EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Based on my current knowledge, I’m unaware of any community that is currently in fiscal difficulty, but if there were any problems or funding shortfalls, then we would explore how to deal with them.
As well, my department officials would work with the hamlet SAOs to deal with these issues.
Based on my experience, if a hamlet has a problem, then we would try to resolve it through cooperation with the hamlet.
Question 029 – 3(3): Assessment of Students in Nunavut’s Education System (Ugyuk)
Mr. Speaker, in reading through Hansards from previous Legislative Assemblies, I have noted that the Minister of Education was at one time a very strong advocate of having standardized assessment testing in Nunavut’s schools.
Can the minister clearly describe what standardized testing is currently administered in Nunavut schools and at what grade levels?
As she indicated, over the years, I think you could probably pull out a lot of questions and things that I have raised over the last 10 years in the House, especially in relation to education.
Mr. Speaker, I know, a number of years ago, I was a strong advocate for the standardized testing.
It was something that the Iqaluit District Education Authority was trying to implement here in Iqaluit. The Department of Education at the time and they still believe that these standardized tests that are basically taken from the Alberta curriculum and put in here didn’t represent or give the students culturally appropriate testing for the materials.
I was very pleased that the concerns that I raised in regard to assessment over the years didn’t fall on deaf ears.
I think how we assess our students is a very critical factor in their success.
I know that the department has now developed a comprehensive strategy for classroom and Nunavut-wide assessment approaches.
That strategy is now in its final stages of editing and hopefully in a state that I will be able to bring forward to my cabinet colleagues this spring for approval.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) In his previous role in this House, the minister argued very convincingly that if the government believes that education is a priority and wants to improve the education system in Nunavut, then one way to do that is to implement assessment testing in our schools.
Can the minister update this House on whether it is still his position that standardized assessment testing will help to improve our education system?
Absolutely, I think it’s very important to have a relevant standardized assessment program established out there to be able to assess our students, but I think it needs to be something and that’s why the Department of Education has been developing something that is relevant to the students here in Nunavut and is relevant to the curriculum that they are taking.
I think, Mr. Speaker, it is important also to say that there are a lot of factors that lead to students completing their grade 12 and attaining the requirements that they need for post-secondary education and being able to move forward and show that they have gained the skills and the knowledge as they move along.
I think they are not limited to but I’ll name a few of them. One is to make sure that the students are ready to learn when they come to school.
I think some of these factors with that include proper nutrition and sleep.
They need support from their parents in their education.  Mr. Speaker, they also require regular attendance, which is something that we have seen over the years that has been an issue and also, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that they are taking the proper courses.
I think it’s important that the schools and the parents work in partnership to ensure that the students are selecting the proper courses when they move from the elementary-middle school level to the high school level.
If you look at it, attendance, as I said, is a critical factor and I think that’s right through from elementary through to high school.
It’s a huge factor.
If you look at some of the data that we have received from our schools over the number of years, right now, we have an average attendance rate of about 72.9 percent.
Over the course of the student’s academic career from K to 12 with an average of 72.9 percent, basically that student is missing three years of school.
Not only in how we assess the students and ensuring that they are there, there needs to be a partnership between the parents and the schools and the teachers and the teaching staff and the DEAs to be able to encourage these young children to go to school.
There have also been a number of different things that we have done as far as assessment goes. I know I talked during our last sitting… .
One of the things that were piloted here in Iqaluit last semester at the high school was the social studies assessment program that’s more of a project assessment on the students.
That is something that was very successful.
The students were actually preparing a project and doing a presentation where they actually had to show, in order to do it adequately and to pass, that they had the skills they needed to be able to do that. Those were the skills that were taught during that semester.
This program is now going out to other schools and we are also looking at expanding that project type of assessment from the high schools and developing that type of assessment tool for the middle school as well.
Speaker: Before I continue, I would advise ministers that this is not a filibuster, this is question period.
So please keep your responses to a minimum if possible so that other members can ask questions.
(interpretation) Member for Nattilik.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) In my Member’s Statement, I referred to the challenges some students face as they try to meet the academic standards as they go through school, such as ADD or FASD.
Can the minister advise this House whether or not his department conducts any assessments or testing to determine whether students’ learning is affected by these or other types of disorders?
Maybe if I just said yes, that would be an appropriate response, but I believe in providing adequate answers, and hopefully the members appreciate the responses that they are getting and aren’t frustrated by not getting information.
Mr. Speaker, our system right now currently in identifying students that may have challenges learning is if a teacher, throughout the year, at the beginning of the year, and as it progresses, identifies a student that is having challenges, there are processes in place where they meet with the school team and they can identify an individual who may be having challenges.
As far as testing specifically on those specific things, I’m not sure, but I know that there are mechanisms to identify students who are having challenges meeting the desired curriculum requirements as they move throughout the year.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) On January 13, 2011, the NWT released its 2010 achievement tests and functional grade level results.
This information helps the government, the public, and parents see how successful their education system is and where improvements need to be made.
Will the minister commit to publishing the results of all standardized assessment testing that takes place across Nunavut?
Not only would I commit to doing that, but I would also commit, once we’ve got approval for our comprehensive strategy on classroom and Nunavut-wide assessment, to make sure that’s available not only to the public but to the educators and to everybody so that they know what it is.
Mr. Speaker, the department is also working and doing surveys with the teachers to find out from them what they need, what they feel they need in order to properly assess the students.
So that survey in language arts is underway and, Mr. Speaker, I have no problem providing members with the results of that information when it’s available.
Speaker (interpretation): Member for Hudson Bay.
Question 030 – 3(3): Homeowner Fuel Rebate Program (Rumbolt)
On December 1, 2009, the Minister of Finance announced in this House that the government’s Homeowner Fuel Rebate Program would be extended to the end of 2010 and increased to $500 per homeowner.
The minister’s Budget Address yesterday did not mention whether or not this program will continue for 2011.
However, as of 9:00 a.m. this morning, the website for the minister’s department contained information about this program.
My question for the minister is this: when my constituents ask me if the Homeowner Fuel Rebate Program is still available, what can I tell them?
Speaker: Excellent question.
I apologize if the website is not up to date. I’m personally not a webmaster, so I can’t be sure what’s on there at times.
I believe that that program is not available this year, so you could tell that to your constituents.
Speaker: Your supplementary question, Member for Hudson Bay.
Can the minister explain why this program is not available for this year?
I thank Mr. Ell… I keep thinking he’s Mr. Elliott.
Mr. Speaker, it’s unavailable this year because we determined that it’s not necessary this year.
It’s one of those programs that in certain years, if we have funding available and the weather is unseasonably cold, it could be available, but it’s unavailable this year.
Speaker: Member for Hudson Bay.
Although it has been a mild fall, it’s certainly cold out there these days.
Can the minister tell the House how many applicants under the Homeowner Fuel Rebate Program were approved in 2010 and how much the program cost the government?
I’m just trying to find that number. It’s certainly over 1,000 and there could be as many as 1,300.
So it was a very good program; a lot of people took advantage of it. And the approximate number, don’t hold me to it, of the cost is in the $600,000 to $700,000 range.
As we know from watching the evening news, the Middle East is in deep crisis and the price of oil is heading up. Ultimately the price of oil affects all Nunavummiut as it drives the cost of heating our homes and keeping our lights on.
Yesterday’s Budget Address did not discuss the impact of the world’s energy prices.
Can the minister share his thinking with us today on how this situation will ultimately impact Nunavut residents and what the government is doing to protect our residents from sudden spikes in the price of energy?
Mr. Speaker, as we are all aware, Nunavut is very dependent on fossil fuels, there are no questions about that, and we are subject to the mercy of the incidents and issues around the world.
In the last couple of weeks, the protests in the Middle East, Libya in particular in the last few days, is climbing up the world price of oil. The speculators are making money. I follow it quite closely myself personally.
I know that there are oil producers in the world who have indicated that they will increase production. I know that my colleague from Community and Government Services is keeping abreast of this.
As cabinet, we have authorized the pre-purchase of fuel at various points throughout the year to even out the purchases.
So it’s too early to see what the full impact will be on Nunavut from the uprising in the last couple of months, but I assure the member that we are staying on top of the increase in oil prices.
Question 031 – 3(3): Policing Needs in Pangnirtung (Komoartok)
I would like to ask my question to the Minister of Justice.
(interpretation ends) According to statistics released by the RCMP, there were 3,049 calls for service made to the RCMP detachment between 2008 and 2010.
Pangnirtung is one of the 10 busiest detachments in Nunavut and the municipality has written to the chief superintendent of “V” Division to obtain additional resources.
The GN’s Department of Justice is responsible for administering the policing services contract between the GN and the RCMP.
Can the minister outline how his department works with the RCMP to identify which communities may need additional resources?
Mr. Speaker, my Deputy Minister of Justice meets regularly with Commanding Officer McVarnock. Obviously the commanding officer has information on which communities need help.
He actively engages in moving resources around between communities where there are increases. I know that he has moved officers from some communities where the need is not so great to communities where the need is great.
Commanding Officer McVarnock has talked to me on many occasions where he has indicated that he would like to have more resources. We are constrained by the budget that’s appropriated through this House; there is only so much money to go around.
I know that our officials in the Department of Justice are currently negotiating with other jurisdictions in Canada and with the federal government a new 20-year policing agreement.
So they are very detailed negotiations, but we are hopeful, through that process, that we will be able to get some more resources from Canada. We will know in the next six months to a year how those negotiations went.
I also thank the minister for his detailed response. (interpretation ends) The Municipality of Pangnirtung is hoping that a bilingual administrative support position can be added to our local RCMP detachment in order to facilitate communication with unilingual members of the community and to provide uniformed officers with more time to focus on fighting crime rather than filling out forms.
One of the priorities in the business plan of the minister’s department is to, and I quote, “Continue efforts to increase capacity to communicate in the Inuit language within the RCMP in ‘V’ Division.”
Can the minister give me some specific examples of how his department is accomplishing this goal?
I recall that question being asked by one of his colleagues last year or the year before.
We do certainly want to increase the level of interaction with communities. We would like to have some resources to hire a member of the community to work for the RCMP.
Again it comes down to budgetary constraints and I have talked to my cabinet about that, but again it’s an issue where resources are constrained.
With respect to interacting with communities, the RCMP is working on training people to work in the operational call centre here in Iqaluit. We have been working with communities and detachments.
They have to identify candidates for the Inuit Special Constable Program.
I indicated yesterday that we did have a number of applicants who we were hopeful would go on the training. Unfortunately for various reasons, some of them couldn’t.
One is down there now who I expect to graduate in April.
We are working again with younger people and youth in schools to consider careers in policing.
We recently had six young people who were down at the depot in Regina in January for the program who decided to undergo the training.
So we are hopeful that in time, people will participate in the training and consider careers in policing services.
I thank the minister for his response. (interpretation ends) The Municipality of Pangnirtung has noted that the new Inuit Language Protection Act requires that services be provided to the public in the Inuit language.
What is the Government of Nunavut’s position regarding the application of this legislation to the RCMP and how will the Government of Nunavut ensure that federal bodies, such as the RCMP, provide services in our language?
Again, Mr. Speaker, the commanding officer of the RCMP is well aware of the requirement to provide services in the Inuit language and they are actively engaged in considering how that can be done.
They have officers who provide services in some of the communities and not all of them can, obviously.
I know in the 20-year policing agreement that’s being negotiated, I believe that’s a section that is being considered to be included in the 20-year policing agreement. So it is being negotiated.
Obviously if it’s in that agreement, then additional resources are going have to be appropriated from the federal and territorial governments to help the RCMP to fully implement it in the years coming.
Yes, it would be good to see this done in the near future because our community really needs the assistance.
(interpretation ends) On September 18, 2008, the annual shared directional statement between the Government of Nunavut and the RCMP for the 2008-09 fiscal year was tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the Minister of Justice.
This important document outlined joint priorities between the Government of Nunavut and the RCMP.
Will the minister commit to tabling the current shared directional statement in the House at tomorrow’s sitting, yes or no?
I thank Mr. Komoartok.
I can commit to tabling it, but I can’t commit to tabling it by tomorrow. We will see.
Question 032 – 3(3): Protection for Reservists under the Labour Standards Act (Elliott)
As the minister is aware, I have been pushing for the government to introduce amendments to the Labour Standards Act that would protect the jobs of Nunavummiut who need to take a leave of absence from their employment in order to take part in activities of our national reserve force.
Earlier this week, the MLA for Great Slave also raised this issue in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.
He and I have actually been sharing ideas about this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I know that the GN and the GNWT have worked together to introduce amendments to workers’ compensation legislation in our two territories.
Would the minister commit to talking with his counterpart in Yellowknife to see if our two governments can work together to introduce legislation here to protect reservists?
I appreciate Mr. Elliott’s dedication to helping the reservists in Nunavut.
I know that there are quite a few people involved in that area up here, but I can talk to my colleague.
My Department of Justice is already working on making amendments to the Labour Standards Act to protect reservists.
Thank you to the minister for that answer.
It includes quite a few members.
There are the CIC officers who work with our cadets and do a great job working with the young people across Nunavut, but it includes the reservists who are our rangers as well.
In terms of mentioning the Labour Standards Act and working together with your department and coming up with changes, I know that you had mentioned in some discussions we had that the minimum wage was being discussed and that has already been changed and that bill has been passed.
There were other issues as well.
Could you give me an update then as to what’s been happening within your department on this issue?
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Elliott came to me last fall with an idea for amending the Labour Standards Act to look after reservists. I took his concern to my department and we took it very seriously.
In discussions with my officials, we determined that it would probably make more sense long term for Nunavut because it’s legislation we inherited from the Northwest Territories.
Again, this opened up the entire Labour Standards Act for review and then some other legislation.
So we’re considering quite a lengthy process. It will probably take two to four years, but at the end of it all, we will have a piece of legislation that is made in Nunavut.
The work right now that is underway is research by our Legislative Division and our Policy Division to see what’s in place elsewhere in Canada.
It’s not just an easy process of amending legislation or changing legislation; you have to consider the impact on all legislation and other agreements in Nunavut.
That work is also underway, reviewing the impact on other agreements and other legislation.
So it will take time, but it’s happening now and at some point, I hope to introduce a legislative proposal to the cabinet for consideration.
I thank the minister because again this is an issue that, as you had mentioned, I came to you about in terms of putting forward a Private Member’s Bill to have this be passed within the life of this Legislative Assembly.
Other jurisdictions across Canada have similar Acts as well that cover reservists all across the country, and I believe it’s just us and the Northwest Territories which are the two that don’t fit in.
I guess I’m still debating whether, in terms of the timelines you are giving, a Private Member’s Bill is something that is more appropriate to meet the needs of our reservists.
So in terms of what you had said, could you confirm that the legislative proposal is still not written and again confirm the timeline?
If it is two to four years, that’s longer than the life of this Assembly.
So if you could just confirm that for me, please.
Speaker (interpretation): I would like to inform you that this is not the forum to be asking hypothetical questions, but it’s up to the minister if he wishes to respond.
Mr. Elliott is asking a good question.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice of the Government of Nunavut has a lot of legislation on its plate to review, to amend, and to write.
In addition to the legislation, there are the regulations, so we have a fairly full slate of work to do.
Mr. Elliott, as I indicated earlier, came with a good idea, a good recommendation, and our department is taking it seriously.
As I also indicated earlier, Mr. Speaker, a lot of research has to go in.
You just can’t sit down on a computer and write up legislation.
You have to review this. You have to consider all of the legal angles and all of the implications of legislation.
You also have to consult with people. You have to give people an opportunity to respond to proposed changes to legislation, so it’s going to take time.
The four years I proposed is to open up the entire Act and look at combining two or three other pieces of legislation into one Act.
With respect to reservists, I think that it could probably be done in a shorter period of time, so that’s why I said two years.
So four years for the big Act, the larger review and approval, and two years to do something for reservists.
But if the member wants to introduce a Private Member’s Bill, again it would have to go through the legislative process.
It’s not something that’s going to happen overnight.
So I threw that offer out to the member, and I hope he is interested and trusts the Department of Justice to take his request seriously.
Question 033 – 3(3): Homeownership Issues in Kugaaruk (Ningark)
I wish to direct a question to the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister Curley, (interpretation) in your capacity as Speaker.
I wrote to the minister regarding private homes in Kugaaruk, where they receive a large amount of government assistance.
The Tamapta Mandate is guided by the leadership of the Premier and the Minister of Finance’s statements. Within Nunavut, we have to become more self-reliant, if I were to say it in English.
In my correspondence to the minister, I mentioned that some of the private homeowners were told that after a period of 15 years, the home would become theirs or if a couple reached the retirement age of 65, the title would be given to the couple.
However, they get notifications that state the amount owed on their unit and when the next invoice arrives, the amount has no correlation to the previous month’s bill. It seems that when they pay, the bill drops, but the amounts are higher than their payment amounts when their invoices arrive.
In my correspondence to the minister, I asked whether or not they could send officials from the Nunavut Housing Corporation in Cambridge Bay to answer the questions that private homeowners had and to hold a meeting with them in Kugaaruk.
Yes, we will try to provide assistance in any manner that we can.
With regard to people who owe mortgages, again there’s an interest charge that is added if the payment isn’t made on time and cause their outstanding balance to increase somewhat.
What I would like to talk about is that I was advised by an elder, which caused me to pause and reflect on how long we have been dealing with these housing issues. Anyway, the elder asked me, “What about all of this paper? Every time I make a bill payment, I get a receipt.”
I told the elder that he may throw out the receipt if he wished, but if anyone ever suspects that he didn’t make a payment and he has the receipt, then that would solve the problem.