EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I wanted to mention their youth, from the bantam level all the way up to senior men’s hockey, as they are always involved in various hockey tournaments. They always attend these tournaments and don’t let their small population stop them.
The community sends a hockey team to pretty well all of the tournaments. The community is very big on sports and they are amongst the most active communities in Nunavut.
I wanted to let them know that I am proud of their untiring efforts.
I also wish to thank the parents in Whale Cove who have fundraised to ensure that their kids can attend these tournaments.
They ensure the success of their hockey teams, either through hockey tournaments or other kinds of tournaments.
It’s pretty hard to fundraise in the larger communities and it’s even harder in the smaller communities.
So when a smaller community is successful, we should be proud of them when they are that good.
Member’s Statement 048 – 3(3): End of Current Sitting (Ningark)
I would like to take this opportunity, understanding that perhaps tomorrow we will all be heading back home, and I wish every Member of this House a safe trip.
Mr. Speaker, although I’m not able to address every need of my constituents, it is an honour serving them.
I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the Clerk, office, and staff. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and never-ending work of the interpreter/translators in this House…
… and the pages.
I would also like to acknowledge the presence of our friend, the media. They keep us and the public informed, and we can’t do a thing without them.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to also acknowledge the work of the Sergeant-at-Arms in this House. During the budget session, he’s always busy bringing in people and bringing them out, and so on.
I would also like to tell my wife that if everything goes well, I’ll be home a day after tomorrow.
Member’s Statement 049 – 3(3): Happy Anniversary to Ollie and Lizzie Ittinuar (Curley)
I, too, would like to rise to celebrate the anniversary of our elderly couple that was mentioned in Rankin Inlet.
I am very thankful to Ollie and Lizzie from my heart because I have adopted a child from one of their children.
When you adopt a child, you will find that they are very loveable.
I am so grateful to the couple because they have been married for that many years.
I also wanted to state that Ollie’s house sits just in front of the constituency boundary. My colleague and I used to kind of argue about the boundary and state that the couple was either in my constituency or his.
Apparently the constituency boundary was put just behind his house, so the couple is represented by my colleague, even though we live right across from them.
I am very thankful that the Ittinuars are always willing to call us, both Ollie and Lizzie, my sister.
I am very proud of you on this special day and I imagine that many people will be on the radio celebrating your anniversary.
I am very impressed and slightly envious to see someone married that long.
Member’s Statement 050 – 3(3): Upcoming Square Dance Competition in Kugluktuk (Taptuna)
I would like to rise today to congratulate again the volunteers of Kugluktuk who strive to make life better for the less fortunate and the young folks of our community.
On April 8 to 10, there is a square dance showdown happening in Kugluktuk, and I want to invite other community members. I understand that there are going to be a lot of teams going to Kugluktuk for the showdown, including the Kitikmeot communities.
I understand that the estimated prizes for the showdown are around $30,000, so it’s going to be a huge event.
It’s for the youth. It’s a family show. It’s a sober show.
Of course, I want to congratulate the volunteers who put in a lot of time and effort in making this happen. That’s Mavis Adjun, Millie Kuliktana, Helena Bolt, and Margo Nivingalok, the teachers of the youth square dancers which are called the Ukaliit Youth Square Dancers.
For the most part, these efforts by the volunteers make good things happen in the communities and within families in the communities.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Member. (interpretation ends) I am glad that there’s something nice about my name again. (interpretation) Member for South Baffin.
Member’s Statement 051 – 3(3): Government/Municipal Vehicle Usage Policies (Schell)
I rise today to speak on vehicle abuse at the government and hamlet level.
Mr. Speaker, I’m not talking about stopping at the grocery store on the way home, I’m talking about blatant abuse. In some instances, if the employee could receive one air mile for every mile driven, they could fly around the world.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Nunavummiut to become familiar with the GN vehicle policy and the hamlet vehicle policy, and if they see any abuse, I would encourage them to take pictures, date them, list the community, which department, and send them to me.
I’ll be putting a scrapbook together which will be called, “Driving Pleasure at Taxpayers’ Expense.”
Going back to our orders of the day. Item 4. Returns to Oral Questions.
Return to Oral Question 048 – 3(3): Health Situation in Sanikiluaq (Curley)
This is a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Rumbolt on March 4, 2011, and the number is 48 – 3(3).
On March 4, the Member for Hudson Bay asked an oral question in the legislature in relation to the status of medical supplies in the community of Sanikiluaq.
The Department of Health and Social Services attempts to ensure that all of our health centres have the necessary supplies to deal with medical emergencies as they arise.
During the recent outbreak in Sanikiluaq, as supplies ran low, the health centre staff made arrangements for the delivery of necessary medications and supplies by arriving flight crews when they picked up patients for medevac.
This ensured that the health centre had the supplies needed to operate effectively.
Mr. Speaker, since the outbreak in December, supplies at the health centre are being replenished and needed items being sent in on the next available plane. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Return to Oral Question 063 – 3(3): Feasibility Study for New Airport in Kimmirut (Taptuna)
This is a return to an oral question that was asked by the Hon. Member for South Baffin, No. 63 – 3(3) asked on March 7, 2011.
When will the minister commit to actually doing a feasibility study as to the relocation of the airport in Kimmirut?
Mr. Speaker, the department will be undertaking work on the runway surface and on the airport electrical system in this coming year and the next one, but there are no studies currently planned for relocating the airport.
Mr. Speaker, after we have completed the required resurfacing of the airport over the next two years we will consider allocating funds to a preliminary study on the feasibility of relocating the airport.
Returns to Oral Questions. (interpretation ends) Item 5. (interpretation) Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery.
I would like to recognize one of the pages in the House today, Jessie Ningiuk. He is the son of Geoffrey Qaunaq, the conservation officer in Grise Fiord.
I was speaking with Geoffrey last night. Again talking about proud parents, he was watching his son working here yesterday.
I would like to say “hello” to Geoffrey who I know is watching from Grise Fiord and I also welcome Jessie to the House.
Hon. Eva Arreak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I stand here today to recognize a young individual from my riding and if he follows his father’s footsteps, one day he could be sitting here as an MLA, Pakak Picco.
He has been working hard.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Welcome.
I would like to recognize him as well. I told him before that he’s like his dad in a lot of ways.
He promised me a rice crispy square about four years ago.
I’m still waiting for it by the way.
I look forward to chow down on it.
(interpretation) Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. (interpretation ends) I want to recognize the rest of the pages.
Thank you for doing a wonderful job once again and keep it up.
They have set a new standard again. (interpretation) Thank you.
Question 075 – 3(3): Status of Utility Rates Review Council’s Consideration of General Rate Application (Ningark)
I would like to direct my question to the Hon. Minister Arreak.
We have been informed about utilities and I believe the minister is responsible for the Utility Rates Review Council.
Mr. Speaker, last year, the Qulliq Energy Corporation submitted its General Rate Application to the Utility Rates Review Council. I understand that the Utility Rates Review Council is an independent body.
When is the deadline for the URCC’s report and recommendations to be submitted to the minister?
Minister responsible for the Utility Rates Review Council.
I also thank the member for his question. It’s the first time I have ever been asked a question with respect to the URRC.
The Utility Rates Review Council reviews all requests for increasing the rate and they used to be independent.
However, in 2009, there was a revised mandate and at this time, they are currently just an advisory council.
They have submitted their rate review report and they have included recommendations.
When the due date for their report arrived, they submitted the rate.
With respect to the report that was submitted by the Utility Rates Review Council, has the minister submitted it to the Executive Council for review?
The report submitted by the Utility Rates Review Council is being reviewed and they also have submitted a report to the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
He can speak about the details.
Now that I understand that the report was already submitted to the responsible minister, perhaps it could be tabled in this House at our next session this spring.
We haven’t completed a review of the report and we haven’t set a date for when we would submit it, so I can’t single out a date at this time.
I also thank the hon. minister for his response.
Mr. Speaker, even though the utility rate increase may be a small marginal increase, a lot of us have difficulty paying the electrical bills, especially the homeowners who no longer have a source of revenue.
Can the minister commit to submitting this report as soon as he is able or perhaps after the Executive Council or the cabinet has completed its review?
Can the minister table this report as soon as possible so that we can disseminate the information?
As per my response that it is the way it stands, we are still reviewing the utility rates report.
We have been requested to review the rates to see if there can be an increase, but with respect to the actual rate increases, the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation can provide a response.
Question 076 – 3(3): Medical Travel with No Heat on Airplane (Ugyuk)
I was mistaken in my naming of the individual, so I apologize; I regret that mistake.
When I tried to say Ollie, I made an error and I said Peter, so I would like to apologize, but I want to let them know that they are well loved in Nattilik and Taloyoak.
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health, Hon. Tagak Curley.
In the Nattilik region, medical patients go through Canadian North and I am starting to hear concerns about the aircraft and its heating.
Apparently during the winter, it gets quite cold.
I’m wondering whether or not the minister can look into this matter about the heating.
I thank the member for the concerns. I believe the Member for Akulliq referred to that. I think there is one question that he raised and I thanked him for that.
With regard to the contracts and the review of the medical contracts, I want you to know that all of your comments and concerns are very useful. We aren’t sure who will be the winning bidder, but we are starting to review the proposals with the committee and we will make a decision when we undertake that review. I still can’t determine or respond as to which airline would be successful.
As a department, we have made the position that the elder medical patients should be allowed flexibility.
If we were to come to an agreement with the contractors, this will be taken into consideration prior to signing off the new medical travel contract.
We do know that some of the patients undergo extreme difficulty.
I feel for these patients.
I occasionally see that in Rankin Inlet.
For example, the person who is celebrating an anniversary today had a very long trip right after he had major surgery.
We are very concerned about these issues as well.
Question 077 – 3(3): Multiple Options (Elliott)
My question is directed towards the Minister of Education, the Hon. Hunter Tootoo.
In his Minister’s Statement of the other day, he spoke about multiple options and I just wanted to ask some questions for clarification.
He spoke about the multiple options at different streams and before, it was my understanding when you went through school, you would receive an academic graduation certificate or a general graduation certificate.
With the streams that he was mentioning the other day for the multiple options, is that an academic graduation diploma with a stream attached to it or is it just a general steam?
I would like to thank Mr. Elliott for the question.
Mr. Speaker, the multiple options approach is something that the department has been working on for a while. We are looking at ways to try and attract and retain students in the school system.
We are also looking at the graduation requirements. There is a review underway right now and it’s being analyzed to look at what the different requirements would be.
It’s my understanding, Mr. Speaker, that there would be your current graduation requirement for specific academic programs.
If an individual chose to participate in one of the multiple options programs, there would still be some of the core courses that are required for graduation but it would be a different type of certificate relating to the stream that they’re in. Hopefully that clarified it.
Again just for clarification, so if I am a grade 9 student who wants to go through and eventually my goal is to attend university, I would decide to take the academic stream and therefore, get the qualifications to be able to graduate with the credits required to move on to university.
If I was not so inclined, if I was interested in getting involved in the trades, I would follow that stream and not necessarily receive my academic certificate.
My understanding is that that would be correct.
Right now, pretty much what’s offered across the board is just simply the academic requirements. Like I said, we’re looking at their graduation requirements.
If an individual chooses to go into the multiple options program, say for example, if they go into community caregiving and family studies, it could help gear them towards employment. If you look in the two communities where we’re opening the continuing care centres to be able to help them be able to move into having employment opportunities in that area or in the introductory to trades and engineering, it would gear them more towards the trades programming if they wanted to move into that area.
Again I don’t want to seem that I’m not in favour of what’s happening in terms of what the Government of Nunavut and your department is doing, where you provide more options and hopefully have more students involved in the school and in the classroom.
But again, at a grade 9 level, when you’re a young teenager, making a decision for your life could be affected by choosing a stream instead of the academic, and then the ability to go back might not be there.
My next question is: what type of counselling is received? What counselling will the students receive to make that huge life decision or career decision?
I know that in some of our meetings, you had said that there are only two guidance counsellors who are actually hired across the territory. Who will help the students make these decisions?
It’s my understanding that at each school, the staff in the school will be counselling the students, ensuring that they understand and are fully aware of the implications of the decisions they make and the courses that they choose to take in the high school program.
Mr. Speaker, as a matter of fact, we have developed a pamphlet to go out to the middle school ages, grades 7 and 8, to get them thinking about the choices they need to look at as they go into the high school as far as where they want to go and what they want to do with their future.
It’s something that we’re taking and we’re actually starting it now at an earlier level because, as the member points out, if you wait until it’s too late… . I think the more advance notice that these young people get to think about what they want to do will ensure that they’re aware of the implications of program choices that they decide to take and the effect that they would have in any opportunities that they choose to pursue in the future.
The minister was talking about how the program is being worked on and it will eventually roll out.
When do you anticipate everything in place to start the students on these different streams?
Will it be the next school year or are there a couple of years?
It’s my understanding that we’re hoping to be able to have this rolled out in the 2012-13 year.
Question 078 – 3(3): GN Vehicle Use Policy (Schell)
I asked the minister a question on October 29 of last year about the GN’s vehicle use policy. In December of last year, there was a death in a community involving a GN vehicle.
My question for the minister is: were there any memos sent to GN employees from the time I brought the issue up of vehicle abuse to the minister in October prior to the death in this particular community?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know the particular details to that particular community, but as I had mentioned to the member, we advised all of our staff to adhere to the Motor Vehicle Policy.
My next question is: how does the department enforce compliance with its own vehicle use policy in the communities?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Mr. Speaker, as I had stated in these very discussions we had on the dates that my colleague said we had these discussions in the House previous, we go by those.
I will reiterate that we advise our staff that they have to follow the Motor Vehicle Policy.
In fact, our department has vehicle tracking sheets. They have been sent to other departments so that the proper departmental heads can put out the motor vehicle tracking sheets.
So they sign out and sign back in the vehicles as they use them for government purposes and we track them that way.
Has any disciplinary action been taken over the past two years against GN employees for abuse of the vehicle use policy?
The vehicles that the government employees use, you have to realize in our department in particular, in many of the communities, we are the first call in line of emergencies, be it for search and rescue or there are government buildings that need immediate attention. Day or night, whether they’re at the store or wherever they may be, they are the first line of defence.
In those cases, they have to use the motor vehicle where they are. Otherwise, they would have to go all the way back to wherever the shop is and then attend to the emergency. In situations, sometimes it would be a bad thing to not have the vehicle with you wherever you may be.
We have people in our department who are on call 24 hours day.
In those cases, they have the vehicle and disciplinary action isn’t needed. In terms of using the government vehicle, we do have a sign out form.
Our department adheres to the sign out form, and I am not knowledgeable of any disciplinary action that had to have been taken from my department.
There is still a lot of confusion about who is responsible for enforcing municipal policies on the use of municipal vehicles.
Does CG&S monitor the hamlets to ensure that they are following their own policies?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know how much clearer I could make this.
The municipalities have their own by-laws, they have their own policies, they administer their own government, and that governs everything.
They have their own municipal vehicles. On those vehicles is the hamlet logo; it’s not the Government of Nunavut logo on those vehicles. It’s the municipality’s vehicle.
We as a government will not, under my leadership of the department, begin to try to dictate who and how the municipal equipment will be used.
I have said that before and I repeat it again.
The municipalities are responsible for municipal equipment and infrastructure, and this includes the hamlet vehicles.
The hamlets are responsible for adhering to and writing their own municipal vehicle [policies].
If it’s not clear enough, I would be more than happy to try to clarify it again.
Question 079 – 3(3): Taloyoak’s New Municipal Building (Ugyuk)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of CGS.
In Taloyoak, the hamlet council is trying to construct the municipal office and when it is completed this spring, it would be open, but the furniture and equipment for the building have not arrived yet.
When I asked the minister about it, he said that the furniture and equipment will arrive on the ship this coming fall.
What is the reason why they have not received the furniture and equipment?
Is there not funding for the Hamlet of Taloyoak?
I am very happy that you raised that question.
With regard to the new units that are constructed, they don’t include any of the furniture or required equipment.
However, we did assist the Hamlet of Taloyoak.
I believe it was during the fall of 2010 when they ordered all of the furniture but the order was placed after the sealift season was over.
That is the reason why the furniture and equipment is not in the community. In the meantime, they will be using the hamlet furniture that can be spared.
Once the sealift season starts again, the ordered furniture and office equipment will be delivered when the ship arrives. So in the meantime, they’re using the hamlet equipment.
Question 080 – 3(3): School Breakfast Program (Elliott)
Before returning home to my constituency, I would really like some clarification just so I could report back.
In terms of the breakfast program and the $500,000 that will be allocated or has been allocated in the House to roll out that program, we had the Minister of Education say that his department, while supporting the program, is not administering the program.
My first question would be: how will your department engage the schools to offer a breakfast program in the schools?
I think the deputy minister did indicate that the rollout will likely not occur until the fall.
To be honest with you, I think that was his line.
In view of the fact of what we’re dealing with, the finances will not kick in until April 1, so the school will likely be ending.
The department historically has worked with the school and held consultations with the school officials and every school in Nunavut where the program was being carried out previously have had the involvement of school officials as well as the local EIAs, which are consulted.
I will do my very best to try and see that the consultation is carried out. The local EIAs’ and education officials’ advice is really crucial to us, so we will have to consult with them.
Once that is in place, it will be formalized by way of either an MOU or letter of agreement or something.
I don’t think it’s a grant program or it could be, but I need to check that further.
What I will assure the member is that we will ensure that the local EIAs are quite informed of the whole nature of the program once completed.
At this time, there is no official application process. If a body wanted to operate a breakfast program in the school, there’s no application process at this time to follow through on.
Again to confirm what the deputy minister indicated to the Committee of the Whole the other day, we have at least a leeway to finalize all of the details, whether or not there will be an application process or whether it will be based on the critical needs of the communities, whether there is more requirement to ensure that the young children have their breakfast program.