EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
There appears to be some uncertainty in certain government circles in the Government of Nunavut about who the Bathurst Inlet Port and Road proponent is. This mystifies me because I have known the proponent for 10 years and in fact I worked for them for quite a long time.
I was on the board of directors. If the government doesn’t know who the proponent is, I can tell them who the proponent is.
Can the minister tell the House if he and his department are clear who the Bathurst Inlet Port and Road proponent is?
I am sure that we can have a meeting with the proponent.
I think it is the Kitikmeot Corporation. If I am wrong, then the member can correct me.
That is the correct.
I thank the minister for that correct answer.
The minister mentioned a lot of important infrastructure projects in Nunavut, which we know there are many of them that we talk about and it would be beneficial to Nunavummiut. It would be difficult to prioritize them.
I wonder if the minister can tell the House if his department has any economic modeling software that they can use to assist them to project the economic impact of major infrastructure and major resource projects in Nunavut, such as the Meadowbank or the Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project.
Yes, some of our staff have said so.
We do want to see projects started.
The former minister of Economic Development and Transportation committed to me that the Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project would be front and centre at the forthcoming Nunavut Mining Symposium. I think it is being held here in Iqaluit next month.
In fact, he told me he would write to some or maybe all of the stakeholders and invite them to a meeting, while here, to discuss the project.
Can the minister tell me what his department has done to date to profile the Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project at the Nunavut Mining Symposium next month here in Iqaluit?
Hon. David Simailak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The mining symposium is going to be held here in Iqaluit.
I will have to ask them to get the response because they are solely responsible for that symposium that is going to be held here.
Question 097 – 2(4): Alternative Energy (Barnabas)
Yesterday, when the federal government was announcing their budget speech, they talked about the environment and the preservation...(interpretation ends)...and that they are looking for hydro, wind, and solar heat.
As well, has he looked into nuclear as has been suggested?
I am glad Mr. Tootoo finally recognizes a good question when he hears one.
The member is correct; there have been such efforts in the past to look at all types of alternative energy opportunities for Nunavut.
Right now, as I said in this House before, we are addicted to diesel and we are trying to move away from diesel. Right now, 100 percent of our energy is generated by diesel.
We are looking at opportunities with hydro; we are trying to look at opportunities that may be there with wind. We have not followed up on any of the earlier suggestions that were made in the past on nuclear energy, as such for Nunavut.
Mr. Barnabas: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) In regard to that matter, nuclear energy, we know that we cannot use it up here.
But in regard to that, in Canada, New Brunswick and Ontario are using nuclear energy. Is it also not possible to use that also up here?
Mr. Speaker, the member is correct, New Brunswick and Ontario in Canada and several states, as well as some countries mostly in Europe, use nuclear fuel as a source of having electricity generated.
In Nunavut, because of some of the issues and the economies of scale, it would be very difficult in having that type of opportunity here. There have been, in the past, political concerns with nuclear. However, in many cases those have been mitigated and negated with new technologies.
Could the minister look into the possibility of using nuclear energy and I think that the Nunavummiut are more educated and know that nuclear energy can be used forever. Is it possible for the minister to look again at nuclear energy?
One of the most famous exports of Canada has been the Candu nuclear reactor and I believe there have been some considerations at what we call the slowpoke nuclear reactor. That is something that Mr. Tootoo is very familiar with.
No, we haven’t really looked into moving forward with slowpoke nuclear reactors or any type of nuclear reactor.
That is not to say that it couldn’t work because again, due to the economies of scale, we believe that there are better opportunities with hydro, which is a renewable resource and it doesn’t have the stigma attached to it that nuclear has.
Has the minister checked with the federal government to see if they can fund hydro or wind energy?
I recently wrote the federal minister responsible, about an opportunity to partner with the government of Nunavut on some of the work we have been doing with hydro. We also have the Premier to thank, on Monday, during the federal budget debate, the Premier signed off on an agreement on the Ecotrust money, which will help us lead the country, I believe, in some areas of energy.
We are hoping to do a statement in the next couple of days in the House, a couple of good announcements on that. So we are following up with the federal government.
We have received a little over $5 million on energy related matters to look at green energy sources and to look at residual heat projects and so on.
Specifically on the hydro reheat project, we have a request into our federal partner and that is something that we’re trying to move forward with.
Question 098 – 2 (4): Student Assessment Testing (Tootoo)
Speaking about slowpoke, I’m going to ask my question to the Minister responsible for Education.
I know that a number of years ago I brought up an issue with regard to assessment testing in our schools.
At the time I believe the minister was not in support of that. And as my colleague pointed out with the sudden change in direction, the government, in this case with the criteria and testing statement that the minister did last week, they were a little slower at making that change.
I would like to ask the minister if he could indicate why when a while back when I was asking about it when the district education authority here wanted to implement that, the department was against it, and now they’ve come out in support of it.
When you look at the issue that he raised several years ago, and now when we move forward it is a bit slow on the uptake, in the poke session, I could see where he’s coming from.
So I would suggest if he would review my statement that I made, I talked about criterion testing. Criterion testing is when you have a standard in place from the curriculum that we have. We test against that standard.
So, as an example, when you get to grade three in the math test, for example; can you add, subtract, multiply, and divide a whole number, can you identify a fraction, and so on, that criterion standard would be in place.
A standardized test that the member was talking about, I believe, was the national standardized test where you’re testing a group of students against another group of students nationally in other jurisdictions.
What we’re doing is a criterion standard test with our curriculum in Nunavut.
I do have the Minister’s Statement in front of me, and my understanding at that time was the district education authority here in Iqaluit wanted to use the Alberta standardized testing, which is the curriculum that we use in our schools here in Nunavut.
So, anyway, I won’t get into poking fun on that with the minister.
In his statement he indicated that their criterion test for grades three, six, and nine math, as well as well as grades four, and seven language arts are in the works.
He goes on to indicate that the grade three math criterion test is now complete and it’s going to be implemented this April.
Can he give us an update as to when he expects these other levels for math and the language arts in four and seven will be ready to implement?
Hon. Ed. Picco: Mr. Speaker, part of the fundamental shift we’ve put on education since 2004 that has been recommended and actually seen and highlighted by Mr. Berger in his landmark study included putting new positions in for student assessment for the first time in Nunavut.
Those positions are located, as the member knows, in the community of Pangnirtung. One position was filled in January, and another position was filled in April. Those positions continue to work on those assessment tests.
We would hope to be in a position to roll out the next tests this fall which would be the fall of 2007, and again in the spring of 2008.
First you have to design the test, you have to trial the test, and then you deliver the test.
So there is a lot of work that goes into developing the criterion standard testing.
I just want to let the minister know that he always says, “…as the member was aware.” I wasn’t aware that those positions were there in Pangnirtung.
He indicated that they are developing these. Can he indicate which ones, and when. The math one is pretty straight forward - math is math - but I would think that the language arts ones for grades four and seven would be a little bit more difficult to develop.
So if he can maybe specifically state what their targets are for the grade four and seven language arts tests to be developed and implemented.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Tootoo. (interpretation) Minister of Education, Mr. Picco.
I just want to apologize to the member, when I member, I actually meant you as being the member in Pang.
The member is correct, there’s a long phase in program with the criterion standard tests, as I said earlier. We wanted to get the grade three one rolled out and that’s what we’re doing. The language arts and the other one, as I said, will begin this fall, in September 2007.
It is my understanding for grade three; they should be ready then by the spring, the following spring, which would be the winter and spring of 2008, and then continuing after that point.
I don’t know which member he’s talking to when he’s responding to a question. That’s why I got confused.
One of the ideas behind developing testing like this in our school system is not so much to test the student, but to test the system and identify where there are, or could be, potential problems in the system.
The minister indicated the Berger Report, and the numbers of 75 to 80 percent dropout rate would indicate that there are some serious problems with our education system.
I am just wondering if there are other plans, besides these tests, to take a look at the system itself, and ways to try and address some of the serious concerns that have been identified in them.
I thank the member for the serious question. In 2004, again over the last couple of years, since this government has been in place, we’ve begun a lot of different ways of looking at the education system, itself.
First, as the member knows, we’ve actually rebased the school funding formula to try to bring down each and every school’s PTR to one to 20, which is one teacher for 20 students in the classroom.
We have introduced the criterion standard that the member has spoken about. We’ve put new positions in our schools, over 100 new positions since 2004. We’ve also put in place new positions for counselling services and so on to look at some of the issues that our students are facing.
When we say that we have a success rate of a little over 25 percent that means that students that enter kindergarten; who have completed grade 12 is about 25 percent. What we do know is when students attend school, 60, 70, 80 percent of the time they are successful.
What we need to do is have a better partnership between parents and teachers and students to get them out of bed in the morning and get them into the classroom. It seems when they get to grade eight, grade nine, and grade ten; that seems to be falling off.
Right now, one of the things we’re doing is comparing schools in Nunavut to see for example, where school attendance is maybe 80 or 90 percent; what is working at that school, and compare it to a school where the attendance hasn’t been so good.
So those are part of some of the things that we have been doing over the last two years.
Tabled Document 048 – 2(4): Medical Travel and Escorts Costs - Letter from Minister of Health and Social Services to Standing Committee on Health and Education (Barnabas)
Mr. Barnabas: As Co-chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Education, I wish to table the letter dated March 20, 2007 from the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning the cost of medical travel and escorts.
Tabled Document 049 – 2(4): Discussion Paper for Ikummatiit: An Energy Strategy for Nunavut, March 2007 (Picco)
It gives me great pleasure today to table the following document which was long awaited by the Assembly. Hopefully in our spring session we will have to opportunity to debate it.
I am very pleased to table the discussion paper for Ikummatiit: An Energy Strategy for Nunavut, March 2007.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister. (interpretation ends) Can we have that document brought forward to the Clerk’s table please?
Please raise the documents so the pages know which minister to attend and bring to the Clerk’s table please.
Tabled Document 050 – 2(4): Nunavut Housing Corporation Annual Report 2004-05 Framing a Housing Solution (Akesuk)
I am pleased to table the following document: Nunavut Housing Corporation’s 2004-05 Annual Report - Framing a Housing Solution.
>>Applause  Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister.
Please provide the Tabled Documents to the officer’s table.
Minister responsible for the Department of Community and Government Services, Minister Brown.
Tabled Document 051 – 2(4): Ministerial Meeting Report – F/P/T Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management, January 2007 from Department of Community and Government Services (Brown)
Today, I am tabling copies of the FPT Ministerial Report on the 2007 meeting of ministers responsible for emergency management that was held on January 9 and 10 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
It should be noted that the work to continue from this meeting includes the development of an emergency management framework for Canada and a strategy for emergency training in Canada.
Please bring the Tabled Document to the Clerk’s table.
Tabled Document 052 – 2(4): Electoral Boundaries Commission Report - Kitikmeot Mayors and Senior Administrative Officers Teleconference March 19, 2007 (Aglukkaq)
I would like to table copies of meeting minutes I received from the mayors of Gjoa Haven, Cambridge Bay, Kugaaruk, Kugluktuk, Taloyoak, as well as the KIA president and vice-president, and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. first vice-president in response to the notice that was released in the House relating to the Boundaries Commission.
Please bring the Tabled Document.
Tabled Document 053 – 2(4): Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act - Election to Participate in the Supplementary Allowances Plan - James Arvaluk (Speaker)
Pursuant to section 7(a) and 25(b) of the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act, I wish to table the name of the new Member of the Second Assembly that has made an election to participate in the Supplementary Allowances Plan, Member for Tununiq, James Arvaluk. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
Hon. Ed. Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and colleagues.
I would like to take this opportunity to ask for unanimous consent to deal with my Motion 004 – 2(4) on the extended hours today.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. The minister is seeking unanimous consent to deal with his Motion 004 – 2(4) on extended hours today.
Are there any nays? There are none. Please proceed, Mr. Minister.
Motion 004 – 2(4): Extended Hours and Days (Picco)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues and thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Cambridge Bay, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker deems fit to assist with the business before the House during the Fourth Session.
Bills 1, 2, and 3 with Mr. Evyagotailak in the Chair.
And in accordance with the authority provided to me by Motion 4 – 2(4), the Committee of the Whole will stay in session until it reports itself out.
>>House recessed at 15:07 and Committee resumed at 15:35
We wish to continue with Bill 1 and the review of the main estimates for Health and Social Services, followed by the Department of Environment and Human Resources.
Chairman: Are we in agreement we continue with the main estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services?
Ms. Aglukkaq, do you have witnesses you would like to bring to the table?
Yes, I do. Thank you.
Sergeant-at-Arms, could you please escort the witnesses into the Chambers.
For the record, Minister Aglukkaq, please introduce your witnesses.
To my right is Dave Richardson, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Operations; and Shirley Alder, the Executive Director for Finance.
Chairman: Health and Social Services.
Members of this committee, we are falling behind schedule as we proceed with departmental main estimates.
I would again mention that once a member has spoken that I have discretion as Chair under Rule 77(1) to allow you to continue.
I plan to use this discretion so that we can achieve sufficient progress in our budget deliberations.
Once again, members, I am going to impose Rule 77(2), which allows me the discretion to recognize a member more than one time.
Does this committee agree?  Some Members: Agreed
The department’s business plan indicates that Community Health Committees of Council will take on greater responsibilities in promoting wellness and self-reliance.
What has the department specifically done to date to assist the Committees of Council in reaching these objectives?
Madame Aglukkaq.
I regret the member wasn’t here yesterday when we talked about that.
In summary, what I provided to the House yesterday was the Department of Health is working towards establishing and revisiting the terms of reference of the Health Committees in every community.
We sent the terms of reference to the President of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities to seek their advice in defining further the role of each Health Committee.
Currently there’s a Health Committee in every community in Nunavut.
Each Health Committee is different in terms of their roles in communities and what we’re trying to do is strengthen that.
At the same time, I tabled in the House the Health Integration Report, which puts out recommendations in developing a Community Wellness Plan for every municipality and developing stronger roles of Health Committees.
Some of the Health Committees operate under the hamlet function, others under the health centres.
So the role of the next year in dealing with the Public Health Strategy that we are moving forward on in developing prevention strategies, we will also be looking at strengthening the roles of each health committee as defined in the Health Integration Report.
At the same time I announced that we have two pilot projects underway with Clyde River as well as Cambridge Bay in trying to address base funding of these health committees, wellness centres in each community.
Not so much the committee, but the wellness centres and look forward to trying to address some of the challenges faced by wellness groups in each community when they are accessing federal funds through their Department of Health.
So that’s a summary as to where we are at in that.
I also would like to thank the minister. I would like to welcome you, minister and your officials.
Today I tabled a document on escort policy expenditures.
Baffin and Kitikmeot are identified, but in Qikiqtaaluk we have expended $20 million. I’m sorry, we have expended $16 million, and in Keewatin they have expended $20 million and Kitikmeot they expended $10 million.
Why, although the Baffin region has the majority of population in Nunavut, the base funding is smaller than the Keewatin.
The medical travel budget in my main estimates is based on the number of people that have traveled. It is not necessarily divided up by communities; it’s on a basis that we have one budget.
What we have reported here is the usage of the medical travel for the fiscal year of 2005-06.
That’s how it was broken down in that fiscal year in response to the question that was raised through standing committee on the number of travels by region, and the number of escorts that traveled by region.
So it’s on the basis of cost incurred to provide travel assistance to people in the north, broken down by region as requested by the standing committee.
In total we processed over 33,000 airline tickets in that fiscal year and that’s how it’s broken down in that document that the member tabled this afternoon.
I’m trying to get clarification. It doesn’t seem like the Keewatin can expend $20 million, when the Baffin region can expend $16 million; that’s a $4 million difference.
Why is it more expensive, what’s the reasoning for the gap?
The travel aid, perhaps the difference between the other two regions is that many individuals up island travel to Iqaluit, which may be less cost in transporting patients or the less travel cost for airline tickets.
Can the minister clarify, like for example, Sanikiluaq is included in one of those regions, then we understood yesterday from my colleague, when Mr. Kattuk went to the hospital, he had to travel through Montreal, Winnipeg, and up to Churchill.
And, if there were no services provided in Churchill, he would have to go back to Winnipeg.
How can you justify that when you expend that amount of money?
I can’t speak to the individual patient travel; I can speak to the program itself. In response to the member’s concern, if he can give me the details of that, the name of the patient and the situation and so on, I can respond to it. But generally speaking, we provide airline tickets for people to get treatment outside of our territory.
The information the member tabled is a breakdown of how we used the funding in 2005-06.
As it relates to a particular person’s travel, I would much prefer to deal with that type of detail with the information of the name of the person and so on, because they are case-by-case and relate to a person, instead of a program outline.
So if the member is willing, if he can provide that to me I can respond to the issue.
We’re on page H-5.
Members, please, if you have questions on medical travel, wait until we get to H-13.
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Yes, I would like to ask the minister questions on that again. And thank you for the information, Mr. Chairman.
I have another question under H-5.
The committees that have representatives in the community, will they be receiving more money in 2007-08, or will their funding be cut?
There are no plans to reduce the current funding that we provide to our Health Committees.
What specific activities and accomplishments have the Committees of Council been involved with during the past year?
The functions of each Community Health Committee vary by community.
In the case of Clyde River, they have been very active through the society in delivering programs on the land for suicide prevention, or counselling, or mental health services.
Cambridge Bay is another example where they’ve been very active and have identified community needs and directed those needs to the wellness centre, or provide advice to the health centre.
So every community’s committee functions and what they’ve done is different, and each committee, for the most part, work under the hamlet, so their activities vary.
The information that I have sent to the President of Nunavut Association of Municipalities is to further define the roles of Health Committees and building a broader link to the government in developing initiatives that contribute to community wellness.
We talked about ‘Healthy Communities,’ what does that mean?
A big role of the Health Committees is to, I believe, identifying what some of those community based initiatives should be.
This coming year, under the Health Integration Report, and the Public Health Strategy that is under way, we are looking at developing community wellness initiatives around keeping people healthy.
Those will be activities that I hope to be able to bring forward to the House and report back on.