EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
... Mr. Speaker, has a mandate to carry on business across the territory, primarily for the generation of electricity, as the member knows.  I can’t specifically speak to the court case because the court case is ongoing.
As I said earlier, we believe the opportunity for mediation services, which are going to be occurring in the next several days, will relieve some of the anxiety that is out there. Again, I don’t want to get into that in the Assembly.
What I can suggest to the member is: when we set up the Qulliq Energy Corporation very early in 2001-02, we wanted to build capacity within the power plants themselves to be able to off-site monitor each plant in Nunavut.  To do that, we went forward with a plan to put the information technology, or I.T., in place, including satellite systems with bandwidths, so we would actually be able to remote monitor our plants within different communities in one satellite location, for example, here in Iqaluit.
That was the reason for putting that in place to begin with.
The court order was filed the other day. I don’t think it’s before the courts anymore since the judge has made his decision. I don’t know if the minister can hide behind that argument.
Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure if I understood the minister correctly, but if he could clarify, again, if it is within QEC’s mandate to own and operate the telecommunication equipment, does QEC have the authority and approval of the Government of Nunavut to use those assets, to sell and provide telecommunications services beyond their own internal needs to any other organization, including departments or agencies, of the Government of Nunavut?
Just as a correction. I’m not trying to hide behind a court order. Mr. Speaker, the judge made an order on one specific part of the court case that’s ongoing.
So, for the record, Mr. Speaker, there is no hiding behind a court order given by a judge. What has to occur right now on the file, there are two processes: one is the mediation process and the second one is the court case, which is ongoing.
Mr. Speaker, as a Crown corporation operating under the government laws or corporate laws, of course, the business can look at other opportunities.
As I explained to the member, the Power Corporation was in the position where it wanted to be able to remotely monitor its plants. To do that, we had to put satellite systems in place and so on.
The capacity that the Power Corporation had in place was more than it needed, and because of that opportunity, it looked how it could actually lease out space and bandwidth to other companies that may be interested.  So it did that and it was well welcomed by the Qiniq Corporation, and again, the Nunavut Broadband Corporation, to be able to use that top of the line equipment and technology.
That’s what occurred. A business dispute arose between the two corporate entities and that is being dealt with in the court of law.
The Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation provides a valuable service to approximately 3,000 internet consumers across Nunavut, and the actions of the QEC this summer has seriously jeopardized and compromised the effective delivery of that service, and prevented them from upgrading and making improvements to the system.
Today we don’t know why. There’s no rational explanation. The Broadband Development Corporation is doing a fine job and QEC is into delivering power.
So why was there a dispute?
My question for the minister: can the minister commit to the House today that he will direct the QEC not to enter into any direct competition to sell or provide telecommunication services beyond their own internal needs with any other private sector company in Nunavut?
Again, the member is confused.
If the member looks at the court case and the preliminary information provided to the Nunavut court, which the member suggests is public information, it outlines what the dispute is. I don’t want to go into that.
What I can suggest to the member is that the Power Corporation had extra capacity with information technology, including bandwidth. It looked at an opportunity to be able to help the Qiniq Corporation access that broadband width so that the people across Nunavut, the Qiniq Corporation customers, would be able to use that broadband width to hook up into the internet and so on.
At no time, with the information given to me and provided to me, was the network at jeopardy. Again, that network, that information, all of that technology is located in a secondary source, and that is at the Power Corporation owned properties across Nunavut.
So what I suggest to the member and to the people of Nunavut that there is a process underway, it’s a legal issue. The court’s looking at it. And the Broadband and the Qiniq Corporation have nothing to fear having their broadband, or their technology, and indeed, their internet services cut off by the Power Corporation.
I want to make that commitment to those customers.
The fifth point in the court order is to highlight the futility or the unnecessariness of the legal dispute. The judge ordered, it says in point five, “The respondent shall pay the applicant his cost of the motion in accordance to column three, including all disbursements within 30 days of the filing of this order.”
To me, the judge is saying to the Qulliq Energy Corporation that this was unnecessary and to pay the court costs and all the other costs associated with a legal action for the NBDC to protect their interests at the Qulliq Energy Corporation sites across Nunavut.
My question for the minister: can the minister tell the House what QEC’s total legal costs were to defend this legal action, including the costs they were ordered to pay for the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation?
Again, the issue is before the courts and I can’t comment on what the judge has ordered.
What I can suggest to the member though is that the cost of the court that was an interim order, the court case is ongoing, so I can’t, at this time, say what those costs will be because the case has not been completed.
Question 329 – 2(4): Elaboration of Comptroller General’s Referral to RCMP (Tootoo)
My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation and it relates to comments in his Minister’s Statement earlier.  One of the things, and I guess it is pretty disturbing information, that has come to light is the indication in his statement that the Controller General of Nunavut has referred the matter of financial records and controls to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for consideration.
Can he elaborate or explain to us why he felt it was necessary and why they are referring it to the RCMP?
The Auditor General’s Report indicated that a number of laws and regulations have been broken over that period of time.
So I just wanted to make sure that there was no fraud involved to the satisfaction of this government and the people of Nunavut.
I know in here you also indicate that, I’m sure members and clients of the corporation will not be affected by the actions the department has taken now.
Mr. Speaker, I think it’s no secret that in the past the Kivalliq Business Development Centre and now, the Kitikmeot Business Development Centre have been under the arm and run by the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation. I’m just wondering, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.
Mr. Speaker, I know we have one regional business development corporation that is doing a wonderful job, things are running well there, and Mr. Picco pointed out Mr. Bob Long here from the Baffin Business Development Centre.
Would the minister look at options of looking at... we have something that is working well and we learn from it, and maybe in the short-term until they get their mess sorted out, look at finding ways where maybe the Baffin Business Development Centre could assist the department in delivering the programs that they haven’t been able to in the past?
As we move forward, an action plan is now being developed by the Department of Economic Development and Transportation, and there’s also a review going on as to the possible amalgamation of the NBCC and also the Nunavut Development Corporation.
So options are being considered at the moment and we will see where those recommendations lead us.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Speaker.
Everybody is having a hard time today.
Mr. Speaker, the minister indicated there’s a review ongoing right now; he also just mentioned they’re looking at the option of amalgamating Nunavut Business Credit Corporation and the Nunavut Development Corporation. I would like to ask the minister where that idea came from if you look at the two conflicting roles that those two organizations play.
The development corporation is looked at setting up employment opportunities in communities where it’s not worthwhile for a private business to go ahead and subsidize those businesses where the Nunavut Business Development Corporation is lending money to the private sector to develop the economy.
So I’m just wondering if you could explain if they do look at amalgamations like that; how could they have two conflicting mandates, how that would work.
Hon. David Simailak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, again, Mr. Speaker, sorry.
That same amalgamation happened within the Northwest Territories and apparently it’s working very well over there.
So that’s one of the reasons why we thought we would take a look at a possible amalgamation to see if it would be worthwhile over here.
That came about as one of the action plans as a result of the Auditor General informing us November of last year that there were very serious problems at the Business Credit Corporation.
So it’s one of many options that we’re looking at in terms of how we could strengthen the NBCC.
Again, the minister keeps indicating that they found out quite some time ago of the seriousness of the problems at the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
However, he says effective today, just today, they directed the corporation’s lending activities to be temporarily suspended and now, they’ve accepted resignations from board members.
If they’ve known for over a year now of the seriousness of some of these issues, then why are they waiting until now, today, to implement any or make any of these changes that they’re looking at, or measures that they’ve taken?
As mentioned before, our Internal Audit Division was directed to work with the Office of the Auditor General starting December of last year. A lot of work has happened since December in terms of the books, in terms of procedures, and in terms of operational procedures manuals.
So a lot has happened since December of last year.
In terms of some of the actions taken today, we wanted to wait until and see what the final report had to say on some of these matters.
In the meantime, a lot of work was done to solve a lot of the problems that we were having with the credit corporation as identified by the Auditor General during the course of her work and also by our own Department of Finance’s Internal Audit Division.
Question 330 – 2(4): Patient Who Could Not Return Home (Arvaluk)
As a preamble, yesterday an individual came into my office here, and of course, this is a patient who couldn’t make it home on that day, and I told that individual to write me a letter because I don’t think the minister believes me when it’s all oral, so I asked this individual to write a letter so that I could give it to the minister.
Has that problem been rectified?
That note from the member has been sent to the department. I will be sending the member an email as to what happened to that patient that he sent a note out for, and I understand the matter has been resolved.
I think it would be better if you write it officially, let me know how many days this individual has to wait and how much per day the government has to pay over and above because this individual couldn’t make it out.
I would like all of that information.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Arvaluk. Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Aglukkaq.
I would gladly provide the information to the member. There are a number of incidences that happened with this individual. For privacy reasons, I would prefer to share that information with the member, and then it would be at his discretion how he wants to use that information, but there were a number of incidences with this individual.
Question 331 – 2(4): Clarification of Trades Training in the Kitikmeot (Peterson)
Mr. Speaker, it’s been very interesting and encouraging to hear about the developments across Nunavut that address the need for trades training. For example, there’s a trades school in the Kivalliq region that is progressing steadily and it looks very promising for Nunavut.
Also, there is an initiative underway in the Baffin community of Pond Inlet to provide trades training related to employment opportunities at the Baffinland’s Mary River Project.  The question for the minister: can the minister clarify for this House what types of trades training aids he envisions for the Kitikmeot region?
We’re quite excited about the different education and training programs we have put in place in the Kitikmeot, as the member has mentioned.
We’ve actually upgraded the facility in Cambridge Bay, the school there, so that we’ll be able to look at doing actual pre-trades and trades programming in the school itself.
We’ve also put into the school, for example, in Kugluktuk, and as an example, what’s happening in the Kitikmeot, trades in a box.
We’re actually taking our high school students in grade 11 and grade 12, and giving them experience in trades training itself.  And we’ve also opened up a heavy-equipment operator training for the residents of the Kitikmeot and other residents of Nunavut in Morrisburg, Ontario, where they can receive ATO or heavy equipment operator training, and actually be inter-provincially accredited.
Mr. Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker I appreciate the ministers’ comments, and I appreciate the minister coming over in early September to tour the Kitikmeot Trades Shop and seeing how it operates. It will be a great benefit to our youth in our school there. I’ve talked to several and they’re very happy about having that facility there and urging them to stay in school.
However, it’s doubtful that this facility will enable more than advanced trades training of such that is required for the mining industry and we have several hundred jobs potentially being developed over the next few years in the Kitikmeot.
The question for the minister: what consideration has the minister and his officials given to establishing a Kitikmeot based post-secondary facility for trades training?
When we talk about mine training today, we don’t look at the same old jobs that used to be in mines where there would be someone down in the ground with a pick and shovel. Many of the jobs associated with mines today include very high tech positions.
In the Kitikmeot, I’m very pleased to say and the member has been very supportive of it, we’re looking at putting in a Millwright Training Program, which is a specific mine-related trades program in the Kitikmeot, based in Cambridge Bay through the auspices of Nunavut Arctic College. And, at the same time, we’re looking at invigorating some of the other apprenticeship trades and construction trades that may be available to residents of the region.
For the last couple of years I’ve had an opportunity to talk about trades training and other training in the Kitikmeot. The minister has come to the Kitikmeot on a couple of occasions to meet with mining officials and their staff to talk about their needs.
I have talked to the mining officials over the last year and we’re still waiting to see what the Government of Nunavut is planning to do to offer specific training for the opportunities that will be available at their mines.
So my question for the minister: can the minister provide me with an update on any discussions he has had to secure specific trades training opportunities within the mining sector in the Kitikmeot?
The member is correct. He has been a real advocate for trades training in the Kitikmeot and I’m sure that the House and the residents appreciate that.
What I can say, Mr. Speaker, is any opportunity that I’ve had to speak to mining companies and individuals, just recently on our last trip, to talk about specific mine training in the Kitikmeot and respectively in the member’s community, we’ve done that.
I should add, at the same time, if a particular mining company would come to us, the Department of Education and Nunavut Arctic College, and say, “Here are 15 positions we need filled and here’s the training that we’d like to occur,” then we could look at putting a training plan in place specifically for a given occupation, or in this case a trade.
Last month I met with a representative of Newmont Mining. They’re acquiring the Miramar Mine. They told me that there could be as many as 200 other job positions at their mine for the next two years and beyond for possibly 20 years.
They’re not investing $1.5 billion for a two-year project.
So there’s major training that has to be undertaken in our region if people are to benefit from the mining opportunities. So that’s a little history or a background for the minister of how critical it is.
Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, I mentioned the Nunavut Arctic College campus in Cambridge Bay and how run down it is.
I wonder if the minister today can update the House on what consideration has been given to upgrading our run down Nunavut Arctic College campus so that they provide trades type training in the Kitikmeot.
We have completed the review of the Capital Estimates for the Department of Education.
What I suggested to the member and suggested to the House, there may be some opportunity within the New Year, again, to review the capital plan and see if there can be an accommodation in the Five-Year Capital Plan to see if we could move forward on some of the issues that the member has raised.
I realize, and I think the members realize, that the campus in Cambridge Bay, I wouldn’t suggest it’s run down, it’s fragmented in that there are several different locations where classes are being held and there isn’t one central campus like we have in Rankin Inlet or like we have here in Iqaluit.
So that’s something, Mr. Speaker, that I will commit to the member to be able to look at and review.
Question 332 – 2(4): Audit of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation (Curley)
I would like to make a supplementary question to the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation.
We need to provide more services since NBCC’s services have been suspended.
Can the minister tell me, after this has been suspended, did the Cabinet members suspend this, or did you tell the directors to stop the services, and what the procedure was? I would like clarification on the procedure.
We had asked our officials from Economic Development to suspend the NBCC’s services at this time just on the lending services because they’ve only got two employees at this time in their office: the finance controller, who started last year in April, and a receptionist. So those are the only staff members they have.
The Economic Development officials have already been asked to look into the NBCC, and once we have the results, then we’ll give the lending system back.
I want to be quite clear; I think the public has a right to clearly understand what suspension of the service means.
The minister made an incredible statement that the services that are provided by the NBCC are suspended until further notice, and he also indicated that he had asked the RCMP to look into parts of the service and the management of that institution.
I think we need to be careful on exactly what we mean by suspension of services.
Is the organization, will that eventually be suspended as well, or the directors suspended for their services that they have been providing because I’m not sure if any member of the board would want to remain if there’s an investigation going on.
Could the minister help us out in explaining exactly what suspension of services means?
The service is important to Nunavummiut and they need the service but maybe they don’t need the institution.
Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Transportation, Minister Simailak.
As I mentioned in my Minister’s Statement, it is the corporation’s lending activities that are temporarily suspended, their lending activities.
In my statement earlier I stated to the crowd that it’s really quite important that the service continues. If they want clients or business proponents who have some ideas of running a company, or business, or service to the Nunavut economy, it’s really quite important that that service not be suspended.
I think the people that should be suspended in that institution, or organization, or that Crown corporation are people who have not done a proper service of actually doing their job properly.
So I’m wondering if the minister in his plans to resurrect it, are you going to be engaging a consultant or is that going to be done internally?
That review is being done already by the Department of Economic Development and Transportation internally, and they are also working very closely with the Department of Finance upon those reviews.
Some of my colleagues on this side stated earlier the problem should not have been allowed to go that far because there were obviously a number of serious indicators that that institution was having problems in managing as well as lending practices that were not fully acceptable.
Therefore, I would like to ask the minister: exactly how long will this review go on and, when it’s done, will the minister table that report to the House?
The department is working as quickly as it can on the review and whether we can table that report in this House or not is at the discretion of Cabinet.
Question 333 – 2(4): Audit of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation (Tootoo)
My question, again, is for the Minister responsible for Economic Development and Transportation.
Mr. Speaker, I’m a little puzzled. In the Minister’s Statement he indicates that they’ve learned of further problems in November of 2006, that’s over a year ago, of the seriousness of the 2005-06 fiscal year-end financial audit.
Again, not until the Auditor General’s Report tabled yesterday, that action that he announced today that he had taken, if they were aware of this for over a year now, why did they wait to make any of these changes; to implement some of these pretty substantial and drastic measures that the minister announced today in his statement?
Why did they wait?
As mentioned in the earlier questioning, a number of letters that were written by the deputy minister to the CEO, at the time, of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
Since November 25, 2006, when I found out exactly how serious things were, that’s when the Department of Finance, through its Internal Audit Division, started working with the Office of the Auditor General, assisting in the audit that they were trying to do and assisting the corporation in bringing all of their files up to date, their backup electronic systems, and all of that work.
That started in December of 2006 and is ongoing today.
I still don’t understand why this government never did anything and why they took the drastic steps that the minister announced today in his statement after the tabling of the audit report from the Auditor General if they were aware of these issues ahead of time.
He also indicated in his statement that the individuals that were involved at the time, employed there, are gone.
If they’re gone, again, my question is: why, not until after the Auditor General’s Report was tabled, this government takes these drastic steps? Why weren’t they done before?
As I stated before, we started working on this in December 2006.
We were assisting the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation in their office and working with their documents because they needed correcting. We’ve been supporting them in the administration for over a year now.
Today, with my statement, we had to wait for the review of the Auditor General and it was tabled yesterday. We had to wait for the Auditor General’s Report in order to make that decision.
Again, it’s puzzling; this information coming out.
The minister indicated that they have to wait until they got the report before they could do anything.