EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker obviously the different options would be looked at and considered.
It is just a matter I can not commit in finalising or committing right here, right this minute on whether or not we would delay the implementation of July 9th holiday for this year.
How would we pursue that specific issue until we have some substantive feedback from the standing committee and from the public.
I have to beleaguer this question.
But what the minister is saying is that the standing committee does take some additional time to get feedback.
Get to cabinet would he consider in delaying this Bill.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Well I guess the short answer would be yes.
It would depend on exactly what the feedback was and there are different options we could place if it were decided to postpone the implementation of a July 9 day.
Specifically in respect to this Bill as respect to alternating to the August Civic holiday.
I mean there are other options we could look at for the current fiscal year. Given that we are two months away from July 9.
Speaker: Thank you Mr. Ng. Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.
Question 459 - 1(3): Greenland/Canada Hunting Jurisdiction
I just want clarification on what I heard through a national news report. They indicated that with Operation ULU in progress, the armed forces, rangers and RCMP are in Grise Fiord area taking survival training in the Arctic.
Through the news they indicated they would be trying to stop polar bear hunting for people from Greenland.
I am asking the Minister of Sustainable Development.
Yes we have heard that also.
I do not have information on the issue of stopping the hunters or polar bear hunters.
We have no further information on that issue.
However, the Department of Sustainable Development would be involved in taking enforcement action.
To date I have not received any further information on it.
Speaker: Supplementary. Mr. Barnabas.
Mr. Speaker I have not heard any this else about this. Greenland has a separate government and we have our own government in Nunavut.
Do we have the right as Nunavut resident through Inuit traditions for instance if we were to go to Greenland, do we have that right to hunt in Greenland or vice versa.
Does Greenland have the right to hunt in Canadian waters.
The quota that we have stated has been dealt with in Greenland and in Canada and we also want the policy to adhere to them.
For instance, if outsiders from Greenland were to hunt in Canadian waters we have not given that approval within our Department.
But we will deal with this issue working with the Government of Greenland.
But I can indicate that as a Nunavut Government we have not had any approvals for Greenland hunters to hunt in our Territory. And they must respect our laws within Canada.
In the High Arctic, there is a lack of employment and we have been supporting the people to make their own living.
We approve sports hunters’ requests to go hunting that come from all over the world to do big game hunting. They also do some hunting in my area and this can help many local hunters in our communities economic wise.
Will this kind of situations stop anybody like from Russia or American hunters to come into Canada for sport hunting.
The member indicated that sport hunters come to the Arctic and they help many local people economically.
The Americans do come into Canada for big game hunting and they passed a law in the States for Americans to allow game hunting.
There is no such law to deter anybody to come into Canada to hunt from the States.
My final supplementary. I do not know what kind of response the Minister will make.
However, Mr. Speaker we as Inuit have always had the right to hunt anywhere we wanted.
Some Canadians moved to Greenland.
The Inuit in Greenland and Canada have always exchanged their hunting rights and what not.
So I am asking the minister if Greenland people will be banned from hunting in Canadian waters.
They also fish in our areas and the Canadian people also go to Greenland to do some fishing and hunting as well.
Greenlanders are very good neighbours of ours; they should also have their hunting rights.
Will this kind of thing deter any Canadians and Greenlanders to hunt in our area.
Perhaps I can respond to the Members question, outsiders from Nunavut do come into Nunavut to hunt particularly in the High Arctic.
They have gone out for polar bear hunting and people of Nunavut have had a concern about this in the past.
So we will have to consider in the future to see if this kind of hunting would deter Nunavut hunters and I know that Greenland and Canada have had agreements to hunt in their own areas and I am sure they have been adhering to our policies.
However, we have to consider if there would be a problem in the future for both Greenlanders and Canadian hunters.
But I am hoping that we would have an agreement put together to co-operate with each other.
Speaker: Oral questions. Mr. Tootoo.
Question 460 - 1(3): Determination of Subsidies
Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Public Works, Telecommunication and Technical Services.
Last Thursday on the sixth the Minister provided a reply to oral question 157-1(3), the question that I asked in Rankin Inlet on February 17.
I wanted to know how the different subsidise were determined for the different fuel products.
Mr. Speaker the reply that I received, I would like to ask the Minister, I have read it repeatedly and to me it does not answer the question that I asked.
So I would like to ask the minister if she could explain how the answer that was provided answers the question that I had.
Further to the written response it clearly the answer in the document.
I do not have the document currently in from of me. But I can recall my written response.
I have individually responded to each of the questions and my response is the same now as it is in the paper.
Mr. Speaker if you just bear with me I will read the response that the Minister gave. Again maybe ask her how that answers the question on how the different subsidises are determined for the different fuel products.
Mr. Speaker the subsidies for different products are determined as follows: the PPDs mandate to recover all operating expenses from retail sales such as actual product cost, actual transportation cost, commissions for local fuel sales, dispensing and delivery services, operations & maintenance expenses, product evaporation and shrinkage, and taxes where applicable.
Mr. Speaker I still can not figure how that answers my question on how different subsides are determined from different fuel products. So I would to ask the minister how that answers that. I just can not see that.
The Member can not understand the document although it is clear… I could not hear the interpreting.
The written document is in response to the question and it indicates the many factors to consider on how we determine this subsidy.
It clearly is indicated what factors are used.
Maybe when we get to the Department of Public Works main estimates for capital and operations & maintenance. It would be better for him to pose that question because we have responded to his question.
Mr. Speaker I believe I understand what I am saying and I still fail to realise and see how this answers the question to how subsidies are determined for different fuel products.
These are some factors.
If it is the mandate for PPD to recover all operating expenses. If I read that why is there subsides.
If the mandate of the Department to recover all it’s costs and there would be no subsidies.
Mr. Speaker I do not believe it answers to the question that I asked.
I look forward to if I have to the Committee of the Whole maybe with her staff there I will be able to get an answer and I look forward to it at that time.
Move on to Mr. Iqaqrialu.
Question 461 - 1(3): Hunters’ Compensation
Mr. Speaker is directed to the Minister of Sustainable Development. Last year when we first were elected I asked the Minister concerning polar bears.
If there should be a person that is injured or mauled by a polar bear what form of compensation would there be or would there be any kind of assistance provided. Because as of this day I have never received a proper response as to what form of response there would be.
Let me respond first by saying I do not recall committing to providing more information on this. But I remember when he asked this question there was a response provided.
The hunters within Nunavut area who have hunting as the main employment are considered as employed and if they are injured on the job and are unable to make an income from hunting activities. Then there is hunter compensation provided for hunters.
Are you saying they can be compensated if there is an injury.
Is that what you are saying Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker yes that is what I am telling him and to today if a person is unable to provide for his family any longer from hunting than there are compensation provisions for him.
That is my response.
How can they access the hunter support compensation programs.
What is the necessary application that is required.
Where can we find the forms.
If a hunter is injured during hunting activity and he is unable to hunt anymore.
He would have to get a doctor’s certificate indicating that he had been injured.
If the report is forwarded to the Workers’ Compensation Board than if it fills the necessary criteria that application for compensation would be reviewed and than a decision would be made from there and than that is the process that we have today.
Question 462 - 1(3): Endangered Species Policies
My question today is for the Minister of Sustainable Development.
Mr. Speaker earlier this week there was a report talking about and I could stand corrected on the numbers.
But there are eight endangered species in Nunavut.
Does this government have a policy regarding endangered species.
Yes. Let me first explain the law.
That is enforced by the Federal Government under the Endangered Species Act.
We have been working toward the drafting of the contents of the law and the Department of Sustainable Development has been able to identify certain species that are considered in critical status.
I will try to make it short.
Uqaqti that is nice to hear that the minister is responding to my question.
Are we going to see some plan in the future regarding the endangered species in Nunavut.
And what steps are being taken to make sure that these species do not totally disappear.
I can provide him with the details and to the rest of the Members of the Legislative Assembly concerning our work that we are pursuing with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and the law that have been enacted by the Federal Government concerning animals on the endangered species list.
I will make that information available to the Member.
Mr. McLean I am sorry to cut you short.
I guess it is Friday.
I feel like I am that show “who want’s to be a millionaire”.
Is that my final answer.
But we do not get as much money here.
Ma'na Mr. Speaker can the Minister assure me and the Members of this House that precautionary measures are going to be taken to make sure that these species will be protected.
We still have to do some more work.
Once that law was legislated as far as the endangered species go.
We are given an opportunity to review in conjunction with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.
Whereby we have to enforce the knowledge to the Federal Government levels in cases where species get extinct or endangered.
I am very happy to inform everyone that we have that opportunity given to us that is deemed necessary.
Speaker: Just before we proceed, I would like to acknowledge and welcome somebody to the Assembly.
Roman Catholic Bishop, Bishop Beaulieu.
Question 463 - 1(3): Approval for Requests for Proposals
Mr. Speaker I will direct my question to the Minister Thompson.
She is dealing with contracts in Nunavut.
My question is Mr. Speaker after we agreed or approved the Interim Appropriation Act, my understanding is we are using the interim appropriations right now before we approve the budget.
Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister of Public Works, Telecommunication and Technical Services dealing with the contracts.
Have there been any requests for proposals approved after we approved the interim appropriations.
I will ask another question after she answers that question that I have.
Minister responsible for Public Works, Telecommunication and Technical Services. etc. etc.
I have not approved any requests for proposal at this time.
If we do then I can inform the member.
Because we have not approved the main estimates or the capital estimates yet.
I understand his question Mr. Speaker but I am not aware of requests for proposals being tendered.
I will be able to give the information after we start the department’s main estimate.
Mr. Speaker, when we ask questions to the Minister of Finance he keeps saying that if we don't approve the main estimates they will not approve the interim appropriations.
Mr. Speaker, I have seen in the newspapers requests for proposals.
So after we approved the Interim Appropriations Act, because we have approved the interim appropriations some items that have to be shipped in Nunavut communities, I have been seeing requests for proposals.
I just want to find out when we will be able to find out about approvals for the request for proposals.
The requests for proposals are just requesting from the public what we want to contract out.
There is no money for that at the present time.
It is just a request for proposals and there is no money for that at this time.
I will not be giving the money out until the main estimates are approved.
We will be dealing with the main estimates of the department of public works.
At this time the only request for capital items is petroleum products tanks.
Under the Housing Corporation's capital budget we have the funding for the 100 houses.
If the member would like to ask questions after we appear as a department in a few days then he can.
My last question Mr. Speaker, is that I have not seen any funding from the interim appropriations or the main estimates or the capital estimates for that purpose.
There have been some plans that were allotted by the GNWT and like my colleague from Cape Dorset said there are some materials in the main estimates provided under capital items.
I wondered whether the people who had the contract, what is happening at this time.
What we do as the Department of Public Works, we do contract services for the departments such as the Department of Education, we do some work for them.
They request certain things done.
Then we deal with the item and the contracts.
If it is going to be a school project or for instance Community Government which is Jack Anawak's department, if they ask us to do something then that is the time that we bring out requests for proposals.
For Public Works what we do is capital spending for tanks in the communities.
What we do is work for the departments for contractors.
Each department has its projects that they would like to contract out.
A few days ago I was asked a question by the Minister of Finance and the question was whether there were any problems with contract services.
So we will be getting that information.
But the question the member is asking is, perhaps he can ask those questions when we appear as witnesses and he can ask my Deputy Minister and he could give the correct information.
Question 464 – 1(3): Public Housing Tenders
My question is for the Minister responsible for Public works and Housing.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t have to wait for the committee of the whole to get an answer.
Mr. Speaker, I asked the question about a couple of weeks ago, where we had the GNWT acting as an agent for the Nunavut Housing Corporation for the supply of material for the public housing units in the Kitikmeot Region.
Mr. Speaker, as the minister indicated, the money for the 100 units is for all three regions, and I would like to ask the minister if and when the tenders will be going out for the units in the other two regions.
We would like to know all the answers but sometimes we do not.
We are not technocrats or bureaucrats and I am sorry we cannot answer all those questions.
The question from the member is under the 2000/2001 construction year for the Kivalliq and Baffin region the requests will be produced in Nunatsiaq News on April 14, 2000.
They will appear in the paper on the twenty-first of this month and they will appear in other newspapers on the 21st and in News North as well in Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun and in the Kivalliq newspaper they will appear on April 19, 2000, until April 26.
They will have a closing date of the first week of May.
Then the RFP would have to be provided in the first week of May.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the answer from the minister.
Mr. Speaker I would like to ask the minister, are these tenders also going to be through the GNWT's Housing Corporation acting as agents for the Nunavut Housing Corporation or will they be directly with the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
At this time we do not have adequate staff to deal with Housing Corporation contracts and we are taking on GNWT' s policies at this time.
However, the Housing Corporation will be reviewing their policy.
Mr. Speaker, I'll take that as a yes that we will be going through the GNWT's Housing Corporation to administer contracts for us.
I would like to ask the minister what it is costing us to have the GNWT Housing Corporation to put a tender in the newspaper and review the bids.
I did not have accurate information in front of me but when we are dealing with our budget I will speak further on that.
Speaker: Final supplementary, Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Tootoo: I thought I was done.
Mr. Speaker, maybe just another question to get away from the costs.
Is there a reason why the tender for the Kitikmeot Region was put out over a couple of weeks ago and the ones for the other two regions are just going out today.
The Kitikmeot region is serviced by Hay River and NTCL.
Hay River's river is open all year around.
They are always open in the spring and summer.
This is the understanding that I have but I'm sure that is the reason the Kitikmeot was serviced first.
In the Baffin region we have to rely on the barge in the summer.
Question 465 – 1(3): Eroding House Lot
My question is directed to the Minister of Community Government Mr. Jack Anawak.
Mr. Speaker, I have been making statements and the Hamlets have been writing letters in support of my statements regarding capital projects that were cancelled last year.
There is nothing going to my constituency of Arctic Bay.
Looking at the main estimates, capital estimates, they have requested a sewage lagoon in Arctic Bay.
However, Mr. Speaker, I raised this as an urgent matter last year and there is no money allotted for this year.
Using my statement last year there is erosion occurring in Arctic Bay and I have not seen any money set side to improve the land around Arctic Bay, and it is eroding quite rapidly. What are they doing about it.
I do not know the status of this at this time however, the house that he is referring to, the lot has apparently been eroding.
I think we can deal with this as an emergency situation.
If we have to look into it right away then I will, as soon as I can, see if we can improve the land surrounding this certain house that the member is referring to.
Perhaps the member himself can talk to me about it outside the house.
Mr. Barnabas: In our community consultations last fall a member of his department was also in Arctic Bay filming the erosion of the house lot.
I asked this person the situation, and I am asking the minister if there is any money to help this resident out.
He would be dealing with it in an emergency or urgent way.
As yet I have not seen any money provided and I also asked the minister if he would be willing to provide some money and consider this an emergency matter.
I did not see any money in the interim appropriations either.
So, Mr. Speaker I ask again what the minister and his department want to do about this concern and what will he do about this land surrounding the house.
I indicated to the member that if we have to work on it right away and if it is a safety hazard for the people then we will look into it and we would be dealing with it as an urgent matter.
However, without the departmental budget being approved there is nothing much we can do at this point in time. The member is saying there is no money allotted to the community of Arctic Bay, and this work will probably be done if we know it is an emergency situation and we will look into this further.
Question 466 – 1(3): Compensation for Hunting Accident
My question is directed to the Minster of Sustainable Development.
I know that I asked the same question last year regarding Bowhead whales.
The Bowhead whales in my region are increasing, the numbers are increasing and it has become a problem for the canoes.
An accident happened a couple of years ago when one boater hit a Bowhead whale.
This has been a concern raised by the people of my constituency.
I am just wondering if the minister could see if there was any type of compensation coverage for this.
Yes the minister of Sustainable Development indicated that any hunters that have an accident are covered by insurance.
If there were such an accident that did happen then the hunter would be compensated through the Workers' Compensation Board.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker I would like to ask another question.
Like I indicated, the Bowhead whales are increasing within our region.
I know that the World Wildlife Federation said the whales are almost extinct, however I see this as a different situation.
I know that if there is such an accident with a Bowhead whale what type of compensation will a hunter get.
Regarding big game such as killer whales and Bowhead whales.
This is the jurisdiction of the federal government.
Fisheries and Oceans deal with that sort of thing.
So at this point in time I cannot answer the member's question regarding Bowhead whales.
I know that we will be involved in reviewing our laws, but at this point I cannot state whether we will be doing something at this time.
Pertaining to my question earlier.
Someone also indicated they would be reviewing the endangered species list.
It seems like the Inuit people have been blamed for endangered or extinct species in the arctic.
Will the Inuit be blamed for the extinction of the whales in our region.
Regarding the endangered species list and we touched upon this issue and nobody is blaming any Inuit for the extinction of such species or any other kind of species.
We were just saying the Federal Government wanted to see what kind of species are endangered in the arctic.
That is all I said.
Question 467 – 1(3): Nunavut Housing Corporation Capacity
Mr. Tootoo: My question again is for the Minster of Public Works.
Mr. Speaker, in the minister's earlier responses regarding the tenders and proposals that are gong out for the new housing units she noted the fact that the Nunavut Housing Corporation doesn't have the capacity to administer and run these projects.
I would like to ask the minister, is it a headquarters deficiency because headquarters isn't staffed up yet.
Are there vacancies at the regional level that are having this effect.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation was under the department of Public Works but know they are a stand-alone corporation.
Regarding their details, we are just using some of the GNWT's policies to award some contracts here in headquarters. We do have project staff in our department however there are some vacancies in the technical services division.
We are just utilising some experts from the GNWT Housing Corporation to do some work for us at this point in time.
The regional offices in Nunavut are fully staffed, but our expertise in headquarters has vacancies still.
For this reason requests for proposals in my department have been dealt with from the Yellowknife office.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear the regional offices are fully staffed.
Mr. Speaker, as the minister is quite well aware before being elected I worked for the district office here in the Baffin.
My experience is that the district offices are the ones that administered, ran, and put out those tenders and proposals.