EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I wish to report that Bill 12, Northern Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan Protection Act, has been reviewed by the Standing Committee on Legislation and that the bill is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 68(6) and have Bill 12 immediately moved into Committee of the Whole.
The member is requesting to waive Rule 68(6) so that Bill 12 can proceed immediately into Committee of the Whole.
Bill 12 is immediately referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Committee Report on Bills 005 – 3(2): Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Retirement Plan Beneficiaries Act (Okalik)
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker and my colleagues. (interpretation ends) I wish to report that Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Retirement Plan Beneficiaries Act, has been reviewed by the Standing Committee on Legislation and that the bill is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 68(6) and have Bill 13 immediately moved into Committee of the Whole. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The member is requesting to waive Rule 68(6) so that Bill 13 can proceed immediately into Committee of the Whole.
Bill 13 is immediately referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Committee Report on Bills 006 – 3(2): Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act (Okalik)
I wish to report that Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, has been reviewed by the Standing Committee on Legislation and that the bill is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 68(6) and have Bill 19 immediately moved into Committee of the Whole.
The member is requesting to waive Rule 68(6) so that Bill 19 can proceed immediately into Committee of the Whole.
There are no nays. Bill 19 is immediately referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Tabled Document 094 – 3(2): Speaker’s List of Outstanding Statutory Tabling Requirements (Speaker)
Tabled Document 095 – 3(2): 2007-2008 Annual Contracting Report (Speaker)
Tabled Document 096 – 3(2): 2008-2009 Annual Contracting Report (Speaker)
Tabled Document 097 – 3(2): Joint Nunavut/Northwest Territories Presentation to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (Speaker)
I wish to table today a list of outstanding statutory tabling requirements. The list is current as of the end of December 4, 2009, sitting of the Legislative Assembly. (interpretation) Thank you.
(interpretation ends) Members, I am pleased to table the 2007-2008 Annual Contracting Report of the Office of the Legislative Assembly.
Members, I am pleased to table the 2008-2009 Annual Contracting Report of the Office of the Legislative Assembly.
And finally, on November 23, 2009, I, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut… .
That’s not exactly how it’s read.
On November 23, 2009, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories and I made a joint presentation to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
This presentation concerned the televised broadcasting of the proceedings of our two legislatures.
I am pleased to table today a copy of our presentation.
Tabled Document 098 – 3(2): Response to Petition 2 – 3(2) Resolute Bay Utilidor System (Kusugak)
Tabled Document 099 – 3(2): Contract Activity Report 2008-09 (Kusugak)
Tabled Document 100 – 3(2): Procurement Activity Report 2008-09 (Kusugak)
Tabled Document 101 – 3(2): FPT Ministerial Report to the Legislative Assembly – Meeting of the Provincial and Territorial Ministers for Local Government (Kusugak)
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I would like to table four documents.
I am pleased to table the following Response to Petition 2 – 3(2), Resolute Bay Utilidor System. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Contract Activity Report 2008-09
If I may continue, I am also pleased to table the following document:
Procurement Activity Report 2008-09
If you can bear with me one more time, I would like to table the following document:
FPT Ministerial Report to the Legislative Assembly – Meeting of the Provincial and Territorial Ministers for Local Government
Motion 014 – 3(2): Extended Adjournment (Ningark)
Mr. Ningark: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Amittuq, that notwithstanding Rule 4, that when the House concludes its present sitting in Iqaluit, it shall be adjourned until March 4, 2010.
Further, at any time prior to March 4, 2010, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and the Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as if it had been duly adjourned to that time.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Ningark. The motion is in order.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters. Bills 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, and 19 with Mr. Okalik in the Chair.
>>House recessed at 15:19 and Committee resumed at 16:03
Chairman (Mr. Okalik)(interpretation): Thank you, my colleagues.
In Committee of the Whole, we have the following items to deal with: Bills 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, and 19.
We would like to commence with the review of Bills 6, 7, 9, 10, and, if time permits, Bills 13, 3, and 11.
I would like to ask Minister Peterson to make his opening remarks.
Bill 06 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 5, 2007-2008 – Consideration in Committee
My opening comments on Bill 6 will be brief.
Mr. Chairman, the purpose of Bill 6 is to provide $1,015,000 of operations and maintenance monies to the Department of Health and Social Services with respect to 2007-08.
The $1,015,000 has no net impact on the 2007-08 financial results, as an incorrect accounting entry was made that reduced expenditures.
In setting up the original entry to accounts receivable, an increase to revenues from Non-Insured Health Benefits should have been made. Beginning in 2009-2010, Non-Insured Health Benefits funding is considered to be Vote 4/5 rather than Vote 1, so reoccurrence of this nature is unlikely to occur.
Earlier in this sitting, I tabled the 2007-08 Public Accounts, which takes this into account.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my opening comments. I will be pleased to take questions.
Would you like to have officials with you at the witness table?
Chairman (interpretation): My colleagues, do you agree to have officials brought in to the witness table?
Minister Peterson, we would be pleased if you would introduce your witnesses.
To my right is Deputy Minister Peter Ma, Deputy Minister of Finance, and to my left is Jeff Chown, Director of Expenditure Management.
I would like to remind my colleagues that we must adhere to Rules 77(1) and 77(2) during our committee meeting.
I don’t see any hands up.
We will now proceed with the page-by-page review starting with page 4. Bill 6, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 5, 2007-2008.
Operations and Maintenance of the Department of Health and Social Services. Not Previously Authorized.
Health Insurance Programs. Total Health Insurance Programs. $1,015,000.
Chairman (interpretation): That figure has been approved. Total Department. $1,015,000. Not Previously Authorized.
Chairman (interpretation): Go to Schedule on page 2.
Operations and Maintenance Appropriation. $1,015,000. Do you agree?
Please take a look at Bill 6 in your white legislation binder at your desks.
Bill 6, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 5, 2007-2008. (interpretation ends) Clause 1. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 3. (interpretation) The figures are listed here in the schedule and it has to be approved by the members.
Summary of Appropriation for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2008.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $1,015,000. Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Total Supplementary Appropriation. $1,015,000. Do you agree?
We can now return to clause 4 of the bill. (interpretation ends) Clause 4. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Do you agree to Bill 6 as a whole?
Are you in agreement that pursuant to Rule 62(2) that Bill 6 can immediately be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
This can now proceed to the next level.
We still have other matters to review.
Mr. Minister and your officials please, stay at your witness table.
We will move on to the review of Bill 7.
Minister Peterson, do you have opening comments?
Bill 07 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 4, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee
Hon. Keith Peterson: Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman.
Good afternoon again.
Bill 7 provides $12 million in operations and maintenance monies for the Department of Health and Social Services with respect to 2008-09.
This additional amount of money results from post closing entries made in September to complete the 2008-09 Interim Financial Report.
As members will recall, I tabled the 2008-09 Interim Financial Report earlier this session.
In completing the public accounts for 2008-09, the Office of the Auditor General may have additional post closing entries.
As such, the supplementary appropriation is about $700,000 more than the actual total of the post closing entries made of $11,326,254.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes opening comments for Bill 7.
Just to let you know that the minister and the officials will remain seated at the witness table.
We must adhere to Rules 77(1) and 77(2).
Do any members have any general comments?
We will move on to the review of the bill.
We will go to page 4 for the Department of Health and Social Services. Operations and Maintenance. Not Previously Authorized.
Total Social Services. $1,018,000.
Welcome to the hon. minister as well as the officials here.
I had a question in regard to foster care. With the over-expenditures for foster care as a result of an increased number of children being placed in foster care, are they there for longer periods for foster care or increase was in the amounts being paid to foster parents?
Which one of you is going to respond?
I thank the member for that question. I believe the increase is volume related. In other words, there are more kids in foster care.
I thank the hon. minister for that response as well.
A follow-up question in regard to foster children: when were those rates of payments for foster parents last reviewed?
Again I thank the member for that question.
There has been no price increase for the foster care rates since 2004-05.
With respect to the member’s question about a review, I’m unable to provide information in that regard.
Total Department of Health and Social Services. $1,018,000.
Total Health Insurance Programs. $8,084,000.
Total Treatment. $2,898,000.00.
Medical travel appears to be continuously under budget from year to year.
What practice can contribute to these ongoing over-expenditures?
Part of the increase is client-driven. In other words, there are more patients requiring travel to medical centres both here in the Baffin for people who come to Iqaluit and, let’s say, from Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay, or Rankin Inlet to places like Ottawa, Yellowknife, Edmonton, and Winnipeg.
I think there are also increased fuel costs that airlines are passing on to the department.
In the same department, are the over-expenditures for physician travel costs due to more physicians travelling to provide service in the north or is it due to the increase in airfares?
It’s important to have doctors and physicians visit the communities.
I believe that the Department of Health has an increase in physician visits to Nunavut and the number I have before me is 900 doctor days. They also bring specialists to Nunavut. There are 50 additional specialist days, which increase both the contract and the travel costs.
Total Health Social Services. Not Previously Authorized. Total Treatment. $2,898,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Total Department. Not Previously Authorized. $12 million.
Chairman (interpretation): We will go back to page 2. Summary of Appropriation.
Schedule 1. Operations and Maintenance. Total Operations and Maintenance Appropriation. $12 million.
Chairman (interpretation): We will go to Bill 7, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 4, 2008-2009. (interpretation ends) Clause 1. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Go to Schedule.
Supplementary Amounts Appropriated for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2009. Vote 1: Operations and Maintenance. Total Operations and Maintenance. $12 million.
Chairman (interpretation): Total Supplementary Appropriation. $12 million. Do you agree?
Go back to clause 4.
Chairman (interpretation): Do members agree to the bill as a whole?
Chairman (interpretation): Do members agree that pursuant to Rule 62(2) that Bill 7 can immediately be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
I would like the officials to remain at the witness table as we will start dealing with Bill 9. Minister Peterson, if you could make your opening comments.
Bill 09 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2009-2010 – Consideration in Committee
Bill 9 provides $17,835,000 for operations and maintenance expenditures, the bulk of which is for the Department of Health and Social Services.
Of the $16,637,000 being appropriated for the Department of Health and Social Services, $14,708,000 is for the anticipated shortfalls in medical travel, residential care contracts, out-of-territory physicians programs, out-of-territory hospitals, lab services, physician services, and the Extended Health Benefits Program.
The balance of $1,929,000 is for the H1N1 vaccination program and the HPV immunization program.
Other amounts in Bill 9 are:
$1,331,000 of carried forward Northern Strategy monies to the Department of Economic Development and Transportation to continue the Small Community Initiatives Program
$189,000 of carried forward ecoTrust monies to the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs to conduct an energy conservation awareness program
$501,000 to the Department of Justice as a result of amendments to the national RCMP backup policy
$708,000 to the Office of the Legislative Assembly to cover a deficit in the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Fund
A negative appropriation of $1,121,000 in the Department of Community and Government Services due to an internal transfer of $1,260,000 to Vote 2: Capital for capital projects in Gjoa Haven and Iqaluit.
This internal transfer is offset by a $139,000 increase for the lease of an additional 3,422 square feet of office space for the Department of Finance in Rankin Inlet
A negative appropriation of $410,000 in the Department of Finance for office space in Rankin Inlet to support the recentralization of finance positions initiated in 2007
That was certainly a well detailed breakdown of the funds. For your information, the same officials will be appearing with their minister before the Committee of the Whole.
I would like to remind members that we must adhere to Rules 77(1) and 77(2).
I also thank the minister for the responses.
In your opening comments on page 1, third bullet, it’s noted that… . For the record, I just want to ask in summary, if you please: what specific amendments to the National RCMP Backup Policy are proposed?
Mr. Chairman, in the past, RCMP officers have been attending calls, either domestic dispute calls or other calls, by themselves and there have been some incidents in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories that were quite tragic, where officers were killed.
The national policy requires that all officers… . If there’s a two-person detachment, there would be two people attending calls. What this policy accomplishes is to provide one hour of overtime for every four hours of standby time in a two-person detachment in the event of call-outs.
Are there any more questions or comments on the opening comments?
I have no more names and no one has their hand up.
We can commence with the review of the details listed in this appropriation bill. Let’s start with the page-by-page review on page 4.
This is in relation to our Legislative Assembly.
Office of the Legislative Assembly. Operations and Maintenance. Total Expenditures on Behalf of Members. $708,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Total Department. $708,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Let’s move on to the figures on page 5. Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. $189,000. Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Total Department. $189,000.
Moving on to the rest of the figures on page 6.
Total Directorate. -$60,000.
Chairman (interpretation): With respect to the allocations from Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs to Financial Management. Directorate. Total Directorate. -$350,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Total Department. -$410,000. Do you agree?
Operations and Maintenance. Not Previously Authorized. Total Law Enforcement. $501,000.
I apologize. Mr. Aupaluktuq.
For the record and for the benefit of Nunavummiut, how many more officers will this spending enable the RCMP to post to detachments in Nunavut?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the member for that question. This funding will not be increasing the number of officers in Nunavut.
Mr. Aupaluktuq: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the hon. minister.
Will the minister or his department be able to table a copy of the RCMP’s new Operational Response Allowance Policy in the House?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for that very good question.
I think we should be able to do all that. I’ll have to talk with the commanding officer of the RCMP here in Iqaluit to get that information perhaps in the winter session.
Total Law Enforcement. $501,000. Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Total Department. $501,000. Do you agree?
On page 8. Department of Health and Social Services. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. Treatment. Total Treatment. $7,307,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Public Health. Total Public Health. $1,929,000. Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Social Services. Total Social Services. $2,918,000. Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Moving on to the Department of Health and Social Services.
Total Health Insurance Programs. Not Previously Authorized. Total Health Insurance $4,483,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Department of Health and Social Services. Appropriation. Not Previously Authorized. $16, 637,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Page 10. Community and Government Services. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. Government Services. Reduction of $561,000.
I apologize. Mr. Pauloosie.
My question is for the Hon. Minister of Finance. $1 million is being requested for repairs and upgrades to Gjoa Haven’s water system.
A number of years ago, there were problems with the community’s water system.
What is presently happening with the community’s water system and will this funding be sufficient to address them?
I believe this money should be sufficient to fix the water supply line.
I haven’t heard any information that there were any other problems in Gjoa Haven.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Hopefully that is the end of it for the benefit of the member. (interpretation) -$561,000. Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Total Capital Planning and Technical Services. -$560,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Total. $-560,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Total. Department. -$1,121,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Economic Development and Transportation. Operations and Maintenance. Not Previously Authorized.
Total Economic Development. $1,331,000.
Mr. Rumbolt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. $1,331,000 in funding for the Northern Strategy Trust Fund is being carried over for the department’s Small Community Initiatives Program.
Why didn’t the department spend this money in 2008-09 fiscal year?
I thank Mr. Rumbolt for that good question.
I believe that there were a lot of applications. So the department wanted to carry this money over and promote the program vigorously so that they can use the funding in this fiscal year.
To date, what projects have been funded by the department’s Small Community Initiatives Program?
I can give a fairly long list here if you bear with me.
Floating docks in Whale Cove, Kugaaruk, Taloyoak, Grise Fiord, Arctic Bay, Hall Beach, Resolute Bay, Repulse Bay, Sanikiluaq, Qikiqtarjuaq, Clyde River, and Chesterfield Inlet;
There is a community freezer in Chesterfield Inlet;
There is a winter char fishing project in Repulse Bay;
We have funded the caribou harvest project in Coral Harbour;
There has been funding for film and media training; and
Building renovations for the Ilisaqsivik Society in Clyde River.
There may be others, but that’s what I have in front of me.
Going back to the SCIP funding, the minister did list a number of different projects that received funding.
It’s a carryover.
So does that mean there is, to date, $1,331,000 left that people in communities can apply for or is that money allocated to different projects?
Mr. Chairman, I believe the funding initially started off at $5 million.
The addition of these projects that were funded previously as of October 19, 2009, the department approved and committed $483,420 to three of the applicants and currently there are three applications pending so that you will have communities, if they go to the Department of Economic Development and Transportation, there is an application process which the department will help them with.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Peterson. (interpretation ends) If memory serves, this is just for small, have-not communities. The funds are dedicated for those.
It’s for you guys.
(interpretation) Are there any further questions or comments?
Total Department. $1,331,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Total. $1,331,000.
Going back to page 2. Schedule 1.
Operations and Maintenance. $17,835,000.
Chairman (interpretation): We can move to Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2009-2010. (interpretation ends) Clause 1. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Going to the Schedule.
Supplementary Amounts Appropriated for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2010. Vote 1: Operations and Maintenance. Total Supplementary Appropriation. $17,835,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Total Supplementary Appropriation. $17,835,000.00. Do you agree?
Going back to clause 4. Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): I apologize, (interpretation ends) clause 5. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): I went ahead by one number, so clause 6 has been agreed to. (interpretation ends) Clause 7.
Chairman (interpretation): Do you agree to Bill 9 as a whole?
Chairman (interpretation): Do you agree that pursuant to Rule 62(2) that Bill 9 can be immediately placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
We will now move on to Bill 10.
Bill 10 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 2, 2009-2010 – Consideration in Committee
Bill 10 provides supplementary capital monies of $7,785,000.00 for 2009-2010 as follows:
$4,360,000 for the Department of Education, of which $3,977,000 is a replenishment of monies transferred to other capital projects of Nunavut Arctic College.
The flipside of this replenishment is a negative appropriation of $3,977,000 to the Department of Finance, as Nunavut Arctic College’s capital appropriation vote goes through the Department of Finance.
The balance of $383,000 is for renovations for the Quqshuun Ilihavik School in Gjoa Haven.
An additional $400,000 is being funded from within by the Department of Education so that the renovations can be completed.
$6,862,000 for the Department of Community and Government Services, of which $4,400,000 is for the repurchase of the Arviat health facility.