inuit needs.
So therefore the contracts will be coming up in the new fiscal year and the private businesses which belong to Inuit people won't have the opportunity if we use the old BIP.
I am not anticipating the completion of this yet, but our Premier stated that this would take effect on April 1st.
He did his opening remarks last month.
Did you consult with all the interested groups or private businesses whether they had a problem with this policy prior to April 1st.
Or because the NNI is going to be in effect on April 1st that is why you had put this information on the radio.
The public has heard about the NNI policy since we started in July last year when we started working with NTI and we struck a subcommittee in December.
They held meetings with various interested groups last year and the public was invited to have input to the policy if they had any concerns.
After we heard the concerns from the public we incorporated them into the draft policy.
In February we dealt with that again in Rankin Inlet.
There were people who were quite concerned and we got their input and made amendments to the NNI.
I would like to thank those people who gave us their input.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): My last question in regards to the policy.
NNI policy, I would like to ask the Premier as to how long he dealt with this policy.
Did it take him a year or a week to complete the NNI.
When we started with it, as I have stated before we started dealing with it in the beginning of July and we had to work with NTI and we started meeting with them in July and also in September.
I am sorry, we struck up a subcommittee to consult with the public.
It has been approximately half a year since we have been dealing with this policy. We have included that if we run into any problems some time in the future there is a provision in here that we will be able to make amendments.
If we run into any problems we will be able to make amendments any time.
So therefore we would like to review it again by next year.
I have on my list Mr. McLean and Mr. Iqaqrialu.
It has been a long time coming, this policy.
I am pleased to see that after all these years we are finally blending Article 24 and the old Business Incentive Policy because as a businessman in Nunavut every time I went to a tender and I had to bid against Inuit businesses I heard the same old story.
Finally now it is nice to see that it is in print, what an Inuit firm status means, because there is a large misconception out there among the business community what Inuit status means.
I am relieved, probably more relieved than anyone in this room, because I am a long-term businessman, to see it finally in writing.
I think it is going to help all of us work closer together.
It is a policy, I have heard a lot of comments, but it is a policy that is here and we can debate it for the next 20 years, but if we don't actually put it in place we won't know the ups and downs of it.
I have my concerns with it and I could probably talk to this topic for the next three weeks and I am sure that none of my colleagues want to see me do that so I will just keep my questions really brief.
I am glad that this government has finally showed some initiative to bring a policy forward that reflects the business interests of Nunavut and I fully support it.
Like I said it's a policy and we'll know by this time next year after the contracting season, and I'll hear about it, the problems involved and we can review it again.
I am glad when the Premier said that, that we will review it in a year from now and we will look at the problems that it has placed on the business community and maybe review it and revise it.
When I was contracting my biggest concern was not necessarily falling within the guidelines of a policy.
The biggest concern sometimes is getting people in to inspect the work that was done, and getting a prompt payment, because a lot of small business relies on fast payment of the bills and one of the things I don’t see in here is when you do a progress claim whether it is contracting or supplying I don't see the pay period and I guess that follows under the Financial Administration Act.
The old Business Incentive Policy was twenty days upon invoice received.
A lot of these communities don't have banks so it is very difficult to get paid and we all know what the mail service is like in our communities.
When a cheque is cut by the department of finance within the twenty days it could take another twenty days to get it to the contractor.
By then the contractor is calling the bank begging for a higher operating line.
I don't think the larger companies would argue with that either.
One of the things that I would like to see implemented in this, Mr. Premier, is a contracting invoice on a progress report paid within fourteen days.
I know whoa ! Whoa! All the people running around saying this is impossible to do.
But we also have to remember that this a small territory and when we are up and running and have most civil servants in place we are probably going to be one of the territories that have more civil servants in place than any other jurisdiction in Canada.
The thing is the second largest employer in Nunavut and probably the biggest trainer of the work force is the private sector.
So Mr. Premier I wonder if you would consider making the pay period on progress claims fourteen days.
Hon. Paul Okalik: Right now every vendor is twenty days so everything is twenty days but we are open to suggestions and that is a wonderful suggestion.
We will look into that.
Mr. McLean: Thank you, that is great news and I think the business community will be applauding that sort of policy decision, I know I sure would.
The other thing that has come up, and like I say I'm not speaking from the Iqaluit perspective, I'm speaking from the small community perspective, that the old business incentive policy was, too me as a small business man, a hindrance and I will tell you why.
If a contract came out to supply, for example if I'm a small contractor in a community and I happen to have a consulting business, or a tourism operation business, or just a small businessperson as usual, and a small contract comes out for ten thousand dollars for the supplying of material for a project in the community.
So I figure with my business connections and my business experience as a small businessperson that I could probably supply these goods and compete with the larger firms.
If I tendered on the project and I didn't meet the criteria of what a northern supplier is then you had no chance because you didn't stock an inventory.
That is one of the things that was frustrating in the past for small businesspeople to get into.
We've got to remind ourselves and the civil servants forget about this.
A business is a business but this is Nunavut and in order for us to encourage small business development we need to be more flexible in the requirements for supplying goods and services to the government.
If you look now there is probably only 4 or 5 major suppliers of building materials in Nunavut.
Now if an entrepreneur is aspiring in the business community to maybe being a northern supplier there was these stipulations in the past that hindered him from doing that, and the civil servants give you no flexibility whatsoever, and that is what I am saying.
Sometimes small business can't get to the next step because of what we throw at them and I have experienced this numerous times and I have heard other people say it.
So I wonder if you have considered that in this policy.
As long as you fit the criteria for what I like in here would it be possible to provide all services, if you feel and are given the chance and that is all a lot of small business people ask for, is the chance to bid on projects and contracts.
Hon. Paul Okalik: Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.
As I stated before we are removing any application policy for businesses outside of Nunavut. So that is a start, that the policy provides benefits for businesses inside Nunavut.
So, if you provide additional benefits to the community such as employing or creating Inuit employment you will get benefits out of the policy.
So it depends a lot on your practices as well as if you are providing benefits to your community I'm sure that the provisions of the policy will benefit any business person regardless if you are small or big, in our territory.
They have a higher chance if they provide adequate benefits to the people of Nunavut.
Time is ticking and if you have any questions please try to ask your questions briefly because we have to recess by 2 o'clock.
Mr. McLean: Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.
I have about 3 questions and I'll try to make them short.
Mr. Premier on this policy I don't see anything for incentives for northern manufacturing to start.
Is this being looked at.
I hope that we get into that in the future.
The first one hundred thousand dollars is covered for suppliers.
But if we can manufacture our own goods then I'm sure we can draft a policy once there is a sector.
Maybe there is one right now, I'm sure that we can look at that in the future.
Chairperson: Thank you Mr. Premier.
Mr. McLean: That is very good news also and I would like to know when.
But my second question is if contracts that are carried over from last year that have additional funds this year, will this policy affect it.
All contracts that were signed last year or even up to the first are under the old policy.
The new policy is initiated after April 1, 2000.
So all businesses will continue to be covered under the old policy until April the first.
Mr. McLean: I feel like I am pressured to ask questions and be short because I could go on for hours about this policy.
My last question, and I know it will have an effect, are we going to make sure that all the Hamlets of Nunavut implement this policy and if they don't how do we deal with that because it is our money that we give to them to start with.
We are trying it for this year.
The old policy covered Hamlets, but it was never enforced.
But we do have provisions in the new policy that deal with monitoring and enforcement.
So, each of the departments that contract out will be charged with enforcing the policy.
So they will be challenged this year for Hamlets, but I'm sure we will have to review it.
Chairperson (interpretation): Since this has not been tabled the reference keeps referring to the previous tabled document.
Even though these are not on the order papers.
I think now we will discuss topics from Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Chairman that is one thing I would like to clarify, because right now we are discussing according to the Chairman, the draft document tabled in Rankin Inlet.
I would like to be able to talk to the policy itself which as yet hasn't come to the committee of the whole and right now we are talking about a draft policy that is redundant because there has been a new policy put in place to replace it, with some changes.
I have questions on some of the changes and things like that.
I think we should be able to talk to the policy itself.
Not a draft policy that no longer exists.
So I've got some general questions.
But I think we should wait until later until the policy itself has been referred to the committee of the whole and then we can come back to it and refer to specific points within that policy.
So given that Mr. Chairperson, in the draft policy it states goods and  services and the premier had already indicated that its just on goods and I would like to ask if there was a rationale as to why services such as construction or any types of contracts weren't looked at for providing a ceiling or a cap on them as far as what the subsidy would be.
The reason why we just looked at goods is because the shipment of goods doesn't provide many benefits for the people of Nunavut.
Our services are provided in Nunavut so any caps that are put in place are set out up front like if you are based in Nunavut you get fourteen percent and if you are local company then you get 3 percent, and if you are an Inuit company you get 3 percent on top of that.
So, there is a twenty percent incentive under the policy.
So, those are the limits in place on bids that are given to Nunavut Government on contracts issued by the Nunavut Government.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you Mr Chairman. Mr. Chairman it is my understanding that the whole purpose of this policy is to help Nunavut business to offset the cost of doing business in the North and of being here.
I agree that is important however, if for example you take a look at a 10 million dollar project, if someone is eligible for twenty percent of that then that is a substantial amount of money.
Now twenty percent of 10 million dollars, is it costing that individual or company that much more to do that business in the north.
Can we afford to basically give that kind of money away.
Is there a way or a limit on how much it is.
Whether it should be half a million dollars or five million dollars or whatever.
Should there be a limit to what we are providing as a subsidy.
That twenty percent amounts to a substantial amount of money.
I'm just wondering if it is necessary and if we can afford to give this money away.
The Business Incentive Policy already provided twenty percent but what we have done is we reclassify how that twenty percent will be applied.
So we have been working under twenty percent incentive all throughout what we have been doing.
Re-profiling how that will be applied.
So we won't be paying any more or not much more than what we have paid already under contracts that we issue as a government.
Mr. Chairman, I wasn't asking if we were paying more I was just asking him if there was an analysis or something done looking at capping the amount that is paid on a 10 million dollar project.
At 20% that's a substantial amount of money that a bidder from the north, an Inuit firm from the north, could be potentially eligible for.
I am just wondering if on a large project like that is that a little bit overdoing it as far as how much leverage they have over a southern, or any other outside firm on applying for that contract.
I am not saying that whether we are paying more or whatever, but if there was a cap or a ceiling looked at other than the 20% on the large contracts.
Was that looked at and if not, is there a rationale as to why you feel that something, if that is something that we can afford to do.
I am not sure whether capping contracts was reviewed.
Like the 100 thousand dollar cap on goods, like if it is a 10 million dollar contract and a lot of it is goods, then only the first 100 thousand dollars is covered under this policy.
So for services there is no real limit because they provide employment to the people of Nunavut.
So that is where the cap applies.
For large scale contracts they won't get a lot of benefits under the policy for goods, but for services the amount of employment that is provided to the residents of Nunavut will be covered under this policy.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Premier, I realize that this document was developed with NTI's involvement.
I am just wondering if he could indicate as to whether they were in full agreement with all aspects of it or if they weren't were there some areas that they didn’t agree with totally.
If he could indicate whether there were any of those areas.
There were negotiations like on anything, and an agreement was reached and I had a joint press conference with Mr. Quassa the President of NTI so they are on side with this policy.
Mr. Chairman, in light of the clock I would like to ask that we return to this topic in the next committee of the whole and at this time report progress.
There is a motion on the floor to report progress and it is not debatable.
Abstentions. 1 abstention.
At this time we shall adjourn the Committee of the Whole and we will ask the Speaker to return.
Your committee has been considering Minister's Statement 50 - 1(3) and Tabled Document 27 - 1(3) and Tabled Document 41 - 1(3) as well as Bill 13 and would like to report progress, and Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the committee of the whole be concurred with.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. The motion is in order.
Meeting at 3 o'clock of full caucus.
Meeting at 4 o'clock of Ajauqtiit Standing Committee.
Orders of the Day for Monday March 27th.
I am sorry Mr. Speaker, a meeting at 4 o'clock of the Standing Committee on Culture and Education.
Orders of the Day for Monday March 27th, at half past one.
-Tabled document 27-1(3)  - Bill 13 and associated tabled document 41 - 1(3)
- Bill 14
The House is adjourned until Monday March 27th at 1:30 in the afternoon.
I would ask all the members to return to the House for a presentation in about 10 minutes.
We will be given a presentation shortly.
>>House adjourned at 2:15 p.m.
DAY 23
Monday, March 27, 2000
Pages 911 - 961
Minister of Sustainable Development  Hon. Jack Anawak
Opening Prayer 911
Ministers’ Statements 911
Members’ Statements 916
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 921
Oral Questions 921
Returns to Written Questions 937
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills 940
Tabling of Documents 941
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 941
Report of the Committee of the Whole 960
Orders of the Day 961
Monday, March 27, 2000 911
81 - 1(3): Minister’s Absence (Okalik) 911
82 - 1(3): Regional Superintendent Identified for Pond Inlet (Thompson) 912
83 - 1(3): Creation of Nunavut Arts Council (Havioyak) 912
84 - 1(3): Nunavut Transportation Strategy Contract Awarded to LPS Aviation INC (Anawak) 913
85 - 1(3): Income Support Policy Review (Arvaluk) 914
205 - 1(3): Decentralization (McLean) 916
206 - 1(3): Passing of Joy Halauk (O'Brien) 916
207 - 1(3): Decentralization to Pond Inlet (Nutarak) 917
208 - 1(3): Help Line Celebration (Tootoo) 917
209 - 1(3): New Anglican Ministers and Help Line Celebration (Picco) 917
210 - 1(3): Chesterfield Inlet Residential School (Anawak) 918
211 - 1(3): Family Well - Being (Irqittuq) 919
212 - 1(3): Air Links to Sanikiluaq (Kattuk) 920
213 - 1(3): Concerns of Akulliq Communities (Alakannuark) 921
286 - 1(3): Municipal Financing and Legislation Review (Akesuk) 921
287 - 1(3): Income Support Review Locations (Nutarak) 923
288 - 1(3): Department of Education O&M budget (Tootoo) 924
289 - 1(3): Income Support Review Locations (Iqaqrialu) 925
290 - 1(3): Community Government and Transportation Budget (Iqaqrialu) 926
291 - 1(3): Sanikiluaq Fuel Tank Farm (Kattuk) 926
292 - 1(3): Fire Insurance Coverage for School (Tootoo) 927
293 - 1(3): Decentralization to Smaller Communities (Alakannuark) 928
294 - 1(3): Budget Process to Reflect Nunavut (Iqaqrialu) 929
295 - 1(3): Nunavut Transportation Strategy (McLean) 931
296 - 1(3): Criteria for School Construction (O'Brien) 932
297 - 1(3): Francophone School (Kattuk) 934
298 - 1(3): Kimmirut Social Worker (Akesuk) 935
299 - 1(3): Status of 5 Year Plan (Tootoo) 936
300 - 1(3): Standards and Criteria for Community Halls (McLean) 937
Return to WQ 04 - 1(3): Rankin Inlet Birthing Centre (Picco) 937
Return to WQ 09 - 1(3): Health & Social Services Funding Programs (Picco) 939
Bill 10 - An Act to Amend the Boards of Management Dissolution Act 940
47 - 1(3): Letters from Nunavut Employees Union (Iqaqrialu) 941
48 - 1(3): Manitoba/Nunavut MOU (Okalik) 941  Monday March 27, 2000
Mr. Ovide Alakannuark, Mr. Olayuk Akesuk, Honourable Jack Anawak, Honourable James Arvaluk, Honourable Donald Havioyak, Mr. David Iqaqrialu, Mr. Enoki Irqittuq, Mr. Peter Kattuk, Mr. Glenn McLean, Honourable Kelvin Ng, Mr. Jobie Nutarak, Mr. Kevin O’Brien, Honourable Paul Okalik, Honourable Edward Picco, Mr. Uriash Puqiqnak, Honourable Manitok Thompson, Mr. Hunter Tootoo.
Speaker (Mr. Puqiqnak) (interpretation): I would like to ask Mr. Alakannuark to say the opening prayer.
Speaker (interpretation): Before we begin, I would like to inform the house of a letter received from Mr. Levi Barnabas, MLA for Quttiktuq, addressed to the Clerk.
“I’m writing to inform you that effective immediately, I’m resigning as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.
I will continue to be the Member for Quttiktuq.
Please advise my fellow colleagues of my decision” The letter is signed by Levi Barnabas, Member for Quttiktuq.
Before we go on to Ministers’ Statements. I would like to recognize a person from my community.
He has been working for the past nine years with the Power Corporation. I think this person is well known, Louis Arnakannuark.
Welcome to our Legislature.
At this time, I would like to go to the orders of the day.
Item 2 Ministers’ Statements Mr. Premier.
Item2: Ministers’ Statements
Minister’s Statement 81 - 1(3): Minister’s Absence
Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the Members that the Honourable Peter Kilabuk will be absent from the House from today, Monday, March 27, 2000 until Wednesday, March 29, 2000 to attend the Joint Meeting of Energy and Environment Minister and the Council of Energy Ministers.
Minister’s Statement 82 - 1(3): Regional Superintendent Identified for Pond Inlet
Hon Manitok Thompson: Thank you Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to inform you of some very positive progress that Public works and Services has made in an effort to prepare for the Decentralization of our Baffin regional operations.
I very pleased to announce that we have identified an individual to take on the position of Baffin Regional Superintendent for the Department in Pond Inlet.
Mr. Speaker, this position is a very important and valuable one.
It oversees all operations of the Department of Public Works and Services in the Baffin Region.
(interpretation)I am happy to inform you that Mr. Alex Sammurtok, currently an employee of my Department’s Kivalliq Regional office in Rankin Inlet, he has expressed a sincere interest in the Pond Inlet Regional Superintendent position.
Mr. Speaker, after considerable discussions between Mr. Sammurtok and other officials within the department, he has agreed to take the job.
To ensure that Mr. Sammurtok is given full exposure to the regional operations of the department, my staff will be providing him with extensive training, starting this May and continuing through July, here in Iqaluit.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very positive step in our decentralization efforts.
It will be a great opportunity for Mr. Sammurtok and the staff that he will have working with him.
I am also pleased to advise you the Public Works and Services is currently reviewing 8 solicited applications from Pond Inlet residents.
These applicants are interested in a number of the various positions that will be required on our Pond Inlet office.
Through these applications, Mr. Speaker, we hope to move closer to establishing a fully functional regional operation in Pond Inlet in the coming months.
Speaker (interpretation): thank you Minister of Public Works and Services.
Minister’s Statement 83 - 1(3): Creation of Nunavut Arts Council
Hon. Donald Havioyak (interpretation): Koanna Uqaqti.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an important event for the artistic community.
Mr. Speaker I am pleased to announce the creation of the Nunavut Arts Council.
My staff and I have been working very hard on establishing the council.
(interpretation ends)My staff and I have been working very hard on establishing the council.
We have worked closely with the artistic community, other government departments and with the new members of the council.