EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I will take it as notice, because this is the first time that I have heard of it and I don’t know how to respond to it.
Question 035 – 1(6): Update on NNI Policy/Fuel Contracts
I would like to direct this question to the Minister for Sustainable Development in regards to the Business Plan Strategy to include Article 24 of the Land Claims Agreement for Small Businesses Policy to be reviewed.
I was wondering if the minister can update me on that.
I was wondering if the member can rephrase his question in regards to the NNI policy.
I am talking about the NNI Policy for small businesses.
That was my main question because it is directly related to Article 24.
NNI Policy, the other department is responsible for the NNI Policy, so I would appreciate it if the member can ask the Department responsible for the NNI Policy which is the Department of Public Works.
Speaker: Minister Kattuk, can you address the question.
Could the member rephrase his question so that I could respond?
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Perhaps I did not explain it well enough.
I will now direct this question to the Minister responsible for Public Works and Services by rephrasing my question.
I was wondering if they’re going to be contracting the same fuel delivery distributors.
We are now in the process of reviewing this issue.
To find out how we can better deal with the fuel distribution issue.
So therefore I can’t respond to your question because we’re dealing with it at this time.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Since you stated that you are reviewing this, I was wondering when you plan to complete it, will it be before the summer arrives or next year.
Before the summer arrives we’d like to complete it.
If he had known, does he know if there will be different fuel distributors bringing fuel up to the communities and will the price go higher if we change the fuel distributors.
As I stated earlier, we can’t tell whether it’s going to be the same people or it’s going be different people who will distribute fuel to the communities.
So, therefore I can’t respond to your question today because we are reviewing it at this time.
So, we really can’t tell you whether it’s going to be the same or different people distributing the fuel for the coming summer.
Question 036 – 1(6): Number of Probation Officers in Quttiktuq
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Justice.
I have three communities in my constituency including Nanisivik makes four, so I would like to ask the minister about probation officers.
How many probation officers do we have for the four communities?
Speaker: Thank you Ms. Williams.
Minister responsible for Justice.
I can’t respond to that at this time I don’t know if they have a probation officer for those communities.
Due to lack of funding we only had a few probation officers in the main communities that require the most probation officers so we took care of their needs first although we want to have probation officers in all of the communities, especially to abide by the Federal act that was just put in place.
We want to have probation officers in all the communities and next year I’m sure the number of probation officers will increase after we deal with the budget.
In my constituency there are quite a few people on probation and they need a probation officer.
Can the minister say today that the communities will be getting probation officers this year and can the minister tell me which community the probation officers will be in? I know that the probation officers will have to travel to the communities and travel through Iqaluit.
So therefore if we’re going to have probation with the people we need probation officers. I was wondering if the Premier can commit to me to get probation officers in those communities because the correctional centres are always filled to capacity.
I would like to see probation officers in all the communities but at this time due to lack of funding.
We would like to see the number of probation officers increase so all the communities of Nunavut would have one.
Once we start dealing with our budget again, we will certainly look at this issue but at this time I cannot respond to her question.
Once the budget session is over and once it is approved then we’ll have a clearer idea.
I did not quite understand his response but we definitely need probation workers in all the communities and there is a need for them in the communities.
There are volunteers in the communities and we need to give them support.
I know that we have a few probation officers but we need to increase the number of probation workers.
The communities in my constituency are asking for probation officers and there are many people on probation so therefore we need probation officers to assist those communities.
I would like to ask the minister responsible, since there are three High Arctic communities I was wondering if he can put at least one probation officer into one of the communities in the upcoming year.
I would like to see probation workers in all the communities but it is hard.
We are working in that direction and if I am given support in the House during the budget session for this I would be willing to receive your support.
At this time we are only able to take care of 10 communities in regards to this matter.
We looked at the communities with the most needs and with the highest rate of individuals going through the court system.
I would like to pursue this further in the future with support from my colleagues here.
I know the Premier mentioned the fact that they would like to see probation workers in all the communities.
I am only referring to the communities that I represent.
I would like to get a commitment from the Premier to put a priority on the High Arctic communities if he is considering putting probation officers in the communities in the upcoming year.
Only if I get additional funds will I be able to do this.
We will soon be dealing with the budget in the upcoming month and once that is completed I will look into it.
Before we deal with the budget we cannot commit to it.
Question 037 – 1(6): Health & Social Services’ Job Competitions
Mr. Speaker I would like to direct my question to the Department of Human Resources.
The question is directed first of all to the Department of Health and Social Services.
I just want to make it clear by explaining first and then asking a question.
I am Inuk and I can’t speak English very well.
I have limited English and if I was to try to get myself a job down south as a social worker I would have a lot of problems.
Even though I know how to deal with social issues I don’t know how to speak English.
The non-Inuit people that don’t speak Inuktitut in such areas as my constituency, we don’t mind having a social worker, but that individual cannot speak Inuktitut and they have a problem with that.
That is the question that I asked the minister before that we have a problem with the individual.
I also asked the Human Resources minister.
Whenever there is a job opening for a social worker we have a problem.
The minister said to me at that time that he wanted me to talk to Human Resources and the Human Resources Minister told me to talk to the Department of Health and Social Services.
When will the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Health & Social Services be fixing their hiring policy for social workers?
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services, as I have stated several times, has maintained and kept the hiring of nurses as Department of Education has kept the hiring of teachers.
For all other staff hired for the Department of Health and Social Services it is done through the Department of Human Resources.
They take the requests from the Department of Health and Social Services, in this case for a social worker.
Mr. Speaker, as you know and the members know, all the job descriptions have been vetted through the Department of Human Resources, screening is done by the Department of Health and Social Services in this case and they sit in with Human Resource people for those staff.
Mr. Speaker, we have created positions within the Department of Health and Social Services which are entry level positions, training positions, to accommodate some of the concerns that the member has brought forward.
Mr. Speaker we are in the process right now of finalizing some of the job descriptions of that and we would be bringing these forward in the new budget session when we have money for those entry level positions.
I hope that helps to answer the member’s question.
I’ll make it as brief as I can.
I wanted clarification on the process.
There is usually a policy for putting out the job descriptions and advertisements and so on.
There are capable people out there who can provide social work to the people.
We learn by experience everyday.
We learn through time through our experiences.
I honestly believe we can get a social worker from our community.
My question is about the advertisement of jobs.
Is it not possible to open a job and just get applicants from the community?
Mr. Speaker I understand the point the member is trying to make.
He is making a good point.
There seems to be in some cases a systemic barrier to hiring of Inuit in some of the smaller communities for positions based on solely academic qualifications.
One of the things that we have done Mr. Speaker, in this House I introduced our Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit coordinator who was appointed by the Department of Health and Social Services, and one of his tasks is to review some of the job descriptions that we have to see if there is an opportunity, as the member has pointed out, to make sure that there aren’t systemic barriers within the system, not allowing people to have an opportunity to apply for positions, being screened out before they have an opportunity to be interviewed.
Mr. Speaker, I know that the Minister of Human Resources is working very diligently on this file and the Premier has said many times that the Inuit Employment Plan with this government is a priority.
Through the Department of Health and Social Services with the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit coordinator, we’re hoping that we’ll be able to make sure that there isn’t a systemic barrier from the creation and the ability of people to take jobs.
At the same time, on the specific question that the member asked, could we advertise the position solely in a community?
There is a Public Service Act that’s in place, Mr. Speaker, when positions are advertised, they’re advertised on a regional basis first and then a Nunavut-wide basis and if some suitable applicants are not found, then and only then is there an opportunity to go for example out of the territory.
The reason why I’m asking these questions is because there are a lot of challenges faced by the people out there and you did say that there are standards to be followed.
What I keep trying to push for is to get Inuit social workers to fill those positions and I think that the only way we can do that is if we don’t use those standards that you mentioned.
There are extremely capable Inuit out there.
Is there a law that prevents you from hiring them?
Mr. Speaker, almost half of all positions filled right now by social workers are filled by Inuit throughout Nunavut.
What we would like to do, Mr. Speaker, is try to get that number up like the government has been doing in other positions.
Mr. Speaker, I have said that the with the help of the new Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit coordinator we’ll be reviewing the job classifications as well as the requirements for positions to see where there is an opportunity to hire more Inuit especially in the field of social work.
And I agree with the member that it would be more conducive and it would be more conducive at the community level to have someone who could speak in Inuktitut.
At the same time, Mr. Speaker, there are other prerequisites for a job description, academic requirements and so on.
And I realize that and that is why I said, Mr. Speaker, that there may be a systemic barrier within the system not allowing us to hire more Inuit.
We have continued through Arctic College to provide social worker courses.
We had a successful one complete last year.
I attended the graduation with the member in Igloolik.
But the problem was a lot of people did not want to move from Igloolik who completed that program to other communities.
So we need to be able to redouble our efforts and I believe Mr. Speaker that we are moving in that direction.
When I had that meeting with you in your office I told you exactly what it meant to be an Inuk and how we can use our experiences and you understood exactly where I am coming from and he was almost moved to tears.
What I’m trying to say Mr. Speaker, I’m not talking about the education level, I’m talking about a person who can counsel people and those are usually elders in the community.
If they don’t have a formal education is it possible for them to get a job within the government.
Mr. Speaker I am not the Minister of Human Resources.
I am trying to answer a specific question on social services.
I can say as a member of the cabinet and member of this government that the government is trying in every way possible to facilitate the hiring of more Inuit.
Specifically in the Department of Health and Social Services and the member is correct.
I understand that the ability to speak and counsel someone within their own language is paramount, it is very important especially in the area of health and social services.
I believe Mr. Speaker having our Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit coordinator on the ground and in place he will be able to develop a better program where we will be able to hire more counsellors even not so much to do with what the member was talking about earlier on the statutory obligations of the social worker, but on community based counsellors like our mental health workers and so on.
More or less to a degree of qualification that they present themselves where there is a systemic barrier right now based on academic qualification, it could be made up as the member said with life experience and so on.
I believe the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit coordinator will help us facilitate that.
Question 038 – 1(6): Update on Anti-Smoking Campaign
This department’s anti-smoking campaign has been operating for some time now.
And I witness in my community that youth and also the adults are looking at the campaign that is in place.
It seems to me people are thinking about what they are doing when they are smoking.
I just want to ask for an update on how successful the anti-smoking has been to date.
Mr. Speaker, I think you can look around here today in the Assembly to see how successful the smoking campaign has been as several of the members have in the past throughout the 14 months quit smoking.
I think that in itself demonstrates leadership shown by our elected representatives.
Mr. Speaker during the Arctic Winter Games I had an opportunity to attend several different sessions and it was disheartening to say the least to see many of our young athletes 12, 13, 14 years old smoking during a break and so on.
I know I have heard the same thing from the local education councils when they talk about some of the children smoking on school property and so on.
Our ads were targeted at young people.
In cooperation with the Department of Education we produced a calendar. I believe Mr. Speaker the smoking campaign has been successful.
As I said, almost two and a half years ago when we launched the campaign, it doesn’t happen overnight.
It is a mind set change.
It needs to be continuous, not for 6-12 months, but continuous day in and day out, year after year.
Mr. Speaker the rates of cancer in Nunavut have increased but 40% of all cancer in Nunavut can be prevented, they are from smoking.
Mr. Speaker those are shocking statistics and we need to work on them.
I would suggest to the member that the program and the campaign has been successful and we want to have it continue.
The reason I asked this question on your campaign is because I am sure the minister is aware that tobacco is not the only substance that causes a problem for the youth and the adults.
There are other substances such as alcohol, marijuana, hashish and so on etc.
Can the minister tell us whether he’d be campaigning to address these forms of substance abuse similar to the anti-smoking campaign?
Mr. Speaker I joined in with Pauktutiit during the Arctic Winter Games and wore a condom for the safe sex campaign and took some heat over that.
But I believe Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services over the last two and half years have moved towards the preventative side of medicine.
You remember, Mr. Speaker, when I spoke about the down stream approach and I wanted to go up stream.
Upstream Mr. Speaker, includes promotional messages for hash, for alcohol and so on.
Mr. Speaker those types of addictions had been brought up and are being talked about and promoted against those types of addictions by promoting a healthier lifestyle with our CHRs in the community level on an on-going basis.
Mr. Speaker I’ve also had discussions with the Department of Justice and the Premier about the RCMP doing a rigorous enforcement of the tobacco laws and focusing on our retailers that are not allowed to sell cigarettes or tobacco products to those people that are under the age of 18.
With the new identification cards that are coming forward now by the government in a few weeks or a month we would hope that we would be able to enforce that with the help of the RCMP, that any retailer that begins to sell tobacco products and is caught would feel the bite of the federal legislation that is in place.
So Mr. Speaker the answer to the members’ question is an emphatic yes.
Yes, we need to do a similar campaign as a tool for prevention.
Again I could put it in another way by asking the Honourable Member does he have plans and when he expects to see this type of campaign.
Mr. Speaker I would hope that after the new budget comes out next week that we will be able to redouble our efforts with the resources that we need to continue that campaign and more campaigns very vigorously.
Question 039 – 1(6): Negotiate with Airlines on GN Travel Discounts
Mr. Speaker, my question today is directed to the Minister of Human Resources.
I could also direct it to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Transportation and possibly the Minister of Finance.
But today I’ll try to direct it to the Minister of Human Resources.
There is a lot of talk and we know that there is airfare increases going on all over Nunavut.
The high cost of traveling is hindering the government and I think the government travel last year alone was in the range of 55 million dollars.
And that doesn’t include employee travel when they go out on their holidays and so on.
My question today is to the Minister of Human Resources.
Has the Minister of Human Resources thought of contacting the airlines and the employees about negotiating some kind of lower airfare for Government of Nunavut employees?
I think there are over 2700.
This would require a government wide effort in trying to see how all the different departments can have a more streamlined approach for cheaper airfares for their employees.
However I know that with the advance bookings some of our staff are taking advantage of lower airfares.
But directed towards the airlines and cheaper airfares I would have to consult with my colleagues as to how this can be best approached.
We all know that VTAs have gone the way of the Dodo bird.
It is going to take a lot to bring them back.
We know the folks that travel on the medical services budget they have a discount now because they guarantee X number of dollars.
The minister pretty well answered my question, that it would take a coordinated approach by the government to negotiate maybe cheaper airfares for the people up in Grise Fiord and Pond Inlet and Repulse Bay and the smaller communities and the Gjoa Havens that are isolated.
Like I pick up the newspaper, 499 dollars, 699 dollars, Iqaluit to Ottawa and it’d be nice if the employees and families up in the high arctic, if the government would get together as a collective group and maybe talk to the airlines and the unions about trying to get some kind of discounted airfare to employees in Nunavut.
I’m just basically making a statement but will the minister try to get his colleagues together to try to give employees, because there are 27 hundred of them, it affects a lot of air travel, and it is government money.
Hon. Ed Picco: You’ve got to be kidding.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk: I will definitely take the initiative of supporting the efforts that Community Government and Transportation will be undertaking to look at the transportation study.
But however, having said that, I also don’t want to undermine that if we look at the different airlines serving different regions, there are different companies serving these regions and the thought and the efforts has to be made also to see if the individual staff can take better advantage of lower airfares even outside of the government effort.
But I will consult with my colleagues regarding this matter.
I just want to comment on the fact that we still have one member who didn’t have an opportunity to ask a question and that’s Mr. Puqiqnak and that’s primarily because most of the members have had preambles and second and third preambles and as a result this is what happens.
Some of the members lose an opportunity to speak and to ask questions.
So, I’d ask you to keep that in mind when we meet again next week.
Bill 10 – An Act to Amend the Land Titles Act - Notice
I give notice that on Monday, April 29, 2002, I shall move that Bill 10, An Act to Amend the Land Titles Act, be read for the first time.
Bill 9 – An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act - Notice
Hon. Manitok Thompson: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, April 29, 2002, I shall move that Bill 9, An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act, be read for the first time.
Motion 03 – 1(6): Process for Review of Bill 1, Education Act
WHEREAS Bill 1, Education Act, has been read for the second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Health and Education for review;
AND WHEREAS the issue of education is of fundamental importance to Nunavummiut;
AND WHEREAS it is essential that comprehensive consultations be undertaken on this Bill;
AND WHEREAS Bill 1 is important to all Members of the Legislative Assembly;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member for Kugluktuk that Rule 68(5) be waived, and that the Standing Committee report back to the House no later than the end of the Sixth Session of the First Assembly;
AND FURTHER, I MOVE that the Standing Committee be permitted to undertake its review of Bill 1, Education Act, in such a manner as to allow the Alternate Members of the Committee to participate fully as voting Members in the Committee's deliberations and consultations.
AND FURTHER, THAT any Member of the Legislative Assembly be permitted to take part as a non-voting participant in any Committee meeting on Bill 1, Education Act, when such meeting takes place in a community that is located within the Member's constituency.
Mr. Speaker, as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Education, I am pleased to rise at this time to speak to my motion on the process for the Review of Bill 1, the Education Act.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, our current Education Act was inherited from the NWT.
The introduction of Bill 1 is the first step towards a new made-in-Nunavut Education Act that is designed to meet the needs and wishes of the residents of Nunavut.
Members of the Legislative Assembly now have the responsibility to review the Bill that has been brought forward.
This will require careful scrutiny, consideration and deliberation.
For the benefit of those who are listening to these proceedings today, I would like to take this opportunity to outline our consultation process.
Consultation activities will play an extremely important part of the Standing Committee’s review.
As Members of the Standing Committee will visit communities across Nunavut in the fall and winter of this year, it will be important for students, parents and other members of our communities to come forward and express their views.