EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I have difficulty agreeing with this figure, as in my estimation, this may be the tip of the iceberg with many more cases.
Can the minister elaborate on how this number was arrived at? I’m referencing his statement about 245 units having mould.
I can inform my colleague regarding his question that we collaborate with the local housing association on this and other matters. As an example, when dealing with the mould issue, the local organizations have intimate knowledge of the units under their control.
With respect to which units may have mould, what I can state unequivocally is that these LHOs made those decisions about their local units, which was the foundation for identifying the 245 units throughout Nunavut, based on the LHO determination and (interpretation ends) information (interpretation) which we received.
Further, with regard to his earlier question about when the mould clean-up would begin, I can state that the LHO maintainers were provided with the proper training.
Funding has been set aside for that purpose on the proper procedures for the clean-up of the mould, as it cannot just be cleaned due to the hazardous nature of the substance.
Training proceeded as planned throughout the three regions.
I can’t state that clean-up will occur until after the communities have undertaken the work and we receive a report on how the clean-up proceeded. I will ensure that I request a report from the LHOs to make a final report on the remediation efforts.
Question 425 – 4(3): Overtime Expenditures (Mikkungwak)
Earlier this week the government’s response to a recent written question concerning overtime expenditures was tabled in the House.
I have now had the opportunity to review the document with care.
According to the response, the government spent a total of $23.9 million on overtime during the 2014-15 fiscal year.
This amount increased to $25.9 million in the 2015-16 year, which represents an increase of over 8.5 percent in just a single year.
Can the minister indicate if he is concerned with this significant increase in overtime expenditures?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure Mr. Mikkungwak, all MLAs, all cabinet ministers, and all deputy ministers out there that I am greatly concerned.
My deputy minister and former deputy minister hear constantly from me about the enormous amount of overtime in all government departments and certain territorial corporations.
Overtime expenditures at the Department of Justice were just over $3.03 million in the 2015-16 fiscal year.
In July of 2015 the Department of Justice issued a request for proposals for an organizational review of staffing, overtime, and other issues in the Corrections Division.
Can the Minister of Finance confirm whether or not the Minister of Justice has presented him with the findings from this review and, if he has, can he indicate what recommendations have been made to reduce overtime costs?
I thank Mr. Mikkungwak. I can assure Mr. Mikkungwak that the Minister of Justice has heard from the Minister of Finance about overtime at Corrections. In fact the Minister of Justice has assured me as the Minister of Finance that the Deputy Minister of Justice is working very closely with corrections officials out there to address the overtime and come up with some reasonable solutions to the overtime at Justice.
I would like to thank the Minister of Justice for his cooperation.
It’s very reassuring that the Minister of Finance and Minister of Justice can communicate amongst each other.
A total of just over $75 million is planned to be spent over the next few years on the Qikiqtani Correctional Healing Centre project.
It makes sense to assume that this project will result in more staff being hired.
Can the minister indicate what impact this project will have on staffing and overtime expenditures?
Obviously we’re going to have to hire some more staff.
In the report that was completed, I believe the consultants who worked with the corrections staff actually recommended that we create 40 plus more positions.
Before we get to that stage in Corrections, I believe, if that project is approved, it will come on stream 2021.
We’re working very hard and coming up with mechanisms to address the overtime and the shift changes.
I believe, through the new collective agreement, there have been some recommendations that may address some of the overtime in the various departments.
We will see how that plays out.
If that contract gets ratified and implemented over the next… . We’re already two years into the collective agreement. It gets ratified two more years beyond that and then into future negotiations, but we’re working hard on it.
Again I assure you that the government is very concerned about the overtime. All deputies receive the reports monthly.
They should be sitting down with their directors and managers to discuss the overtime. I would presume.
I’m not down at that level monitoring, but they’re recommending solutions to address the overtime.
There may be very good reasons for some of the overtime, if you’re covering vacant positions that can’t be staffed, people on vacation, people on maternity leave and other types of leave.
There may be very valid reasons for a lot of the overtime.
Question 426 – 4(3): Nunavut’s Municipal Funding Program (Angnakak)
I’m going to make him earn his money today.
As the minister is aware, the government distributes contributions to all non-tax-based municipal corporations to assist in the costs of delivering municipal programs and services through its Municipal Funding Program under the department’s Municipal Funding Program Policy.
According to the department’s Municipal Funding Program Policy, “The amount of the contribution to each non-tax-based municipal corporation shall be calculated annually.”
According to that policy, this amount is obtained according to a number of factors, including “applying a community uniqueness factor to each municipal corporation, which includes factors such as road length, [Northern] cost index and settlement allowances which are distinctive to each municipality.”
Can the minister describe the additional factors, if any, the department takes into consideration when determining the distribution of funding for municipalities under the Municipal Funding Program?
There are many factors that come into funding non-tax-based communities, which are all the communities except for Iqaluit.
Right now we’re in the final stages of reviewing our Municipal Funding Program. The formula that is used right now may or may not be the same because we have been reviewing it and we’re almost done the review.
Once it’s done, it will be looked at and analyzed, but like the member said, there are many different formulas that are used to come up with this block funding. There is the size of the community population-wise, like she said, how many roads are there and what infrastructure is there. All of this is being looked at right now and it’s being reviewed.
Once the review is done, we may have a different formula or we may stay with the same with a bit of tweaks.
Can the minister clarify how his department calculates the municipal cost index for each community in Nunavut and will he commit to making the municipal cost indexes for each community publicly available?
As I stated earlier, there are many different formulas on there.
I don’t have the level of detail right now as to exactly how the cost index is calculated, but I can get back to the member and let her know exactly how it’s calculated.
This may or may not be still in existence once the review is done, but I will get back to the member and let her know how this is calculated.
I believe that it is important that the government provides clear and comprehensive information to each municipality on how the distribution of funds under this program was determined, on an annual basis.
Mr. Speaker, I also believe that municipalities should have the opportunity to review this information and to raise any concerns that they may have with the funding that they receive.
Can the minister indicate how his department ensures or will ensure under the new formula, if they come up with one, that each hamlet council in Nunavut has the opportunity to review the results of his department’s annual calculations?
If there is any appeal process perhaps, if they didn’t agree with it, can the minister elaborate if hamlet councils will be able to have that kind of level of engagement should they disagree on the annual calculations under the Municipal Funding Program?
The Municipal Funding Program, like I said, is being reviewed.
Once the review is done, the information will be shared through NAM and NAMA.
All hamlets, through their representatives, will have input on it. We don’t come up with a formula on how to fund the hamlets in a vacuum; we work with our municipalities through their organizations of NAM and NAMA.
They definitely will have input because our goal is to keep hamlets healthy in a financial situation and we will work with them.
There are some hamlets that are better at managing their finance than others, and we help in that way too.
The funding formula is there, but that’s not the only reason why hamlets are doing good or not financially.
They have to have the resources to run their finances properly.
We want to make sure that they’re funded adequately, but we also want to make sure that the funding is used adequately.
We will help the hamlets achieve their goal of running their own hamlets properly. Each hamlet is like their own little government. We help them out, but we don’t dictate on how to run their hamlets.
We work with all the hamlets to make sure that they are adequately funded.
Question 427 – 4(3): Energy Efficiency Initiatives (Okalik)
Last month a news article was aired on CBC that the Government of the Northwest Territories had spent $450,000 to purchase the new LED lights that are more energy efficient.
Out of these funds, they will install 10,000 light bulbs in homes that use fossil fuel to generate their electricity.
According to the report, the savings will accrue in each house getting $300 per annum in energy savings.
Has the housing corporation taken this type of tangible energy savings into consideration, in particular for the public housing units?
We pay for these costs as a government and these types of initiatives can result in savings throughout Nunavut in a more beneficial, fuel-efficient manner.
I want to ask the minister if these types of initiatives have been looked into.
Mr. Speaker, when dealing with the challenges of managing housing units, one has to look at all manner of cost savings wherever possible, especially in lowering the costs of materials or even costs associated with energy generation. We are continually looking for savings in all areas and we are open to reviewing them with our partners, the LHOs, as well as other organizations.
Nonetheless, with respect to the project the member alluded to in the NWT, this news article is one I haven’t reviewed.
Therefore I do not know if this is included in the review.
However, even without the information, with respect to his question whether we can look into this, I would have to research that issue from our department, or NHC, to provide further information regarding this issue to my colleague.
I’m just extrapolating that scenario where our power and electrical costs are much higher, their estimate of cost savings is $300 per household annually.
In looking at that same scenario here in Nunavut, many costs that are associated with managing buildings are paid for by government and these cost savings per building could really cut into our annual expenses.
Can the minister work with the Nunavut Housing Corporation to start plans to install energy-efficient light bulbs in Nunavut to realize these cost savings?
As per my earlier statement, since I don’t have the information specific to the member’s question, I can’t respond to it. However, my department, or NHC, can look into this matter to see the viability.
If plans are to proceed related to his question, I will identify it and provide an announcement indicating that plans are underway.
I understand that the planning process is not simple.
Nevertheless, we need to conduct research on ways to provide more benefits to our communities that is not too onerous.
I would like the minister to collaborate with his colleagues on this issue and to prepare a report perhaps for the winter session on the progress to date, with a prepared plan which I would like to see tabled.
Let me reiterate that I will commit to looking at this matter with my departmental officials related to the member’s question.
Yes, I agree that I need to collaborate with my cabinet colleagues on a government-wide approach.
However, I can’t commit to having a completed plan to this effect nor can I say that this plan has been initiated as of today.
I will have to discuss this with the department officials on what steps would be required to complete that.
Question 428 – 4(3): Ministerial Relations with LHOs (Mapsalak)
Mr. Speaker, prior to leaving my home community of Naujaat, a representative of the housing association came to chat with me and he stated that correspondence would be prepared for signature for the chairman of the LHO to be sent to the minister responsible.
Nonetheless, when they looked into this issue, there was a comment stating that the housing corporation offices in Arviat had a policy that any correspondence, irrespective of whether it came from the LHO chairperson, if the letter is sent to the minister, then the housing corporation has to first review it prior to passing it along to the minister to check on the relevancy. This is a bit much.
I wonder if the minister can respond as to why the office has a policy to vet correspondence to the minister when the LHO members are elected to their positions by community household members.
With respect to the member’s question, I don’t know that for a fact, so I personally cannot answer that question.
What I can say, though, is I or my office here in Iqaluit or the regional offices in the Baffin, Kitikmeot, or Kivalliq are avenues for MLAs to submit information requests from or directly to my attention. They can use any avenue to submit the information request and I am aware of this practice.
Either through the Iqaluit offices or through the Arviat offices or alternatively via their local office, if one exists, all of these avenues can be used.
However, with regard to an actual policy existing, as per the member’s question, I personally am not aware of such a policy.
If I understood the minister correctly, that is what is required.
Is the minister saying that the LHO can draft up a letter on any subject directed to his attention, but that it has to go through the Arviat offices? If the letter came from Naujaat, they first have to check with the Arviat office to ascertain if the letter is legitimate.
Did I understand his response correctly?
No, that isn’t the way it is set up, so the member misunderstood my response.
What I am saying is that anyone who wants to get clarification from me or the local housing association, they can send the correspondence.
To use his question as an example, if a letter is sent from the Naujaat LHO and they wish to send it directly to my attention, they have that capacity and they don’t need to submit it to one of our offices.
If you wish to draft a letter to me, either through email or letter, you may do so.
However, what can make it easier is if they use the district offices or even the headquarter offices.
What I am saying is that I can’t determine if what the member is questioning is indeed the case, but I can say no, that isn’t how it is to be set up as correspondence can go through any of these avenues if you wish to get any housing issue clarified.
Perhaps the minister can check into this and submit an actual chart showing how correspondence is submitted to his attention and to determine whether or not the district offices are vetting the letters. I would like to get a clear indication of how correspondence reaches him, perhaps through an organizational chart that he can provide me, so that I can respond back to the housing association board on the actual practices followed.
I will be able to provide my colleague with an explanation about this matter.
Question 429 – 4(3): Language Services for Elders (Joanasie)
Mr. Speaker, this summer it was brought to my attention that a number of Nunavut elders are currently receiving care in an Ottawa seniors’ residence with very little access to Inuktitut language services.
I wrote to the minister regarding this issue and I would like to thank him for his reply.
Currently, elders receiving long-term care services that do not fall under the contract services provided by the Ontario Health Services Network do not receive interpreting services except on an as-needed basis.
Can the minister clarify what steps have been taken to improve interpreting services for clients who receive services in Ottawa that are outside of the OHSNI contract?
Hon. George Hickes: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for bringing awareness to this issue to me and my office.
I was in Ottawa last week and I met with the OHSNI chair of the board as well as the executive director there. On an interim basis I have negotiated a temporary measure for them to provide some translation services.
Again, it’s more of an as-needed type service. I know there’s one particular facility located very close to Larga Baffin that the OHSNI translators can go in and assist the residents there.
We’re currently exploring options and opportunities to have longer term, full-time interpretation services available to residents that are in long-term care facilities.
It is a little challenging when the number of residents that are in these facilities… . It’s difficult to weigh the balance on making sure that we are getting cost-effective care for our residents in those facilities and making sure that their needs are being met from a language and cultural component.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the minister’s willingness to explore options that will help improve the living environment of our elders who are receiving care outside of Nunavut.
I would like to ask him if he can provide an update on what efforts are being made to ensure that services for Nunavut residents who are receiving care in other jurisdictions are inclusive of Inuit culture and language.
As he stated, Nunavummiut go outside of the territory, not of their own doing, because this care is not available in the territory.
What efforts are made to include culturally appropriate or linguistic measures?
It’s a very important issue. One of the things, even as recently as earlier this week when I was at the health ministers’ meeting in Toronto, I spoke to the challenges that Nunavut has as a territory of not being able to provide for residents in-territory.
Ultimately our goal is to provide the care in-territory by caregivers from Nunavut where residents can stay in Nunavut.
Unfortunately, due to the high-level needs of patients, that’s a challenge for us infrastructure-wise and capacity-wise.
We are forced right now to send people to outside-of-territory care and in the short term that is the only option available to us.
That being said, we are reviewing all the components of the level of care that we are providing outside the territory, and examining ways that we can assist our partners in providing that care with a strong cultural and language component to it so that our residents are eating food that they’re familiar with or are being able to speak their language amongst their peers.
It’s a serious focus that I have and I know that we are looking at different options.
I can’t say exactly. It’s very preliminary since I took over the portfolio. I’m sure there has been some work done in the past from previous ministers and this topic has been revitalized.
I understand that there is a staff complement of approximately ten interpreters in Ottawa who work hard to provide language services to Nunavut clients.
Can the minister clarify whether his department will be increasing the number of interpreting staff in Ottawa to provide support to unilingual Nunavummiut who are sent away from home to receive health services?
As of right now I haven’t been made aware of any concerns on the number of translators not being able to meet the current need.
I’m sure there are continual meetings that the Department of Health has with OHSNI.
If that need is realized, I’m sure that would be part of our negotiations with that group to make sure that we’re able to meet the needs of our residents.
Question 430 – 4(3): Building Maintenance Division (Mikkungwak)
As the minister is well aware, his department’s Building and Maintenance Division operates and maintains government-leased and owned facilities on behalf of client departments for their program delivery operations through general maintenance, emergency maintenance, and minor works.
Can the minister explain, once an employee identifies a need for general maintenance in their workplace building, what specific steps must be taken in order for the maintenance to be completed?
I thank the member for bringing his concern out.
Maintenance is part of every building that is occupied. It depends on who owns the building and what kind of leases were agreed to and signed to on buildings.
I can’t tell the member exactly what happens on every occasion when there are maintenance issues, but there is a process and it depends on the conditions of the lease and it depends on whether we as a government own the building.
The reporting process would be that if the employee sees something that needs maintenance and was brought up to the supervisor, and then the supervisor would notify someone to get the repairs done.
As I stated, it depends on terms and conditions of the lease, if it’s a leased building. If it’s a government-owned building, then the government staff would take care of the maintenance.
Mr. Mikkungwak: Mr. Speaker, I understand that there are numerous government-owned and leased buildings in each community.
I also understand that buildings age and wear down over time and that the department may see any number of requests for minor works and repairs in a given community at a given time.
Can the minister clarify how his Building and Maintenance Division prioritizes projects for general maintenance and minor works within the community?
There are two systems here again, whether it’s a government-owned building or a government-leased building. I’ll speak to the government-owned buildings.
CGS maintains government-owned buildings, but it is the client departments to bring up the issues of maintenance and each department does have lifecycle repairs that are done to buildings because our buildings have to be up to code and they have to be safe.
The number one priority that is used, whether or not maintenance is done on a building, would be safety. If there is a safety issue, then that has to be acted on immediately. If it’s aesthetics, then it’s further on down the scale.
We do have a system on when we maintain it, like I told the member, whether it’s a government-owned or a leased building.
For government-leased buildings, the lease would stipulate how maintenance is done on that building.
For government-owned buildings, we do have lifecycle repairs that are done on all buildings to keep them up to the standards and up to codes, make sure they’re safe, and further on down the scale, make sure they look good too.
Mr. Mikkungwak: Mr. Speaker, when a building is well constructed, it will usually last longer and require less maintenance and repairs.
I recognize that as part of its work to improve its capital planning process, the department has previously conducted post-occupancy evaluations.
The department’s 2016-19 business plan indicates that it has completed post-occupancy evaluations for major capital projects that “capture information on design/construction issues, occupants’ satisfaction with space, and lessons learned.”
Will the minister commit to tabling the results of his department’s post-occupancy evaluations in the House?
When we do any construction or maintenance, we do want to get the best value for our money.