EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
But when the government started coming up north we were administered by strangers from down south. We all know there were a lot of children that went to school in different communities because, of course, we were administered by the government and we had to leave our family in order to go to school in another community.
And our parents were having a hard time. I could use myself as an example. I could not see my brothers and sisters and I could not help my father to go out hunting because I was not there.
My father was told if I didn’t go to school in another community that my child benefits would be cut so my father did not want that to happen so he had no choice but to say yes for me to go to school outside my community.
That was part of the way the administrators administered the Inuit people in the communities and we were told to move to assimilated communities from our camp. The government also said that we have to go into a larger community and we could not live in our outpost camp anymore.
They told us that we will not have to pay for anything in the community and then they said we would pay only $32 and that’s it.
That is all we have to pay. If you go to a community we would have to pay the $32 a month. When we did finally move to a community, we were quite able when we lived in our outpost camp, but we were told to move to a community and told we didn’t have to pay for anything except for $32 a month.
At that time I know that when we got our Land Claims settled that the Inuit expected to have what they had years ago, but that is not the case today. Their expectations have not been met.
Those are the types of things that we are living with in today’s world.
We don’t really like what’s happening to us. We also heard that Quebec wants to be recognized as a nation.
We were the first people here in the north, why can’t they recognize this, too?
There were southerners that were coming into our community and from Europe when we were living here, but Quebec wants recognition as a nation from the government. Up to today nobody has asked us or said anything to us about recognizing us as a nation.
We have been mistreated by the government.
Also a long time ago when we told the government that, they did away with our dog teams, but now whoever did away with our dog teams are saying that they didn’t do such a thing.
We were told to tie up our dogs and now we hear that those people are denying that they didn’t do away with dog teams.
There’s a lot of problems that we know of that have not been resolved with the government.
There were a lot of problems when they killed off our dogs and now we have to use these machinery and vehicles that use gasoline which is going to be a concern to us because of greenhouse gases.
These are the things that I would like to talk about. I am proud to say that having said all those things I know where the Inuit people are today because we have our own Legislature and we can speak freely about our concerns.
We don’t have to work as hard and we can say anything to the government now.
Although we want to have more rights I am also proud that the Inuit people know where they’re at. It’s unfortunate that the government has mistreated us in the past and some of the Inuit people have been hurt very much.
Item. 10.
Committee Report 005 – 2(3): Status of the Audit of the Workers’ Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (Peterson)
I have the honour today of presenting a brief report by the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Accountability on the status of the audit of the Workers’ Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (WCB).
As all members are aware, the Workers’ Compensation Board is shared between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
In our Legislative Assembly, the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Accountability has oversight responsibility for the Workers’ Compensation Board.
In March 2005, a motion was passed in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories calling for the Auditor General of Canada to undertake a performance audit of the Workers’ Compensation Board.
This motion was unanimously supported by the regular members of that House. As you will recall, Mr. Speaker, our standing committee formally expressed its support of this initiative.
At that time, the standing committee recognized that a number of the issues that are of concern to our counterparts in the Northwest Territories may be specific to operations in that jurisdiction. However, members were of the view that the audit was likely to result in information that would be of use to the governments and legislatures of both jurisdictions.
Mr. Speaker, as you will recall, you tabled the Auditor General’s Report on this matter on June 14, 2006.
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories held three days of public hearings on the Auditor General’s Report in June of this year.
As the co-chair of our standing committee, I was pleased to have been invited by our counterparts in the Northwest Territories to officially be in attendance at these hearings to represent our Assembly. I would like to express our satisfaction at the collegial fashion in which our two committees have worked together on this issue, and note for the public record my appreciation to our hosts.
Mr. Speaker, the three days of hearings were highly productive. The Auditor General of Canada took the time to personally appear before the standing committee to report her findings. A significant number of key witnesses appeared before the Standing Committee.
These included members of the Workers’ Compensation Board’s Governance Council, senior Workers’ Compensation Board officials, the Chair of the Appeals Tribunal, the Workers’ Advisor and the Northwest Territories Minister responsible for the Workers’ Compensation Board.
Over the course of the hearings, committee members posed important questions and made a number of useful suggestions for improvements to the board’s operations and accountabilities.
On October 26, 2006, the standing committee presented its Report to the Northwest Territories Assembly.
The report presents a total of nine formal recommendations on a wide range of important issues.
The need to expedite the resolution of long-outstanding claims and improve the timelines for the hearing of appeals;
The need for the Workers’ Compensation Board to develop an action plan to address the recommendations of the Auditor General in her audit;
The importance of locating the offices of the Workers’ Compensation Board Appeals Tribunal and the Workers’ Compensation Board administration in separate locations;
The importance of bringing forward amendments to the legislation to clarify the Workers’ Compensation Board mandate in relation to its duty to assist injured workers;
The need for the Workers’ Advisor and the Deputy Workers’ Advisor to have adequate resources to assist injured workers in managing their cases; and
The need for the responsible Ministers to work with the Governance Council in developing options for addressing the issue of conflicting medical opinions.
At the appropriate time, I will be tabling the transcripts from the public hearings and the Northwest Territories Standing Committee’s Report for the information of our House.
I encourage our Minister responsible for the Workers’ Compensation Board to carefully review the findings and recommendations in the report, which I believe he will find to be of value.
I would note for the record that our standing committee is in support of the recommendations contained in the report.
I will also note for the record that the formal government’s response to the committee’s report is due to be tabled within 120 days.
This is a document which I anticipate will be scrutinized with care by members in both Houses.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the recent appointment of Mr. Attima Hadlari as a deputy workers’ advisor for Nunavut.
Mr. Hadlari is no stranger to the members of this House, and we wish him well in his duties.
During my discussions with our Northwest Territories counterparts, we agreed that it is important for the governments in both jurisdictions to table the annual report of the Workers’ Advisor in our respective jurisdiction.
Mr. Speaker, it is anticipated that significant amendments to the Workers’ Compensation Act will come forward in both legislatures in 2007.
These amendments will be referred to this Standing Committee for scrutiny.
I anticipate that the relevant standing committees of both legislatures will work together, to the appropriate extent, in reviewing this proposed legislation.
I move that the report of the standing committee be received by the House.
Do members agree that the report of the Standing Committee be received by this House?
Tabled Document 191 – 2(3): Letter from Hamlet of Arctic Bay to Chief Superintendent RCMP (Barnabas)
I wish to table today a copy of the letter from the Hamlet of Arctic Bay to Chief Superintendent of the RCMP requesting night time patrols in the community.
I sincerely hope that the Minister of Justice will at least support the request in the next round of contract negotiations with the RCMP.
Can we have the document brought forward to the Clerk’s table please?
Tabled Document 192 – 2(3): Transcript of Public Meeting on Auditor General’s Report on the WCB of the NWT and Nunavut (Peterson)
As I indicated in my report, I wish to table today a package of documents related to the recent public hearings on the report of the Auditor General on the Workers’ Compensation Board in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Can we have that document brought forward to the Clerk’s table please?
That sure may be heavy, it’s well taken.
Tabled Document 193 – 2(3): Inuit Wellness Programs in Nunavut 2004-05 (Aglukkaq)
I am pleased to table a report that was done by Health Canada and the Government of Nunavut: Inuit Wellness Programs in Nunavut for 2004-05.
Tabled Document 194 – 2(3): Executive Summary of Second Review of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement 1998-2005 (Okalik)
This is quite heavy.
I wish to table the following bulky documents.
Executive Summary, believe it, …
…of the second review of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement 1999-2005, imagine if this were a full report.
All the documents appear to be heavy today.
Tabled Document 195 – 2(3): Crown Agency Council Activities Report November 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006 (Simailak)
I am pleased to table the following document: the Crown Agency Council’s Activity Report for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2006.
Tabled Document 196 – 2(3): Ministerial Meeting Report Agriculture F/P/T June 2006, from ED&T (Akesuk)
I wish to table the following document; Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministerial Report, June 26, 27.
Tabled Document 197 – 2(3): Nunavut Arctic College 2005 Graduate Survey (Picco)
I wish to table the following document: Nunavut Arctic College Graduate Survey.
Tabled Document 198 – 2(3): Annual Report of the Information & Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut 2005-06 (Speaker)
That appears to be the first light document of the day.
Pursuant to Section 68 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I wish to table the 2005-06 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut.
Bill 28 – Deficit Reduction Act – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Nattilik, that Bill 28, Deficit Reduction Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill increases the taxable price per cigarette and per gram of cigarette tobacco and the Payroll Tax rate.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Simailak. (interpretation ends) The motion is in order.
I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to speak today to the principle of the bill, which is being presented to the public as legislation to address the Government of Nunavut’s deficit position.
Mr. Speaker, since the time that Nunavut came into existence on April 1, 1999, our fiscal situation has gone through a number of ups and downs. Indeed, I don’t think it would be unfair to compare it to a roller coaster ride, or navigating a kayak in choppy waters.
Mr. Speaker, I sat in my place in this House and heard a number of finance ministers deliver budget speeches and fiscal updates. In some years the message was good; revenues were up, and the government had resources to make important and welcome investments in programs and services. At other times, we were told that the time to tighten our belts was upon us; spending was getting out of control and forecasted revenues had not materialized.
Over the years, I’ve become somewhat of a sceptic when it comes to the fiscal news of the day. Indeed, as the members know, this feeling is not confined to Nunavut as recent years have seen wildly inaccurate surplus projections come out of Ottawa.
I believe that that’s the reason why federal MPs are looking at creating a parliamentary budget officer to help legislators get an objective and a clear picture of the nation’s finances. That’s a good idea.
Mr. Speaker, although the bill is brief, it will have a real impact on our constituents. I wish to address this in my remarks.
I would note that in some respects, it strikes me that this has been rushed in at the last minute.
We have not yet seen the details of the government’s plan on the spending side of the equation, but I look forward to some intense scrutiny of these early next year when we review the budget.
Mr. Speaker, the bill contains two measures: substantial increase to the Tobacco Tax, and a 100 percent increase in the Payroll Tax.
On the matter of the Tobacco Tax, I support this initiative, but also, a cautionary note that it is important that the government carefully monitor its actual impacts on both revenues and actual tobacco sales. It is important that the government’s tax measures in this area not result in the unintended consequence of creating black markets.
It is also important that the government report to the House and the public on whether the amount of tobacco that is purchased in Nunavut actually goes up or down in the coming years especially in light of the government’s argument that the tax increase will help reduce demand for tobacco.
I believe that the government does have the means to track this information. As a matter of fact, we were told just yesterday in this House that a different government program has cut smoking rates by 12 percent.
The government also needs to account for its impact in meeting the stated goal of the Bill, which is to reduce our deficit.
Mr. Speaker, I would add one additional comment in the area of consumption taxes.
As you will recall, I discussed in a Member’s Statement earlier this sitting the importance of addressing another addiction in Nunavut: our addiction to unhealthy junk foods.
I believe that the government may wish to examine what options it has in this area, given the equally significant costs to our health care system to treat diabetes, dental disease and other related conditions.
Mr. Speaker, Bill 28 doubles the rate of the Payroll Tax. This change will come into place in a few short weeks.
As members know, this tax was introduced by the Government of the Northwest Territories in 1993 during the dark days of transfer payment cuts to the provinces and territories and inherited by us upon division in 1999.
To this day, I do not believe that the government has ever undertaken a comprehensive analysis on the extent to which the tax has been effective in achieving its original stated purpose of capturing revenues from non-residents who work here, but choose to live elsewhere.
It would be my hope, Mr. Speaker, that the government will look at this bill as the proper occasion to undertake a rigorous analysis of this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Minister of Finance and I had a genuinely useful exchange of views earlier in this sitting on the Payroll Tax.
As members will recall, when this measure was announced, I was concerned that the public have a clear picture as to who would actually be impacted by the tax changes.
Mr. Speaker, when working families are calculating their household budgets, they need hard facts and figures - not soft words and spin.
That’s why I pursued questions in this House to nail down the details of who would be impacted by the Payroll Tax changes.
I was pleased that the minister shared my concern that Nunavut residents and taxpayers in the two lowest tax brackets not suffer any net increase in their tax burden as a result of these changes.
In my view, using our tax brackets as a yardstick was a clear and sensible approach to this issue.
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my remarks, I have no opposition to the principle that those who can afford to pay should do so.
I am a firm believer in the importance of sharing burdens to meet common goals.
Indeed, Mr. Speaker, I believe that I have remarked that those of us in this Chamber should be expected to shoulder this burden.
Working families are being asked to bear a heavy load these days.
Although I know that the three territories have been lobbying Ottawa on the issue, the federal Northern Residents Deduction on our Income Tax forms has not been increased in many years.
Recent increases in the price of fuel have had a ripple effect on our residents. They’re paying more to heat and light their homes. They’ll be paying more for their groceries as companies pass on their own utility increases to their consumers.
They’ll pay more to fill up their skidoos to go hunting and their trucks to go to work.
Many of them, including front-line teachers and health care providers, are now having to pay double-digit increases in rent for their staff housing units.
Mr. Speaker, they can’t avoid these costs. These aren’t luxury items.
That’s why I have focused my efforts on ensuring that people in the two lowest tax brackets are protected, and that’s where my focus will be when this bill is scrutinized before our standing committee.
Mr. Speaker, I mentioned working families. In many cases, children are being raised in single-income households.
There are many, many examples of this, and I believe that it’s fair to describe such people as the working poor. These people can afford this the least.
Mr. Speaker, I also believe that the government should take a close look in the coming year at how well the payroll tax is actually achieving its intended purpose.
As the minister indicated in his replies to me we need to examine whether it is obtaining revenues from such people as southern-based consultants and contractors and lawyers who work on contract for the Government of Nunavut and then catch the Friday evening flight back to Ottawa, or elsewhere in the south.
I will be supporting the motion for second reading, but I believe that it is clear where I stand. Before I can support the bill at third reading, I will be seeking a firm and unambiguous confirmation of what I heard as the minister’s commitment that our residents in the lowest tax brackets will be protected.
Bill 28 has had second reading and accordingly, the bill stands referred to a committee.
Bill 29 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Iqaluit East, that Bill 29, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the second time. This Bill will increase the cost of living deductions for Nunavummiut starting in the 2007 taxation year.
The motion is in order. To the principle of the Bill. Question has been called.
Bill 29 has had second reading, and accordingly, the bill stands referred to a committee.
Bill 23, Bill 24, Bill 25, and Bill 26 with Mr. Arreak in the Chair.
>>House recessed at 15:47 and Committee resumed at 16:15
We wish to continue with the review of Bill 26 and the Capital Estimates for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, followed by the Department of Health and Social Services.
Are we in agreement to continue with the Capital Estimates for the Nunavut Housing Corporation?
Chairman: Thank you, Committee. Minister Akesuk, do you have witnesses that you would like to bring to the table?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman: Thank you. (interpretation) Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses in.
(interpretation ends) Thank you. For the record, minister, please introduce your witnesses.
To my immediate right is the President Peter Scott and to my immediate left is the Executive Director of Corporate Services and the Chief Financial Officer Eric Whitworth and in the Gallery is Abraham Tagalik, Vice-President.
I don’t think anyone in this room will disagree with me when I say that housing is probably one of the more critical functions that are provided by the government. It affects everybody everywhere because as far as I know, everyone lives in a house, or an apartment, or some type of structural accommodations.
I know last year there was, I believe, it was 70-some units that were delivered under this new federal funding.
They’re looking at over 100, I think, this coming year.
I also know that one of the biggest costs related to housing and the construction of housing is the transportation cost.
Roughly in town here, you could spend $200,000 before you even drive a nail, just on the land, the freight, and the piles, as piles are expensive.
I will be looking to ask general questions before we get into some of the initiatives that the corporation may be looking at to try and reduce some of the non housing-specific costs, but things like freight costs, crating, getting materials, and things like that.
I would be interested in hearing any initiatives that the corporation has taken in that area, especially given the large supply of delivery that they’re looking at for the coming year.
We don’t want to end up with things frozen in the ice in the wrong community.
Like we heard on the news this morning there are materials for projects in Sanikiluaq and Coral Harbour that are on ice in Baker Lake.
I will be looking to ask the minister how they plan on moving forward on those projects when things are stuck somewhere else and what arrangements are being made to make sure that those projects from last year will continue and what they can do to ensure us that we will not run into the same problems in the future, especially in the coming year, like I said, especially with a large delivery being planned.
So with that that will be it for just my general opening comments and I will ask some general questions as we move along.
I would like to welcome you and I believe I would like to welcome Abraham Tagalik also.
I would like to make a few general comments in regard to the houses that are built up here and the increasing numbers.
This summer I think that it is going to be much cheaper because we were able to order our materials from Churchill as the point of entry.
When you build your own house it is a lot cheaper and when the government builds houses it is extremely expensive. Not just for the materials, but also for the labour itself.
And I know that they are doing a good job constructing the houses and the Housing Corporation staff make sure that they are doing a good job, but I think that we have to think of other ideas and enforcing the contract that has been signed between the two parties.
There are a lot of people that are on the waiting list for housing and at times there is a mad dash to make sure they get a house, in my community anyway, and I am sure that is the same case in the other communities. There are people who complain they are on the waiting list for a long time.
I think that there should be better planning done by the corporation so that there is steady work instead of having a large amount of work to do in one year and less the next.
I think that we have to recognize the workers and honouring the contract.
(interpretation ends) I think this hasn’t been sufficient ensure adherence to what that agreement was.
I think we should be looking a little more carefully at what the date was to finish some of these houses in Nunavut because some of them have carried on for least six to eight months, even a year more than they are supposed to be finished.
I think there has been a lot of disappointment from communities blaming the Housing Association for not pressing a little bit harder to get these houses finished.