EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The minister has taken your question as notice, Mr. Puqiqnak, after he has done his review he will be able to answer your questions.
Question 95 - 1(3): Purchase of Country Food from Kivalliq Communities
Presently there is a federally inspected meat and fish plant located in Rankin Inlet.
At this point, we all know there is a job shortage in the Kivalliq region and there is an abundance of fish and caribou in the region.
Would the minister investigate the possibility of purchasing fish and caribou from all the Kivalliq communities so it can stimulate the traditional economy.
We could take your question under notice and I also want to find that out from the new members of the Nunavut Development Corporation, during this time they are just settling up right now but you will be able to work with them.
Perhaps through them we will be able to deal with this, Mr. Speaker.
Question 96 - 1(3): Housing for Social Worker
I have a question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
I have made repeated requests to find out if there is housing available now in Kimmirut for the social service workers.
I have asked this question to the Minister of Health and now again, I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if you are looking to see whether there is housing available for the social service workers in Kimmirut.
We have just heard in Mr. O'Brien’s riding that they have housing provided, so I am asking this question.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Akesuk has been a very persistent and strong advocate for the social worker position in Kimmirut.
I should add that last week in this House, as the minister responsible for social workers and indeed, nurses and other health professionals in the communities, we talked about and said in response to his question at that time that we did not have staff housing, Government of Nunavut staff housing available in the community.
Although the community of Kimmirut had identified two private homes that may be available, Mr. Speaker, for the accommodations for the staffing of the social worker position.
In this case, Mr. Speaker, the minister responsible for staff housing, Hon. Manitok Thompson, is following up on that request and we want to make sure that we are able to secure housing, it is an urgent priority of our department to fill that position in Kimmirut, as soon as possible as I explained earlier in response to that question last week.
The situation is though, Mr. Speaker, is that we don’t have a policy in place right now as a government where we subsidize privately owned accommodation for our Government of Nunavut employees and it is something that we have to look at and we also have to make sure of what the cost-benefit analysis may be in this situation.
Question 97 - 1(3): Funding for Access Road
I have a question to the Minister of Community Government.
I have a question in regards to inadequate funding for an access road that was built.
The minister had made a statement that the Hamlets have to request funding on an annual basis.
My question is do we have to do that.
In regards to the building of roads outside of the Hamlet boundaries I believe with the past government they got funding to build additional roads that are outside of the Hamlet boundaries.
This didn’t get passed on to the Nunavut Government but we are presently having discussions with the Federal Government Department of Transportation.
We hope soon to get funds for those types of projects but I can’t tell you exactly how much money we will be receiving.
I can only say that we will review those types of programs, programs that are set up for access roads.
I do know that there was such a program set up by the GNWT but I don’t know, we’ll look into it and have discussions with the Federal Government.
Question 98 - 1(3): Wheelchair for Clyde River Resident
We have a disabled person in our community who has been waiting for a wheelchair for a long time., could you tell me the status or give me an update on what is happening.
Mr. Speaker, I attended along with Premier Okalik, the founding meeting for Disabled People for Nunavut here in Iqaluit and at that meeting I think the person that the member is talking about was there.
It was a sad situation Mr. Speaker, the person that the member was talking about from his community was in an ill fitted wheelchair.
After seeing that myself and the Premier, immediately made a phone call to the hospital and by the time the person in question had left the meeting to go back to their home, they had a replacement wheelchair.
I think that was a very good thing to see.
So the status of that, if that is what the member is asking about, is the wheelchair will be replaced and a motorized wheelchair has been ordered by the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board for that patient.
Now on the other issue of the Board itself, the Board for Handicapped and Disabled People is under Culture, Language, Elders & Youth, Mr. Speaker that’s another good thing that the Government of Nunavut has done, we have made a contribution so that organization can staff, fill the position and have someone working for them.
I believe the chairman is Mr. Davidee Arnaquq who I have had an opportunity to meet at that meeting and have been in communication with him in the past.
The worker here in Iqaluit is Meeka Kilabuk, who needs no introduction.
I know that we expect that wheelchair to come in.
When do we expect that wheelchair to come into my community.
Mr. Speaker we should point out I guess at this time and explain something about wheelchairs.
A lot of people believe that you just sit in a wheelchair.
Indeed, Mr. Speaker the wheelchair has to be fitted properly.
We have a person right now working for the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board who is actually trained in fitting people for a wheelchair.
You just don’t take any wheelchair, Mr. Speaker.
What had happened previously with that patient, to my understanding, is that there was only one wheelchair available in Clyde River and that was given to the person because they needed a wheelchair.
It wasn’t fitted properly and this was pointed out to me as the Minister of Health and Social Services and Premier Okalik when we attended the meeting here in Iqaluit.
We rectified the situation by getting a wheelchair and getting it fitted at that time at the hospital.
The wheelchair in question Mr. Speaker, is a motorized wheelchair, it has a battery where the person will be able to navigate in their home which is a good thing.
When exactly that wheelchair will be coming in, my understanding from about three weeks ago, when we fitted the patient in question with the wheelchair was that it was on order and my understanding at that time was that it would be about six to eight weeks.
I can assure the member right now that I will follow up on that after the House finishes today, to find out exactly when the wheelchair in question will be made available to that patient, the constituent of Mr. Iqaqrialu in Clyde River.
Question 99 - 1(3): Doctor for Igloolik
My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Last spring we were supposed to get a doctor in Igloolik which is my constituency and you said this at the time that you and I went to Igloolik.
You told the Igloolik residents that you would be getting them a resident doctor.
But this was not the case so now my question is Mr. Speaker, are there any plans to get this doctor for Igloolik.
Minister for Health and Social Services. Mr. Picco.
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased that the member has brought up this question and the reason of course being the misinformation surrounding the doctor and the community of Igloolik.
What happened, Mr. Speaker, and the member knows this because he was with me, I was invited to go to the community of Igloolik by the member, I wanted to go up there and talk about the dissolution of the health boards.
When I arrived at a community meeting, at a public meeting, the Mayor and indeed the Council had already known, that the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board were looking at placing a doctor in Igloolik.
I never said I was putting one there.
I never said that at all.
What happened at the meeting I said I understood that, it was my understanding that there would be doctor coming here.
And the Mayor, who worked for DPW, understood that there had been a process at that time trying to get a room ready at the Health Centre.
So they were aware of it, of the possibility of a doctor going to Igloolik , the possibility of putting a doctor in Igloolik.
What had happened was, on the cost side, on the administrative analysis, was that the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board felt that by putting a doctor in Pond Inlet, instead of Igloolik, that doctor would be able to cover off more communities, with better transportation connections, at less cost.
Given the financial situation of the health boards, it was very difficult for me to look at that and say, okay, I want to put a doctor in one community over another, when there was a cost difference especially when you looked at the logistics and administratively where the person, the doctor in question, could cover off more communities and more patients by being based in Pond Inlet.
After saying that, Mr. Speaker, what we have in Nunavut, for primary health care, is nurse practitioners.
Putting a doctor in a community doesn’t make people more healthy, Mr. Speaker.
We have good trained professionals in communities.
When I have attended the health ministers meetings, with all the national ministers, they talk about having a model like we have.
We have nurse practitioners, a doctor in a community doesn’t make you more healthy.
What we’re trying to do as a department, a fundamental shift in the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Speaker, is move toward primary care, trying to prevent some of the causes of the diseases and some of the problems that we’re seeing in our communities.
For example, one of the people, one of the members here yesterday brought up the area of smoking, one of the most preventable causes of some of the respiratory and other problems that we’re seeing can be prevented if we could put a more proactive anti-smoking campaign in place.
And that’s the kind of things that we’re working toward.
I’d like to thank the member for bringing it up and clarifying the issue with the doctor.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Picco.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if he understood my question.
Are there any plans to get a doctor in Igloolik in the future.
I didn’t ask any other question.
Speaker: Minister for Health, Mr. Picco.
Mr. Speaker, there are no plans underway, to my knowledge, by the Baffin Region Health and Social Services Board, to staff a doctor in Igloolik at this time, that’s at this time.
That’s at this time.
I can say at this time that we’re open to the possibility, if we can identify a doctor, and if we can identify a doctor that wants to be based in Igloolik, then that’s something that we would try to facilitate, as a department.
At this time, that’s not the case.
In the case of the doctor that went to Pond Inlet, by the way, Mr. Speaker, that doctor wanted to go to a community because they had adopted some Inuit kids, and they wanted to make sure that they had a background in Inuktitut and indeed, Mr. Speaker, the member and myself had met with the doctor and she explained that to us.
So at this time, Speaker, no, that’s not something that to my knowledge is being looked at, but it can be something that can be looked at in the future.
I have a different question, so I’ll ask it later on.
Question 100 - 1(3): Bowhead Whale Study
My question is directed to the Minister of Sustainable Development, wildlife division.
In one of my constituencies, there is an abundance of bowhead whales.
In Pelly Bay, they would like to be able to harvest bowheads, but they were told by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that this bowhead stock comes from the Baffin Region.
My question is has there been any study as to where these stocks come from?
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation) Yes, Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Yes, in regard to the bowhead whales, we keep hearing more about the concerns about bowhead whales, as to where they migrate to.
But at this point, with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, we’re working very closely together, through research, we study as to how these species are important to Inuit people.
DFO in Ottawa, had done a study, and research on this.
They are now collecting all the results.
Our department is not responsible for larger mammals, but I could look into it if you want me to. If you want me to look for the results from the studies that have been done by the previous government, I could do so.
We would like to know if there has been any study done on bowhead whales in the Pelly Bay area.
So I would like the Minister for Sustainable Development to look into this further.
Speaker: I did not hear a question.
Question 101 - 1(3): Appointment to Boards
My question is directed to the Minister for Sustainable Development.
I keep asking the Minister for that department.
However, Mr. Speaker, this morning, under Ministers’ Statements, on the Nunavut Development Corporation and Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, these two boards.
Did you appoint these members as a minister.
Did you appoint these people.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Puqiqnak.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk: (interpretation) Thank you Mr. Speaker.
If I understand your question correctly, you are looking for the names to be appointed to these boards.
We had asked for nominations and then we had publicized this...and the appointments were made through the nominations of regular members.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Kilabuk.
I did not see any documentation.
So my apologies, because the Kitikmeot Region, for example, we do have a member.
My constituency is not represented in this board that you just appointed.
I suggest that we utilize all the communities.
The other community in my constituency is not represented on this Board. So I don’t think that we should be lopsided.
Thank you.  Speaker: It’s up to you, Mr. Kilabuk, Minister for Sustainable Development, to respond.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Speaker. For the board appointments, on the statement I just made.
If the communities have concerns, or they want us to review this again, you can go to this board if you have any concerns. If an MLA or if Members of the Legislative Assembly have any concerns, you can go, ask questions to the board. At the time, when we asked for nominations, there were not many names that were submitted.
Question 102 - 1(3): Internet Services in Communities
Over the last while, we’ve heard a lot about the information highway and internet service to communities.
Presently, I could be corrected here, but outside of Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet, there’s not much internet service to the other communities and I was wondering if the government was considering putting internet service in all of the communities of Nunavut.
Speaker: Thank you., Mr. McLean.
Minister Responsible for PWTTS.
We have been thinking of linking up all the communities, but at this time we’re putting priority on the larger communities but the smaller communities are planned for the future.
We hope to link up all the Nunavut communities some time in the future.
Speaker: Thank you., Ms. Thompson.
I realize that it’s probably not a high priority, the other communities in Nunavut, right now, but coming into Iqaluit and having internet service myself, it’s opened up a whole new world for me.
And for me to access the internet in my community – and when I talk, I want to talk about the Arctic Bays of the world, the Chesterfield Inlets, Whale Coves, that it’s a long distance connect charge.
And I think with this day and age, we’re going into the millennium, and I look around this room today, and there’s so many young children that could access information.
And that is also good for the business community, for people to sell their traditional things like clothing and carvings and stuff like that.
Could the minister be more direct in what kind of a time line we’re looking at with providing internet service to the smaller communities?
Minister Responsible for Telecommunications and Technical Services, Ms. Thompson.  Hon. Manitok Thompson: Mr. Speaker, I realize that the internet is a very exciting field and it’s a system that everybody should be connected to, whether you’re in a small community or a bigger community, because you can learn so much and you can have so much access to the rest of the world.
But right now, I don’t have any plans in the near future to start connecting those communities, but it’s something that I have already talked to my staff about. My staff is aware of this, that it’s something that we have to find a way for those communities to start connecting with internet. Thank you.
I don’t have a timeline on when we’re going to do these things. Thank you.
Speaker: Thank you., Ms. Thompson. Oral Questions, Mr. McLean.
I don’t want to put undue pressure on the minister to give me too much of a timeline.
But as we all know, this government is in sort of a financial surplus....and it’s my humble opinion that internet access in Nunavut should be available to everybody in Nunavut. And I’m wondering if the minister would go forward to her cabinet colleagues and FMBS to give the rest of Nunavut what the larger regional centres have. Because I feel that this is important to myself and all the people of Nunavut, to have internet access.
Thank you.  Speaker: Thank you, Mr. McLean.
Minister Responsible for Telecommunications and Technical Services, Ms. Thompson.  Hon. Manitok Thompson: Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Right now, we’re just putting in government services and not the public. But I can certainly bring that forward to my cabinet colleagues, because it’s important to all of Nunavut.
I realize that, so yes, I’ll do that.
Mr. O'Brien: It’s OK.
Speaker: Oral Questions.
Question 103 - 1(3): Health Statistics
Those of us who live in Nunavut, there’s approximately a total population of twenty eight to thirty thousand, I’m not quite sure, I’m just approximating the figure.
Yesterday, we said that the people of Nunavut are the heaviest smokers in Canada, and there’s approximately ninety per cent of us who smoke.
We have the smallest population.
How come we always have the largest population with social problems?
There’s other Canadians in the millions – how come we’re always told that we have the highest population with social problems when we have a very, very small population.
Could you explain this, Mr. Minister.
Speaker: Thank you., Mr. Iqaqrialu.
Hon. Ed Picco: Speaker, the member brings up an interesting area, and that is the area of ratios, stats, numbers, figures.
I’m not a mathematician, Speaker, or indeed, as Mr. Ng said, a statistician.
What I am is a person who understands what the question is the member is trying to bring up, if I’m correct, is why our rate is so high.
And that’s based on a ratio.
And I’ll try to explain it this way.
When you look across Canada, as a population, as a group of people, the ratio of people smoking, for example, in this case, is higher when it is compared to other provinces, other territories, other jurisdictions within our country.
So what that means, is when you look at Canada as a whole, maybe one in one thousand people has a certain kind of cancer.
And then we take that, and in Nunavut, it may be, based on our smaller population ratio, it may be five in one thousand people.
It doesn’t mean that because we have a smaller population base, why are we having these numbers.
Each population ratio stands alone on its own merits, as it were.
So in this case, the reason why we have so many high numbers is based on the ratio that’s brought forward per capita.
That’s what we always use as the number, Mr. Speaker, is per capita.
I don’t know if that helps the Member, to explain why it seems so high, even though we have a small population we have higher incidences of this.
So when you take the general population of Canada as a whole, and we say, for every one thousand people there are twenty break and entries, for example, and when you look at Nunavut, there is thirty seven.
The reason for that is based on the smaller population based on the smaller ratio.
It comes down to the lowest common denominator.
In that case, Speaker, we are higher on a national average, in a lot of these instances, like TB, like infectious diseases, like sexually transmitted diseases, suicide rate, and so on.
And I hope that helps clarify the answer.
Speaker: Thank you., Mr. Picco.
Oral Questions, Mr. Iqaqrialu.
I can never believe those numbers because of our small population.
I just feel that we’re made to look bad in Nunavut.
Maybe the people out there want us to look bad, through alcohol abuse, heavy smoking, a large population that smokes.
It seems that we’re always the ones having all these things.
We have a very, very small population.
That’s one of the reasons why I can never understand it.
Mr. Speaker, the stats that we have accumulated on those various areas and issues, like the highest rate of TB, like RSV, like the STDS, and so on and so forth. I don’t need to rehash them here this morning.
Those are accurate numbers, Mr. Speaker.
Now I think that the concern the Member has is that because we have such a low population base, is why do they seem so high.
When we extrapolate, which means to take out those numbers, and show on a national average, how our instances of morbidity are higher, then it indicates that our population is having a more difficult time over the last few years with these different instances of infectious diseases and other problems, for example, suicide.
Those numbers are correct. Those numbers have been checked.
They have come forward, they haven’t changed in x number of years.
And that’s one of the things that we’re trying to do, Mr. Speaker, in the department of health, is to work on the preventive side of medicine...to look at preventing some of these diseases, some of these problems, before they occur.
My explanation maybe wasn’t that good on the ratio and how those numbers are valid.
Maybe after the sitting this morning, we can have someone sit down with the member and go through ratios and percentages and how those numbers are extrapolated out of the national averages for Nunavut.
I think that’ s what the member is trying to get at.
Maybe yourself, Mr. Speaker, or maybe the Minister of Education, with his background, could go through the ratio and percentages so it could be more understandable.
Question 104 - 1(3): Telehealth Systems
Mr. Irqittuq: (interpretation) Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
He said that even if we get the resident doctor in our community, the number of illnesses will not decrease, that was his response.
So my question is for example, setting up TVs is very important, there’s a lot of telehealth systems up now, and the patient is diagnosed through the Telehealth system.
Are these Telehealth systems better than resident doctors.
Speaker: Thank you., Mr. Irqittuq.
Mr. Speaker, what I was trying to point out is that in other jurisdictions, not just here in Nunavut, a lot of governments would like to move toward a nurse practitioner model.
We have a nurse practitioner in a community, identifying the problems that the people are having, and work on the preventive side of medicine – and that’ s what we’re trying to do .
What a doctor does is diagnosis...and this also applies to treatment.
The member asked a question specifically on Telehealth. I think, Mr. Speaker, Telehealth is probably one of the most exciting technological opportunities that have come a long way for us, here in Nunavut.
Telehealth has proven itself in other jurisdictions across this country, and across the world.
For example, in Australia, it’s really taking off.
In Norway, I believe in June there’s going to be an international conference of circumpolar countries, on Telehealth and the applications of Telehealth for the circumpolar world.
In Canada, many of the other provincial jurisdictions, and territorial jurisdictions, are using or experimenting with the application of Telehealth.