EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Sometimes we don’t even get a chance to acknowledge anybody because a lot of the people are from different regions, so it’s very good to see someone for Kitikmeot.
I would like to acknowledge my child, Sammurtok, who is here, as well as my husband, Naujaq. I thank them for being able to attend.
My daughter is absolved with my grandchild. I also want to acknowledge them because they were able to come to this session.
Speaker (interpretation). Thank you, Ms. Ugyuk. Welcome to the Gallery.
I would like to recognize a couple of members of my constituency from Kugluktuk, Clarence and Wendy Bolt.
Wendy Bolt has just completed her internship with the Government of Nunavut under the Department of Economic Development and Transportation.
As previously stated by the hon. member from Arviat, we are celebrating their ceremonies tonight and I want to congratulate them too at the same time.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Taptuna. Welcome to the Gallery.
Member for Nanulik, Mr. Ningark.
Question 348 – 3(2): Mentoring Program for NTEP Graduates (Ningark)
I am from Akulliq by the way, Mr. Speaker.
I want to raise a question to Minister Tapardjuk.
As I stated earlier in my Member’s Statement, I believe there were eight or nine students who undertook the Teacher Education Program in Kugaaruk and we want to see them all succeed. They worked really hard to try and finish it.
Even their relatives were working hard. They got a lot of support from the government and other schools. When they start teaching, we want to see them succeed down their chosen career paths.
My question is whether the teachers will have assistants or mentors during their first winter and whether a mentoring program will be in place for their first year.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank my colleague from Akulliq for that question.
First of all, let me thank Minister Shewchuk of the Nunavut Arctic College.
The Teacher Education Program is under their portfolio.
They really support these students. This program will be ongoing and our expectations are that we will see more graduates. People who will be teaching in their own community are a real benefit.
Mr. Speaker, with respect to my colleague’s question, we have regional offices.
In the Kitikmeot, as an example, the managers are working on how to best support these new teachers and how they will be able to provide more support, especially in the first year. This is what we’re working on now.
We will be looking at more and better programs to be able to support them.
Again, right now, the Nunavut Arctic College has graduated teachers who will now become teachers, so we have to work with them.
With that being the case, Mr. Speaker, I want to tell my colleague that next week, we will be looking at a mentorship program and we will be trying to look at opening up a position in Kugaaruk to ensure that they provide support to these new teachers. This is what we’re looking at down the road. We want to provide more support.
I will also keep the member informed as to what’s happening and how we’re going to be resolving these challenges as it relates to teachers.
I also thank the minister profusely.
I am hoping that he will be directing the Kitikmeot office perhaps in Cambridge Bay.
I believe this is the Second Session of the Third Legislative Assembly. When we’re finishing up this session, can he inform me prior to the end of this session that this position has indeed been created? Will he be able to provide me with that information?
At this time, the position that we’re talking about has not been released yet, but we’re planning to open it next week. It is being handled by the regional office in the Kitikmeot. We still have to work out a few more details as to exactly how it will be set up.
Mr. Speaker, on top of that, I wanted to clarify that with respect to the Teacher Education Program, we will continue to provide services and support, especially when they need to learn more programs and undertake university modules, specifically as it relates to getting a Master of Education degree.
So we will keep providing support to those teachers who want to progress further in their career. We will be working to our utmost to try and provide support.
I will also keep the member informed about his concerns with relation to the Teacher Education Program in Kugaaruk.
So I just want him to know that we will keep him updated, Mr. Speaker.
Question 349 – 3(2): Update on Baffin Bay Polar Bear Quota (Arvaluk)
I would like to direct my question to Minister Shewchuk, the Minister of Environment.
First of all, I would like to thank the government because they are starting to listen to Inuit, especially when they were talking about… now we weren’t sure as to what occurred and the government wanted to utilize Inuit knowledge and experience.
When that occurred, you made the decision that ten bears a year will be taken out of the quota for a period of four years. Can you explain where that is at now?
First of all, I would also like to thank him for inviting us to his community when he suggested that we visit the Baffin Bay communities that are affected by our reductions of ten per year.
The ten per year will be ongoing and implemented starting July 1 of this year.
Through the community consultations that we attended there, there was very good information that was taken.
Our purpose of that trip was to educate the communities involved about the programs that the government is offering to mitigate the circumstances and assist them in looking at different economic opportunities in the outfitting field and the guiding field.
The decision has taken place. There have now been two joint committee meetings with Greenland, one that was held this past January and one that was just held last week in Greenland.
I do not yet know what the discussions of the last meeting are, but the communities are all involved, Inuit organizations are involved, and again, I should be able to write a report before the House finishes sitting here on the latest meeting.
I want to know why it is necessary to continue enforcing reduction policies for those bears when the government made an announcement in reversal of their belief of endangered species, particularly the polar bears in question. (interpretation) Thank you.
The announcement we made in our reversal in supporting the species to be listed as a special concern under COSEWIC and listed under SARA is due to the fact that we have travelled to communities.
We do realize in Baffin Bay and in western Hudson Bay that we do have challenges in polar bear populations, and we are working with the communities very actively to come up with resolutions to the problems that we face.
But overall in Nunavut, our polar bears are healthy. We have 13 populations that we manage.
The two that we have identified as having concerns, we are working with communities and Nunavut entities of wildlife management people to deal with them.
Has the minister received a report yet from the NWMB, or the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, about their own findings and if so, will this be tabled in the House?
I am not sure if I understand the question fully, but to this date, we have not received any report from NWMB in regard to and I believe he is referring to the Baffin Bay polar bear population.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I was referring to that, if you get the report.
Following his previous statements, the government’s position on the status of the polar bear is that they are not endangered.
If the NWMB states that the polar bear status is not endangered, then how will that impact the quota reduction that this minister has undertaken where he is trying to reduce it over a period of four years?
The tenth reduction schedule will still take place, Mr. Speaker.
The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board has made that recommendation to us as a government and my department.
That is the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board’s position and recommendation to me, so that will be implemented.
Question 350 – 3(2): Plastic Bags in Nunavut (Okalik)
I would like to raise a question to the Minister of Environment.
Today, he stated that this week is Environment Week, and that there are plans to clean up communities, especially in the future and to try and clean up the environment.
I know for a fact that wherever in Nunavut, these plastic bags create the biggest amount of garbage and they can last forever.
I would like to raise a question to the minister.
Do they have a plan in place to phasing out the plastic bags and/or if they can get biodegradable plastic bags?
I would like to know what the minister’s plan of action is for environmental stewardship.
I would like to thank the member for that concern and suggestion, as he has brought it up before.
The department is looking at alternative measures instead of using plastic bags and one of them is the use of recyclable bags too.
At present, we are still looking into the issue. We are consulting with industry, with communities, and with users on a program like this and how it would be laid out and worked.
There is interest by all people involved in recycling of plastic bags, but I agree with the member that the amount of plastic bags we can lessen in our landfills and our communities would be very helpful to our environment.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister.
This has been an ongoing process which we have been speaking to over a number of years. I would like to know when the minister would be able to make a statement about his plan for replacing plastic bags, when this review process will be completed, and when he will be able to bring about replacement bags.
I would like to thank the member for his comments again.
As I advised, there are ongoing negotiations in this regard into the use of plastic bags and into alternative ways to deal with this situation.
I will commit to keeping the member updated, but as far as timelines are concerned, I cannot commit to any timelines as of yet. As everyone well knows, negotiations and consultations take time.
I think this is an issue that we keep returning to and this is something that we will keep bringing up down the road in the future.
Currently, there are a lot more viable options that are surfacing.
It seems like this is not a contentious issue anymore, especially when new materials are being created, including biodegradable plastic bags. Shouldn’t we be looking at trying to replace plastic bags?
Some stores have already undertaken their own initiatives to create new bags separate from plastic bags.
I wonder how the minister could further encourage and promote alternatives to the plastic bags. I would like to see them work towards that.
Again, I would like to thank the member for his suggestion because it’s a very important one.
He’s absolutely right that we should be moving this way to using recycled bags that will not harm our environment as much.
He’s absolutely right in saying that some industry users are implementing this policy by themselves and we applaud them for doing that. However, we would like to consult all across industry to ensure that this happens as best as it can.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Okalik.
Question 351 – 3(2): Minimum Wage (Rumbolt)
During our March sitting, I brought attention to the fact that the minimum wage in Nunavut has not increased since June of 2008.
At that time, I asked the Minister of Justice when he plans to introduce legislation to increase the minimum wage to keep up with the annual inflation rate in Nunavut.
The minister stated that he would endeavour to do that as soon as possible.
Can the minister provide an update on this matter?
I thank Mr. Rumbolt for that important question.
I again thank Mr. Rumbolt for representing the people who are struggling to live on minimum wage.
Mr. Speaker, I recently read a report in the media that Nunavut is now one of the lowest, if not the lowest, minimum wage jurisdictions in Canada.
I have instructed my officials to prepare a review and when that information is possible, I’ll provide it to the House.
Section 12.1 of the Labour Standards Act states that “The Minister shall review the minimum rate of wages annually and shall report the results of the review to the Legislative Assembly.”
The last report on minimum wage was tabled in May of 2008, which was more than two years ago.
Can the minister inform us when he will be tabling the next minimum wage report?
I thank Mr. Rumbolt for reminding me of that section there.
Mr. Speaker, there’s no one in this House who’s more eager to table that report. Mr. Speaker, when it’s available, I will table it.
Member for Nattilik, Ms. Ugyuk.
Question 352 – 3(2): Need for Training in Relation to the Family Abuse Intervention Act (Ugyuk)
Ms. Ugyuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the Minister of Justice.
The government’s first annual report on the administration of the Family Abuse Intervention Act was tabled on March 22, 2010.
This report covers the operation of the Act for the 2008-09 year.
Section 11 of the Family Abuse Regulations specifies the number of items that are required to be included in the annual report. One of the items is a list of outstanding needs to help implement this important legislation.
While the 2008-09 annual report does not provide such a list, there is some mention of outstanding needs in the communities of Arctic Bay and Iqaluit, including the need for more training. I know from personal experience that this training is needed in the communities that I represent.
Can the minister give us an update on any new training initiatives for community justice outreach workers?
Speaker: Thank you, Ms. Ugyuk.
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank Member Ugyuk for asking that question.
Mr. Speaker, the Family Abuse Intervention Act was rolled out a couple of years ago and there was an evaluation of the program last year. We received a report from a consultant. There are a number of issues identified in that report that have been flagged in the Family Abuse Intervention Act.
Our officials are developing an action plan to address a number of those issues.
However, I want to assure the member that again we support the work of the justice committees and the community justice outreach workers, and we believe that the work they do in the community level is very important.
The more training that we can provide to the community justice outreach workers and resources to the community justice committees, the better served we will be in Nunavut.
I want to ensure the member that we are working very hard as a department to help the people who are at the frontlines of the justice system in Nunavut.
Your first supplementary, Ms. Ugyuk.
I recognize that the Department of Justice’s 2010-13 business plan indicates that community justice outreach worker training was delivered in November 2009.
The business plan also states that a priority for the 2010-11 fiscal year is to provide workshops for “Community Justice Committees in all regions.”
Can the minister update us on the status of new workshops in the Kitikmeot concerning the application of the Family Abuse Intervention Act?
I again thank Ms. Ugyuk for asking the question.
Mr. Speaker, as I said in my opening answer, we support the work of the justice committees and the community justice outreach workers.
Yes, we are being tasked with providing that training. We have committed that training and my officials are well aware that I want that training to occur in the communities in the regions.
I can’t give her the details of what training is occurring this fiscal year, but I can provide that information to her when I can.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. (interpretation) Are you done? Thank you. (interpretation ends) Oral Questions.
Question 353 – 3(2): Oil Spill Preparedness in the Arctic (Elliott)
My questions are directed towards the Minister of Environment, the Hon. Daniel Shewchuk.
The eyes of the world are watching with horror at the environmental catastrophe that is currently unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill that has occurred threatens to devastate the US coastline and waters.
Here at home, many voices are calling for action to ensure that we are prepared to deal with such an oil spill in the Arctic.
Recent news reports have indicated that the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans had planned to perform… and I say “had” because I don’t want to confuse you; there is so much stuff going on in the High Arctic in terms of Lancaster Sound and different projects.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans had planned to perform a controlled oil spill in Barrow Strait, Wellington Channel, and Lancaster Sound this summer as part of a project called “Improvement of Marine Oil Spill Response Methods for use in the Arctic.”
Apparently, it had been postponed due to the lead researcher assisting in British Petroleum’s Gulf of Mexico oil rig disaster.
Can the minister indicate to the House whether the territorial Department of Environment has been consulted by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans on this matter?
I would like to thank the member for that question; he raised a very big issue and topic in the world that’s happening right now.
As far as the DFO testing that was proposed, I believe it was not just postponed, I believe that there was no permit that was actually issued to do this project, that consultations were not completed and taken place on this project, and that there were concerns by community people who were involved.
So this project will not commence, as the member states correctly.
That is my understanding of what’s the status of the situation.
As the minister will understand, my constituents in the High Arctic are deeply concerned about the prospect of an environmental disaster taking place where they live.
In its recent appearance before a standing committee of the House of Commons, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated recommended that “any future offshore oil and gas drilling and production in the Arctic should proceed only on the basis of the most rigorous international environmental standards available.”
Can the minister indicate to the House today what the Government of Nunavut’s position is on this issue?
Again I would like to thank the member for bringing up an awareness of this important topic.
As the Government of Nunavut and I know, the Premier, our leader, has been in consultation with the federal government in regard to this and how important these issues are and the importance of Nunavut’s interest in dealing with such a disaster if it ever were to happen here.
I think that what’s important is that our interests are known, our concerns are listened to by the federal government, and that we take all precautions to ensure the safety of our environment and the territory, and that will be our position.
We are a long ways from any drilling or any exploration of oil going on here in Nunavut, but we need to be ready when these things do come to our attention.
So we take this very seriously and are on ongoing consultations with the federal government all of the time.
It is my understanding that the federal testing project was scheduled to take place in August of this year and that the minister has clarified it’s either postponed or maybe happening at a later date. However, concerns have been raised that the community of Resolute Bay have not been contacted, let alone consulted, regarding this proposed project.
Our Minister of Environment is also responsible for the operations of the Nunavut Research Institute, which issues research licences.
Can the minister clarify what permissions the federal government requires from us to undertake tests of this nature in offshore waters and can he indicate how the Department of Environment works with the Nunavut Research Institute on such matters?
The Nunavut Research Institute administers research permits that happen under the Scientist Act of Nunavut. The Scientist Act of Nunavut is established and has authority under old NWT legislation. So any research that goes on that doesn’t involved wildlife and vertebrate animal is funnelled through the Nunavut Research Institute.
As far as the member states that NIRB accepts recommendations and concerns from communities, that is a NIRB responsibility as well as either under the Department of Environment or the Nunavut Research Institute, when the permit is applied for, to allow those communities and interested parties to have an opportunity to state their opinions through NIRB, and then NIRB is the final one that makes recommendations to the appropriate minister whether they agree with the project going ahead or not.
I would also like to state at this time, as the member is very well aware of, that the Department of National Defence, DFO, Denmark, and the US… there is also going to be a planned oil spill project happening this summer in the High Arctic, a scenario where there is an oil spill taking place and how that cleanup would happen involving all communities and all parties involved.
That is happening this summer at the request also of the member. Last year, he requested that that take place.
That brings up another question that I had. I just need clarification.
My understanding in terms of what’s actually happening with Operation Nanook with the Department of National Defence and what the Canadian Coast Guard is doing through DFO there, it’s not a planned oil spill, it’s a mock oil spill.
So no fuel will actually be put into the waters. This is a sort of area where there is a real strong emphasis upon training local people within Resolute Bay, training with the rangers as well, to make sure that if an oil spill happens, the first responders would be those people.
In terms of what the minister actually said and to avoid confusion, because that’s one of the things I find happening with all of the projects that are going on in the High Arctic, are we being told in terms of community consultations… where I was sitting at meetings, we were told that no oil is going to be spilled into the water.
The member is absolutely correct. It is a mock oil spill; there will be no oil or no dispersants used in the water at all.
We had a briefing here last Friday by General Millar of the Department of National Defence on how this project would work, involving all of the entities that the member has mentioned.
The rangers, communities, hamlets, the Coast Guard, and DFO will be involved. In preparation for this scenario to happen, there are 19 communities in Nunavut that will be trained by the Coast Guard in initial response to oil spills, and then it will get more technical and a bigger picture of containing an oil spill will happen with all of the research vessels involved.
Question 354 – 3(2): Purchase Price of 12 Telehandlers (Schell)
Earlier this year, the Housing Corporation purchased 12 New Holland telehandlers. Can the minister let us know what the purchase price was for these 12 New Holland telehandlers?
I am anticipating the member coming back with that question that I am sure he hadn’t forgotten from the last Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, the 12 New Holland telehandlers that were purchased last year were purchased at, I believe, it was $123,750 each.
My next question is that there was an RFP put out earlier this year for 12 additional new telehandlers because apparently, those New Holland telehandlers weren’t capable of doing the job. Can the minister let us know who got the contract for those other 12 telehandlers?
It was a request for proposals that was issued, I believe, it was last March and the successful proponent on that was Toromont Arctic.
My next question is in that proposal, Toromont Arctic had to take these New Holland telehandlers in trade. Can the minister let us know what they received in trade for these brand New Holland telehandlers that were never used?
Speaker: Thank you, Member. Minister Tootoo.
I’m sure the member is aware already of that information, but I would be more than happy to provide it to him. It’s my understanding, Mr. Speaker, that in the proposal put forward by Toromont Arctic, there was a credit of around $80,000 per telehandler for the 12 New Holland ones.
So in other words, it was like a $50,000 or $60,000 loss on 12 units, so $600,000 or $700,000 plus the purchase price of the telehandlers.