EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I have explained the whole issue of infrastructure needs and capital planning in this House many times and the procedures that are taken in trying to deal with the issue of infrastructure requirements in municipalities.
As my colleague knows, the infrastructure community sustainability plans have been completed and it’s through that process and through the Community Infrastructure Advisory Committee and so on that they may begin to deal with the infrastructure requirements in each municipality.
As for whether it will be discussed at the Kivalliq mayors’ meeting, I am not aware.
Our department does not set the agenda. It is the municipalities of the Kivalliq Mayors Association that deal with the agenda, set it, and do their priorities. I personally have not seen the agenda and, therefore, cannot respond as to what, if any, will be discussed on that agenda.
Question 689 – 3(3): Fuel Distribution Services in Taloyoak (Ugyuk)
I wish the students a good day. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Community and Government Services.
As the minister will recall, I asked him questions on October 26 of last year concerning his department’s contract for fuel distribution services in Taloyoak.
At that time, I indicated that concerns had been raised with me by the community with respect to the ability of the new provider to fulfill the terms of its contract with the government.
In his response to me, the minister indicated that his department was “reviewing that particular file and checking to ensure that the contract is being followed through properly and that the party is following through on their obligations...”
Can the minister update me today on the status of his department’s efforts to monitor the fuel delivery contract in Taloyoak?
I thank my colleague for the question. (interpretation) Mr. Speaker, our staff has been working on this in regard to fuel contracts.
We had written a letter to them saying that they have to follow through with their fuel contract and we have told them as well.
We haven’t had any response to the letter that we sent in the middle of August.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) As the minister will recall from his correspondence to me of September 6, 2012, the contractor in Taloyoak is required to “provide and maintain a heated garage, constructed to GN standards, for the proper storage and maintenance of the fuel delivery vehicles, including a back-up fuel delivery vehicle, to the full satisfaction of the GN.” Can the minister inform me today if his department is, in fact, fully satisfied that these conditions are being met by the contractor?
Again, as per the initial answer I responded previously in Inuktitut, our department has responded with a demand letter to the contractor asking for answers as to exactly how they’re going to deal with the concern. We are awaiting a response on that demand letter we have written them.
I anticipate a response on that issue in the very near future and we will take the next steps that would be adequate as per the response we get from the contractor.
I thank the minister for his response. I am awaiting the reply from the contractor.
We have to make sure that this is clear to the public in Taloyoak.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, it has now been a full year since the minister wrote to me on this issue.
What actions will his department be taking in the next few weeks to ensure that the residents of Taloyoak are being served by a fuel delivery contractor that is fully meeting the terms and conditions of its contract with the government?
Again, Mr. Speaker, our department is very committed to ensuring that all the communities are served adequately in terms of their needs in petroleum products.
Again, we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We will await the response and depending on what kind of response we get, we will do a follow-up.
I assure my colleague and the people of her constituency that we will do our best to ensure that their petroleum product requirements in that community are met to the same standards as every other community.
Question 690 – 3(3): Law Enforcement Issues in Rankin Inlet (Curley)
With respect to the statement I made earlier, I have some questions to the Minister of Justice.
Serious concerns have been raised with me by constituents in Rankin Inlet concerning the epidemic of vandalism and theft that is occurring on almost a nightly basis.
Stolen ATVs are being driven loudly throughout the streets of Rankin Inlet at all hours, and current law enforcement efforts are unsatisfactory.
Can the minister indicate if his department has formally raised this concern with the RCMP and by-law enforcement in Rankin Inlet?
Well, this is the first that I have been made aware of the situation in Rankin Inlet and the chronic vandalism and theft of ATVs, but it is very much a concern to us and I’m sure it’s very much a concern to the community of Rankin Inlet and the RCMP there.
If something like this is happening in a community, I think it’s prudent that the community meet with the RCMP and work together with by-law to ensure that there are proper steps and actions taken to try and prevent as much as they can of this and it be dealt with.
Mr. Curley: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the response and I think that’s exactly what should happen.
I’m also able to indicate that there was an elder who chased around a vandal when he noticed that his Honda had been stolen. He chased him for three hours until daybreak.
I am concerned that residents are frustrated to the point where they are thinking of taking the law into their own hands. As the minister is aware, Kivalliq mayors are meeting in Rankin Inlet as well soon.
Will he commit to ensuring that this issue is addressed at next week’s meeting?
I do know that the mayors are meeting in Rankin Inlet next week.
I will say that I think it’s up to the community. We will be there and I’m sure the RCMP will be there too, but I think it’s up to the community to bring forward these situations and their concerns. I think it’s very important that everybody works together to deter this type of activity that’s happening.
I appreciate the response, but I also want to advise the minister that the RCMP is part of the community and they are responsible for ensuring that safety matters are dealt within the community as well as the region.
I recognize that the issue of motor vehicles insurance falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Economic Development and Transportation.
Will the Minister of Justice ensure that his department works with ED&T to review the legal issues surrounding the issues for ATVs in view of the fact that vandalism does impact or perhaps increases the cost of insuring these properties?
First of all, I would like to comment on a statement the member said in his last question and, that is, I encourage all people not to take the law into their own hands and get involved and chase people who are involved in damaging or stealing their ATVs or vehicles, and report that to the RCMP so that they can do that work.
I do commit to work with Minister Taptuna on reviewing insurance for ATVs.
It’s my understanding that’s precisely why you would have insurance for an ATV if it does get vandalized or stolen, that you can put a claim in to recover your cost in that.
Question 691 – 3(3): Update on Federal-Territorial Relations (Elliott)
Last month, the Premier hosted the Prime Minister of Canada on the occasion of his annual northern tour.
Can the Premier update the House today on what issues she raised with the Prime Minister during his visit?
Let me start off by stating that I am quite pleased that the Prime Minister of Canada visits Nunavut annually as this is an important event, especially when the sitting Prime Minister sees with his own eyes the existing condition of our communities, which leads to better understanding of our situation.
Some of the various issues I discussed with him were all quite important to Nunavut as a whole, particularly our need for devolution as a territory. I continue to bring up this topic at every opportunity. Another topic we have discussed is the need for cheaper energy alternatives, particularly in light of Iqaluit’s wish to get hydro power generation.
I have brought it up to see how we can access funding and how we can work together to resolve this challenge.
Additionally, another topic usually brought up is our housing shortage here and we continue to try to provide information on this issue. Another topic was emergency preparedness.
We had a productive meeting. It is quite important to meet with our federal representatives, especially the leadership of the Canadian government, so that they are fully aware of the state of Nunavut as well as what infrastructure is required.
In regard to safety, an issue that I and many other members have been raising for a number of years is the need for the federal government to station search and rescue assets in the north on a permanent basis.
Can the Premier indicate if this issue was addressed during the Prime Minister’s visit?
With respect to emergencies, safety is very important here in Nunavut.
We talked about it being important for the people of Nunavut to have emergency aircraft that can be based in Nunavut rather than being stationed in the south.
There are a lot of ships that are coming to the Arctic because of global warming. We are starting to have ships in the High Arctic.
If there were to be an emergency, the people of Canada have to have a plan in place to respond to emergency situations, which is very important here in the Arctic and in Nunavut.
In the reply to my earlier question, the Premier mentioned the issue of devolution and she had said that it was discussed during the Prime Minister’s visit.
Can the Premier indicate what the new timetable is for the start of formal devolution negotiation?
I thank the member for his question. In regard to devolution, we always want to talk about the issues of devolution.
I can say that we don’t exactly have a date set for formal devolution negotiations, but the Prime Minister and the Minister of INAC have stated that they believe and they have provided that they have to appoint a negotiator first. We expect that the formal devolution negotiations would probably start before Christmas. That’s the expectation that we were given by the federal government.
Question 692 – 3(3): Collection of Fines (Schell)
It has been brought to my attention that approximately 50 percent of the fines that are issued by the Nunavut court system are never collected and apparently there is no mechanism in place to collect these.
Can the minister indicate if this is actually the case?
Mr. Schell’s statement is correct. There are fines levied in the court for the Territory of Nunavut. In 2011, I think it was $220,000 and approximately half of those fines were collected.
It’s very difficult for the territory. We do not have the legislation in place to collect those fines properly.
I should say that the fines include federal offences, municipal offences, and territorial offences, and each one is responsible for the collection of their own fines. There are attempts made through the Department of Justice with letter writing campaigns, but there are very little warrants for arrest issued and actually confinement in lieu of fines that come back to our justice system.
It is a problem and we know it’s a problem. I have instructed my department to look in and developing legislation that is more common throughout other jurisdictions to deal with this issue, but it is a challenge and we need to move forward on it.
You have also been informed by some RCMP that they’re not even issuing any fines anymore because the odds of collecting are very slim.
With the new Liquor Act, they’re planning on increasing the fines for bootlegging, which obviously won’t have an effect on it if bootleggers don’t have to pay the fines. I would suggest that the minister get this rectified as soon as possible.
Speaker: There’s no question there, just a comment.
You have any further supplementary questions, Mr. Schell?
Okay. Moving on. Oral Questions.
Question 693 – 3(3): Marine Infrastructure Crisis in Pond Inlet (Enook)
As the minister will recall, I asked him questions in February of this year concerning the status of his department’s initiative to provide approximately $19,000 from its small craft harbours budget for the “preliminary design of a boat launch” in Pond Inlet.
As the minister knows very well, the disaster that hit Pond Inlet this summer has again demonstrated the urgent need to provide adequate marine infrastructure in Pond Inlet.
My question is: can the minister tell me today what his department is doing to address the issue of marine infrastructure and safety in Pond Inlet?
Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague for that question.
It is one of those serious issues that arise constantly. We lack infrastructure in Nunavut, basically in all of our communities, except Pangnirtung, of course, where the small craft harbour has been completed.
Like the member’s statement indicating that it is the responsibility of this government, it is the responsibility of the federal government. There have been studies done on a certain number of communities for breakwaters and proper marine infrastructures to be put in place.
Mr. Speaker, last summer, we initiated with our own funds within the department to put in a boat launch to alleviate some of the safety concerns to protect the equipment that’s out there.
One of the things that are happening now is that the equipment for the boat launch is being delivered to Pond Inlet at this time.
The residents of Pond Inlet are very appreciative of the boat launch that will be delivered this summer, but as you well know, a fact we all know is that this is an inadequate solution. Further, our expectations are that this is only the beginning towards the construction of a real small craft harbour or docking facility, which is the end goal.
Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s Statement today, I called on the minister to work with our Member of Parliament to change the federal government’s approach to funding marine infrastructure projects in Nunavut. Can the minister inform this House about his discussions with his federal counterparts of the obstacles Nunavut faces in trying to get this funding?
Can the minister tell me if the federal government has shown any willingness whatsoever to take a more flexible approach to our situation and circumstances? Does it appear that they still haven’t grasped the gravity of this situation and that Nunavut needs to have different rules applied to it so that we can resolve a lot of our difficulties? The way it stands now, Nunavummiut can’t abide with the regulations meant to provide safe boating in our southern latitudes.
I thank my colleague for that question. Absolutely, in just about every federal-provincial-territorial conference that I have attended, the lack of infrastructure in Nunavut is brought up constantly.
The ministers in Ottawa are aware that we lack marine infrastructure, road infrastructure, and a number of different things, including housing, of course.
Mr. Speaker, studies have been done with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in the past and Pond Inlet was identified for a breakwater. We continue to work with the federal government to try and figure out ways to fund it.
The P3 project here for the Iqaluit airport is a totally different matter that he indicated during his Member’s Statement.
It is done through a P3 route.
We managed to access $77 million from [the Government of] Canada, so that project is going ahead.
For marine infrastructure, it has been a real challenge to get funding to build breakwaters and marine infrastructures within the communities because this government does not have the funds for $60 million to $70 million for that type of infrastructure.
Again, Mr. Speaker, we continue to push that and inform our colleagues down in Ottawa about that.
Mr. Enook: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) In my Member’s Statement today, I indicated that if the federal government won’t help us, we need to be ready to help ourselves.
Will the minister commit to taking whatever steps are necessary to ensure that Pond Inlet is protected from the kind of disaster that occurred this summer?
Can we, as a group in this House, work together to try to deal with the challenges we face here in Nunavut?
Again I thank my colleague for that question.
Mr. Speaker, with the limited funds we do have in our department, it’s a real challenge, but we managed this summer to assist 22 communities in improving and extending some of the breakwaters to a limited degree. Again, I’ve got to say, with the $1.6 million of limited funding, we managed to assist 22 communities throughout the summer.
Mr. Speaker, this is one of the things that as a department with limited funding, that’s all that we are able to do. We continue to talk to our colleagues in Ottawa to get the real infrastructure for safety of our boaters and hunters and for resupplying the communities.
Question 694 – 3(3): Severe Overcrowding in Repulse Bay Public Housing (Ningark)
In my Member’s Statement, I stated that there are 21 people, of which 13 are children, who are living in a Repulse Bay home.
This situation leads to overcrowding in dangerous, hazardous living conditions, which are unacceptable living standards.
I cannot even begin to put this into words. When a child takes his or her own life, there is a serious call for help.
When couples live and sleep in the porch of their home because of overcrowding, there is a serious call for help.
Mr. Speaker, my question to the Hon. Minister of the Nunavut Housing Corporation is, and I do not want to dwell on this issue forever: will the hon. minister direct his officials to work with the Repulse Bay Housing Authority to resolve the issue now?
I thank my colleague for that question. Mr. Speaker, there is a major housing shortage in Nunavut, and I feel for the family of Repulse Bay.
There are 21 family members in the unit. That is one of those things that we see too often in our communities. In Nunavut, we need over 3,500 units desperately to alleviate the overcrowding we have in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I’ll consult with my staff there to see if we can alleviate the problem that the member brings up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister indicated that he will be consulting with his officials to try and work out a deal with Repulse Bay.
As you know, Mr. Speaker, the emergency we have, when I received correspondence, when I visited the home, I could not put the situation into words.
I want to know if the hon. minister is saying to me and the family in Repulse Bay that he will deal with this issue through his officials today with the Repulse Bay housing corporation.
With 21 people in a unit, which is, in my opinion, rather dangerous, I will ask my officials to look into that and talk to the LHO there about the immediate situation of that family.
Mr. Speaker, Repulse Bay is receiving 20 new units through the new initiative that the federal government had put out for the $100 million and we appreciate that.
Mr. Speaker, over the years, through the Nunavut Housing Trust and Canada’s Economic Action Plan, Repulse Bay has received almost $13.5 million and 37 units to the community, but again, that just goes to show the drastic shortage of units we need in Nunavut.
Mr. Ningark: Thank you. I thank the hon. minister.
For my second and final supplementary question, is the hon. minister committing to 20 units for Repulse Bay?
That allocation was done previously at the last sitting, and Repulse Bay is receiving 20 units from the new initiative from CMHC and the government of Ottawa.
Question 695 – 3(3): Equipment Shelter for Chesterfield Inlet Airport (Ningeongan)
First of all, I would like to say “good morning” to the people of Coral Harbour and Chesterfield Inlet and Nunavummiut.
It has been almost three years now since the garage at the airport in Chesterfield Inlet was going to be built.
It has been an ongoing issue for a very long time.
From what I understand, there are three other communities in the same situation in Nunavut.
Why is it that these projects are taking a long time to be built in these communities?
Mr. Speaker, yes, I tend to agree that it has been a while.
It seems like a simple project, but over the years, we have learned that it’s not as simple as that.
Mr. Speaker, the shelter in Chesterfield Inlet and the two other communities will be completed and used this winter.
Mr. Ningeongan (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation for his response.
I have heard that statement on more than one occasion.
We have always been told that it’s going to be completed at a certain date, but I would like to get a definite response if those buildings are going to be built before the end of this government.
Mr. Speaker, at times, unforeseen circumstances do arrive. I have been informed this time by my officials in the Transportation Division that the units will be complete for the four communities.
Question 696 – 3(3): Implementing IQ in Child and Family Services Act (Tapardjuk)
Good morning to the people of Igloolik.
They can see the picture, but there is no audio coming out, as long as the people of Hall Beach can hear us.
My questions are for the Minister of Family Services, the Hon. Minister Ell.
Yesterday, I asked the minister some questions about the coming into force of Nunavut’s newly amended Child and Family Services Act.
Unfortunately, because it wasn’t clear and I am sure that the people of Nunavut didn’t understand it clearly when the minister replied, I felt that it’s important for the public and all Nunavummiut to get the right information on the record.
Mr. Speaker, on May 16, 2013, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act received assent. Section 8 states that the Act will come into force eight months after the date it receives assent, which will be on January 16, 2014.
I would like to ask the minister to clearly explain how her department plans to implement section 2, subsection 1, and administer Inuit societal values as specified under the newly amended Child and Family Services Act.
Your question has been taken as notice. Oral Questions.
Question 697 – 3(3): Employment Opportunities for High School Graduates (Oshutapik)
This morning, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education.
To date, the parents of students have to wake up their children to go to school.
There are still parents who are waking up their children all the way from kindergarten to grade 12 so that they can have better opportunities in the future after graduation.
We would like them to be contributing to their communities when they’re adults.
To date, we are proud to commend the students who complete high school.
It’s a proud day when graduates celebrate and we think that they’re going to have better opportunities and employment available to them after having graduated.
My question to the Minister of Education is: what opportunities are made available to graduating students of Nunavut?
We see children playing with their cellphones and iPods and doing nothing because there are no job opportunities. How are the departments of Human Resources and Education working together so that more employment opportunities are made available?
Graduation is very important and we ensure our children and grandchildren are fed properly and go to school for a better future.
To date, we see an increasing number of graduates from Nunavut. For myself, when I attend graduation ceremonies, I see it as a beginning of their future. Graduating from grade 12 is not the end of your education.
They can further their education at Arctic College, at universities and trade schools, and so on. They can take on different trades that are available to them out there.
From grade 7 on, they’re provided with the best support so that the students will have options for their career paths.
That is the kind of support provided to them starting in grade 7 to grade 12, whether they would like to pursue a medical career or a trades program like electrician or perhaps an accountant.