EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Every time they call there seems to be an answering machine and the last phone call I got it was over two weeks for the individual here in Iqaluit to respond back to the community to give the ok for the Northern Store to release a firearm.
I know this is probably a Federal Government jurisdiction and we all know what it’s like dealing with the Federal Government up here.
I wonder if the minister responsible in our government can answer to me if there is some way we could speed up the process that is now in effect and speak to our federal counterparts about making it a lot more easier to purchase a firearm in Nunavut.
Unlike southern Canada, people rely on firearms for their food, clothing and sometimes shelter.
Hon. Jack Anawak: Certainly Mr. Speaker we will do what we can.
I’m happy to announce the recent secondment to the Federal Government of electoral officer Josh Timotee to be involved as the Firearms Officer in part of Nunavut.
Mr. Timotee has just taken over the Nunavut Firearms Office here in Iqaluit very recently.
As a matter of fact I think it may have in been the last couple of days so, there is somebody there now.
The Chief Firearms Officer has informed my department that he has two pilot projects.
One in Clyde River and one in Cape Dorset where a team of Firearms Officers visited the communities to figure out how to expedite people who want to register or purchase firearms.
I am very glad to have Josh Timotee working with the Chief Firearms Officer of Nunavut to make sure that the problems that have been encountered to date are dealt with.
Supplementary. Mr. McLean.
People will be dancing in the streets in Baker Lake over that.
Uqaqti that is good news to hear that we have somebody in place and bilingual so will the minister commit to me that when my constituents are calling Iqaluit to get the information they need there will be a happy bilingual voice over the phone at all times.
I’m sure that the people of Arviat will also be dancing in the street with this news.
Through this there is a toll free number and I will be happy to provide the honourable member and the members with the contact names and phone numbers of the appropriate federal officials as soon as possible.
Question 410 - 1(3): Status of Apprenticeship Board
Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure who my question is directed to, there was a question directed to the Minister of Sustainable Development earlier on apprenticeships.
I know it was previously under the Department of Education so I’ll ask my question and the appropriate minister can reply.
Mr. Speaker, I know I attended a ceremony last year here in Iqaluit where it was apprenticeship week and there was a representative, I believe it was from the NWT Apprenticeship Board that made a presentation.
I’m just wondering if there is such a board being set up in Nunavut.
I have my apprenticeship division under the leadership of Noah Paniyuk, Supervisor of Apprenticeships to prepare a policy paper on apprenticeship and trades.
I will also be receiving the results of a five year labour needs analysis that Jack was talking about, or Mr. Anawak was talking about.
I think there have been invitations sent out for apprenticeship board but I will have to check on that because I will need updated information on how far Mr. Noah Paniyuk has come with the process because we just hired him early spring or late winter of this year.
Speaker: Supplementary. Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Speaker, I’m sorry I missed the last part of the minister’s statement, he said I believe later this year he said early spring or summer.
Was the minister indicating he hopes to have such a board, trades or occupational board or apprenticeship board set up.
Hon. James Arvaluk: Yes, Mr. Speaker this is the part of the discussion that Mr. Kilabuk and I will be having I believe next week on the trades training and preparation, preparing for mining community mobilisation programs along these lines.
So as soon as we are able to give you the answer we will.
But because I am not certain I don’t want to guess anything, so I’ll take that question as notice.
Oral Questions. Mr. Barnabas.
Question 411 – 1(3): Homelessness Programs in Nunavut
As we are aware and we have heard from Mr. Picco, he had attended a meeting down in Ottawa in regards to homelessness, perhaps the Minister responsible for Homelessness can give us an update on that meeting.
Speaker: Minister responsible for Homeless People, Mr. Picco.
Mr. Speaker, I think when I returned from that meeting with Minister Bradshaw in Ottawa I updated the House.
For the record Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to point out that Premier Okalik should be commended as the only jurisdiction, provincial or territorial in this country that actually appointed a minister to be responsible for the issue Mr. Speaker, of homelessness.
Following up on that meeting in Ottawa with Minister Bradshaw who is the other minister who is responsible for the issue of homelessness in the federal jurisdiction, an announcement was made about several million dollars being targeted for the issue of homelessness in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, over the next couple of weeks we are hoping to make an announcement concerning some of the communities in Nunavut who have accessed several hundred thousands of dollars under the auspices of the homeless initiative announced by the Federal Government.
At that time Mr. Speaker, we will also announce some exciting proposals that have come forward to address the issue of homelessness not only in the capital with the homeless shelter, but in Nunavut as a whole.
Supplementary Mr. Barnabas.
Mr. Speaker, the minister's reply was two fold.
For example, in Iqaluit, and Iqaluit is a larger community in Nunavut, there are many people who are homeless, that have no homes especially those who are less fortunate.
In the smaller communities there are not too many people who are homeless because they usually stay with their family members.
It means that there is a housing shortage or people are living in overcrowded situations.
So which case are you going to address.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year the issue of homeless has gained national prominence and as we know here in Nunavut since 1993 when the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation of the Federal Government withdrew from social housing, we have seen an increase in homelessness.
Mr. Speaker, here in Nunavut as the Minister of Housing has outlined and the Premier has outlined, we know that having 15 people in a three bedroom home is homelessness.
The two terms being used are relative homelessness, Mr. Speaker, and absolute homelessness.
So we are trying to address, Mr. Speaker, both issues within the Government of Nunavut, one through the auspices of the good offices of the Minister Thompson for Housing, and through initiatives being brought forward by my office as the Minister responsible for the issue of Homelessness.
Question 412 - 1(3): Assistance for Elder Funding Applications
I will be directing my question to the Premier since he is taking the responsibility of the Culture, Language, Elders & Youth portfolio.
In Nunavut some of the elders tried to apply for funding, they have been trying to write their own application forms, and nobody is there to assist them to write their application forms.
I think there are many elders now who have experienced this and have tried to write the application forms.
As a Nunavut Government we keep saying that we would like to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and the elders would be very beneficial to help with this.
For that very reason, I was wondering if the minister could commit to get some funding allocated to the elders so that we could give the elders support.
I think I have just asked two questions but I am sure you can understand what I am saying.
Yes, I have written you a letter and if anybody out there would like to get support in writing out their application forms in order to obtain funding to document the cultural ways, we do have funding budgeted in the Main Estimates for that.
Speaker: Supplementary Mr. Iqaqrialu.
It is evident that the elders have documented the history but the elders do not know how to apply for funding because this is not their way of life.
I am sure that we could find funds to help the elders to write their application forms so that they could document the Inuit culture.
I know that there is presently a review being done.
Our past minister initiated that review and we will inform the members once the review is completed.
Before we continue I would like to recognize Elizabeth Copeland from Whale Cove who is the Chief Coroner for Nunavut.
Question 413 - 1(3): Gun Control Legislation Pilot Projects
Possibly, because I misunderstood I would like to ask my question again about gun control legislation.
I would like to direct this question to the same minister.
He stated that there were two communities where they did a pilot project.
Could the minister tell us which community showed better results.
We looked at these two communities and we did exactly the same thing in both communities.
I believe it was with the help of the Hunters' and Trappers' Organizations.
They wanted to see how they could better deal with the gun legislation and how the forms would be easier on the people and they might possibly use this system in all the Nunavut communities.
But the study that was done in Cape Dorset and Clyde River were exactly the same and if it looks good then we will set up a uniform system right throughout Nunavut.
Well after two communities have been studied I am sure that you have found a better system for them and then again other communities are having a hard time getting firearms.
In Iqaluit there is one person who will have to wait well over a week to get his gun and there was one person who could not get one at all.
When are you going to put this Nunavut wide system in place after the review of these two communities.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that we will have quite a long budget session to go.
But we could talk to the person who had this study done and ask him or her if they would like to have a meeting with the members who will all understand exactly what is happening.
Question 414 - 1(3): Ownership of Public Housing
Mr. Irqittuq (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister responsible for Human Resources. We have made commitments saying that we will build 100 houses and I am sure that they will have to go through the tendering process and everything.
These houses are going to be built by contractors but are they going to be built and owned by the construction company.
Hon. Manitok Thompson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, of course the budget will have to be approved first, but we know that we have intentions of building 100 houses.
We are going to be following the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti policy where we will give preferences to Inuit companies.
We will get all the details first before I give you the information but I do understand that there will be contracted out.
The construction company would order the house and the construction company would build them, but the smaller parts will be subcontracted.
Question 415 - 1(3): Baker Lake Unemployment Rate
Uqaqti, I was reading the statistics for unemployment in Nunavut and I was very alarmed at some of the figures.
We had Baker Lake with an unemployment rate of about 20% and I know for a fact that is off by about 40%.
I wonder if the Minister responsible could tell me how these stats and fantasy stats are compiled.
Could the member clarify that, I am sorry I didn't catch all of it.
There was a book of statistics that each member received about a month ago and I was looking at the unemployment rate for Baker Lake and it was pegged at around 20%, 20.7 percent.
I wonder if the minister responsible can advise me as to how these statistics were compiled because I think they are greatly exaggerated.
How they were compiled was in accordance with the collection of statistics that is the accepted norm throughout Canada and in Nunavut they were higher than what is normal practice.
For example, in Baker Lake there were 341 people sampled out of a population of 880.
About 38.75 percent of the residents.
That is a lot higher than what is normally done in the rest of Canada.
It is alarming to see stats that are inaccurate like that.
I wonder if the minister responsible could have a made in Nunavut statistic policy looked at so that it could reflect the real statistics in Nunavut and not the federal statistics.
I am sure that could be reviewed but in order for our statistics to be accepted or used by other jurisdictions, like we deal with the Federal Government a lot and we have to have some credibility and have the confidence of other areas that will use these statistics.
So we will have to make sure that's acceptable.
Item 10. Replies to Budget Address.
Tabled Document 70 – 1(3): Letter from Nunavut Employees' Union Member
I would like to table letters from members of the Nunavut Employees' Union.
Speaker: Item 14.
I give notice that on Monday April 10, 2000, I will move the following motion.
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Cambridge Bay that notwithstanding rule 4, that when this House adjourns on Thursday April 6, 2000, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday April 11, 2000.
Speaker: Item 16.
Motion 20 – 1(3): Extended Adjournment
Mr. McLean: Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with my motion today.
The member is seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today.
You have unanimous consent to proceed with your motions.
Mr. McLean: Mr. Speaker, I move seconded by the Honourable Member for Cambridge Bay that notwithstanding rule 4, that when this House adjourns on Thursday April 6, 2000, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday April 11th, 2000.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I am in a hurry to get out of here.
Speaker: Mr. McLean, thank you.
First Reading of Bills. First Reading of Bills.
Bill 13, Tabled Documents 41 – 1(3), Tabled Document 51 – 1(3), Tabled Document 60 – 1(3), Tabled Document 61 – 1(3) and Tabled Document 68 – 1(3).
According to the authority vested in me by motion 3 – 1(3), the committee of the whole will stay in session until it reports itself out, with Mr. Irqittuq as Chairperson.
We will also take a 20 minute break before commencement of the committee of the whole.
>>House recessed at 3.24 p.m.
>>Committee resumed at 3.55
Chairperson (Mr. Irqittuq) (interpretation): We were on general comments for the Department of Education. Mr. Barnabas.
Clarification question.
When the Minister of Finance spoke earlier about 525 thousand being allocated for new heritage centres to be put to replace Killiniq high school in Cambridge Bay.
How much of the expenditure is in the education capital estimates for 2000/2001.
Hon. James Arvaluk: There is nothing in the education budget identified as that amount.
Chairperson: Mr. Barnabas.
Could you explain in the expenditures, capital estimates for 2000/2001, under the item heritage centres.
Chairperson (interpretation): Minister Arvaluk.
Hon. James Arvaluk: I cannot answer that because I don't look after Culture, Language, Elders & Youth.
I think Mr. Chairman we are dealing with the Department of Education budget here.
At the appropriate time when the Culture, Language, Elders & Youth budget comes up we can deal with that appropriation at that time.
Otherwise we will be jumping from department to department and we are already jumping from item to item in education.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Ng. His comments were right on track.
The Finance Minister spoke earlier about 395 thousand being allocated a larger gym in the replacement for the Killiniq High School in Cambridge Bay.
As I understand it this additional cost would require building a larger than standard size gymnasium.
Hon. James Arvaluk: This is a detailed informational requirement so I will ask the Deputy Minister to answer that.
Mr. Moody: Nakuurmiik.
In the 2001 capital estimates for the Department of Education, there is allowance for the expenditure for an enlarged size gymnasium of 395 thousand dollars and the intent was to recover from the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay approximately 25% of that.
So the net expenditure when all is said and done would be just less than 294 thousand dollars.
Yesterday we were unable to respond fully to one of the questions that was posed.
Since we could not respond to all the questions yesterday, Mr. Irqittuq, asked a question in regards to Hall Beach, if they used Hall Beach for research or studying if they could use Inuktitut curriculum.
He asked if this was just a testing ground.
Mr. Chairman, I asked my staff to research this and the Divisional Board for the Baffin region.
We asked for information, they are no longer testing the Inuktitut curriculum.
For 10 years the principal tried to hire more Inuit people within the school within the elementary school so that they would have more students in the Inuktitut classes.
They now have Inuktitut instructors or teachers in the elementary schools in the Arnaqjuaq Elementary School.
The principal and the classroom assistants are working on this together.
Also there is more than one person who would like to take the NTEP programs.
There are no more names on my list.
I would like to go clause by clause.
So if we could ask our questions at the appropriate time I would like to do that now.
Chairperson (interpretation): Mr. Iqaqrialu would like to go clause by clause and I am sure that you know that we will be on the Capital Estimates for 2000/2001.
On page 9 – 5.
In detail of capital, building and works, equipment acquisition.
Contributions and corporate services.
Total headquarters, 200 thousand.
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough.
We are now on the capital estimates, 2000/2001.
They do have page numbers at the bottom and we are now on 9 – 5. Mr. Arvaluk.
First I would like to thank Naullaq Arnaquq and I would like to have one of our finance controllers up here while we are dealing with the details.
Thank you Ms. Arnaquq and the other one.
Our page starts from 9 – 4.
I am just wondering if we are on the same document.
Chairperson (interpretation): Mr. Arvaluk, thank you but we will start from 9 – 5 and when we go down the capital estimates we will go to 9 – 4.
Thank you for bringing your officials in.
Can you introduce the official to your right for the record please.
Hon. James Arvaluk (interpretation): I apologize, to my right is Murray Horn, Director of Corporate Services, to my left.
I started a bit too early are you on the right page now, in the right document.
We are on 9 – 5 in detail.
Detail of capital, building and works, headquarters region.
Total headquarters region, 200 thousand.
The total headquarters region.
Which headquarters are we talking about.
I would like to get clarification on that.
Chairperson (interpretation): I think the people at the witness table still haven't found the right page yet.
While you are trying to prepare yourself, Mr. Arvaluk would you like to take a break.
Hon. James Arvaluk (interpretation): I will ask Murray Horn to respond.
Chairperson: Mr. Horn.
Mr. Horn: Thank you Mr. Chairman.
The 200 thousand dollars in the headquarters budget is for contingency for capital work.
Often in a project we require a special trip or something to a community and rather than tax the capital money in that project we felt that it would be very wise to have money at headquarters for emergency expenditures to cover project costs that come up unexpectedly.
Which headquarters.
I asked which headquarters we are talking about.
Can you clarify that for me please.
Mr. Horn: Mr. Chairman we are talking about the Department of Education headquarters, here in Iqaluit.
Chairperson (interpretation): Anything further.
Chairperson (interpretation): Baffin Region.
Total Baffin region, 3 million 232 thousand.
I am just noting, before we get into the area you mentioned in the region.
I was just wondering if there were any other communities, whether they be in whatever region, that are also in need of capital projects for education and I am just wondering if there are any other communities that are identified that aren't on the list here.
Hon. James Arvaluk: I am not sure are we going back to general questions or I am not sure, can the member clarify.
That is not in the budget.
Chairperson (interpretation): We are now going into detail.
You will be able to ask questions that are contained in the main estimates for the Baffin detail.
Clyde River, Grise Fiord, Igloolik, Iqaluit, Pond Inlet, Resolute Bay.
Total Baffin region for these communities is 3 million 232 thousand.
Please do not side track from these.
Mr. Chairman, this is going into detail and I am looking at these are the communities that are identified by the Department of Education and I was just wondering if there were any other communities that were identified as projects that need to be addressed but the funding ran out.
That may not be specifically to the Baffin region but the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot region.
There is an A and a B list and I am just wondering if we can see which ones made the A list here and a timeline.
Hon. James Arvaluk: Mr. Chairman.
Yes we are not using the A and B system that we did last year this time around.
We just took the critical ones that are in the Baffin region.
Three million 232 thousand and we would like to include what the member is talking about in our 20 year capital planning that will be within the Government's overall five year capital plan.
That will be in there but this year we are not going to A and B, although we recognize that there is more that we want to do that is not going into the budget right now.
Chairperson (interpretation): Baffin region.
Total 3 million 232 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Kivalliq.
Total Kivalliq region, 1 million 90 thousand.
I think some of the people have lost their pages.
To the Kivalliq region, total, 1 million 90 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 9 – 6.
Detail of capital, Kitikmeot region.
Total Kitikmeot region, 10 million 803 thousand.
Mr. Chairman, in here is the new high school for Cambridge Bay at 7.9 million dollars.
I would just like to ask the minister is there any costs within their design or the outline of the draft project that are contingent on any other funding or other capital dollars from other departments.
Chairperson (interpretation): Which of you wish to respond.
Hon. James Arvaluk: I think this would be addressed to the Minister of Finance.
If anything is outside of the school capital then I am not really in a position to respond to that.
Mr. Chairman, I believe that all members know in the briefings that the minister gave to the Standing Committee on Culture, Education and Health that all the costs including the 395 thousand dollars enlarging the gymnasium 100 square metres, I spoke of yesterday, that all members are aware it is a part of the total appropriations included with the Department of Education.
There is also the issue of some funding for the heritage cultural centre that is a part of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth budget estimates that will be tabled later.
Mr. Chairman, the 14.2 million dollars that is the total capital projection for that project, that includes the money for the larger gym I believe and if there is other money from the Department of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth, that moves it up to total project of 14.7 million dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Are you asking the Minister of Finance.
Hon. James Arvaluk: If that is true and we would put a hostel in there then it would even be more.
The heritage centre is a community program under capital and we welcome it as a very good idea that Cambridge Bay has initiated.
They want to participate in the community having this centre hooked up to the school.
But it is not from the education capital.
Like anything else that may be attached to the school outside the realm of school capital then if it is good for the students then we are open to that, but it is not really an education budget.
Mr. Chairman, if I could also ask that this capital project that is the total for the high school, right now it is 14.7 million dollars.
I just would like to ask if the other schools, replacement schools that we have in here, the draft capital amount they have money allocated to those are much more considerably less.