EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
That is the type of thing that we have thought about.
The people that do interviews to hire staff to work with Government of Nunavut are the ones we would like to train in regards to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Those are some of the things that we are doing right now.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Kunuk.
Mr. Barnabas. No. Mr. Nutarak.
Like Mr. McLean was asking Minister about bilingual bonus and how much that bilingual bonus is. Is there any Inuktitut training to the non-Inuit staff and who does the teaching.
Mr. Ng or Mr. Kunuk.
Yes, we have run workshops and consultations with the Culture, Language, Elders & Youth and the department of Human Resources had a contracted individuals to carry out Inuktitut training in the past and will continue to do so.
Like you mention when you have Inuktitut language training did you give them certificates.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Yes, we do Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): The ones that receive their certificates I guess you have them listed.
The staff is listed.
I would like to be able to get the information of those people that have received certificates.
The reason why I am asking this is probably better in the near future.
I am wondering I have heard there are some people that took the language training and that had to be assisted by Inuit speaking individuals.
That is why I wanted to get the list of all the people that receive certificates so far.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Yes Mr. Chairman.
Yes we can provide the list.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Ng. Any more comments or questions.
My question is, it is part of a question that was asked about the bilingual bonus and the staff receiving 12 hundred dollars.
I just wondered because there is many Inuit people working for the Government of Nunavut it would be very good if you can review it again.
Review the people that receive the bilingual bonus, I am not saying that.
But if there was a job opening I would prefer the individual to speak two languages to be hired.
Because it will be the language of the government.
The Inuktitut language.
I just want to make sure I would like the bilingual person to be hired first before the unilingual person.
Generally in our job competition that being able to speak Inuktitut is a definite asset part of performing the duties of the different jobs.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Ng. General comments or questions.
I asking one of my colleagues could take the chairmanship.
Chairperson (Mr. Akesuk) (interpretation): Mr. Iqaqrialu.
It gets pretty confusing when you are asking questions.
When that happens.
I want the people in the gallery to be a little bit quiet.
First I want to make a few comments.
Since I have seen and experienced in my community that the students that are graduating from grade 12 and there are quite a few students that are graduating from my community although we have graduated students still they do not have any jobs to go to after they graduate.
I am sure these graduates have been applying for staff because they are not certified or qualified for the position.
They are not able to get the job.
I would like to get a clarification on that.
If you have experience that because there might be some students that who have graduated and they applied for a job.
And once they do not have the qualifications you do not hire them.
That is what I would like clarified.
Mr. Chairman as indicated in the past earlier questions.
That behaviour descriptive interviewing is part of the process now.
So it based on what the individual is able to do and I guess in following up also of the questions Mr. McLean brought up about the other opportunities in government and people that have entry level positions and how to encourage that and stimulate that through other departments.
And bring them into the civil service as one opportunity and developing them for the positions that they are in and further their positions after that.
Additional training.
I just want to point out further whether the applicant is an Inuk or non-Inuk as long they reside in Nunavut.
And I would like to treat all the people of Nunavut should be treated equally because whether if they are non-native they could learn Inuktitut.
An Inuk person can learn a lot from the European style.
So I would like to see anybody to be treated equally in Nunavut.
For that reason Inuktitut training.
Have you considered if you could come up with Inuktitut facility where they do just Inuktitut training.
Mr. Chairman as I indicated earlier we have, in conjunction with Culture, Language, Elders & Youth run Inuktitut courses but we have not considered a permanent type of arrangement yet but that would be something certainly Nunavut Arctic College would work within their mandate to consider something along those lines.
As we keep stating the elders are dying off at a rapid rate.
Who have all the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit perhaps once that generation is gone and for those of us quite stuck in between two generations will be the only people left.
I also like to see Inuit language preserved and culture preserved.
I am urging your department to consider these.
Or consider a community where you can build a facility for Inuit studies or use an existing facility at the adult education facility.
So I was wondering if you can do that in regards to the language training.
Hon. James Arvaluk (interpretation): Point of Order.
Hon. James Arvaluk (interpretation): Point of order, we are totally lost here.
We are dealing with Human Resources budget, or so I thought.
The member is completely off track so could you get him back on track please.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, if we are going to be talking about education during this phase lets keep it to the subject of training the staff.
We still have not gone into detail yet.
So that is why I stated those.
And thank you for the comments.
I can not read English.
But I am be able to be a leader.
I am sure some of my colleagues are in the same situation.
Although they can not speak English they are very capable leaders and even non-Inuktitut speaking people are leaders too then why do we have to ask for bilingual people.
Mr. Chairman the Member brings up some legitimate concerns.
I think I would probably be more appropriately asked during the Culture, Language, Elders & Youth budget debate.
Given the significant involvement with that department for any kind of training initiatives relative to Inuktitut culturally sensitive training.
Again I apologise for jumping to other topics.
But since your department is the Human Resources Department.
Even if I am an Inuktitut speaking person and when I am no longer a Member of the Legislative Assembly can I become as Executive Assistant to one of the Minister.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: That would depend on the Minister of the time.
I have no further comments.
Chairperson (interpretation): We will go to detail.
We need a quorum especially when we will voting on details.
So we have no quorum at this time.
If you would like to wait here or would you like to take a 5 minute break.
We will wait for the rest of the Members to come into the House.
Once we get a quorum we will start again.
Mr. Iqaqrialu could come back to the chair.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Akesuk for being up here.
Capital, there is no capital.
We will go on to main estimates.
Page 4-4.
Department of Human Resources, branch summary, directorate.
Operations and maintenance total, 967 thousand.
It states here that the government's initiatives related to Article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, developing and controlling budgets and developing policy and procedures and providing support to the minister's office.
Which one is going to be for that 714 thousand or 253 thousand dollars which one is going towards that.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Mr. Chairman, all of it.
This is all within the directorate that has responsibilities over the areas the member pointed out.
Operations and maintenance, 967 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, 967 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Going to 4-5.
Staffing, operations and maintenance.
Total operations and maintenance, 7 million 491 thousand.
I just want to get further clarification.
Under other expenses last year for 1999/2000 and 2000/2001, I think there was 1.3 million dollars.
It went up by 3 million dollars.
Could the minister clarify why it went up.
It is primarily due to the removal and recruitment budget for the health boards that was assumed by the Department of Human Resources.
Under staffing it states here the branch is responsible for policy development, procedures and guidelines concerning the recruitment and selection process within the government.
So do we use this funding for the selection and hiring of the staff.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Yes, Mr Chairperson, we do.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Minister. Mr. Iqaqrialu.
I am sorry is it going to be used for interviewing the potential applicants.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Yes it is.
Chairperson (interpretation): Okay, total operations and maintenance.
Page 4-5, 7 million 491 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures 7 million 491 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 4-6.
Assistant Deputy Minister.
Total operations and maintenance, 2 million 76 thousand.
Since we started the budget session I have seen some issues, although we now have one Nunavut Territory in here it states community operations Qikiqtaaluk, Kivalliq and the Kitikmeot.
We stated we will not be using the regional levels in Nunavut and funding is going to be allocated to the three regions and it does not state which region is going to get how much on this page.
So I would like the minister to clarify that to me.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman the distribution of the budget is shown on 4-11 at the end of every department.
We have incorporated into the departments instead of into branch by branch to make it simpler.
Could you tell me where the details are by giving me the page numbers.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Thank you, 4-11 as I believe I indicated, Mr. Chairman.
Chairperson (interpretation): Okay, thank you.
We're on page 4-6.
Total operations and maintenance, 2 million and 76 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, 2 million 76 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 4-7, training and development, operations and maintenance.
Total operations and maintenance, 2 million 638 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, 2 million 638 thousand.
Page 4-8.
Job evaluations and organizational design, operations and maintenance.
Total operations and maintenance, 706 thousand.
What kind of an organization are we talking about here.
I would like that question answered please.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: We are talking about the designs of government departments Mr. Chairman.
Whose departments and what organizations.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Departments of the government.
Over here it also states that it does not include the teachers here or the evaluation of all positions of the Nunavut Government except teaching positions.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: That is within the Department of Education Mr. Chairman.
I understand that and also in the numbers we have 1999/2000 and then 1999/2000.
We seem to be talking about the same things here.
But, under one 1999/2000 it says 196 thousand and under the same heading of 1999/2000 it says 165 thousand but they seem to be talking about the same years except the numbers are different.
Could you clarify that.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: That's because it was revised over the course of the year, Mr. Chairman.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures 706 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Turning to page 4-9.
Labour relations, operations and maintenance. Total operations and maintenance, 892 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures 892 thousand.
The branch takes the lead role in negotiating collective agreements and defining governments needs and priorities.
Is that what the money is for.
This branch is to provide support for those functions for dealing with all labour relations.
It is with collective bargaining or internally for staff problems and issues.
We are on page 4-9.
Total expenditures, 892 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 4-10.
Decentralization, operations and maintenance.
Total operations and maintenance, 3 million dollars.
So this money is used for decentralization.
Chairperson (interpretation): Is that the case Mr. Ng.
What about the smaller communities, is there any money set aside for the smaller communities that are not going to get decentralized positions.
No, Mr. Chairman not under this category.
So this money is going for both the decentralised communities and the communities that aren't going to get any decentralised positions.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Yes Mr. Chairman this is for staffing up the decentralised communities.
For removal in, for severance pay for those who might have decentralised positions but choose not to relocate.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, 3 million dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Distribution of budget, information item.
Again we have numbers that are segregated into separate regions.
Are we going to see numbers that are for the whole of Nunavut instead of putting them in regions.
I would like to see Nunavut wide numbers because it creates a conflict among the members when we have to fight as the Baffin, Kivalliq, and the Kitikmeot.
But, anyway here there is 200 thousand, 200 thousand and 219 thousand under other expenses, and 11 million dollars 926 for headquarters.
Why are the numbers like that.
That is primarily due to the fact that the removal budget is at headquarters level.
Also I have a question regarding the compensation and benefits 428, 419 and 410 and 3 million 968 thousand for the headquarters.
Could you clarify those numbers Mr. Chairman.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Because Mr. Chairman the three regional ones are the staffing levels at the regional offices and the headquarters is the headquarters staffing.
Because the numbers might be too small for the regions, is that why there is a huge increase in the quarters.
Other expenses includes 11 million dollars.
Does that mean there has been an adjustment this year following the numbers that came out in the previous years.
It is because as I had indicated earlier there are other expenses for instance primarily all the removal dollars, the decentralisation dollars are all there under other expenses.
Page 4-11.
We are on page 11.
We will then go back to 4-3.
Human resources program summary.
Total operations and maintenance, 17 million 770 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total capital, total expenditures, 17 million dollars and 770 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Do you agree that the Department of Human Resources is complete.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Ng and your officials, Deputy Minister Joe Kunuk and Corporate Services Manager, Sol Modesto.
Members, the status of tabled document 96-1(3) is complete.
Chairperson (interpretation): Like I mentioned before 96-1(3) is complete, agreed.
The committee agreed that the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs will be the next item to discuss the main estimates.
Perhaps after the presentation to the committee of the whole by the Premier there will be a report by the committee.
Chairperson (interpretation): Department of Intergovernmental Affairs, Mr. Premier.
Department of Executive & Intergovernmental Affairs: Premier's Opening Remarks
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Good afternoon.
I am pleased to be presenting for your review the 2000/2001 budget for the department of the executive and intergovernmental affairs.
Approval of this budget will allow us to continue to work on many individuals and to begin new initiatives which is consistent with our 5 year government mandate as outlined in the Bathurst Mandate.
You will recall from our business plan that the Department of the Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs has several aspects as part of its mission:
to provide advice and administrative support to cabinet and the Nunavut Government;
to ensure that the NLCA and Nunavut's relationship with other governments in Canada and the circumpolar world support common goals;
to compile and communicate information for today and the future; and
to audit and evaluate government programs and data.
The department has also been sponsoring through planning and implementation, government initiatives identified in the Bathurst Mandate, including: the Decentralisation Secretariat and Maligarnit Qimirrujiit.
Other new initiatives include support for the Nunavut Power Corporation through the establishment of a steering body, the Nunavut Power Corporation Implementation Secretariat.
In essence, the role of the Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs is to build consensus, seek political direction, communicate that direction, collect, analyse and provide information to the government and to the public and to provide co-ordination and leadership for the public service.
It is important to note that the department has no capital expenditures in this new budget.
In response to the implementation of several key governmental initiatives the budget for Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs has increased by 3.6 million dollars to total of 11.3 million dollars.
1) Over seventy percent of the budget increase is directly related to the creation of the Nunavut Power Corporation Implementation Secretariat, 2.6 million dollars, that is designated to create an independent Nunavut Power Corporation.
Our government has taken a huge step forward in establishing an independent power corporation and these funds will support the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation and his team in designing and implementing a plan to ensure that electrical energy is supplied and delivered in Nunavut by NPC on April 1, 2001.
The budget of the Decentralization Secretariat in Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs is for salaries, 5 PY's and O&M.
The Decentralization Secretariat's budget is higher this year only because it covers a full twelve months instead of the 7 month period covered by last year's budget.
The Decentralization Secretariat has made significant progress in a short time frame and I will outline some of this progress:
Comprehensive costing analyses have been completed and this was the basis for the total recommended budget for this fiscal year of 5.2 million dollars,
Of this total budget 2.2 million dollars was allocated to Public Works for departmental relocation and the purchase of furnishings and systems.
Human Resources will receive 3 million dollars to fund personnel related expenses such as training and development, staffing and relocation expenses,
The departments identified for decentralization over the next three years are currently preparing customised implementation plans,
A communication strategy is in process.
The Mayors of the communities impacted by decentralization, Nunavut Arctic College, DIOs have received information on new positions to assist them in identifying potential training programs.
In addition to the above progress, this year's operational budget will allow the Decentralisation Secretariat to pursue the following objectives:
The Co-ordination of the overall decentralization objective, approximately one-third of which will be implemented this year,
To work closely with the Department of Human Resources, Arctic College and a number of other agencies to promote and assist in the development of effective training plans, to ensure that training opportunities are maximized at the community level, and
To produce an information newsletter, which is in the planning stage and will go to the communities earlier this year.
3) The funding for the Directorate of Executive & Intergovernmental Affairs has increased due mainly to two important initiatives:
First, Maligarnit Qimirrujiit will now be funded for an entire year.
Part of creating Nunavut was to make our laws relevant to Nunavummiut and that is why Maligarnit Qimirrujiit law reform was established in November 1999; it's mandate is to review the laws of Nunavut through community consultation, ensure that laws are consistent with values and needs of Nunavut.
This effort will require a great deal of work on the part of the members of Maligarnit Qimirrujiit as they have begun their community consultation to review some of the Acts.
Secondly, the Directorate provides me with support on my Public Utilities Board portfolio.
It is responsible for the regulation of energy utilities in Nunavut and through a special arrangement with the GNWT, functions as a joint board regulating both the east and the west until April 1, 2001. As part of the same effort that led to creating the Nunavut Power Corporation and Maligarnit Qimirrujiit, we will be undertaking a review of the Public Utilities Board.
4) The Intergovernmental Affairs branch budget has increased slightly due to a transfer of grants and contribution funding from the Directorate branch.
The Intergovernmental Affairs branch is establishing a permanent relationship within Canada and abroad.
Nunavut participates as an equal partner with all provinces in Canada when meeting with the Government of Canada.
Each of our departments must participate effectively in these meetings and it is a major role for Executive & Intergovernmental Affairs to assist and co-ordinate this process.
Our obligations to implement the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement requires a very close working relationship with NTI and the Clyde River Protocol was developed specifically for this reason.
Our collective achievements to date include the recent development and implementation of the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti policy.
5) Audit, Evaluation and Statistics funding increased to primarily address funding inadequacies from the previous fiscal year.
This funding shortage would have led to problems in staffing positions required to perform specialized duties.
This year will see the implementation of a Nunavut Household Survey conducted every two years starting in the fall of 2000.
This branch has recently developed the first Nunavut Labour Force Survey and the latest population projections for Nunavut.
Future work and partnerships with Statistics Canada and Statistics Greenland will ensure that adequate data is gathered to support government decision making.
Even encompassing all of the new initiatives undertaken by my department, the budget has seen a marked decrease:
The operations and maintenance budget across Executive & Intergovernmental Affairs was reduced by 4%.
The Nunavut Cabinet's budget which includes the Premier and seven Ministers has decreased by approximately 9%.
The Communications, Policy and Planning branch, responsible for the management and co-ordination of Cabinet operations saw its budget decrease as funding for the Leadership Forum was transferred to Community Government & Transportation and as the branch reassigned one of its positions to the Decentralization Secretariat in support of this Government's decentralization initiatives.
Mr. Chairman, these are the highlights of the Executive & Intergovernmental Affairs budget for 2000/2001.
I would be pleased to answer any questions or address the comments of my fellow colleagues and their concerns.
Mr. Akesuk, Chairperson's opening comments.
I am pleased to be able to make some opening remarks as we begin the debate on the 2000-2001 Main Estimates for the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Over the past year, the Standing Committee has had an opportunity to meet with the Premier on a number of occasions.
(interpretation ends) The first of these is decentralization.
The Standing Committee recognizes the central role that the Decentralization Secretariat plays in ensuring government-wide co-ordination of decentralization initiatives.
The Standing Committee reiterates its call that the Secretariat continue to provide timely and frequent information to communities on the status of decentralization initiatives, so as to help ensure that communities feel an integral part of the decentralization process as a whole.