EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
At that time last year the only reason why I withdrew my motion to do that was that I received a commitment from the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth at the time that there would be some dollars allocated for these purposes this year.
So again I would like to ask why that has not taken place.
For communities like Iqaluit, the larger communities qualify for programs for youth centres so our focus is for smaller communities and in some cases there are already existing programs in place.
Like under Community Government & Transportation recreational facilities get operations & maintenance money.
So there are various other avenues that young people can turn to for operations & maintenance expenses to use.
That does not negate the fact that I received a commitment from this government that there would be some funds for those purposes last year.
Now is it going to be the practice of this government to make commitments and tell us as members what we want to hear in order to get the budget passed and then as time goes on they will not worry about it.
Because that is what I see as happened here.
A commitment was made to have dollars available for such a purpose and now there is nothing there.
Specifically within this department.
There is some money available in other departments and there are already funds available.
There is no need for duplication.
So we have set aside money to start up youth centres and they can apply to other departments for operations & maintenance.
That is the second time that I heard this answer.
That is not the question that I asked.
Is it going to be the practice of the department or the government to make these kinds of commitments to members in order to get a budget passed and then those commitments can be ignored in the future.
I believe that is my call.
When I make a commitment I do my utmost to honour that.
I hope that is also the practice by my colleagues.
I am encouraged to hear that and I sincerely hope that we do not run into this type of situation again in the future.
Item number C in there it talks about promoting and encouraging.. Sorry D. Encourage the youth in developing self-esteem in order to reduce the drop out rates in the education system and enhance their knowledge of Inuit culture.
I am just wondering how the department plans to accomplish that.
We now have Theo Ikkumaq as one of our staff to work on the youth issues and Israel Mablick as new staff.
These two are now working on the business plan after the youth committees held their meeting.
Also they attend meetings with our staff who work on the applications from the youth councils.
They work to make sure that these funds for youth programs are divided equally.
They review the applications and they want to make sure these funds are given evenly to communities all across Nunavut.
I am just wondering if they have employees like that looking at distributing dollars equally and working in the area of heritage centres.
We do have our staff who meet on youth issues and on heritage centres.
Also on the language issue we do have two language specialists.
Once we get the positions filled in for the elders they will be reviewing that to make sure that the funding is distributed equally.
The Department of Education and the Department of Justice staff will also be giving us support on that.
Usually we review the applicant jointly.
Mr. Chairman going back to another one there it talks about working closely with the education system to enhance the youths' knowledge of Inuit culture.
Mr. Chairman I am just wondering has the department also including, I know the Department of Education is reviewing the Education Act right now.
I think one of the things we want to see and encourage is to see these youth stay in school.
I am just wondering if the department looked at when they are approaching the youth do they try and get useful information and input into how the education system is run as a whole and not just enhancing the Inuit culture.
Their knowledge of the Inuit culture but within a system how they would see that being more beneficial to them as youth to get their prospective on that.
Chairperson (interpretation): Any one of the witnesses.
We are just setting up the youth department.
There are many ideas that are being thrown around by the young people.
There was a major conference and this was one of the items that was discussed by the youth.
Our department staff are in the process now of talking about the youth and self-esteem, boosting their self-esteem.
Usually that goes hand in hand with knowing about your culture and roots.
That is part with regaining your self-esteem.
The youth department it is also included in the youth department mandate.
Where they work with the school drop outs it is the students who want to go into the Arctic Colleges or Universities or who have been there.
So Universities and Colleges outside of Nunavut are going to be dealing with those issues also handling the concerns raised by the youth from the communities.
That is good to hear.
Also in here it talks about development of an office space and consultation with the Heritage Trust on the creation of heritage facilities.
Can the minister provide us with an update of where they are at with that process.
Chairperson: Ms Levi.
Our Act states as such.
Last fall we signed an agreement with the Inuit Heritage Trust and with Nunavut Tunngavik.
At this time in our Act we have submitted to the Justice system to make sure that it is within our Act.
With the creation of the board we are going to be creating a report by the end of this month.
We are going to be looking at the people of Nunavut.
We will also be looking at NTI and there will be some from the Inuit Heritage Trust and members at large.
We are going to be creating this board at the end of this month and possibly next month. The newly created board will be working with these issues.
Mr. Chairman I just wondering, the minister indicated that the board working to develop this options paper and to look at the creation of heritage facilities throughout Nunavut has not even been established yet.
I am wondering if he would share the terms of reference for that committee and what they are mandated to do with the members.
I would ask a question as to if there is going to be a timeline when the department would like to see a report on where heritage centres should be.
Hon. Paul Okalik: The actual terms for the committee will be set out in the Heritage Resources Act and we hope to form the committee as the Deputy stated early next month at the latest.
We can share the terms of reference that are set out in the legislation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman I would like to also ask again when the department expects to receive some type of report as to the board's findings as to where heritage centres should be placed and created in Nunavut.
We are hoping we can get a report by November of this year and as to trying to establish it I can not make a commitment on their behalf.
So that is an optimistic date at this point.
Mr. Chairman given the fact the department is going to be establishing a board to determine where heritage facilities are going to be built, one would assume that they do not have anything in place saying this is where we should build it or not.
In my experience with other areas of funding and programs and developments usually the development of such facilities or programs usually come up after these types of reports have been developed.
I am just wondering if the development of any centre prior to that report coming out if the minister that might be premature in doing that.
One of the things that we are dealing with is that there is already a pre-existing facility in place and we are trying to replace the facility.
A lot of community support has been expressed.
So we have to deal with this issue while it is being constructed and as I stated before we are very open to other facilities in other communities that they want in the future.
So one of the main tasks of the board is to look at a museum for instance.
So I would think that would be one of their main tasks along with looking at heritage centres.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman on the letter "K" on page 6.
It talks about working with NSDC regard Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and the development of a policy discussion paper for the consideration of the people of Nunavut.
I would like to ask the minister how exactly he plans or anticipates working with NSDC to accomplish this.
I believe that we have an agreement to proceed.
It is just a matter of finalising terms of reference for a joint working group to look at Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit government wide.
So we hope to proceed soon.
I was hoping to respond to a question on the matter but did not get around to it.
So we will share the information with the members.
Mr. Chairman on letter "O" it talks about the development or the creation of an official language policy for the Government of Nunavut.
Last year I remember asking the department at the time if they would be willing to work with the Standing Committee of Ajauqtiit that has the responsibility for the appointment for the Language Commissioner in the development of this policy. I do not believe to date that the Standing Committee or our research clerk has received a response.
I do not think any contact has been initiated on the development of such a policy.
So again I would like to ask the Premier if he would affirm that they would work with the Standing Committee on the development of that policy along with the Language Commissioner.
Anyone of the witnesses.
I believe there have been preliminary discussions with the Language Commissioner on such a policy.
I am advised that Ajauqtiit is more than welcome to take part.
So hopefully once discussion commences Ajauqtiit could be involved at that stage.
Mr. Chairman and I know you know the minister just inherited the department and I just would like more of a solid commitment that the Standing Committee will be contacted.
That was the same commitment that I was given last year.
Like I said to date I do not recall us being contacted.
I would just like further commitment on that.
Hon. Paul Okalik: I can say that we are willing to work with anybody.
A language policy will affect everyone so we are willing to work with anyone in developing such a policy and Ajauqtiit through their mandate will be involved.
I have a few more here.
I know that in the days leading up to the session and throughout the session one of the problems we have heard from members is they have been frustrated with the inability to be provided with information.
The information to the Standing Committees and the members regarding departmental plans and budget and so on and so forth.
One of the factors involved in that was the lack of people to provide translations of the documents.
You will have to look at my desk with the mountains of paper that we receive.
I can imagine it would take a long time for all that information to be translated.
In here it talks about ensuring sufficient resources are available to provide translation services.
I am wondering what plans are in place to try to help alleviate that problem throughout the government.
It is like that.
The interpreters and translators we are currently contracting private interpreters and translators because we do not have the positions filled in Kugluktuk at this time.
The Director of Language services Attima Hadlari works on these issues and they provide translation services for Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut translations.
We contract private interpreters and translators and we use the Francophone Association to provide the French translations.
It is quite hard but with today’s technology everything is moving faster because we are sending them through the computers and we are having less computer problems than last year.
For Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay, Igloolik those are the language services based in the communities.
We have two in Igloolik, Betty Brewster and Nick Arnatsiaq.
So that’s that.
I will give you one last opportunity.
There is another person who would like to make a few comments and than I will get back to you afterwards.
You mentioned that you are short staffed and you do not have those positions filled.
At what time are you anticipating to be fully staffed and once you are fully staff will that be an adequate amount of resources to provide services to all the departments.
We will have staff in Kugluktuk, nine positions including the Director of Language services.
We did not have any material for their job description or their job that they are supposed to do because there is differences between a language specialist and an interpreter translator.
So as soon as these are completed than we will be requesting applicants to be based in Kugluktuk this coming spring and fall.
Those positions deal with Inuktitut and English.
I am not sure whether we will keep up with the jobs we have to do.
It takes about 2 days to wait for a document to be translated but when the document is very lengthy than it takes a lot longer.
It is especially true when the Legislative Assembly is in session.
However, when the session is not on then there is not much work that has to be translated.
Right now we are trying to do our best to keep up with the workload that we have and we would like to resolve this as soon as we get adequate staffing.
The interpreter translators are taking different courses as medical interpreters or for court interpreters.
We are expecting that they will be training for Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun and that is not set up yet.
We have been sitting for quite some time now so I am requesting a short break.
I know we would like to complete this department today.
I would like to complete everything perhaps in a few minutes.
My back is aching now.
Chairperson (interpretation): The member is asking for a break.
We will take a five minute break.
Mr. Iqaqrialu is the first speaker.
Under D 2, it states that for Culture, Language, Elders & Youth for the Deputy Minister, 616 thousand.
Is the amount of money set aside for elders and youth programs.
I just wondered if people could apply for that funding or if that is the case.
Do people apply for that funding.
Chairperson (interpretation): Which one of you will respond to that question.
There are quite a few figures on this page.
These are for the wages for the employees and for travelling and the operations of the office.
Also for other expenses in regards to contracts.
These are what make up the amount of 616 thousand.
It states here this is for the elders and youth programs.
I thought it was going to be for the elders and youth programs but it did not realise it was for something else.
Do I understand it correctly Mr. Chairman.
Yes the department requires staff.
They require support staff and they also co-ordinate this meeting of elders and youth.
Thank you for the elaboration and page D3 on your business plan.
It states in here that there is a 1 million, 46 thousand dollar budget.
If we look at the budget detail it states that with criteria or with no criteria.
The funding criteria or rather the policy.
We can give funding of 10 thousand dollars or less and it will be up to the client's discretion as to how they would be using the 10 thousand dollars.
If it is over 10 thousand dollars they require reports and they require a business plan or a proposal.
Once the program is completed they are required to write a report.
If it goes beyond 10 thousand dollars does it say what it has to be used for.
Does it have a purpose.
Yes if it is going to be over 10 thousand dollars they have to sign an agreement and they have to write down what it is going to be used for.
When they are done they have to report as to what purpose they used the funding for to our department.
If they did not use the money for the purpose then we could ask for the money back that was not appropriate for that purpose.
I would like to thank the Deputy Minister for her response.
There is also under 2001-2002 in those pages they are all the same amount.
I just wondered whether when we do our budget next year will there be a difference in the figures.
The money that we have today whatever has been approved in our budget is the way we have it figured out.
We will be able to do the job that we are supposed to do according to the wishes of the departments.
Mr. Chairman under the department falls I know the department funded a group for disabilities.
I am just wondering I know that in the past if there were people with disabilities if they apply for a disability pension or some people with disabilities apply for getting that certain licence plate or things for a vehicle for parking to be able to park in a handicap zone, I am just wondering how a person can go about getting those services now.
Since it is no longer funded through the NWT disability programs.
I am just wondering if that is something that falls into the department or the Association the department funds that handles that type of service.
Which one of you will answer.
We do not have funding.
We are funding the advocacy groups.
I am sure each of the departments that handled these in the past would be doing the same tasks that were carried out by the GNWT.
I am sure we would be told by the Council if those programs were not available.
So it is more a function of the Council to be advocates for disabled residents of Nunavut.
The department that funds the group people with disabilities in the business plan reports to senior advisor, Status of Women.
Does the department have any information on the programs and services operated by that group where one could determine if that would be the group to go through to find out whether an individual or where the individual would go to seek this type of support or services.
Ms. Levi.  Ms. Levi (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Council for the Disabled because we just began our government and the people with disabilities had to be assisted, the residents of Nunavut.
This was part of the program that we ran and we are trying to get some funding to support the people with disabilities.
We have an individual that handles that with the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Social Services.
We have various funding to support different bodies.
We will be dealing with funding to help the disabled.
We will be working along with the Council for the Disabled.
We are trying for this year trying to get some money because they have not been assisted as much in the schools and in the homes.
Any more Mr. Tootoo.
I am just wondering if the government has a copy or a mandate of the types of services that the Council for Disabilities provides to people with disabilities in Nunavut.
We have pamphlets and materials that we could provide to the Members of the Legislative Assembly.
The material done by the Council of the Disabled of the NWT.
Is the Deputy Minister saying the services have not changed on what is being provided.
There has been a division or a new council set up to deal with those issues in Nunavut but basically the same predicament or I do not know if you want to call it a predicament or situation that we as a government where we inherited a lot of the programs and policies from the GNWT.
Has this organisation basically done the same thing.
Ms. Levi: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Disabilities are new to our department and with it we had funding to create the People with Disabilities Council.
I do not now if it was existing in GNWT but it was very inactive in the Nunavut region.
We have become active in promoting programs and services for people with disabilities, which was a very good start for Nunavut.
Nunavummiut and the department are working closely with Health and Social Services staff and the Department of Education to not only look at education and employment but also accessing airlines.
Those kinds of programs are being placed which have not been in place before.
Mr. Chairman, the Deputy Minister indicated that they provided pamphlets that were from the Northwest Territories Council for Disabled Persons.
That's why I was asking is it the same types of services that were offered prior to division or that are supposed to be offered. She indicated that they weren't offered as widely as they may have needed to have been prior to division being the same types of services that were inherited by the Nunavut Council and department that they are trying to implement at this time.
There was nothing to assist the people of Nunavut for the disabled.
The only programs that they had were the Department of Education and Health. (interpretation ends)…provided a very thick report from the Nunavut Implementation Commission that was done two years ago that details what communities and what disabilities we have in Nunavut.
Right across, it is not a sample it is a full survey that was done two years ago, and we will provide that to the member.
I do not believe it is necessary I don't need to be provided with the detail of a door to door survey that was done.
What I am trying to determine is the types of services that were theoretically, as the Deputy Minister indicated, that they were offered before.
There was a group in the past, the Northwest Territories Association or Council of Disabilities that was supposed to provide that service to all of the Northwest Territories.
Those programs that were supposed to be provided to Nunavummiut but weren't, are those the same types of programs that the Nunavut Council and the department is trying to implement now or are there new ones that they have created.
When it was still the GNWT the programs that were supposed to be done we inherited some of the programs and we are still working on them.
Because we provide the funding to the Council so that they can set their own priorities.
So our staff will be giving them support.
If they are going to be providing programs this funding would be provided if they are going to be the same Council who will use the funding to improve and give support to the disabled people in Nunavut.
I guess that I could infer that the disabled persons in Nunavut could look forward to receiving that service.
Getting back to something that I was talking about earlier on heritage type things.
In here in "g" in critical issues you talked about finalizing a division of heritage assets with the GNWT, I was just wondering if we could get an update as to where that is at and whose involved and when we could hope to have some conclusion to that.
At this point our staff are taking the lead on the heritage and culture issues.
Leah Otak, who resides in Igloolik, works with an archaeologist and she will be getting the support from an archaeologist and the heritage part of the GNWT working together to divide up the artifacts and then the minister will be signing the agreement once it is completed.
It is ready to be signed now.
Mr. Chairman, I guess I am just going to ask, I know, concerning how many artifacts or things we are talking about that are over there, I'm just trying to get a general sense of if those things become ours now, what are we going to do with them.
It's not something that we can just stick in a store room or something like that.
So I am just wondering what the plans are in that area.
Roughly half the artifacts at the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre are from Nunavut and they are going to be itemised in the near future and we will continue to pay for the service of storing them for us because we don't have the facilities here in Nunavut.
We can't just take them without adequate facilities to maintain and preserve the artifacts.
So they will stay at the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre until we get a facility in place.
Half of the items, I am just wondering are those items that may be in storage or maybe items that are on display over at the heritage centre, or is there a combination of both.
They are a combination of both.
Chairperson (interpretation): Any further questions, Mr. Tootoo.
I was just wondering if those were items that we don't have to pay storage for, if we are going to pay them to store them, if they are displaying them for people to come in and see.
Maybe we should be charging them or assessing them a rent on showing those pieces.
So I am just wondering if that's something that the department has looked at.