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Mr. Speaker, as you know, Repulse Bay is one of the fastest-growing communities in Nunavut.
Information provided to me by the local housing organization indicates that there are dozens of families and individuals on the waiting list for public housing. This waiting list continues to grow.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation to give serious consideration to the needs of Repulse Bay when the corporation makes decisions about where to construct new housing units.
At the appropriate time, I will be asking questions to the minister on this issue.
Member’s Statement 438 – 3(3): Nutrition Month (Elliott)
I rise today to recognize the month of March as Nutrition Month.
Mr. Speaker, as you and my colleagues will know very well, I believe that nutrition is a key factor in the health of our territory, our communities, and the residents who live here and who we represent.
Mr. Speaker, in considering nutrition, we are not just talking about food. We are talking about access to food, choices about the kinds of food we buy, adequate resources to buy food, and foods that are healthy and safe to eat.
Mr. Speaker, I have spoken at length about the federal government’s introduction and management of its Nutrition North Canada Program. I have noted that this same federal government has chosen not to introduce and manage programs relating to the consumption of sodium, energy drinks, and trans-fats.
Mr. Speaker, it is up to each and every one of us to make the best nutritional choices that we can.
The month of March is a time to raise awareness of activities to improve our awareness of nutrition issues and the choices we make.
Mr. Speaker as an example of a nutrition month initiative, I would like to draw your attention to Country Food Day on March 29. Challenge yourself to prepare a healthy, balanced meal with country food.
Another initiative, Mr. Speaker, is one proposed by the Dieticians of Canada called “Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy.”
Recognizing the overwhelming choices faced by consumers when grocery shopping and some of the less healthy temptations faced in the grocery store, this association calls attention to some basic pointers for eating nutritiously.
According to a recent poll, only 37 percent of Canadians plan meals in advance and only 58 percent always or very often cook a balanced meal for themselves and their family. 52 percent of Canadians always or very often read the nutrition label on a product while 11 percent never or rarely read them.
Mr. Speaker, these statistics demonstrate that we can do more to improve the choices we can make for the best possible nutrition for ourselves and our families.
We can each make an effort to recognize Nutrition Month and take steps forward to improve the nutritional status of our residents, our communities, and our territory.
Member’s Statement 439 – 3(3): Homelessness across Nunavut (Ugyuk)
I say “good morning” to the people of Nattilik and my grandchildren.
I love them. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the issue of homelessness, which is becoming a growing concern across Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, on February 26, the Minister responsible for Homelessness made a statement in which she indicated that more than 1,200 Nunavutmiut are in need of housing.
While this figure may seem high, I believe that it does not come close to reflecting the true state of homelessness across our territory.
Mr. Speaker, when a mother is homeless, she does not just need to find a place for herself to live but also for her children.
Many men, when they do not have a home to live in, resort to living in shacks or tents or cabins.
This may be an option when the weather is mild, but this is a harsh and unforgiving climate. After an extended period of time, these temporary homes can pose added risks to an individual’s health and well-being.
Mr. Speaker, many people who are homeless drift to larger regional centres and some even end up in cities outside of Nunavut in shelters or on the streets. It seems that the only homeless shelters within Nunavut are those provided for by independent societies with contribution agreements from the government.
However, many community-based societies are run by volunteers who burn out and sometimes cannot keep up with the administrative burdens of running a shelter.
Mr. Speaker, there are many reasons for homelessness, but in recent years, the implementation of the Family Abuse Intervention Act has resulted in a significant increase in the number of people with no place to live.
In small communities, such as those in my constituency, where there are not enough resources, financial or human, to provide shelter services, this is a growing problem.
I recognize that there are unintended consequences to many well-intentioned initiatives.
Family abuse and family violence are very serious concerns.
However, it is important that by addressing one problem, we do not simply add to another one.
Homelessness is also a serious and growing concern.
Member’s Statement 440 – 3(3): Potential for Polar Bear Up-listing under CITES (Curley)
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Good morning, people of Rankin Inlet and Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I wanted to make an additional comment during Members’ Statements after the Minister of Environment has made a statement.
Due to weather, he didn’t come in right away.
The reason why I wanted to make an additional comment about the CITES meeting is because we were finished with our meeting and there were more people talking about the polar bear up-listing.
I would like to thank all the people, especially the Canadian government, as well as our MP Leona Aglukkaq. She did a lot of work on that as well during the 2010 CITES meeting. She is also going to be the Chairperson of the Arctic Council, and we will have to talk about the polar bear while she is the Chairperson of the Arctic Council.
I would like to thank Minister Arreak, Minister of Environment, the director, and the Deputy Minister of Environment.
When we were at the meeting, ITK was involved with President Terry Audla and his officials, as well as Inuvialuit and the Government of Nunavut.
There were also delegates from the Makivik Corporation who deal with wildlife management, as well as representatives from Nunatsiavut.
There were quite a number of youth present as well, including our own conservation officers from Kitikmeot, Kivalliq, and the Baffin regions.
However, Mr. Speaker, we now realize that with respect to polar bears and the most recent efforts, we will have to ensure that there is a round table held to debrief all delegates who attended that meeting.
The reasoning is that the advocates of climate change are still gung-ho, especially the animal rights activists who will continue to provide false advertising to try to close down the harvest.
There are three more years before this matter can be held to another vote.
Due to this reason, we have take ownership of this issue and discuss the matter to ensure we are all on the same page and that we share the same message.
It became quite obvious and it was even a little shocking as we have quite some difficulty getting countries to support our initiative. Even India, one of the biggest countries, was on the fence.
When the larger countries made their statements regarding the polar bears on the initiative began by the United States, when India was making its position known, it seemed to be on the side of Inuit, but when the vote was cast, this country voted against the Inuit. It caused our delegation some consternation.
However, as we listened in to the discussions, many smaller countries started to side with Inuit as they understood the threat coming from a super power that unilaterally made that decision. Most of these countries have been domineered by these colonial powers and they took the side of the people they considered underdogs. It was with relief that this process eventually ran its course.
There were so many people and organizations that I wanted to thank during the convention, and I also noted that Inuit mesh quite well when they collaborate on an issue, and here I am referring to the bodies I had mentioned earlier, including NTI. NTI is handling many issues as part of its mandate.
While we were at the convention, we needed eyes and ears everywhere to convey the developments.
Further, leadership delegates sometimes met separately so this is one area where we would have to try to strengthen our message, especially with the federal government. Our own federal government sometimes forged their own path.
So therefore, I really wanted to thank this individual who spent all of his time at the convention, Mr. Glenn Williams. His support was much appreciated and he was part of the strategic planning group. They had instant action items every time a potential threat emerged against Inuit.
I wanted to thank all of the bodies and people I mentioned today, Mr. Speaker. That concludes my statement.
Question 568 – 3(3): Repulse Bay Housing Needs (Ningark)
I was making comments earlier about having received information from the local housing association and the Hamlet of Repulse Bay in regard to lack of housing units.
The mission statement states that all of the people of Nunavut need to have adequate housing, live in a safe environment with no concerns, and also that they can get on with their livelihood.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation wants to work with the communities because the communities are required to have adequate housing.
We all know that when a house is overcrowded, it is impossible to get a proper education. The house sometimes suffers damage. Residents of Repulse Bay know about this.
Therefore, I wanted to ask the Minister of the Nunavut Housing Corporation. In Repulse Bay the population is growing and when the new housing units are being built, will Repulse Bay be given priority?
Speaker: Thank you for getting to your question, Mr. Ningark.
Mr. Speaker, in 2010, the Nunavut Housing Needs Survey was done. Through that independent survey, there was a need for over 3,580 units. So there is a real need in Nunavut.
Any community in Nunavut is no exception, but last year, through the Nunavut Housing Trust and the Affordable Housing Initiative, Repulse Bay got 26 units and Kugaaruk did receive 22 units.
I appreciate the hon. minister has given me and Repulse Bay the 26 units.
According to information that I received from Repulse Bay, Repulse Bay still needs 53 units and over in order to address the need for housing.
It may not be the same as a survey, but it’s coming directly from the community. Will the minister seriously consider Repulse Bay to be one of the first communities in Nunavut when the time to construct public housing units is determined by the minister?
Mr. Speaker, through the assessment process, we evaluate each community. There are a huge number of folks on the waiting list, as the member has indicated.
Through the needs assessment process, we prioritize where the units are going to be built. Even with a small budget, we do prioritize from the top down for needs within the communities.
My second supplementary, I thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Will the minister be willing to table the survey document that was used to determine the need of housing for all of the Nunavut communities?
Question 569 – 3(3): Addressing Homelessness across Nunavut (Ugyuk)
Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s Statement earlier, I addressed the issue of homelessness across Nunavut.
It has become clear that one of the unintended consequences of the Family Abuse Intervention Act is a rise in the number of individuals who no longer have a place to live.
Can the minister update this House on whether his department keeps statistics on the number of individuals who are removed from homes under the authority of the Family Abuse Intervention Act and, if so, is any information collected on where these individuals find alternative housing or not?
I thank Ms. Ugyuk for that very important question.
In terms of the Family Abuse Intervention Act and the numbers and the statistics that are kept on it, I don’t have that information in front of me right now, but I’m sure, through my officials, that we can look into the questions she’s asking.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I am certain that it is not just my constituency which is facing a growth in the number of homeless individuals as a result of the implementation of the Family Abuse Intervention Act.
Can the minister indicate whether this issue has been brought to his attention by representatives from other communities?
This matter has not been brought to my direct attention from other communities, but I do understand the question and I do understand the concern.
I think interventions by the Family Abuse Intervention Act are going to have consequences on families and affect and contribute to homelessness.
I would just like to say, though, that this Act is a very good and useful tool for communities for interventions to take place and to help families out before they’re involved in the court system.
So it’s a very good initiative.
As far as receiving information from the communities, no, I have not.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Can the minister clarify whether or not the issue of homelessness was ever considered as a result of the implementation of the Family Abuse Intervention Act?
That concern and conversation is ongoing all the time. Of course, it’s talked about with different committees that are reviewing the Family Abuse Intervention Act and it is a concern.
I think, through dialogue with the Minister of Homelessness and I, we will continue that dialogue and address the issues that arise.
I thank the minister for his responses. (interpretation ends) As I indicated earlier, the communities in my constituency are struggling with this issue.
Will the minister commit to visiting the communities in my constituency and work with community members to address this issue?
We will always continue to work on this issue. I can advise the member that my staff will continue to visit communities in the Kitikmeot area and have dialogue. I know that there is some travel that is going to happen in the near future to address all communities’ issues.
Question 570 – 3(3): Remedies for the Abuse of Income Support (Oshutapik)
Good morning, my fellow community members and Nunavummiut who know me.
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Education, whose department is currently responsible for income support.
Mr. Speaker, I noted from our recent discussions during Committee of the Whole on the proposed 2013-14 budget for the Department of Family Services that the issue of clients abusing their income support benefits is a problem in many communities in Nunavut.
It seems that some individuals manage to convert the food and other items that they buy at the local store with their social assistance payments into money for alcohol, drugs, or gambling.
Can the minister indicate how widespread this problem is across Nunavut?
At this time, I don’t have the statistics for all of Nunavut, so I will take this question as notice.
Member for Nanulik, Mr. Ningeongan. Sorry, hang on a second, Johnny.
Sorry, Madam Minister. I heard that you came through the interpretation that you were taking the question as notice. Can you clarify if you were taking that question as notice or not before we proceed?
I will find out more information on the specific question that he asked me and I will provide that information.
Your first supplementary, then, Mr. Oshutapik.
I am aware that there are different ways that the Income Support Program can provide social assistance payments to clients.
Sometimes clients are given a cheque, sometimes they are given vouchers to a local store, and sometimes they are given a Cashlink card that they can use to purchase food and other goods.
Can the minister clarify how it is decided which form of payment will be given to a social assistance recipient?
At this time, the process is still the same. The North West Company also issues Visa cards, so they can go through that process as well.
I can only say “Cashlink card” in English to be specific.
They can be used by the clients. They will continue to use those Cashlink cards at Northern Stores.
The income support recipients are not going to be forced to start using Visa cards. It will be optional for them.
Programs such as Nunavut’s Income Support Program exist in all provinces and territories across Canada and in many states and countries across the developed world.
Some programs use vouchers, some hand out cash, while others use fairly advanced electronic debit cards which keep track of who is spending the money and what they are spending it on.
Can the minister explain what different payment systems her department has considered using and why they chose the ones currently being used?
I don’t have the statistics on which ones are being used the most and also the one that is most preferred by the income support recipients. It is up to the recipient’s preference. The recipients usually select which system they would like to use.
I don’t have the statistics of which is the most popular method.
I thank the minister for the response. (interpretation ends) I am confident that the majority of income support clients are honest people who appreciate the support that they receive and do their best to feed and care for their families.
It is unfortunate that a few individuals abuse and take advantage of a system that is only there to help them. Can the minister indicate what measures her department has taken to reduce the level of abuse of the income support system?
There are a lot of income support clients who don’t abuse the system. No wonder, it’s only when they require financial assistance that they apply for income support.
It is also evident that not everybody uses that system.
We cannot be at the store all the time and we cannot be sure what products they purchase.
It is impossible to try to determine unless if we were there to watch them.
It is impossible to actually determine what they are buying. Maybe after we review to what extend the clients abuse the system, we can try to come up with solutions.
At this time, we cannot be there when they’re shopping. (interpretation ends) It’s hard to monitor the use of money that income support recipients use in the stores.
I apologize for the false start.
Question 571 – 3(3): Search and Rescue in Nunavut (Ningeongan)
Good morning to Coral Harbourmiut, Igluligaarjummiut, and Nunavummiut.
I don’t mean to put the minister on the “spot”; however, I want to ask questions regarding the emergency use of the SPOT locator devices. I want to follow up today on some issues related to search and rescue.
Earlier this week, the minister made a statement concerning the SPOT locator devices that have been distributed to communities.
For the benefit of Nunavummiut who are following our proceedings today, can the minister explain the steps that occur between the time that a hunter activates the SPOT device and the time that local search and rescue authorities are alerted?
Speaking of the SPOT, (interpretation) Mr. Speaker, there are three buttons that can be activated.
The help button, 911 button, and okay buttons are the three buttons that can be activated.
The one that is activated with the help button goes through email. (interpretation ends) When the help button is pressed, an email message is sent to a BlackBerry, which is being monitored 24/7 by people in our emergency management department in Protective Services. (interpretation) The telephone systems for emergency is monitored 24/7 and will ring every five minutes to the BlackBerry phone system as long as the person who activated that button deactivates the SPOT device.
Our Emergency Management Organization would call search and rescue.
If the SPOT activation device was activated in Coral Harbour, they would start working with the community involved upon the activation of the SPOT device.
Alternatively, if the person from Coral Harbour happened to be nearer to Repulse Bay, then the EMO would call the search and rescue party in Repulse Bay to conduct the search and also communicate that to the search and rescue society in Coral Harbour.
The call for the search would be submitted to the closest community search and rescue organization based on the location indicated on the device.
My response is taking a while, but if the person pressed the other button on the device, which is the 911 button, the call would be diverted to Texas.
They are the main coordinators for this brand. Once the call comes through to the 911 centre in Texas, the call would come from there to the joint search and rescue coordination centre in Trenton, Ontario.
They would call that office immediately, actually to three places.
They would call the Trenton office, the RCMP headquarters in Iqaluit, and our EMO offices here in Nunavut.
The call would be sent out from Texas, and then they would follow up every six hours to see what is happening to rescue the caller who contacted them.
Once these three offices are contacted by the Texas coordination office, the search and rescue party in the closest community to the indicated location would be called, if I can call the activation the signal.
Finally, there is a last button indicating that the person is okay and that is the okay button. That signal would be sent via email to the office.
They also monitor this situation, but since it isn’t an emergency, the reaction isn’t as swift.
If that call comes through, they can also check up with the EMO office to explain that the okay button was pushed and get an explanation, such as “Our hunters are out of town, but they pressed the okay button,” so we will try to ensure we are kept up to date on that particular call as well.
That is how these SPOT devices are set up, the 500 devices that this government has distributed to our communities.
With respect to personally owned SPOT devices, they aren’t owned by the government.
They have the option to direct their calls to a particular number as well as sending an email to a specified address. Since they are personal, they are set to that person’s personal preferences since the government isn’t responsible for them.
I hope that is understandable, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Ningeongan (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the minister for his response.
As the minister will recall, concerns have been raised in this House about the process by which after-hours emergency calls to the RCMP are routed through Iqaluit before redirecting the information to local authorities. (interpretation ends) I have recently heard similar concerns being expressed about SPOT locators with respect to alerts now going through Iqaluit before information is transmitted back to local search and rescue personnel.
Can the minister indicate if his department’s Emergency Management Organization will review this situation in consultation with local search and rescue authorities?
At this time, if a call is made to the EMO office or when the phone rings identifying the call, and an emergency number is given to the case, then it is immediately responded to by the EMO office employees, Mr. Speaker.
If a call wasn’t responded to, I would want to be notified.
Every call is answered for search and rescue events, and all searches are given a number and recorded.
So if I was given the information, then I could find out which search was delayed or late, and then we could check to see what reasons caused this delay.
The reason why I brought this up is if there is a delayed reaction by the emergency personnel, in some cases, they might respond the following day.
(interpretation ends) As the minister is aware, most Nunavummiut who are involved with search and rescue are volunteers. The department’s most recent annual report on emergency management indicates that the department “initiated a training program through the Municipal Training Organization.
During this fiscal year, $250,000 was allocated for basic, advanced and management-level search and rescue training.”
Can the minister indicate whether its training programs address the issue of effectively using the SPOT locator system?