EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The Standing committee is of the view that the provisions in the terms of reference of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit must reflect the number of members that may be required to allow for this representative membership.
“At its discretion, Cabinet and/or Ministers may choose to meet with the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit at any time.
The Katimajiit meets as needed, but at a minimum of three times annually in locations determined by the members.”
However, it is important to note that the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, according to its own reports, has not been meeting the requisite number of times.
According to its 2009-2012 and 2013-2015 summary [annual] reports, the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit met a total of eleven times between March 19, 2009, and March 19, 2015.
However, testimony provided during the Standing committee’s September 23, 2015, hearing indicated that the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit has been meeting the requisite number of times.
Testimony provided by the Director of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Division of the Department of Culture and Heritage indicate that:
“They do meet three times as per the schedule, but within the year, when there’s an invitation, sometimes not all committee members show up, but we have people attending our meetings for clarification or if an elder is invited to a workplace for clarification on Inuit traditional values, that does happen.”
The standing committee notes with concern that the summary [annual] reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit may not reflect the actual number of times that the committee has met.
The Standing committee emphasizes the importance of providing accurate and comprehensive information in the annual reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
It is important to acknowledge that members of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit are not, in their role on the committee, government employees.
However, it is also important to note that a number of the government’s initiatives may require the full attention of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
The Standing committee emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit is given the opportunity and support to meet as many times as possible and if not, at the very least, as many times as is required in its terms of reference.
It is important to acknowledge that the 2009-2012 and 2013-2015 summary [annual] reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit include information on its presentations, discussions and recommendations.
However, these reports do not indicate if the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit has developed any specific goals or objectives by which it prioritizes its activities and meetings.
According to its terms of reference, Members of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit may serve for terms of up to three years and that there is no limit to the number of times an Elder may be reappointed to the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
Given the potential for turnover within the membership of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, the standing committee emphasizes the importance of developing specific goals and objectives that may be carried over for new members to consider and amend, at the discretion of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
Issue: Government Responses to the Recommendations of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit
The terms of reference of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit state that:
“The mandate of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit is to make recommendations to the government on how to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit to meet the Sivumut Abluqta Mandate.”
According to its 2009-2012 and 2013-2015 summary [annual] reports, the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit has made a total of thirty-four formal recommendations to the government since 2009.
These recommendations have focused on government laws, policies, programs and services concerning to a number of issues, including:
Health and wellness;
Poverty reduction;
Education;
Court services;
Hunter support initiatives;
Childrearing practices;
Services for Elders;
Suicide Prevention; and,
Family abuse intervention.
The standing committee notes with concern and disappointment that the government has only provided one formal response to the thirty-four recommendations that have been made by the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit since 2009.
It is important to note that the 2009-2012 and 2013-2015 summary [annual] reports do not indicate if the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit followed up with any departments to determine the extent to which the recommendations have been implemented.
“We don’t monitor the departments on whether they’re adhering or acting upon the recommendations, whether it’s the Department of Health or Family Services.
When they start coming to our office, we realize that they need support.
If we have such policies sometime in the future to monitor the department, if we have that authority through policies, we would be able to do that.”
However, it is important to acknowledge that, according to its terms of reference, the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit is not responsible for ensuring that departments respond to or implement recommendations.
The terms of reference indicate that:
“Departments remain ultimately responsible for decisions made on how and when to incorporate advice from the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.”
It is also important to note that the 2009-2012 and 2013-2015 summary [annual] reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit indicate that a number of departmental representatives provided verbal responses to concerns that were raised during the meetings of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
This issue was discussed during the standing committee’s September 23, 2015, hearing. Testimony provided by the Director of the Department of Culture and Heritage’s Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Division indicated that:
“[G]overnment department workers do attend our meetings to get advice or information, and then they document it.
However, afterwards, they don’t come back to us and say, ‘This is how we’re implementing them.’ They don’t do that.
They don’t give us the information later on whether or not they’re implementing them.
They come with questions about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and usually about what this means, what this aspect of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit means.”
The standing committee notes with concern that only one department, the Department of Health, has made an effort to formally respond to the thirty-four recommendations that have been made by the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit since 2009.
In her opening comments, the Director of the Department of Culture and Heritage’s Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Division indicated that:
“The Katimajiit has made approximately 34 recommendations to the Government of Nunavut over the last six years aimed at improving government operations.
To date, the Department of Health has responded to one recommendation, that on suicide prevention.”
It is important to acknowledge that the government has provided some information on its initiatives to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into its laws, policies, programs and services in its 2013 Incorporating Inuit Societal Values report, which the Minister of Culture and Heritage tabled in the Legislative Assembly on March 6, 2014.
However, the government did not indicate in this report the extent to which these initiatives were guided by the advice and recommendations of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
It is the standing committee’s position that it is incumbent on the government to take the time and make the effort to respond formally to the recommendations of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
Issue: Development of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Strategy
On March 20, 2014, the Commissioner of Nunavut delivered an opening address to mark the commencement of the 2nd Session of the current Legislative Assembly.
In her opening address, the Commissioner acknowledged a number of the government’s priorities under its Sivumut Abluqta Mandate, which states that:
“From its start in 1999, our government has been guided by Inuit societal values.
We continue to be guided by these principles as we address our challenges and step forward together towards a brighter future.”
It is important to acknowledge the progress that the government has made in its efforts to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
The Department of Culture and Heritage’s Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Division coordinates the development of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit initiatives across the government, provides administrative support to the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit and leads the interdepartmental Tuttarviit Committee.
It is also important to acknowledge that, on March 6, 2014, the Minister of Culture and Heritage tabled the government’s 2013 report on Incorporating Inuit Societal Values, which describes the government’s various initiatives to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
However, this report does not indicate how the government currently monitors its initiatives to ensure that its laws, policies, programs and services reflect Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and that any laws and policies related to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit are adhered to and implemented.
In its 2013 report on Incorporating Inuit Societal Values, the government indicates that:
“While this report encompasses all departments’ activities associated with implementing Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Inuit Societal Values, it is the responsibility of individual departments to ensure Acts are followed and initiatives and programs are implemented.”
It is important to note that the terms of references for the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit and Tuttarviit Committee do not include any requirements to monitor the government’s work to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
It is important to acknowledge that the Department of Culture and Heritage’s Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Division is currently in the process of developing a government-wide Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Strategy.
The Department of Culture and Heritage has indicated in its 2015-2018 Business Plan that one of the priorities of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Division for the 2014-2015 fiscal year was to:
“Develop a government-wide Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Strategy that is culturally relevant with tools for monitoring and implementing Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in government programs, policies and services.”
The standing committee emphasizes the importance of developing clear and department-specific goals and objectives that will provide direction for government staff on how to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into its delivery of services and day-to-day operations.
The standing committee also emphasizes the importance of developing benchmarks and criteria by which the government can clearly measure its progress in incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into its laws, policies, programs and services.
The standing committee also emphasizes the importance of developing oversight measures by which the government can monitor the degree to which its Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit legislation and policies are adhered to and its programs and services to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit are successfully delivered in Nunavut.
Issue: Tuttarviit Committee Terms of Reference
The terms of reference for the Tuttarviit Committee state that:
“Members of the Tuttarviit Committee will develop an overall Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit strategic plan, and are responsible, through their Deputy Ministers, for addressing advice and/or recommendations from the Katimajiit with specific application to their home departments.”
It is important to acknowledge the progress that has been made on the part of the Department of Culture and Heritage’s Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Division in developing resources to assist the government in its efforts to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
According to the Department of Culture and Heritage’s 2015-2018 Business Plan, the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Division has developed and completed guidelines to incorporate Inuit Societal Values in the workplace, including an Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Day Workbook, and has submitted these guidelines to the Department of Finance for inclusion into the government’s Human Resources Manual.
However, the extent to which these resources have been developed in coordination with the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit is unclear.
It is important to note that the Tuttarviit Committee is not currently required to communicate departmental initiatives concerning Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit to the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
According to its terms of reference, the Tuttarviit Committee serves as the primary means of communication between the departments of the Government of Nunavut and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, through the Director of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Division, who also serves as chairperson on the Tuttarviit Committee.
The lines of communication between these entities are established in the terms of reference for the Tuttarviit Committee, which state that:
“Each Deputy Minister determines which departmental issues and initiatives require the advice or assistance of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
Each [Tuttarviit member] is briefed on the issues and bring them to the Tuttarviit.
This coordinating body, chaired by the [Culture and Heritage] Director, considers the issue and offers constructive advice on how it will bring it forward to the Katimajiit.
This issue is presented by Departments to the Katimajiit for consideration.
Recommendations are recorded by the [Culture and Heritage] Director and are presented at the Tuttarviit: if recommendations have government-wide implications, they will be presented to the Deputy Ministers Committee; if recommendations are department-specific, they will be taken back to the originating department for consideration.”
This issue was discussed, in detail, during the standing committee’s September 23, 2015, hearing.
“When Tuttarviit is going to be having a meeting, we usually get the information required from the departments.
It’s usually through the Tuttarviit representative and there is usually correspondence going back and forth between the departments and IQK.
Every time that the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit is going to be having a meeting, we keep them informed also.
We usually ask for agenda items that the Tuttarviit would like to see included in IQK.
That’s the working relationship between the two entities.
We usually keep each other informed about when the board meetings are going to be and if they need any information, we get it for them and also get the materials translated, and so on.”
However, the extent to which the Tuttarviit Committee is required to inform the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit on its decisions to develop and implement initiatives to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is unclear.
According to its terms of reference, the role of the Tuttarviit Committee is to consider approaches to implement the recommendations of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit and incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in each department.
The terms of reference for the Tuttarviit Committee indicate that its chairperson will:
“Establish an Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Information Repository to record Katimajiit recommendations and the details of government and departmental Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit initiatives.
This repository will be accessible to all departments; and,
Produce an annual report in conjunction with Tuttarviit on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit initiatives when requested.”
It is important to acknowledge that the government’s 2013 report on Incorporating Inuit Societal Values includes information on the Tuttarviit Committee’s various initiatives.
However, this report does not indicate the extent to which Tuttarviit Committee’s initiatives were guided by or developed in coordination with the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
It is important to acknowledge that the terms of reference of the Tuttarviit Committee indicate that:
“The deliberations of Tuttarviit will not constrain any department from developing and implementing department-specific initiatives aimed at satisfying the Government’s Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit commitments.
However, the existence of Tuttarviit as a sounding board and repository of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit expertise should help ensure that departmental initiatives are carried out within the context of an overall government strategy.”
The standing committee recognizes that the government may implement Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit initiatives that have not been developed in coordination with the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
However, it is important to note that the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit is a regionally-representative and Cabinet-appointed committee that provides expertise on Inuit traditional knowledge and Inuit Societal Values.
“The Katimajiit consists of a minimum of six and a maximum of nine members, geographically and linguistically selected to represent the territory of Nunavut.
Members will be respected individuals in their home communities with previous experience in working on community or territorial committees where consensus decision-making is the norm.
Members will have well-formed views on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, and on its potential for improving government operations.
It is also important to note that the members of the Tuttarviit Committee, in contrast, are public servants who are appointed internally and that their responsibilities as members of the Tuttarviit Committee are additional to their duties as government employees.
It is also important to note that the terms of reference of the Tuttarviit Committee do not currently require that every department and public agency of the Government of Nunavut appoint a representative to sit on the committee.
During this hearing, Members of the standing committee raised concerns that the Tuttarviit Committee may not include representatives from every department.
“The Department of Family Services does have a Tuttarvik.
It may not be written down in the document.
The health department’s Tuttarvik will be replaced in the future, as well as the environment department.
Our Minister and Deputy Ministers are informed about the Tuttarviit in the departments.
They were informed that all departments don’t have Tuttarviit.
They will be told that they need a Tuttarvik.”
The standing committee recommends that the terms of reference for the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit be revised to explicitly clarify its requirements in the following areas:
The production of the annual reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit;
The content of the annual reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit; and,
The number of members that may be appointed to the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
The Standing committee further recommends that the future annual reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit provide explicitly clear information in the following areas:
The total number of meetings held by the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Committee each year;
The departments or public agencies to which its recommendations are directed; and,
The priorities, goals and objectives of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
The standing committee further recommends that the Minister of Culture and Heritage begin the practice of tabling the annual reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit on an annual basis and in a timely manner.
The standing committee recommends that the Government of Nunavut, in its response to this report, provide formal responses to each of the thirty-four recommendations that have been made by the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit since 2009.
The standing committee further recommends that the Government of Nunavut begin the practice of providing formal responses to the recommendations of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit on an annual basis.
The standing committee further recommends that the Premier, on behalf of the Government of Nunavut as a whole, begin the practice of tabling the Government of Nunavut’s formal responses to the recommendations of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit in the Legislative Assembly.
The standing committee recommends that the Government of Nunavut, in its response to this report, provide a clear timeline by which it plans to complete and make publically available its Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Strategy.
The standing committee further recommends that the Government of Nunavut, in its response to this report, indicate what specific tools for monitoring and implementing Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit will be included in its Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Strategy.
The standing committee further recommends that the Government of Nunavut, in its response to this report, provide a clear timeline by which it plans to develop and produce the following mechanisms:
Department-specific goals and objectives that will guide government staff in incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in its delivery of services and day-to-day operations;
Policies and procedures by which it will ensure that its laws, policies, programs and services reflect Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit;
Benchmarks and criteria by which it will measure its progress to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in its laws, policies, programs and services.
Oversight measures that it will implement to ensure that its Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit legislation and policies are adhered to and implemented and that its programs and services are delivered through an Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit approach.
Standing committee Recommendation #4
The Standing committee recommends that the Government of Nunavut revise the terms of reference of the Tuttarviit Committee to:
Require each department and public agency to appoint a representative to the Tuttarviit Committee;
Clarify the circumstances under which the Tuttarviit Committee must consult with the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit;
Clarify the circumstances under which the Tuttarviit Committee must follow-up on the recommendations of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit; and,
Clarify how often the Tuttarviit Committee is required to meet.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Pages 549 – 615
Members’ Statements 551
Returns to Oral Questions 556
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 556
Oral Questions 557
Reports of Standing and Special Committees on Bills and Other Matters* 571
Tabling of Documents 574
Notices of Motions 576
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 577
Report of the Committee of the Whole 613
Third Reading of Bills 613
Orders of the Day 615
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 549
037 – 4(3): Team Nunavut Headed to 2016 Arctic Winter Games (Mike) 549
038 – 4(3): Grants and Contributions Deadline (Kuksuk) 550
039 – 4(3): Nunavut’s History Society Young Citizens Award (Quassa) 550
089 – 4(3): Successful Narwhal Hunt in Arctic Bay (Shooyook) 551
090 – 4(3): Implementation of Article 23 of the NLCA (Joanasie) 552
091 – 4(3): Polar Bear Encounter in Coral Harbour (Mapsalak) 553
092 – 4(3): Kugluktuk Participants of the 2016 Arctic Winter Games (Taptuna) 553
093 – 4(3): Recycling Plastic and Pop Cans (Okalik) 554
094 – 4(3): Constituents participating at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games (Ugyuk) 554
095 – 4(3): Tribute to Elisapee Ishulutak on Her 90th Birthday (Mike) 554
096 – 4(3): Double-tusked Narwhal Caught in Qikiqtarjuaq (Keyootak) 555
Return to Oral Question 056 – 4(3): Swimming Pools in Nunavut (Mike) 556
117 – 4(3): Country Food Distribution Program (Shooyook) 557
118 – 4(3): Removal of Debris from Demolished Infrastructure in Arviat (Savikataaq) 558
119 – 4(3): Total Allowable Harvest for Foxe Basin Polar Bears (Mapsalak) 560
120 – 4(3): Support for Search and Rescue Organizations (Mikkungwak) 561
121 – 4(3): Telecommunications Services (Enook) 563
122 – 4(3): Standardizing the Inuktitut Writing System in Nunavut’s Education System (Akoak) 564
123 – 4(3): Cancer in Nunavut (Angnakak) 566
124 – 4(3): Implementation of Article 23 of the NLCA (Joanasie) 567
125 – 4(3): Update on the Action Plan on Children, Youth and Family Programs and Services in Nunavut (Hickes) 569
Committee Report 005 – 4(3): Report on the Review of the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 Annual Reports and 2015-2016 Corporate and Business Plans of the Nunavut Development Corporation and the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation (Hickes) 571