EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
As I said last week in the House, I would hope to be in a position before this House finishes its sitting; I believe we’re scheduled to go up to at least March 27, to be able to communicate to the members, to the House, and to the people of Nunavut where we are logistically as well as administratively and financially with the issue of the photographers for the member’s constituents and other Nunavummiut.
So hopefully we will be able to make an announcement in the next two weeks.
We are working on something right now but I’m not at liberty to mention or say what it is at this time because of some of the intricacies that are involved.
Question 082 – 2(4): Federal Infrastructure Funding (Arvaluk)
I’ve calmed down a little bit from my Member’s Statement.
Yesterday the federal budget stated, and I quote, “... each territory will also be provided with annual funding in the amount of $25 million in recognition of urgent infrastructure needs that exist in the north.”
Also, the minister answered my colleague by stating that he doesn’t know what kinds of projects will be eligible for this funding.
Can the minister or this government commit to fully consulting all MLAs and communities when it begins to establish priority for these funds?
Minister of Finance, I’m sorry.
Who did you direct your question to?
Mr. Arvaluk: I’m sorry. To the Minister of Finance. (interpretation) Thank you.
During my colleague’s questioning, I stated that the $25 million would be used for infrastructure but we haven’t identified what it’s going to be used for. (interpretation ends) We still don’t have all of the technical information from the Federal Department of Finance.
(interpretation) At this time, once we see the $25 million, we’re going to find out what it’s going to be used for and we will be able to give an indication of where those monies are going to be used.
At this time we haven’t made any decisions and I’m sure that there’s going to be a lot of questions posed to the government departments.
But then again, I’m looking forward to seeing those dollars and then we will make those decisions at that time.
Can the minister clarify for the House at the next session of the Legislative Assembly?
As soon as I find out what the money is going to be used for, I will let the members know what that $25 million will be used for.
They said yesterday when the federal budget was announced that we will be getting $25 million for trade-related projects.
As soon as we find out, and as soon as we hear from the federal government, I will let the Members of this House know during the next sitting.
Looking at the federal budget that was announced yesterday, I suppose that there is a lot of information because it is directed to the whole of Canada.
Will the minister find out whether this budget that the federal government announced yesterday in the amount of $40 million if that’s going to be directed for safe harbours and ports?
Yes what the federal government announced yesterday, I am not really sure what they are going to be directed to, but he did not clarify how the money is going to be used once we get it.
Those things are being done right now.
So there are two of my staff that are down in Ottawa right now to get some clarification. So we haven’t gotten that clarification yet, because our staff did not come back because of the blizzard.
As soon as your staff comes in from Ottawa and when they do a reporting to you, Mr. Minister, would the minister be able to report to us before the end of the March sitting?
We will follow the procedures.
As soon as I find out what the money is going to be used for I will be able to report to the House about the federal funding. We will use the procedure that we usually use.
Question 083 – 2(4): Passport Issues (Kattuk)
I am not really sure whether the Member for Kugluktuk was going to ask a question about passports. I would like to direct a question to the Minister responsible for Immigration.
(interpretation ends) One of my constituents applied for a passport via an application down to Ottawa but they didn’t accept the application because he needs a haircut and his eyeglasses were too shiny, and all that.
So he just made corrections of haircut and something like that, but they turned it down again.
It seems that everybody is having difficulty in trying to get passports.
On Friday the minister indicated that he had a plan in place to bring people into communities to provide passport services.
Can the minister provide some more specific details explaining how and if, and how will it be implemented.
Minister responsible for Multiculturalism, Homelessness, and Immigration, Mr. Picco.
Just for clarification purposes. It is the responsibility of the federal government for the issuance of passports.
What the Government of Nunavut has been saying is that we realize in our jurisdiction there are a lot of inherent problems with Nunavummiut trying to get passports.
For example, the issue with photographs and making sure the photographs are up to the standard that is necessary for passports.
What we’ve said, and what we’ve been working on is trying to do two things.
One; either hire a photographer and send them around to 25 communities, and do a one shot deal. Anyone who wants to get a passport taken would have to get it done.
There would be a $40 fee, or whatever the amount is. For example, if you get a picture taken in Iqaluit, it could be $40 or $50 per person, so there would be a fee involved.
The second option that is available to us is that here in Nunavut we actually get the equipment that is passport ready, meaning … passport in a box, it’s called.
We’d have that camera and the associated equipment, ship it to every community in Nunavut so that when someone wanted to get their photograph taken for a passport, we’d have that quality equipment in place and the person would just have to go to into the office and do it.
That is the direction that we are leaning in right now.
As I said earlier, I would hope to be in a position in the next two weeks to be able to make an announcement. What we’re trying to do right now is cost out what the total cost of the purchase would be for the equipment and then what the cost of training staff in every community would be, how would we do that so that the people could get their passports taken.
The third part of this Mr. Speaker is what type of reciprocation can we get from the federal government? As we said earlier, we know it’s a federal responsibility; is there an opportunity here where the federal government would help us not only logistically, but administratively, and financially with what we’re trying to accomplish, not only for Nunavummiut but for the federal government, which has the responsibility for passports.
I still have some more questions, but I understand what you said.
On Friday the minister indicated that he would be in a position in a couple of weeks to address the needs for passports.
Can the minister provide a more detailed timeline of when the government will have appropriate machinery and when the staff will be visiting the community of Sanikiluaq to assist people in applying for passports?
I gave an indication to the member and to the House that we’re looking at two possible avenues. One is the actual hiring of someone and sending him around. The second is to look at purchasing equipment ourselves; that is the direction we’re leaning to right now.
What I can say, again, is that I would hope to be in a position in a couple of weeks to be able to do that. We have to look at the funding available, and we need to have some indication from our federal partner of an agreement of this process that we’re trying to move forward on.
That is why I’m not in a position right now to say when or where we’ll be able to do what we’re asking the federal government to partner with us on until I get that support from them.
At the same time, we have the interdepartmental support in the government with Community and Government Services, with Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs to be able to move forward.
Again, I urge the minister to correct this problem because I think, like my colleague, he has a student trying to get to England in June. Also, in other communities there are people that are travelling outside of Canada.
So can the minister clarify for the House and for our constituents what people should do who need their passport sooner and cannot wait for the government’s assistance in securing a passport?
Last week the passport office indicated that right now they were looking at 45 business days for the processing of an individual’s passport.
That means you’re looking at possibly eight to nine weeks of waiting for a passport.
So it’s very important that anyone who is trying to travel gets the required documentation as soon as possible, even if it means submitting their application with some type of picture that they have right now, to get that application process in.
We have had success, as you know, through our office here and in cooperation with the federal government and with the MP’s office, in expediting several passports for Nunavummiut who are travelling internationally.
However, over the last several weeks because of what the regulation is in the United States, it has slowed down the process across the country.
What I can say to the member is that, again, I would hope to be in a position in the next two weeks, maybe sooner, to be able to make an announcement on how we’re going to be able to facilitate.
So even if someone has their picture available right now, that delay of nine weeks, at least, is in place, especially when we have to mail our applications in, like we have to do in Nunavut.
In many cases in Canada, you can go to the local immigration passport office and apply, and there are long line-ups there, as we understand right now. In our case, we have to mail our applications out in most cases.
So I think there may be some good news on the horizon for Nunavummiut, hopefully before the House stops session on March 27.
Question 084 – 2(4): Territorial Formula Financing Update (Tootoo)
Again, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
The budget announcement that was made yesterday changes the way that territorial formula financing would be calculated, and I would say that reminds of a band I heard once, I think the name of the band was ‘It’s About Time.’
I would like to ask the minister, from his perspective, from the GN’s perspective, did they get everything they wanted in terms of the negotiations for a new formula, and if not, if he could indicate what priority areas from his viewpoint remain outstanding.
We have been indicating to Ottawa, in terms of our discussions with them over the last number of months, that our needs for this coming fiscal year would be somewhere $30 million and $40 million. The $37.6 million increase in the formula falls within that but as I mentioned earlier, it will only start to address our government’s forced growth. So that work has to continue.
It’s now being changed to a needs based formula, which would help us in the coming years. Before the 3.5 percent escalator cost was put in place Nunavut’s increase each year was typically around six to seven percent.
So I’m hoping that we will go back to that sort of a formula in the coming years but again we will have to wait and see how it goes. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister has mentioned it a couple of times and he said it has gone to a needs based formula and I believe the words I heard yesterday are more principle-based formulas. I’m just wondering if he could give us a better explanation as to exactly what that means as far as needs or principle-based formulas and the benefit that we’re going to get from it.
Hon. David Simailak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the member is correct. It was principle-based but in our discussions with Federal Finance over the last number of months, and also the work and recommendations of the Auditor General, and in fact, the standing committees here, the federal government has now recognized Nunavut’s needs and challenges.
With the change, the formula will start to address some of our needs and some of our funding pressures.
There is a way to go yet to get on a level playing field with the rest of Canada. That work will continue. We will continue to work with Ottawa with Finance, and other departments, and also with the Office of the Auditor General, and the Standing Committees to keep presenting our needs to Ottawa.
Our needs are very high here in Nunavut. From day one we’ve been dealing with a cut-budget of a cut-budget from the Northwest Territories, prior to division.
The minister indicated that principle-based was the word that was used by the federal government yesterday.
Is he aware; if he is; could he inform us what those principles that they’re basing the formula on, are?
I don’t have a ready answer for that. Those were discussions that were held at the officials’ levels: between our government officials here and the officials of Finance, and INAC, in Ottawa. What exactly those principles are; I don’t have that information readily with me right now.
I can’t provide it to the member.
I thank the minister for looking into that.
The principle of the formula, I really hope that it is our principles. It would worry me if it were Ottawa’s principles; I’ll leave that at that.
Given that, have those principles been totally ironed out?
If they have, in discussions with senior officials who were in attendance yesterday, will they be having a formal briefing on outlining what it is?
I recall that they had a Territorial Formula Funding Signing Agreement ceremony here in the past, and for some reason I didn’t attend. It might have to do with how the formula actually was itself. I’d love to be able to attend this time around, but I want to make sure that I’m comfortable that we’re getting a deal that is good for us.
Will the minister look at making public what those principles are? Will it be part of a signing ceremony?
In answer to one of the earlier questions, I have mentioned that we have not even received the technical information yet on all of these numbers, but as we get that information, there will be briefings.
As those briefings continue, and as we understand it more clearly what conditions, if any, are attached to it, for any of these new funding sources, all of that work will continue as we learn all of that. That work will continue with all of the departments.
Whether there’ll be an actual signing ceremony; we’re not even there yet. We’ve never discussed that yet; at least the federal minister and I have never discussed that yet.
I am sure that will come up eventually, but that has not come up at all.
Question 085 – 2(4): Inuit School and Museum Funding (Arvaluk)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
Yesterday, listening to the federal budget address, I don’t know if Heritage Canada has made any statements in support, or do you expect to get some funding for the Inuit school and museum, is that funding included in that line item?
According to my understanding, that wasn’t included in the budget address that you heard yesterday. The museum and the Piqqusilirivvik School, the funding that was allocated last year, they are in that budget.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): I have not seen any funding for Culture, Language, Elders and Youth on separate funding, but the ones that I have seen seem to be inside the formula financing.
Can the minister clarify to me where you are having problems, or where you cannot agree with the federal government and your department? How many years would that be used for and how much are they?
Perhaps my colleague could clarify which operations and maintenance, whether it’s for the museum, or if it’s for Piqqusilirivvik School. So if he can identify which one he’s talking about so I can respond to him.
Please clarify your question, Mr. Arvaluk.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, well, perhaps if I say it this way.
I know that you have many responsibilities, there are many things to do like we have a museum planned for Iqaluit and there’s also a plan for the Piqqusilirivvik School in Clyde River. It will have satellite classrooms in Igloolik and also in Baker Lake.
Perhaps I’m trying to ask: have you identified that you will be receiving funds through the federal government outside of Territorial Formula Funding?
First one, in regard to the museum, the funding that was identified last year was to provide funding through the Northern Strategy; I think it was $60 million or $50 million.
In that Northern Strategy they identified $10 million to initiate the work on the museum and also we expect it to cost $55 million or $65 million.
There were three entities, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, government, and Inuit Heritage Trust.
These entities have a working group and this working group is to identify some funding to pay for part of the museum. Now, we’re reviewing the operations and maintenance costs of the museum. So we are lobbying the federal government and the private sector for funding, and we are seeking funds from outside the government.
In regard to his second question, the Piqqusilirivvik School, as I stated earlier on, the working group is now working on it with members from Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, and our department.
They are reviewing what kind of training programs they would be teaching, how much it would cost and how many teachers there would be.
In those three communities they are trying to identify what kind of training programs that they would have.
Right now we have not received the results of the reports and I would have to give those reports to the Cabinet Members and get their approval.
Right now, we are trying to complete the mission statement of the Piqqusilirivvik School.
Is the minister saying that he has not heard from the federal government’s Territorial Formula Funding budget?
The funding that will be allocated to the provinces, you have not seen any funding allocated to Nunavut in regard to that?
No, there was nothing in that budget speech.
Right now, the working group is looking at the museum, where they could find the funding, where they can get the additional funding for that museum.
We expect the Minister of Health and Social Services and Inuit Heritage Trust will look into that as soon as possible but right now, we’re working on the plans as to who would be responsible for taking care of the funding. Once we start to raise money, we’re looking into that because our officials and staff have full plates. So we’re looking to see if we can actually get another position to take care of these.
Question 086 – 2(4): Physician Services (Peterson)
This is a follow up to a question I had last week on the termination of the doctor in the Cambridge Bay Health Centre.
Mr. Speaker, the minister made a comment that the doctor was alone as a physician.
I started to thinking on the weekend; doctors typically are alone when they’re working.
My question for the minister: what services are supposed to be provided by a doctor in the Cambridge Bay Health Centre?
Minister responsible for Health, Minister Aglukkaq.
Can you ask the member to repeat the last part of his question? I didn’t quite catch the question.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister. Mr. Peterson, can you please clarify your question to the minister? Mr. Peterson.
The doctor in Cambridge Bay who was working as the doctor in the health facility was also the chief of staff for the Kitikmeot. The minister mentioned in the Hansard last week that the doctor was working alone in the position.
My question for the minister: what physician services are supposed to be provided by a doctor working in the Cambridge Bay Health Centre?
The physicians in the north work in an environment where they work in a team, in a health centre setting, or the regional health centres. Nowhere in other jurisdictions in Canada do we have a make-up of Department of Health as what we do in the north, where health centres are the primary or first contact for patients.
So any doctor that works in the north works in a team environment with the staff at the health centres, along with the translators, and so on. So they provide all the services that any doctor would in any jurisdiction in a team environment.
I think most of us have been to doctors in our health centres in our communities over the years. I certainly have, and when I went to see the doctor, the doctor and I were alone. There were no other people in the room.
There was no nurse and no other doctor. So I am basically wondering what the problem with a doctor working alone diagnosing a patient.
My question for the minister is: what are the major qualifications required to practice as a physician in Nunavut?
I think a point of clarification to the member.
Sometimes yes, doctors work alone and treat their patients alone. But in situations where it requires a team environment they have to work with other nurses and doctors, for instance, in emergencies, in surgeries, and so on. So there are different needs depending on, again, the patient situation.
To get back to the member’s question, specifically what are all the requirements for each physician to work in the north, I can get that information.
I thank the minister for that answer. I will look forward to getting that information.
I am aware that this particular doctor is working elsewhere in Nunavut and the location she is working at, she is working alone. That concerns me that she couldn’t work alone in Cambridge Bay but she can work alone somewhere else. It doesn’t seem right.
My question for the minister, if she can clarify for me: what services were not being provided by this doctor in Cambridge Bay, and why?
The member said the individual is working alone. In this instance, with the change, she is not working alone. In terms of getting into the specific files of this particular individual that was in Cambridge Bay, I cannot speak to that in this House.
For confidential reasons and personnel matters, I cannot speak to the specifics of that particular individual in the House and I apologize to the member for that but it’s a confidential personnel issue that I cannot disclose to the House.
I wasn’t asking for any confidential information.
I was just asking what services were not being provided by the doctor in Cambridge Bay. Obviously, there is a doctor who is there. Certain doctors are qualified to do certain things, other doctors are qualified to other things and some are qualified to do everything.
I was just trying to get that clarification.
Perhaps the minister could help me out, and help my constituents out as well, did the Department of Health and Social Services ever get any complaints from patients about this particular doctor in Cambridge Bay?
To go back to his earlier question, related to what services do these doctors provide in the North, and what qualifications do they need to do certain procedures; I committed to providing that information to the member.
I don’t know the specifics of this particular individual’s file, to the detail of the information that he wants.
I think in asking that question, we are getting very specific to that one particular individual, and I will not disclose that information in the House for confidential reasons.
I can speak to what physician services are provided throughout the north in Committee of the Whole today, my staff will be here. I can follow up and provide that specific information to the member.
Tabled Document 045 – 2(4): Schedule for the Student Loan Fund for the Year Ending March 31, 2006 (Picco)
Tabled Document 046 – 2(4): Qulliq Energy Corporation Annual Report March 31, 2006 (alternate format of TD 170 – 2(3)) (Picco)
Tabled Document 047 – 2(4): Five-day Forecast for Iqaluit from Environment Canada March 16, 2007 (Picco)
I would like to table three documents today.
I am very pleased to table the following document: Government of Nunavut’s Schedule for the Student Loan Fund for the year ending March 31, 2006.
I would also like to table the following document: the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Annual Report for the year ending March 31, 2006.