EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
We are not allocating expenditures from a potential positive opening financial balance for Nunavut at this time.
The size of our opening balance will be determined when the Division of Assets and Liabilities process with the Government of the Northwest Territories is completed by October 1999.
We currently do not know the final amount of this opening balance, but we do know that many of the assets will not be cash.
We also know that our opening balance will be reduced as a result of having to assume the financial obligations incurred by the Office of the Interim Commissioner.
Our fiscal plan focuses on the strengthening of our revenue base and the management of our expenditures in a manner which best meets the needs of our citizens, and the vision of Nunavut.
Prospects for improving our revenues from our own economic base are limited in the short-term, however future prospects are much brighter.
Our forecast of revenues from taxes and fees account for approximately 9.5 percent of our total revenues.
We are projecting $57 million in own-source revenues this year.
Our largest source is personal income tax, which we expect will bring in $16 million.
Other sources include tobacco tax, payroll tax, corporate income tax, fuel tax, property tax, and school levies.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that there will be no new taxes or fees in this budget.
Nunavut, given our vast area, small population, and lack of a developed economic base, is very dependent upon federal fiscal transfers.
They will comprise about 90.5 percent of our revenues for the 1999-2000 fiscal year.
Of the $553 million of revenues expected in federal transfers, $499 million will come through the Formula Financing Grant.
The formula for this program is set for the first two years of the Government of Nunavut.
The level of these transfers is influenced by national factors such as growth in provincial expenditures, as well as by Nunavut factors such as population and tax revenues.
The current structure of the formula hinders the Government of Nunavut in benefiting from revenues of future economic activities in the territory.
We will seek a better arrangement in the next negotiations.
The Formula Financing Grant was intended to allow for the delivery of the same level of services in Nunavut as was provided in the area previously by the Government of the Northwest Territories.
It also made allowances for the additional headquarter costs in both territories.
Although, the federal government provided transitional funding of $150 million, additional funding for infrastructure, social and cultural needs was not included in the Formula Financing Grant.
We will continue with efforts to have our additional needs addressed through the Formula Financing Grant, and through other federal transfers.
We are hopeful that a stronger national economy and an improved federal fiscal position, will allow room for positive federal responses.
Mr. Speaker, independent of our success on the revenue side, we plan to act in a responsible manner in our development of expenditures policies, and our delivery of programs and services.
Being responsible means using our resources efficiently and effectively, setting priorities, making choices, being innovative, and being open to change.
As well it means operating in a fiscally responsible manner and living within our means.
We plan to reshape and manage government programs and services in a manner which best meets the needs of Nunavummiut.
The achievement of these objectives will require the input of all Members of this Legislative Assembly.
It will require the involvement and support of our other northern partners.
It will require the dedication and commitment of our employees.
Above all, it will require the wisdom of the people of Nunavut, particularly of our elders.
Stability in Our Programs and Services
Mr. Speaker, the reshaping of government programs and services to best meet the needs of Nunavut is a complex task.
Many reforms will take considerable time and energies.
The continuity in the delivery of programs and services used daily by the people of Nunavut is a major priority of the Budget.
To help ensure that all programs are delivered as cost-effectively as possible many headquarters and other administrative functions have been streamlined and will be delivered by central government departments.
This includes information technology, financial processing and human resources services.
This approach to internal organization will enable program departments to focus on the provision of programs and services beneficial to the public.
The Budget allocates $545 million on government programs and services.
An additional $55 million will be spent on capital projects throughout Nunavut, including nearly $20 million on social housing.
The Departments of Health and Social Services, Education, and Community Government, Housing and Transportation account for over 60 percent of Nunavut’s spending on programs and services.
The Departments of Public Works, Telecommunications and Technical Services, Justice and Sustainable Development account for another 25 percent.
Mr. Speaker, I will now highlight some of the departmental spending initiatives for this year.
The Department of Finance and Administration will continue the electrical power subsidy to ensure that all Nunavut residents continue to have access to reasonable utility rates.
This will cost $3.8 million.
The Department of Justice will continue to provide $830,000 to support Nunavut’s 3 regional legal aid clinics.
The Department of Community Government, Housing and Transportation will continue to provide assistance to hamlets in meeting their operational costs through the Municipal Operating Assistance Program.
This program will contribute $18.7 million in this fiscal year.
In addition $5.2 million will be provided to communities to help offset the high cost of water and sewage services to local residents.
The Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth will provide $1.8 million in grants to art councils and cultural organizations.
The Department of Education will provide $72.4 million to territorial schools, $13.6 million to Nunavut Arctic College, plus $28 million for income support.
It will also add 17 teaching positions across Nunavut by reprofiling current expenditures.
This will help the department to accommodate the increased number of students and maintain its present level of service.
The Department of Health and Social Services will provide $44.4 million to support hospital insurance services in Nunavut.
As well, it will contribute $4.9 million to Community Wellness Programs.
This department also will continue to support a broad range of children’s programs including the Children in Care Program and the Early Intervention Program, spending a total of $3.2 million this year.
The Department of Sustainable Development will provide $12.5 million in grants and contributions to a wide variety of associations and organizations.
These contributions include: $1.3 million to Nunavut Tourism, $1.0 million to the Nunavut Business Development Fund, $1.8 million for Community Initiatives funding, and $2.9 million to the Nunavut Development Corporation.
The capital program for 1999-2000 incorporates projects where contractual arrangements were in place by the GNWT.
Also included are projects having legal or regulatory requirements, or involving health and safety concerns.
Social housing projects and projects supported by federal contributions, insurance claims or other external funding sources were given priority.
The use of these criteria allowed us to initiate a capital program in time to meet the 1999 construction season.
In the coming months we will be starting a 5-year capital planning program, which will involve extensive consultations with MLAs, along with communities.
In addition to the capital program outlined in our Budget, there will be many other construction programs carried out this fiscal year.
The Government of Canada will be providing $9.3 million in funding for water reservoir improvements, sewer lagoon improvements, and other capital projects.
Nunavut Construction Company (NCC) will continue a major office building and housing program in support of our decentralization plans throughout Nunavut.
In addition, we are actively pursuing private-public partnering arrangements to provide much needed health and education facilities in our communities.
By partnering with Nunavut’s business community we can develop local expertise and skills, create employment, and maximize the benefits from our resources, while building our needed infrastructure.
Our Budget provides a stable environment to plan for Nunavut’s future, it allows us to begin addressing the challenges we face and the priorities of our people.
Our Environment and Challenges
There are major geographic, demographic, social and economic challenges that we have to contend with in order to improve the lives of Nunavummiut.
Our territory encompasses almost one-quarter of the land mass of Canada, with a population of approximately 26,000 residents.
Our 28 communities are only accessible year round by air, or by ship during the short summer season.
Our geography causes the cost of providing essential programs and services to be very expensive.
An example of this is the $15.4 million we must use to provide transportation for our people to access health services not readily available in our communities.
Our population is growing three times faster than the Canadian average, 64 percent of our people are under the age of 30 and more than 45 percent are under 20.
This creates ever increasing demands and pressures for health and education services, as well as for housing and other social programs.
In our largest social program education and health and social services, we have started the process of reform.
Planning for efficiencies between departments and board administrations is a major step in that reform.
We also know that recruitment and retention of staff in these important program areas needs to be addressed as a priority.
Both the Honourable James Arvaluk and the Honourable Ed Picco are committed to dealing with these initiatives and the task of ongoing reform.
We are looking at ways we might work with the federal government to address the shortage of new social housing.
The CMHC funding we have in place will decrease over the next 20 years, so finding new ways of dealing with this matter is crucial.
The Honourable Jack Anawak, Minister of Community Government Transportation and Housing has recently announced an extension of the Minimum Down Payment Assistance Program.
This program provides Nunavut residents with a grant of up to $15,000 to use as a down payment to purchase an existing home.
The availability of adequate and affordable housing to meet the needs of our growing population is one of our highest infrastructure priorities.
The Nunavut Court of Justice has been established.
This is a single level of court that is unique in Canada.
Along with this there will be increased support for Justices of the Peace so more cases can be dealt with by community members within their own communities.
Meeting our social challenges will require a commitment on the part of our government and the people of Nunavut.
We know that in Nunavut we have an economy that is unique in Canada, one that affords great opportunity for development.
Our government holds that all our people should be able to participate fully in these economic development opportunities.
Nunavut has enormous natural resource development potential.
Last year the mineral exploration industry invested more than $70 million here.
We are committed to improving employment opportunities across Nunavut and we will continue to support economic activity that is based on our traditional way of life.
Later this Session the Honourable Peter Kilabuk, Minister of Sustainable Development, will address in some detail the issue of the development of our economy.
This budget provides additional financial support for a Nunavut Prospector Program, a Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, harvester support programs, and community economic development.
Economic development depends in part on our ability to attract investment, both private and public.
The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement provides a stable economic environment, in addition to our resource potential.
As a result, private investor confidence is strong.
We must look to the federal government for a high level of partnership and commitment in our economy.
The Government of Nunavut is working with federal officials to act now on their public commitment to develop a “Northern Economic Strategy.”
We are working to establish an Economic Development Agreement between the Government of Canada and Nunavut.
We await a positive response from our federal partners on several current economic initiatives, which are crucial to the growth of our economy.
These include infrastructure development, a partnership on geoscience, and negotiations on the development of our fisheries.
We must encourage our partners, in both the public and private sectors, to invest in the diverse economic opportunities we have throughout Nunavut.
And we must consult with the people of Nunavut to ask for their participation in planning the development of our economy.
If we plan well and make effective choices, Nunavut will have a bright future.
The choices we make in the coming months will greatly affect our future.
We must take the time necessary to ensure that our changes make programs and services better suited to Nunavut’s needs and vision.
We have to be realistic in our expectations.
Priorities will have to be established.
I want to assure you Mr. Speaker that over the coming months we will consult with MLA’s and the people of Nunavut in considering any and all future plans.
We realize expectations are high and the desire for change is well founded.
However, changes will take time to implement.
But be assured that our government is committed to change.
A key will be our ability to be resourceful, innovative, and more efficient.
We will have to do many things differently.
A good example is the recently announced amalgamation of health and social service boards into the Department of Health and Social Service, and the divisional education boards into the Department of Education.
Another good example is the decision to pursue private public partnering arrangements to provide some of our capital needs.
One of the most important elements in the delivery of programs are our employees.
The Nunavut Employees Union, which represent the largest number of employees, has indicated that they would like to reopen negotiations for the current agreement which expires March 31, 2000.
The other union, the Federation of Nunavut Teachers, has already given notice to begin the collective bargaining process.
Their current agreement expires August 31, 1999.
We will examine with the unions more innovative ways of compensating employees.
However, we must be aware that the outcome of these negotiations will have an impact on our current and future budgets.
Key to meeting Nunavut’s challenges will be how to manage all the future pressures for funding from limited financial resources.
Questions will have to be asked about how best to do things.
The government can not answer these questions alone.
Input will be sought from the people of Nunavut.
Together we will make the necessary decisions in the best interest of our land and its people.
If we incorporate the knowledge of our people, particularly our elders and community leaders, we can establish a path that is right.
Our task, as Government, will be to work with the people in all our communities to find the best way to move forward.
This will take time but we will move forward.
Knowing where we spend money now will have an influence on where we set priorities in the future.
Doing something new will mean changing the way programs and services are currently provided.
Before we make any changes to our programs and services we must know the impact that such changes would have on the people of Nunavut.
We must be mindful of Inuit Qaujimajutuqangit (IQ) in what and how we do things.
Whatever the situation, change will only be introduced after the people of Nunavut have been consulted.
The issue is not whether changes will be necessary, but rather when and what changes will be implemented.
Establishing Our Priorities
One of the most challenging tasks for any government is to identify priorities that matter to people and would make a difference in their lives.
Our Government will address this challenge in a manner befitting the efforts that have led to the creation of our territory.
There are three broad goals for the Government of Nunavut - establishing a more appropriate and better government; creating healthy communities, families, and individuals; and becoming more self-reliant.
With regard to better and more appropriate government, we will consult widely and listen to our people.
The people of Nunavut must be able to identify with all orders of government - municipal, territorial and federal.
Our government will become more accessible, less complex and more effective.
We will work hard at improving our social programs.
Government will help provide the means for people and communities to make meaningful improvements in their daily lives.
Our approach will be wide and varied – from improvements to social housing, to better education programs, and more effective health programs.
Again, we will listen to our people to tailor a Nunavut strategy for developing healthier communities, healthier families, and healthier individuals to overcome our social challenges.
To improve the daily lives of our people we also will need to become more self-reliant.
This will mean more employment opportunities, it will mean investments in education and training of our human resources, it will mean investments in improving the overall health and well-being of our citizens.
We will have to work closely with NTI and other organizations to foster an atmosphere of trust and cooperation.
We will have to get more from our resources.
This means using our present resources wisely while pursuing new resources.
We are committed to the negotiation of an agreement with the federal government that would enable Nunavut to share in the prosperity of its natural resources.
Such an agreement would be a bold step forward, enabling our government to be more self sufficient and less reliant on federal transfers in the future.
Establishing our priorities will enable Nunavut to have a successful beginning.
In mid June after the budget session, there will be a Caucus Strategic Planning Retreat to deal with setting priorities as another step towards change.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have presented a Budget that will not only ensure the early success of our new territory, but also will provide a strong foundation on which we can build.
The needs of Nunavummiut are great, and they will be met.
Like the journey undertaken by the Founders of Nunavut, we will need some time.
We are committed to orderly change to ensure that our policies as well as programs and services will best meet the needs of our people.
We will consult, we will listen and we will initiate change, change that will have long lasting benefit to all Nunavummiut.
Speaker (Mr. Barnabas) (interpretation) Thank you Mr. Ng. Back to the orders of the day.
Ministers Statements.
Item Number 4.
Members statements.
Members' Statements 19 - 1 (2): Appreciation of Finance Minister
Mr. Nutarak: (Interpretation) Thank you Mr. Speaker.
I would like to thank the Minister of Finance for making his budget report for the year 99/2000.
I would just like to state my appreciation.
Speaker (Mr. Barnabas) (interpretation) Thank you Mr. Nutarak.
Mr. Tootoo
Members' Statements 20 - 1 (2): Appreciation of Iqaluit Co-op Steering Committee and Qikiqtaaluk Corporation
Mr. Tootoo: Mr. Speaker, as many members may know, Arctic Co-operatives had their Annual General Meeting here in Iqaluit.
The Canadian Co-operative Association will also be having their Annual General Meeting here in early June.
Most communities in Nunavut have a co-operative in their community which is a locally owned and operated business.
They operate in areas such as retail stores, hotels and a variety of other services.
They play a significant role in the economies of their communities.
The principles by which they operate go hand in hand with the vision of Nunavut.
People of a community working together to achieve a common goal or purpose.
There has long been a desire for a Co-op here in Iqaluit.
I would like at this time to acknowledge the efforts of Matthew Spence, Mary Ellen Thomas, Hugh Lloyd and other members of the Iqaluit Co-op Steering Committee.
The members are working hard to re-establish a Co-op here in Iqaluit.
I would further like to recognize the support that they have received in their efforts from the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation.
Members' Statements 21 - 1 (2): Balanced Budget
Hon. Manitok Thompson (interpretation): At this time, during the budget address by Minister Ng, I would like to say that I’m very proud that he was able to make an announcement.
As you probably know Mr. Speaker, we had a hard time with G.N.W.T. Legislative Assembly, because of the cut backs and how it effected communities in the Northwest Territory and Nunavut.
We worked very hard for the creation of the Nunavut Government and to start off without a deficit.
With this in mind Mr. Speaker I’m very proud to say that if we can keep to our budget and if we work hard to keep within our budgets as a Legislative Assembly, we will start off with a clean state at the beginning of Legislative Assembly.
We have to keep in mind that of course, we're going to be going through hard times trying to keep within our budget, because of course there are a lot of needs and desires that we’d like to see within our Departments.
Mr. Speaker, I’m very proud to say that we are able to start off without a deficit and of course our elders and community residents have told us to keep an eye on our budgets, so that we can keep within our budgets with our Departments.
Speaker (interpretation) : Thank you Ms. Thompson.
Members' Statements 22 - 1 (2): Funding For Artists and Carvers
First of all, I would like to thank the Minister of Finance for introducing our Budget for Nunavut.
At this time during the Budget address by Minister Ng, we were told that there is 1.8 million dollars that will be used for the Arts Committees at the community level.
On behalf of the carvers and artists in the communities, I would like to say thank you and I’m hoping to see more creation of local arts, because they are very beautiful and artistic.
The true carvers of Nunavut are recognized world wide and Mr. Speaker, I would like to see this go properly and I hope to see more dollars given to the arts members of our communities.
Speaker (interpretation) : Thank you Mr. Puqiqnak.
Members Statement.
Members' Statements 23 - 1 (2): Congratulations on Birth
Mr. McLean: Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time today to ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating the first Nunavut Baby born to Faith Mautaritnaaq of Baker Lake, a boy Kirk Michael Mautaritnaaq born April 18, 1999, coincidentally it’s the same birth date as my wife.
On behalf of your constituency the Assembly will send a card to that Mother and Father.
Speaker: Members Statement.
Members' Statements 24 - 1 (2): Congratulations to Graduates
Mr. O'Brien: Qujannamiik: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I’d like to Acknowledge and congratulate the seven individuals from own community in Arviat that recently Graduated from a 2 year program at Arctic College, which at this point qualified as Aboriginal Language Specialist.
The individuals that recently graduated are, Mark Kalluak, Maggie Ishalook, Donald Uluadluak, Henry Isluanik, Louie Angalik, Elizabeth Nibgoarsie, and Rachel Gibbons.
Speaker: Thank you Mr. O’Brien.
On behalf of the Legislative Assembly, we’ll send a congratulatory card for those graduates. (interpretation) Members Statements, going back to the orders of the day Item # 5.
Item # 6, Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery.
Item 6: Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery