EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
When it comes to eligible voters, are individuals staying in group homes eligible to vote, one and two, do they have to vote if they stay in the group home, would that be considered their place of residence or would it be their home community, if they come from different community, to be considered where they would be eligible to vote, if they’re eligible to vote.
I don’t know who would want to answer that, maybe Mr. Orr or Ms. Kusugak, I’m not sure.
People staying at group homes are eligible to vote, we do not actively go to group homes to recruit voters.
If people there express an interest and want to be a voter, then they can certainly do so, because you can imagine, we really couldn’t go around applying a test to everybody, it’s not the right thing to do, to determine whether people would qualify in that way to vote.
They can vote like any other person, I would believe if they’re in a group home that would be their residency, it’s not a temporary place for most of the people that I’m aware of.
The only people that could not vote that lived in a group home would be those who are there by some kind of court order.
I understand from speaking to the people in justice that that’s virtually nobody in Nunavut.
People that have been placed into the group home by a legal requirement.
They certainly can vote if they decide to register.
Thank you, I don’t other names on my list.
Mr. Peterson, do you have a motion?
Committee Motion 008 – 2(2): Development of Amendments to the Nunavut Elections Act
Mr. Peterson: Mr. Chairman, I move that this committee recommend that the Management Services Board of the Legislation Assembly, in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut bring forward amendments to the Nunavut Elections Act, put a consideration to the Legislative Assembly at the earliest opportunity, and that the amendments taken into consideration the recommendations contained in the CEO’s most recent annual report, in addition to the comments and concerns raised by the members of this House and the public.
The motion is in order. Before we proceed with debate on the motion, I have a few comments to make as to procedures.
Every member has a right to speak once to the motions for a total of 20 minutes.
The mover of the motion speaks first, and the mover of the motion has a right to last reply which closes the debate.
To the motion. Mr. Peterson.
Ms. Kusugak and Mr. Orr have appeared before us for two days.
They have given a very good, I believe, report.
They have some very detailed information and made some very good recommendations on how to proceed for the next election.
I’m sure after taking into consideration our questions as Members that we gave them more insight into how to conclude the report and make the next general election in Nunavut a much more efficient and public process.
I’m confident that Ms. Kusugak will quickly act to make public the names of the ineligible candidates and make them aware that they are ineligible.
I look forward to seeing her recommendations appear before management services board.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): I would like to make additional comments on this issue and I would like to say that we are going to be considering amendments to the Elections Act.
We were talking about setting a fixed date and I don’t think that I would be able to support that section that is in regards to the fixed term. I think there has to be some flexibility and I think that we should keep it open.
If there is going to be a fixed term, I believe that there should be some room for discretion.
If there is a requirement for an election, you need some room.
I too would like to support the motion.
Having gone through the report and your recommendations, I think the report that you have put forward is very thorough and I am in support of many of your suggestions.
Having said that, I think there were a lot of other points that were raised yesterday, outside of that.
I would like to see those suggestions or issues raised as part of the overall reporting back to the Management Services Board as for the motion to be inclusive of all the suggestions and comments made as well.
But, I do support your suggestions and recommendations as you have presented them, but I think having going through our own experience as Members in this House in the first election, we had a lot of insight into the problems that exist at the ground level of trying to run a campaign and having to work with the legislation that was in place.
I think there is value added from this group to your recommendations.
I want to thank your for suggestions in appearing before the committee.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too would like to thank Ms. Kusugak and Mr. Orr for appearing before the committee.
As Ms. Aglukkaq indicated, and as I mentioned earlier on yesterday, this election was the first election going through with the new Elections Act.
Having been involved in the report on the first election in 1999, and going through that process and the consultations and hearing what people had to say in terms of what they wanted to see done differently, I see a lot of that was and has been incorporated into our new elections act.
Like everything, you try it out, and see how it works and discover the wrinkles and then you find ways to iron them out.
I think that’s what we need to continue to do.
What we want to try and do is plan the easiest way possible without jeopardizing the integrity of the process to maximize the participation in the election and make people aware and educate them on the importance of it and the roles that different parties involved in a campaign and in an election play.
I think a lot of that work has been done and I could say now that it’s finer tuning and tweaking to see what works and what didn’t work.
I agree with Mr. Peterson and Ms. Aglukkaq, that the things that we need to look at as far as amendments go, should be all the comments made by all the members here and any other stuff that’s been brought forward in your report.
As a member of the Management Services Board, I look forward to working closely with you on this over the next little while and hopefully we can just try and make our Elections Act more effective and more efficient for the whole system to make it better and easier for Nunavummiut to understand.
The mover of the motion, do you have any closing comments, Mr. Peterson.
I would like to thank again, Ms. Kusugak and Mr. Orr for appearing before us.
They’ve make some very good comments and I look forward to working with the Chief Electoral Officer and Management Services Board.
I believe the Management Services Board will take into consideration all the recommendations and consideration of the members of this house and any feedback we have from the public.
Thank you, Ms. Kusugak and Mr. Orr.
I will give you an opportunity to make closing comments.
Ms. Kusugak: I’m sorry.
My earplug got all caught up with my earring and I’ve been concentrating on it because I was thinking it’s going to take me 15 minutes to get out of this chair and it was all I could think about.
I really look forward to working with the Management Services Board on the changes we’d like to make and exploring some of the ideas in more detail than we can at this table because there are fewer people a longer time to spend on it.
I look forward to finding when it is that Management Services Board would like to come together.
I really would thank Mr. Orr for his invaluable help bringing us here today.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much Ms. Kusugak and Mr. Orr.
We will see you next time.
I will now report progress on the proceedings of the Committee of the Whole.
Speaker (interpretation): Back to the orders of the day. Item 20.
Report of the Committee of the Whole on Bills and other matters.
Item 20: Report of Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Tabled Document 58-2(2) and would like to report progress.
That Tabled Document 58-2(2) is concluded with one committee motion adopted and Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be agreed to.
Orders of the day for Thursday, April 28, 20005:
Bill 18  Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters  Tabled Document 100-2(2)
Tabled Document 102-2(2)  Report of the Committee of the Whole
Speaker (interpretation): We will resume on Thursday, April 28, 2005, at 1:30.
>>Session adjourned at 16:46  Nunavut Canada
Thursday April 28, 2005
Pages 2374 – 2446
Members’ Statements 2377
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 2385
Oral Questions 2385
Written Questions 2401
Tabled Documents 2403
First Reading of Bills 2404
Second Reading of Bills 2404
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 2405
Report of the Committee of the Whole 2444
Orders of the Day 2445
Thursday, April 28, 2005 2374
109 – 2(2): GED High School Equivalency (Picco) 2374
110 – 2(2): Conference on Strengthening Financial Management (Aglukkaq) 2375
111 – 2(2): Nunavut Film Industry Forum (Simailak) 2376
112 – 2(2): Nunavut Drum Dance Festival (Tapardjuk) 2376
289 – 2(2): Arctic Bay Airport (Barnabas) 2377
290 – 2(2): Schools Breakfast Program Funded by Canadian Auto Workers (Tootoo) 2378
291 – 2(2): Thank RCMP for Arrest Made in Cambridge Bay (Peterson) 2379
292 – 2(2): Donald Havioyak President of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (Evyagotailak) 2380
293 – 2(2): Congratulate Nunavut Arctic College Graduates (Arreak) 2381
294 – 2(2): Healthy Lifestyles (Mapsalak) 2381
295 – 2(2): Wildlife Regulations – Total Allowable Harvest (Curley) 2382
296 – 2(2): Congratulate Fauna Kingdon – Winner of the National Aboriginal Youth Award (Picco) 2384
297 – 2(2): Congratulate Individuals (Brown) 2384
371 – 2(2): Wildlife Regulations – Hunting Rights (Curley) 2385
372 – 2(2): Arctic Bay Airport (Barnabas) 2386
373 – 2(2): Information on Healthy Choices and Healthy Lifestyles (Mapsalak) 2388
374 – 2(2): Change Fiscal Year End for Nunavut Arctic College (Tootoo) 2389
375 – 2(2): Update on School Bus Services for Coral Harbour (Netser) 2393
376 – 2(2): Policy on Visitation of Patients (Kattuk) 2396
377 – 2(2): Update on the Gasoline Tax Issue (Peterson) 2397
378 – 2(2): Maintenance and Improvements to the Larga House (Barnabas) 2399
031-2(2): Private Accomodation for Medical Travel Clients (Tootoo) 2401
032-2(2): Nunavut Teacher Education Program (Peterson) 2402
129-2(2): Letter to Minister of Health and Social Services Regarding Funding for the Ilisaqsivik Society (Arreak) 2403
Bill 18 – Powers of Attorney Act – First Reading 2404
Bill 18 – Powers of Attorney Act – Second Reading 2404
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq, Hon. Olayuk Akesuk, Mr. James Arreak, Mr. Levi Barnabas, Hon. Levinia Brown, Mr. Tagak Curley, Mr. Joe Allan Evyagotailak, Mr. Peter Kattuk, Hon. Peter Kilabuk, Mr. Steve Mapsalak, Mr. Patterk Netser, Hon. Jobie Nutarak, Hon. Paul Okalik, Mr. Keith Peterson, Hon. Edward Picco, Hon. David Simailak, Hon. Louis Tapardjuk, Mr. Hunter Tootoo.
Item 1: Opening Prayer  Speaker (interpretation): I would like to ask Mr. Curley to say the opening prayer.
Good afternoon, Mr. Premier, Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly.
Minister’s Statement 109 – 2(2): GED High School Equivalency
The Department of Education is undergoing a fundamental shift to focus on serving learners of all ages in the best ways available.
We are working to build a learning environment that is accessible and meaningful.
Our latest efforts towards this goal is renewing the GED program, the General Education Development Testing Program. Successful graduates receive a Nunavut high school equivalency diploma and this means access to higher education and training and in the long run better jobs.
The department invested $20,000 into the GED preparation courses offered through Nunavut Arctic College earlier this year in Rankin Inlet and here in Iqaluit.
We have invested a further $63,000 in the GED prep courses, now underway in Baker Lake, Arviat and Whale Cove.
With a limit of 20 participants per session, we have the potential to accredit 220 Nunavummiut this year with their high school equivalency diploma. This is a significant achievement given that we had 130 high school graduates across all of Nunavut last year.
Many adults who did not graduate from high school have, in their life, acquired skills that meet a secondary school level. The GED tests measure those skills that correspond to those of recent high school graduates:
Able to understand and apply information,
Able to evaluate, analyze and draw conclusions, and
Able to express ideas and opinions in writing.
The Department of Education plans to offer GED prep courses in Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk, Pangnirtung, Cape Dorset, Pond Inlet and Clyde River over the course of this fiscal year.
With a High School Diploma in hand, GED graduates are better positioned to contribute to their own well-being and the future of Nunavut.
Minister’s Statement 110 – 2(2): Conference on Strengthening Financial Management
On April 15, 2005 the Department of Finance sponsored its second conference on Strengthening Financial Management in the Government.
The conference was attended by senior and middle level financial managers from Government of Nunavut departments and Crown Agencies.
The Auditor General of Canada, Sheila Fraser and her staff were also in Iqaluit to participate in the conference.
In my opening speech I commented that “The Government of Nunavut recognizes that an on-going commitment to sound financial management is needed to achieve the objectives of an accountable government.
Conferences of this sort are one good way of promoting the importance of strengthening financial management in the Government.
Presentations by government senior management, the Auditor General and her staff, covered a broad scope of issues in the area of financial management.
The presentations were followed by discussions, where all attendees got an opportunity to raise questions and add their comments.
In the 2005-06 fiscal year the Department of Finance will continue to build on this initiative and will focus on strengthening financial management practices across the Government of Nunavut’s departments, crown corporations and agencies.
This conference has resulted in a consensus that at some level every government employee has a responsibility to improve financial management. Good financial management is one building block of a good foundation for public government in Nunavut.
During the current fiscal year and the future fiscal years, every effort must be made at the departmental level to identify cost pressures.
It is extremely important for the Government of Nunavut to meet its overall goal of maintaining a balanced budget.
During her keynote address, the Auditor General of Canada, Sheila Fraser, commented that “Financial management is important because it is one of many things which are key to delivering the best quality services to Nunavummiut.”
In closing I would like to thank everyone’s contributions to the conference, the organizers as well as the presenters and the participants.
Over more than one hundred people attended the one day conference held in Iqaluit.
Minister’s Statement 111 – 2(2): Nunavut Film Industry Forum
I am pleased to inform the Assembly that Ajjiit Nunavut Media Association will be hosting the first ever Nunavut Film Industry Forum that is taking place in Nunavut this week.
This is the first time that officials from the film industry, Government of Nunavut and Heritage Canada will be together to talk about film in Nunavut.
This forum will be a first step in helping to create awareness of the Nunavut Film Commission.
It will also help to provide an exchange of ideas on my department’s Nunavut Film Development Policy.
Over the course of the next few days, officials and industry will try to determine how they can put their efforts together to further develop Nunavut’s film industry.
Film is an important part of the diversification of Nunavut’s economy.
Film production can provide jobs to Nunavummiut and help promote our territory both domestically and abroad.
I look forward to meeting with industry and government representatives over the coming days.
Minister’s Statement 112 – 2(2): Nunavut Drum Dance Festival
I rise today to extend congratulations to the Nunavut Qilautinut Katujjiqatigiit Society for its efforts in preserving and promoting a vital part of Inuit culture.
The Society was created by a group of individuals dedicated to the preservation of the ancient Inuit art of drum dancing, and to promote and honour the art form through an annual Nunavut-wide drum dance festival.
Last week over a period of four and a half days, more than 60 individuals, young and old, from 11 communities representing all regions of Nunavut assembled in Rankin Inlet to share their knowledge and experience. This was also an opportunity to celebrate our Inuit language and culture through drum dancing.
Events of this type deserve recognition because they demonstrate through practice the continuing vitality and relevance of traditional Inuit values in a modern world.
These events also play an especially important role in transmission of Inuit societal values and cultural knowledge to youth, who will carry these traditions into the future.
Once again, I would like to congratulate the Nunavut Qilautinut Katujjiqatigiit Society, and all of the participants, on the success of the 2005 Drum Dance Festival.
Member's Statement 289 – 2(2): Arctic Bay Airport
I would like to welcome you all to Iqaluit.
I would like to rise today to inform the House that we had a meeting in Arctic Bay recently about the Arctic Bay Airport.
I would first of all like to thank Mr. Simailak for sending his staff to Arctic Bay to attend the meeting and also to give them an opportunity to have a meeting with the Hamlet Council in regards to the Arctic Bay Airport.
I believe all of Nunavut knows that the Nanisivik Mines has closed and we have had inconveniences with airlines coming in to Arctic Bay.
I wrote a letter today and sent a copy to the minister and to the First Air representatives of the concerns of my constituents.
There are several questions in regards to the Airport and the fact that there is money required in order to get a functioning airport.
I would like to thank the government for giving the Arctic Bay residents an opportunity to voice their questions and concerns.
The majority of the Arctic Bay residents stated that they feel the location is adequate, even though we are going to have to fine tune this issue, there is still some questions that have to be answered.
For example, on September 30, the reclamation in Nanisivik will be finished.
I am not sure what kind of services will be provided for Arctic Bay after the closure of Nanisivik.
I would also like to thank the members of the House for giving me this opportunity.
On the topic of the airport in Arctic Bay and because the Nanisivik Mine is going to be closed in the future, and with the issue of fuel and the completion date of the remediation work that is currently being worked on, we are not quite sure what type of services are going to be provided to our community.
There is the issue of the municipal boundary that contains parts of the airstrip.
We have also heard that we are no longer going to be getting jet service to Arctic Bay and Nanisivik.
One issue that I would like to touch up on is we don’t know what type of airline model is going to be coming up to Arctic Bay.
Since First Air has a contract to provide the services I am sure that some of those provisions can be applied if they are no longer going to be using the jets, but we have a lot of questions.
With that, I have written a letter to First Air to have them answer some of the questions.
What types of services are going to be provided to my constituency?
What route they will be taking from point A to point B.
I have also made copies available to the minister and at the appropriate time I will be asking questions on this issue.
In closing I would like to acknowledge David Ittinuar, Director of Nunavut Airports, John Hawkins, Manager of Airport Facilities, Felipe Salgado, Surface Engineer and Chris Timmerman, consultant, and last of all Methuselah Kunuk, who is the Assistant Deputy Minister and for these representatives to have had a public meeting in my community.
Member's Statement 290 – 2(2): Schools Breakfast Program Funded by Canadian Auto Workers
I rise today to acknowledge and thank the Canadian Auto Workers for continuing the Iqaluit’s schools breakfast program.
Members will recall just over one year ago in February 2004, Mr. Buzz Hargrove, President of the Canadian Auto Workers Union, Jim O’Neal, the Vice-president and Carol Phillips, the Director of the Union’s Social Justice Fund, were in Iqaluit and presented a $50,000 cheque to the Iqaluit District Education Authority, for its breakfast program.
That contribution salvaged a very worthy program last year.
It is unfortunate that there is a lack of government funding and resources for something that is so fundamentally necessary to the successful education of our children.
It is only through the tireless effort of volunteers, who fundraise and put their personal time into delivering these programs that they happen.
I was very pleased to have been a part of that effort.
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to present some information about our territory to delegates of the Canadian Auto Workers Union convention.
It is good to know that this effort generated such a positive response.
This week, I was very pleased to learn that the Union’s Board of the Social Justice Fund has decided to contribute towards the Breakfast Program again with a $25 thousand a year contribution for the next three years.
This is wonderful news as we are currently in Education Week, the timing could not have been better.
Mr. Speaker, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Children who come to school hungry do not have the energy or the desire to do their best, which means that they lose out on getting the best education that they can, but only with the necessary nutrients in their systems when the children get their metabolisms going and prepare for the activities of the day ahead.
I ask my colleagues to join me and the Iqaluit District Education Authority, who is represented here today by Ms. Christa Kunuk, the Chair, and their administrator Alice Ladner here in the Gallery in recognizing this important contribution from the Canadian Auto Workers’ Union and Social Justice Fund.  In thanking them, I would also like to acknowledge the luggage handlers of First Air who are members of the Canadian Auto Workers’ Union, contribute to the Social Justice Fund, and recognizing and contributing to the health and future of our children.
Member’s Statement 291 – 2(2): Thank RCMP for Arrest Made in Cambridge Bay
I rise today on behalf of my constituents in Cambridge Bay to thank the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for making an arrest last month in the Rhoda Maghagak murder case.
In March of 2004, Ms. Maghagak was murdered.
Her death shocked and saddened her immediate family, her many relatives, and all residents of Cambridge Bay.
Mr. Speaker, many of us thought that her killer would be arrested very quickly, but that didn’t happen.
In real life, Mr. Speaker, unlike on television, murder cases are not solved overnight or even in a few months.
The RCMP had a lot of investigative work to do before they could make an arrest and press any murder charges.
As Member of the Legislative Assembly, I was approached by many constituents who were very concerned that the investigation was taking too long.
I raised their concerns with the Minister of Justice and the RCMP.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the RCMP for the caring and sensitive approach they took in keeping Ms. Maghagak’s family informed about the progress they were making in the investigation.
Mr. Speaker, every Friday, the RCMP would meet with a representative of the family to update them on their progress and answer questions.
I would also like to thank the Minister of Justice for directing his officials to keep me informed as well as communicating my constituents’ concerns to the RCMP.