EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
So this has become an annual dog team race.
I am very proud of the fact that they will start from Hall Beach and the area is very flat.
We don’t foresee any problems with running into rough ice.
Member’s Statement 028 – 1(5): Clyde River Hockey Team
For the first time, athletes from Clyde River came to Iqaluit for a hockey tournament.
They have been preparing themselves to come here for a couple of years now.
Although I did not coach them, they participated at the tournament here in Iqaluit.
My son was the goalie during the tournament and they came in third place at the tournament although they have only practiced for a couple of years.
I was very proud of them.
I saw the athletes happy and dancing, that is how much excitement there was.
It first seemed like the other team was impossible to beat but it turned out well for them.
I am sure there will be more exciting games in the future.
Member’s Statement 029 – 1(5): Elders’ Assistance
I would like to talk about the elders of Arctic Bay.
The elders group started their society in Arctic Bay in the 1960’s when the government started coming up to our community.
These were the administrators, nurses and others.
The residents took on this responsibility as they felt they had to serve their community and not just be served. Therefore, they established the group called the Inumariit Elders’ Society.
The Inumariit Society has been working since the 1960’s.  Since the 1980’s when I moved to Arctic Bay, they helped the government, for example, with education, health and social services.
Rather than just using the elders, we worked with them and they were involved with all the planning that we had to do.
With their support the whole community had a better understanding of what was going on.
I would like to say that I am proud that a similar group has begun in Pangnirtung, as mentioned earlier.
Inumariit works with the courts.
They work with the Department of Justice very well and they work with anybody who needs caregiving.
They have given support to many people and when I was working for the government, we did not hear anything negative about the Elders’ Society in Arctic Bay because they have worked so well.
Today, I would like to say again that the Elders’ Society can be very beneficial to us if we can ask them the right questions.
Speaker: Thank you, Ms. Williams.
Member’s Statement 030 – 1(5): Appreciation to CLEY Minister
I want to thank the Minister of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth for his visit to Kugluktuk in January.
The youth were having problems as they did not have a committee.
He went into the community and assisted them in a big way.
Our youth in Kugluktuk will begin to make way towards their future and our elders are going to help them.
Once things come into place then their lives will be better in the future, once they begin working with the elders.
Member’s Statement 031 – 1(5): Iqaluit Traditional Games Association
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate a group of dedicated Iqaluit residents who have, on their own initiative, formed an association, a non-profit group to bring awareness and to reinvigorate traditional Inuit games and oral history in Iqaluit specifically and Nunavut in general.
Mr. Speaker, the group has already run a very successful Inuit Games event in Iqaluit this past week.
The group were also in the process of laying the groundwork for an exciting project to document and record the oral history of Inuit traditional games.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the association, I have contacted several businesses and organizations in Iqaluit to help with the logistic, the administrative as well as some financial assistance for the association.
Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate these Iqaluit residents, in particular, Gideonie and Sytokie Joamie and Pitseolak Alainga for their interest and dedication in supporting and bringing awareness of the cultural aspects of traditional games to Iqaluit and to Nunavut.
Member’s Statement 032 – 1(5): Jump Rope For Heart Event
Mr. Tootoo: Ma’na Uqaqti.
Mr. Speaker, prior to beginning my statement I would like to comment on the fact that I think Arviat is a fine community having lived there myself and I hope you will give me lots of questions.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the efforts of some enthusiastic young people who themselves will be rising a great deal this afternoon.
The Jump Rope for Heart event is scheduled to take place this afternoon at Nakasuk School from 1:30-3:00 pm.
Students from grade 3-5 are participating in this fund raising effort for the Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Alberta Heart and Stroke Foundation.
This is the 12th time that this event has been organized by Ron Kennedy of the physical education department at the school.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to hopefully being able to join the students in this excellent fitness and team building exercise this afternoon.
And, Mr. Speaker, I would like to invite all members to come down and skip a little this afternoon if they get an opportunity to do so.
The students, Mr. Speaker, have been practicing for over three weeks now in preparation for this event, which will see Nakasuk school able to receive 10% of all the funds raised.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask all members to join me in praising the efforts of these students and encourage everyone to support this worthy cause.
Thank you for your kind comments about my home community of Arviat.
Your comments are duly noted as they relate to extra questions.
Going on to Item 4.
Mr. Speaker it gives me great pleasure today to welcome to the gallery two very important, industrious people over the past several days here in Iqaluit.
One is Amy Coffee.
Amy works with the Baffin Health Promotions unit of the Department of Health and Social Services and they have been working on the HIV/Aids here.
Sitting next to Amy over here is a very special guest, Mr. Speaker, Cia McPherson.
Cia is a youth worker, a youth outreach worker from Toronto.
She is also here in Iqaluit to judge the HIV/Aids youth project, which is tentatively scheduled for tonight at 6:30 depending on the weather, at Inuksuk High School.
I would like all members if they are available tonight, to come by and see the projects set up by the youth, by the children of Inuksuk High School.
Mr. Anawak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Firstly, I think we should put the item recognition of visitors in the gallery towards the beginning.
I would like to recognize one of the interpreters.
She is named after my mother, Jean Piuga Kusugak.
She is from my constituency.
I would like to recognize one of my colleague’s daughters.
When I am in Iqaluit they always make me feel comfortable.
I often go over to their house and have a meal with them.
I would also like to recognize my colleague Jobie who sits besides me.
Speaker: Welcome to the chamber Mr. Nutarak.
I would like to recognize two constituents who happen to be working in the interpreters’ booth.
Two of the better qualified Inuinnaqtun translators and constituents, James Panioyak and Joe Otokiak from Cambridge Bay, welcome.
Question 010 - 1(3): Fuel Subsidy Program
First, I would like to express my appreciation to Minister of Sustainable Development and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated for the fuel subsidy program.
Can the minister explain the fuel subsidy program.
I'd like to thank the member for asking me this question. It's my first question as minister.
The government has worked together with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated in providing the fuel subsidy to hunters.
Since the price increase of fuel, we have been working together on how to provide a subsidy to hunters and we continue to do this.
We will be able to provide subsidies to hunters in March.
The hunters in the community often go out on the land for days on end and I'm wondering if the hunters will be provided the subsidy to make it last during the time they are out.
There are a lot of hunters in Nunavut.
There are about five thousand hunters that have been listed and we will be providing the subsidies to about 530 hunters.
We have asked the Hunter's and Trapper's Associations to work with the Wildlife Officers to provide us with a list of names to find out who is eligible for the subsidy and each eligible individual will be provided with a 300 dollar gas credit.
The hunters would be provided forms for them to fill out in order to get the 300 dollar gas credit subsidy.
Question 011 - 1(3): FAS/FAE Information
I'd like to direct my question to the Minister of Education.
It's obvious now that we're affected by alcohol, especially with children that are affected by fetal alcohol syndrome, it's obvious that you can see it physically as well as mentally and emotionally.
If the mother has been drinking heavily while they were pregnant, the children born usually have a different lifestyle and emotions.
Can you have more information available about those types of people who have been affected by alcohol, especially in schools when they are being taught.
They usually have developmental and mental problems.
Because of this we need information in the schools so that the teachers will know how to deal with them in their own special way.
Yes, of course, these questions are ones that all of us, especially my department works on, with the Department of Health.
The children who have been affected by alcohol are usually developmentally slower and usually have to be looked after more often by health workers.
They can only be diagnosed of such developmental problems by doctors or by nurses.
So we’re always aware of those people who have these types of problems.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): The Minister of Education has just stated that this is also a responsibility of the Health Minister and that the two departments have to identify the individuals, that these are being recorded.
The histories of children are being recorded.
Is that all you are doing.
I think we didn’t understand each other properly.
We try to find out exactly who the people are, especially children with special problems in their school years and try to get curriculum geared for students who have learning problems.
I’d like to direct this question to the Minister of Education.
I view these disabilities as two types, those that were born with disabilities not related to alcohol and those that have problems associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
When they’re born, they have physical problems like they’re not able to walk or talk or can’t hear; those who have had alcohol influence them when they were in the womb. Are there special curricula or special teaching available for people with these types of problems.
I just stated earlier there is a specialist that comes in from outside of Nunavut to assist people who have problems and require assistance, especially those with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Not all of the communities have those types of services available to them.
There are specialists that are available when needed.
Of course children who have these problems when they were born are different from the people that are blind, deaf or cannot walk.
So there are different types of services available and the teachers and health officials have been trained as to how to identify those who have this type of problem.
The minister said there is some assistance available, is it in Iqaluit, in Yellowknife.
Where are the specialists located that are able to help these types of children.
To clarify, I’d like to say that there are counsellors available in most schools.
In other cases we have to find out what kind of help is required before deciding which specialist needs to be brought in.
Question 012 - 1(3): Support for Businesses
I have many questions that I would like to ask.
But, first of all I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Sustainable Development in regards to the statement that he made.
It states here that with the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation there will be one million dollars that will be geared towards the smaller communities that do not have decentralized departments and there is also eight million dollars mentioned here that is in the loan portfolio.
For those of us that are long time residents of Nunavut, we have not learned much about operating a business.
We don’t know exactly how we can keep our businesses up and running once we get started.
Once you start a business there is no follow up with the private businesses that are just starting.
They use a lot of money for operations and maintenance, for everything.
They have to pay insurance and pay other costs that are associated with a business.
It becomes quite large and they end up having no profits or just basically operating and just paying for costs.
I think that we should identify the problem areas of operating a small business within the smaller communities.
What are the types of problems that businesses run into.
Speaker: Minister Akesuk.
I thank the member very much for the question.
In regards to the businesses that are being established in the smaller communities, we have start up programs that are available.
What I was talking about here was the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation for the start up of private businesses.
In response to your question, since the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation has just been established, they will be available to provide loans.
We will also be putting together their mandate and bylaws and the terms of reference that they will be using to provide loans to small businesses.
I understand your response but as the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation is a crown corporation and since the government established it, it seems to me we should be involved in setting up the terms of reference.
We have one million dollars that will be for the small communities and there's eight million dollars total loan portfolio.
So as a government, I feel that we should be involved in setting up this corporation and also establishing the terms of reference.
It says in the document that there will be one million dollars that will be provided for loans and loan guarantees to Nunavut small and medium size businesses.
Also, eight million dollars in total will be set aside for the loan portfolio.
It will be up to the NBCC, to see who they will be providing loans to.
They will also be giving us a report on their activities and providing us with financial statements.
Speaker: We are going to break just for a minute, please remain seated we are having some technical difficulties.
I think we are a little bit lost.
Maybe I should rephrase my question.
This question is directed to the Minister of Sustainable Development.
Where are we getting this eight million dollars that will be used for the loan portfolio.
Speaker: Minister for Sustainable Development. Mr. Akesuk.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you.
This money will be in a revolving fund.
It will be loaned out and then the businesses that are taking advantage of this will be giving it back.
It will be a revolving fund.
To where will they be returning this money.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): The money will be returned to the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
Speaker: Oral Questions. Mr. Tootoo.
Question 013 - 1(3): Iqaluit Water Treatment Plant & Road Issues
Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister responsible for Community Government and Transportation.
Mr. Speaker all members have seen over the last two years here in Iqaluit the tremendous growth that has taken place.
This growth has stretched the limits of municipality’s ability to maintain its municipal services.
Recently there were a number of issues raised in the media, a number raised by the Water Board in regards to the solid waste and also more recently some issues around the capacity of the water treatment plant.
I would like to ask the minister if he has had an opportunity to meet with the officials from the municipality in regards to these issues.
I thank the Member for Iqaluit Centre.
I recently had an opportunity to meet with the newly elected mayor along with his senior administrative officer and the assistant and we discussed some general ideas of what we can do about the problems the member just raised.
They’ll be drawing up plans to streamline the plans for Iqaluit so that we can do more for the roads in the spring, even now, but in the springtime. We can do more for the water treatment plant.
I am happy to say that I have known the mayor for some time and we have a very good relationship.
We expect our bureaucrats to work out the details and I would like to tell the member and the Members of the Legislative Assembly that we will be looking at Iqaluit again as the capital of Nunavut that is owned by the people of Nunavut.
We will make sure that the work that is necessary is done in order to bring Iqaluit up to a decent level of operations in terms of the roads and the water treatment plant.
We will do all we can to ensure that either we enable Iqaluit to get more funding out of the federal government or privately or from the Government of Nunavut to ensure that Iqaluit can be brought to the level that the member is talking about.
I look forward to a very good working relationship with the Town and soon to be City Council.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the minister has already met with the officials from the Town and is aware of some of these regulatory issues and problems that the municipality faces.
The minister also indicated that they are taking a look at developing options with the departmental staff and the Town trying to develop various options to be able to help the municipality ensure they meet all the regulatory requirements and demands the community has for its services.
I would just like to ask, to confirm the minister’s commitment to work with the Town to ensure that these regulatory concerns are addressed.
While we are having discussions the people of Iqaluit will have to realize that this is the capital of Nunavut.
This is where the government is established.
The people of Nunavut will have to realize that this is the capital of Nunavut.
It seems like some people out there are not too comfortable about Iqaluit appearing to take more than its share of the monies.
But we do have to meet the regulatory requirements.
We know that all the communities are trying to catch up with their needs but we do have to take care of Iqaluit also.
I can use the example of the dumpsite as one where we are trying to bring it up to standard.
We are working with the Town about the incineration issue and also meeting the regulatory requirements that have to be met by the Town of Iqaluit.
We will be working very closely together with the local government to deal with these matters.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Oral Questions.
Question 014 - 1(3): Increasing Nunavut Minimum Wage
Uqaqti over the last year and a half I have pressed the former Minister of Justice about the minimum wage in Nunavut.
To date we have four other jurisdictions in Canada that have higher minimum wages.
I know at the recent public meeting of the Nunavut Law Review Commission, the issue of increasing the minimum wage in Nunavut was raised.
Can the minister now responsible tell Assembly if the government will be increasing or make a recommendation of increasing the minimum wage.
Hon. Paul Okalik: Ma’na Uqaqti.
Yes, I am glad to see Maliganik Qimirujiit was advised of the situation.
I look forward to the recommendations on the issue.
It is largely the private sector that will be affected by such an increase.
So I am sure we would have to talk with them as well.
Speaker: Thank you. Supplementary.
Uqaqti there was a survey sent out to the municipalities and the private sector from the previous minister on their questions and comments regarding the minimum wage.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t have to go into great length to explain the high cost of living in Nunavut for our residents.
Most people out there that work in the private sector, in the minimum wage sector, sometimes are a lot of students.
These students are going to school and are in grade ten and eleven and they're usually the ones out there that are pulling for minimum wage and also there are the entry-level positions too.
It's no secret or anything like that when we go into a store today those are the majority of the people that are paying the minimum wage.
Can the minister be more direct on the timeline when we are going to have the results of maybe looking at increasing the minimum wage for the people that need it.
Well, I can't commit to an exact timeline but I'm sure that I look forward to the MQ recommendations and their deadline is in December of this year.
So once their recommendations come forth, I will review them along with my cabinet colleagues. Ma’na.
Speaker: Thank you. Supplementary question.
I got a date, December of this year, which is ten or eleven months away.
The point that I'm trying to get to here is that by then we will be into our third year and I brought this issue up two years ago.
Is this government taking the minimum wage issue seriously or is it just something that is going to be ignored and thrown away.
Well, I'm sure we can look at it, we've reviewed all the other areas where we've had to increase the amount of expenditures in our own government and boards.
So we can do that for the minimum wage as well.
Hopefully by December we will have some recommendations from MQ and we can review it seriously.
I'm getting the answers I want.
I may also reiterate and make a statement but I hope that I can ask a question too.
On this minimum wage review, we all know the companies and the individuals that pay minimum wage in Nunavut, they also benefit from the lowest corporate income taxes in probably Canada.
So, I'm asking the minister, when he is reviewing the minimum wage can he make sure that the cost of living in Nunavut is taken into account, if they increase it or when they do increase it for us.
Absolutely, we've done that with our workers, we've increased the northern allowance, so we will review that as well.
Question 015 - 1(3): Commercial Fishery Marketing
Yesterday, during members’ statements, I said that I was going to ask questions but due to the weather we were unable to continue the session so I will just continue on from that.
In my member's statement, I was talking about fish, Arctic Char that can be sold commercially in Hall Beach and Igloolik.
It's about eight thousand pounds approximately.
They can no longer market Arctic Char from the Amittuq region.
I would like to ask the Minister for Sustainable Development what the real reason is, why the marketing of this fish is so poor. Why haven’t we been able to market fish for the past few years now.
As I have stated before the communities, we will be helping out the communities that are not decentralized communities.
I will be sending a member from the Nunavut Development Corporation to Hall Beach to find out how we can help to market Arctic Char.
An official from the Nunavut Development Corporation will be going to the community to find out how we can give more support as a government to these fishermen.
I am talking about the Arctic Char that used to be sold, which they can no longer sell.
I am not asking about what kind of subsidy or assistance they can have for the fishermen but my question is what is the reason why we can no longer sell Arctic Char.
Speaker: Minister responsible for Sustainable Development. Mr. Akesuk.
Yes, I will ask my officials to review this again, to get the background on this.
I will get my officials to review this matter.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Supplementary. Mr. Irqittuq.
Is he saying that there will be another study or review.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you. I will have someone review it.
Question 016 - 1(5): Liquor Act Review Consultations
First of all, I would like to ask the Minister for Finance a question.
There are many communities in Nunavut that have problems with alcohol abuse and this has been acknowledged.
We have heard from the alcohol and drug workers as to how they will be reviewing the liquor legislation.
I would like to ask the Minister for Finance when you start consulting with the communities, which communities will you be going to when you do your consultations.
Speaker: Minister responsible for the Liquor Board. Mr. Ng.