EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
149 – 1(6): Build New Facility in Nunavut (McLean) 715
150 – 1(6): Helping People Understand Criminal Law (Iqaqrialu) 716
151 – 1(6): Number of Active JPs in Nunavut (Williams) 718
152 – 1(6): Student Suspensions (Iqaqrialu) 719
153 – 1(6): Policy on Child and Youth Physical/Sexual Abuse Protection (McLean) 721
154 – 1(6): Certificate – Foster Parents (Nutarak) 724
155 – 1(6): Coroner’s Act Re: Drowning (Williams) 726
021 – 1(6): Income Support – Key Issues and Programs (Kilabuk) 728
022 – 1(6): Turnover Rates of GN Staff in 2001-2002 (Kilabuk) 729
005 – 1(6): Strengthening Support for our Students – Notice (Arvaluk) 729
006 – 1(6): Gjoa Haven Gasoline Study – Notice (McLean) 729
Bill 7 – Loan Authorization Act 2002-2003 – First Reading 730
Bill 8 – An Act to Amend the Revolving Fund Act – First Reading 730
Bill 7 – Loan Authorization Act 2002-2003 – Second Reading 730
Bill 8 – An Act to Amend the Revolving Fund Act – Second Reading 731
Bill 6 – Appropriation Act No. 2, 2002-2003 – Consideration in Committee 732
Honourable Olayuk Akesuk, Honourable Jack Anawak, Mr. James Arvaluk, Mr. Donald Havioyak, Mr. David Iqaqrialu, Mr. Enoki Irqittuq, Honourable Peter Kattuk, Honourable Peter Kilabuk, Mr. Glenn McLean, Mr. Jobie Nutarak, Honourable Kelvin Ng, Honourable Kevin O’Brien, Honourable Paul Okalik, Honourable Ed Picco, Honourable Manitok Thompson.
Speaker: I will say the prayer today.
Speaker: Ullakkut, good morning members, Mr. Premier.
Minister’s Statement 033 – 1(6): Canada Health Day in Nunavut
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an important day in Nunavut.
This coming Sunday May 12 is Canada Health Day.
This day is recognized every year because it has special significance as the birthday of Florence Nightingale, a woman considered to be the mother of the modern nursing profession.
“Together for a Healthy Environment” is this year’s theme.
Mr. Speaker, for us here in Nunavut, protection of our environment is critical since our access to healthy, nutritious food depends on a safe local environment.
Mr. Speaker, my department is committed to continuing the work needed to build a healthy environment, an environment in which we have the information that we need to make healthy choices for ourselves, our children and our families.
Minister, Mr. Premier.
Member’s Statement 117 – 1(6): Birthday Wish to Mr. Nutarak
This is a Members’ Statement.
Today is Friday and we lost the hockey game last night and I lost some sleep over that but I am very pleased today though that Mr. Nutarak is celebrating his birthday and I will be giving him a gift after my comments.
Member’s Statement 118 – 1(6): Happy Mother’s Day
I rise today to make an announcement for the upcoming Mother’s Day.
I have to say thank you to my mother, I don’t think she will be watching TV today as they will probably be out on the land.
I will give you a brief overview of what we used to do when we were children.
My father was hunting one day and my mother would be busy all day from dawn to dusk.
In the fall when we were still living in the tent, there was not enough construction material to build a hut.
One time my father was building a hut and there wasn’t enough material to complete it.
Our mothers and fathers always seem to be old, but at that time in the 1960’s my parents were probably in their late 20’s or 30’s and they were extremely capable people and especially my mother who used to walk long distances.
To date we are now capable of doing everything well, and even today my mother still tells me about the morals of being a human, how to live a good life and she has given me that gift.
I hope I live up to her expectations.
I would like to say that I love my mother, she is in her 70’s but she has been out on the land for over a week now. I am very proud of her and if they should go back to Hall Beach sometime this weekend, I wish her the very best on Mother’s Day.
Member’s Statement 119 – 1(6): Special Needs Assistants in Schools
I rise today to speak about the shortage of special needs assistants in Nunavut schools.
Mr. Speaker, this has been a serious issue within my community as it has been in other Nunavut communities over the last year.
I have concerns about the growing number of our children going into the education system and I am especially concerned about those children who have special needs and require assistance so that they can attain their education.
In Kugluktuk there is a ratio of 25 students to one teacher in one class.
With this number of students in one class, how can one teacher help a child that is a level or two lower than his or her classmates, and how can the teacher do this without taking too much time away from the rest of the class?
It is unacceptable that our teachers are doing two jobs.
To make things even more difficult, many teachers do not have the special training to assist those students who have special needs and who have difficulty with their basic education.
Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress enough that our teachers need more support and assistance in helping our students gain their education.
We need additional special needs assistants for our special needs students as they too are part of our future generation.
I encourage the Minister of Education to review the status of special needs assistants.
At the appropriate time I shall be asking the minister questions about this issue.
Member’s Statement 120 – 1(6): Student Traditional Excursion Trips in Pangnirtung – 10 Year Anniversary
Yesterday I received a note to give a kiss to the birthday boy, but I don’t think that I am going to do that.
In the community that I represent there is a ten year anniversary of when they started taking the children out on the land as an excursion.
Today they will be celebrating the ten year anniversary of taking the children out on these excursions.
Usually the children that are taken out are from kindergarten right up to the top grades.
The grade twelve students and the older ones are usually taken out for three days to a week, and when they are taken out on the land they go caribou hunting; they go out to the floe edge, and they go fishing.
They are taught how to sew traditional clothing and they are taught how to clean and tan skins, drying meat such as fish and caribou and they are taught all of these traditional skills.
They have two instructors who are elders who take the children out on the land.
There are four groups that go out, and they also have cooks and helpers.
I would like to recognize the people that originally set up these excursions, Lena Metuq who was the school principal, Frank Alot, Wendy Goodall, David Lloyd who was a teacher in Pangnirtung before, Rosie Kilabuk my wife and an early happy Mother’s Day to her since I am not going to be there on Sunday, and Meeka Alivaktuk the Attagutaluk School’s CA. I would also like to thank the volunteers, the teachers and the community residents and the sponsors, especially the Kakivak Association, Qikiqtani Association, Pangnirtung businesses who have given a lot of assistance.
I would like to ask my colleagues to join me in thanking these people.
Member’s Statement 121 – 1(6): Learning Survival and Hunting Skills as a Youth
Since today is Friday I would like to make a few comments.
I think I was seven years old when I first started going out with my father on hunting expeditions by dog team.
When I was first starting to learn how to handle a dog team, my father used to go to the community on his own.
We were about two to three miles away and he would leave me alone out there so that I could learn from experience the survival techniques.
He used to give me advice on handling a dog team and of course he told me that dog teams have a homing instinct.
They would take you home when you didn’t want to.
Even though he told me that, one time I wanted to find out if that was true so I hurried the dogs along and we were on the sea ice and my father was waiting at a seal hole and when I found a breathing hole I started waiting for a seal.
I knew that if I got far enough from the dog team they would stop.
So I gave the command for the dog team to stop but they just kept going, and I had been told by my father to watch them carefully because of their homing instinct.
So there I was waiting at the breathing hole and I gave the command for the dogs to stop but they just kept going and went home.
So there I was running after the dog team but they were getting further and further away and I was giving them the command, I was yelling at them and finally lost my voice because they weren’t listening to me and the traces were all over the place.
Finally, they got snagged on a piece of ice and I was extremely frustrated and mad.
The leader was the only one I blamed everything on.
When I finally reached the team we had fox traps at that time that were used to speed up the dog team.
So there I was with that trap ready to kill the leader in frustration and then I decided that’s a dog, I can’t do that to a dog, so I stopped myself.
But I was ready to strangle that dog for going home without my command and not listening to me.
My father advised me and I learned from it.
So I learned the types of commands to speed them along.
So, Mr. Speaker that was the way of life when we were not concerned about the quality of gasoline.
Member’s Statement 122 – 1(6): Growing Up as a Youth on the Land
Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if this is going to be interesting or not.
My mother raised me when I was a child and I respect her.
Her teaching is in my heart.
I remember in October when the snow was starting to come and the weather was getting colder, my mother used to build a qammaq, a sod house, and my father would fix the poles.
She would gather old clothing and old skins, anything she can find to keep it warm, to prepare for the cold winter months that were coming.
This is something I remembered, her strong sense of maternal instinct.
She would gather heather from the land and I use to go with her and she would carry huge amounts of heather to put them on the roof and sides of the qammaq.
She would go back and forth to get enough heather, and she would gather it into bundles, which we would just go and pick up to haul back to camp.
We would use seal oil in the qulliqs to warm the house.
We did not have many sources of light and when we would play outside for a long period of time, especially on a moonless night, the light from the wick would really seem bright.
When we went inside, I remember smelling the qulliq.
We used to go to town to trade and they would get supplies in the fall, when there was snow on the ice.
We would not have tea for a long time, along with other southern food supplies and when they came from trading at the post, I remember smelling good food that we hadn’t eaten for a long time and we used to eat them in the evening and I remember those good times.
It seems that here in the Legislative Assembly, when we have our lunch or snacks, I do not seem to enjoy the smell and taste like those days, so those recollections seem like a figment of my imagination now.
Member’s Statement 123 – 1(6): Concerns Over Student Financial Assistance for Students in the South
Ms. Williams (interpretation): I was going to speak up with all the passion I could muster, but with the clothes my colleague is wearing today, next to me, I keep snickering.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise my concern over the manner in which the Student Financial Assistance Program is administered.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, a number of Nunavummiut are in the south taking advantage of post-secondary opportunities.
Sometimes they are moved because their family has moved south.
Sometimes the program or study that they wish to follow is only available in the south.
But for whatever the reason they are there, they have great difficulty getting assistance from our government to pursue their studies.
Some of our students from Nunavut Mr. Speaker, Inuit from Nunavut turn to First Nations Programs to get funding and assistance because they are unable to get support from agencies in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, this does not show much foresight.
It does not promote the future of individuals and it does not promote the future of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, the majority of these individuals want to return home, to Nunavut, to continue their lives.
They would bring with them their education and skills that they have acquired.
Nunavut is desperate for educated Nunavummiut to enter our workforce.
Our government should do more to make it easier for them, not to leave them to struggle by themselves.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage our government to review the Student Financial Assistance issue and make some positive changes.
We should be providing more support to all of our students, those who are in the north and those who are in the south.
Member’s Statement 124 – 1(6): Remember Mother on Sunday – Mother’s Day
I have a little puppy which I love very much.
I don’t think I will let my dog go near Peter Kattuk, because he seems so fearsome if you are a dog.
Mr. Speaker, today I just wanted to mention that this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day.
That is the time I miss my mother most.
She was my friend and mentor.
She was not always agreeable, sometimes she seemed really bossy when I was a child and downright scary.
Sometimes my mother will tell funny stories, Mr. Arvaluk knows all about it because he is her friend.
My mother is like that, sometimes she is funny to make us feel better.
It would take me a long time to tell you everything that she has done.
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to tell my mother that my arm is healing.
I can move around now without the cast.
I love you mom, and I miss you very much.
I wish that I could sit down with you, have tea, and laugh with you.
Sometimes my mother and I would laugh so much that we would roll on the floor when we had a good conversation.
I would like to thank my brother Louie Bruce; he takes good care of my mother.
He usually makes a little cabin for them, wherever they will go camping.
And at the moment he is building a cabin for her, he is getting everything ready so that my mother can go fishing inland.
He has built more than one cabin for our parents; I thank him on behalf of our family.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that my mother is in my thoughts, I miss her, I thank her and perhaps this will be lost in the translation, but my mother has a pet name for dad and she would say “my man” to my father.
This is just to clarify the story I have started, so please bear with me so that I can finish my story.
My father has a hearing problem.
Instead of saying husband, she would say “man” and she can be very, very loud when she calls my father, “angutii” when she wants his attention.
Sometimes, on more than one occasion, she would blurt out “ataniiq” (Lord God) by mistake and you could understand why some of the people who happened to be visiting would wonder why she had just blurted out “Lord God.”
Member’s Statement 125 – 1(6): Wishing Happy Mother’s Day
Mr. Speaker, first of all I would like to wish a very warm birthday wish to the member from Pond Inlet.
I wish him a very happy thirty-fifth birthday today.
I too would like to begin by saying that on Sunday it will be Mother’s Day.
And I would like to wish three, Mr. Speaker, very special mothers, a happy Mother’s Day.
Mr. Speaker, (interpretation) Firstly I would like remember my mother-in-law, Ningiuraapik, in Clyde River, I would like to say that we love you, and have a happy Mother’s Day. (interpretation ends)
And also through the power of cable television, I would like to welcome and say a very happy Mother’s Day to my mom, Ethel, who has the good opportunity at times to watch this session on APTN, I understand.
So I would like to welcome and wish my mom a very happy Mother’s Day in Fortune Cove, Newfoundland.
I also want to thank the members and especially the people of Iqaluit, who have welcomed my mom several times here to Nunavut and to Iqaluit, most recently last month.
And finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to wish my wife and my best friend, Opah, who has given me seventeen years of love and happiness and three wonderful children, a very happy Mother’s Day on Sunday.
We have something special planned for Opah this year.
I am going to try to finally get her on the machine down to the cabin.
She hasn’t been able to get down there yet.
She has been, in Inuktitut you call it nangiaqnatuq, to go down to the cabin.
So hopefully she won’t be nangianaq on Sunday.
Also Mr. Speaker, finally I’d like to wish the mothers of Nunavut a very happy Mother’s Day and to the mothers of members of this House.
Members of this House, the men and especially the women take on a lot of responsibility to become members.
A lot of times I know that they miss a lot of special events.
I know Minister Thompson; I’ve been with her over seven years now and now Ms. Williams.
So, I’d like to take this opportunity, to offer a special Mother’s Day to Ms. Williams and Ms. Thompson and to the mothers in the gallery and the interpreters too who work long hours on our behalf.
Member’s Statement 126 – 1(6): Birthday Wishes
Today is Friday and Mr. Nutarak’s birthday.
I’d like to remember these people although Mr. Nutarak may have never seen them; I am sending birthday greetings on their behalf.
These are the people; Annie Netscher in Coral Harbour, Annie Ittuq and Piqsuktuq Ittuq and Pittauyuq my aunt.
Johnny Nakoolak, Bobby and Marvin, Jimmy Nakoolak, Louie Bruce, Anautalik Mikittuq Kannayuk Bruce in Coral Harbour and in Chesterfield Inlet, Victor Summurtok.
George Tannuyak, who was here just recently and Mr. Aggak and Bernard Pootoolik, Loey Auttut, Ben Pootoolik, and on behalf of those individuals I wish Mr. Nutarak a happy birthday.
Member’s Statement 127 – 1(6): The Movie: Scorpion King
First off I’d like to wish my mom a Happy Mother’s Day and all the other mothers in Nunavut, a happy Mother’s Day.
But I’d like to especially apologize to the Honourable Member Picco’s mother.
I just realized that she watches on APTN and I’m usually up here giving him a hard time about his department and trying to keep him accountable.
So, Mrs. Picco, I’m sorry that I’m picking on your son.
He does work very hard and I’m sure we’re all proud of him in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, something interesting happened to me this week.
I went to the movie, The Scorpion King, and half way through the movie I decided, I can’t take this guy, the Rock.
He was kind of boring and I get up and I said nah, I can’t take this movie.
So, I get up and I come home to my apartment and I was sitting there wondering why I didn’t like that movie.
And I realized that the Rock reminded me of Mr. Picco.
In a way that when I’m in Committee of the Whole, I noticed the members probably notice that I get up and walk out a lot when Mr. Picco’s in Committee of the Whole.
I just want to say Mr. Picco, it’s nothing personal but I prefer you a little bit more than the Rock.
And on the end of this statement Mr. Speaker, I’d like to say that I was, Kabblunak have an old saying. It’s an old saying.
It was called, “Victory grabbed by the jaws of the feet.” and nothing was more exemplified as last night when the Montreal Canadians, the Mighty Montreal Canadians, had the Carolina Hurricanes down three zip with 10 minutes to go and it was called a total collapse.
So, I know my constituents in my community are a lot of Montreal Canadian fans but I say bear with them.
They may come through, maybe.
Speaker: I was debating whether we should rule Mr. McLean’s comments out of order.
Member’s Statement 128 – 1(6): Young at Heart on His Birthday
Earlier, Mr. Okalik said he was going to give me a gift and this is what he gave me for my birthday and I’d just like to show it off as I know that people would want to see it, that is why I am trying to show it and I apologize as it almost fell off.
Today is my birthday and I’m not older, it’s just that the numbers of my age are just higher but I’m still young at heart even with all of these birthdays.
In the past, perhaps I am not alone, when we were young when I turned 20; it seemed that I had reached a wondrous age or was it when I turned 16.
Nowadays it seems like I am old based on my years, but now that I am older I don’t seem to notice the years passing.
I think that as you get older, things stop being so important and you do not notice old age creeping up on you, but I guess it is all in how you feel.
Young people probably think I am getting really old, but I don’t feel old.
It’s just when I look in the mirror that I look older to myself.
Yesterday was my wife’s birthday and Mr. Kilabuk asked me about a letter that my wife wrote to him saying that he should kiss me for her.
So, earlier this morning, when we had a break, he asked me to go outside and that he had a matter to discuss.
He informed me about the letter and the offer to be kissed on my wife’s behalf, but I declined the offer.
Member's Statement 129 – 1(6): Happy Mother’s Day
Firstly, I would like to remember my wife, Caroline as she is also a mother and I hope she has a wonderful day on Sunday.
I have three mothers, my adoptive mother whom I loved very much, Piugaq and the interpreter Jean is named after her, so I love her due to her namesake.
Also Avaqsaaq, who was my maternal mother and she has several children named after her and as a matter of fact, one within my own family and she just arrived a couple of days ago.
After my adoptive mother died, my stepmother Ullatitaq was the lady that took care of me, our children are named after each of them, and I love them all dearly.
Today I would like to talk about our language.
Quite a number of us were educated in English and a lot of us tend to lapse into English.
I know that in my constituency riding in Rankin Inlet, some elders are unilingual and can only speak in Inuktitut, while others have some capacity in English, especially those who worked at the Nickel mine, like Mr. Qaglik, his wife Elizabeth Qaglik, Mr. and Mrs. Ittinuar, Mr. and Mrs. Pisuk, Mr. and Mrs. Kapok, my maternal uncle Mr. Tatee and my paternal aunt Manilaaq.
Mr. and Mrs. Makpah, Saumik, Evaluarjuk and my sister Mary Autut, Ms. Nokachik, Ms. Nukitook, Mr. and Mrs. Nuluk, Kanajualak Kanaaq.
I know some of them understand a bit of English but they don’t speak the English language.
I think quite often when we see a friend of ours who is bilingual and who can speak in Inuktitut, we quite often speak English instead of Inuktitut.
Things like “How are you today?”
With some of our constituents being unilingual and real Inummarit, I just want to encourage the Inuit to speak Inuktitut when they can do so with their friends who are bilingual.
We cannot just talk the talk, we have to practice what we preach and I think that it is prudent to speak your language when there is an opportunity to do so.
Just to encourage the Inuit members to try and speak in Inuktitut to their children.
Any further Members’ Statements?
Before we move on I would also like to wish a happy 29th birthday to Mr. Nutarak.
We also have another birthday person in the chambers here, and it is one of the pages who was away from home on her birthday.
She turned fifteen while she was here, Chantal Natamalay.
Happy birthday Chantal.
I would also like to wish a happy mother’s day to my mother and all the other mothers in heaven that we have watching down over us.
Member’s Statement 130 – 1(6): Happy Mother’s Day/Congratulations to Cape Dorset Students
Firstly I would like to wish my wife a happy mother’s day for Sunday and thank her for caring for our children and my father when he was still here.
I would also like to wish the mothers in Kimmirut and Cape Dorset a happy mother’s day.
I would also like to recognize three students in Cape Dorset who received math and science awards for their academic prowess.
I am joyous, envious and proud of them.
They are Lau Saila, Makitu Salomonie and Joe Salomonie.
I would just like to say that I hope this encourages them and that they should keep up the good work.
Members if by chance I should miss your hand, at the end I normally call and ask if there are any further Members’ Statements.
At that point, please indicate that you have a statement.
Mr. Speaker, it says Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery, but I would like to recognize my children who I have never acknowledged.