EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It seems like if somebody kills an animal that is protected then that’s the only time they find out they are protected.
They are not made aware.
I wonder if the minister can provide me with written material on those fines or what the penalties would be.
In regard to the seagulls, yes I will before the session is over, provide him with information.
Question 072 – 2(4): Update on Changes to Drivers’ Licences (Mapsalak)
Mr. Speaker, we heard that there were going to be changes made to the drivers’ licences.
Is the minister aware of when this is going to be?
Yes we were one of the signatories in Canada to make changes in September 2005.
Last year in March we had to find out who would be responsible for the renewal of the licences.
He didn’t respond to my question.
Do they know or have they identified which month or year they have to be completed by?
The information that I have doesn’t indicate the exact date but I will get that information and let the member know.
The cameras that are used for those are fairly old and a lot of communities don’t have those cameras ready.
When will they renew those cameras to accommodate the required change of their drivers’ licences?
These are currently being worked on how we are going to get the new cameras and how they will be updated.
This is currently being worked on.
Speaker: Your final supplementary, Mr. Mapsalak.
If there are going to have to be changes made, a lot of them will have renewed their driver’s licenses. It costs to change them.
Once the changes are required, will they be handed out free by the government?
Once we get the dates, as we get the updates and when the renewal time is closer, it will be just the same, we will go by the expiration date on the license.
Question 073 – 2(4): Raven Poisoning Update (Curley)
Mr. Curley (interpretation): In regard to the ravens, I would like to ask the Minister of Environment, they’re suspicious that the ravens have been poisoned.
Because those ravens don’t know how to read, they can’t be very selective as to what kind of food they can eat.
I wonder if the minister can report to the House because they have very adequate laboratories. Before they just suspect, I wonder if they could do an examination to make sure it is actual poisoning and let it be known to the House.
Hon. Patterk Netser: A number of dead ravens have been found since January and February.
We have sent the birds out for autopsy and we have found out they have been poisoned by Habitrol, which is a pest control for birds.
Minister, it would be good if you could table the information because as the public, we have to know if it is exactly caused by that.
In our communities, there are too many ravens and they become a nuisance when you leave food outside.
Sometimes our garbage bins don’t have covers. They just make a mess in our communities.
It’s very expensive if somebody deliberately kills a raven, the fine is way too high.
I wonder if the minister can provide the information to the House because if they were fined like that, somebody might commit suicide if they have to pay a fine in such a large amount.
Hon. Patterk Netser: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) We know now how those ravens died but I can tell my colleague we can check into the fine, $500,000 to $1,000,000 … we can look at this.
Question 074 – 2(4): Different Prices of Tobaccos (Kattuk)
I agree that we should just call them garbage makers, or eyesore makers, because a lot of our windows have droppings from the ravens.
In regard to the tobacco that I said I don’t know who would be responsible for tobacco.
I think the prices of tobacco in the communities are different. Are they different in the communities, the prices of tobacco in the communities?
Hon. David Simailak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know if the prices of tobacco are different because it’s usually up to the retailers to set the cost.
This has been a concern and I just wanted to get more information.
I wonder if they can try to maintain the same price in the communities because I don’t think it’s a big deterrent for people to stop smoking anyway.
It is at the discretion of the local retailers. They are owned and operated and the Co-ops are independent.
It’s up to the retail outlets to set the prices for tobacco.
Speaker: Your second supplementary, Mr. Kattuk.
Could the minister get together with the retailers and see if there can be any reduction to the price of tobacco.
As I stated earlier, it’s at the discretion of the retail outlets.
I won’t even entertain the idea of having a meeting with those company owners.
If somebody thinks that the price of tobacco is too much then they can either quit or…I’m sorry…our clerk thinks that’s pretty funny…it’s up to the discretion of the retail outlets and they’re the ones who set the prices for tobacco and tobacco products.
Could the minister consider looking at the tobacco tax and consider reduction.
My colleague probably recalls that the price of the tobacco tax was increased.
We are anticipating generating revenue of $2.7 million from the tobacco tax. In 2005-06 we made over $8 million from the sale of tobacco and we are anticipating another $2.7 million through the tobacco and tobacco products tax.
Question 075 – 2(4): Update on Passport Photos (Barnabas)
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Multiculturalism, Minister Picco.
We have not rectified the issue of passports, and we are still having problems with taking passport quality photos in the High Arctic Area.
The people of Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord have relatives that live outside of Canada, and they have relatives in Greenland, but the problem is they can’t go visit their relatives without passports.
We approved Community and Government Services for $800,000 to be used for photograph equipment which would be made available to the communities, but then again that photograph equipment does not take passport quality pictures.
The minister said to me this year and last year that he would look into the matter and make sure there is equipment available that can take passport quality pictures.
But, to date, Mr. Speaker, there have been complaints from my constituents about not being able to get their photos.
At this point, we don’t know where to turn to anymore, especially when Canadians are now required to have passports if they want to go to the United States.
The smaller communities don’t have any avenues left.
They aren’t Canadian citizens but they are landed immigrants. Some of my constituents are originally from Greenland but they can’t go visit their homeland.
I would like to ask the minister to give me an update on what is happening on this issue.
Minister responsible for Multiculturalism, Homelessness, and Immigration, Hon. Ed Picco.
The issue with the passports, as all the Members of the House know, is a federal issue.
The federal government issues passports.
What our government has tried to do is try to facilitate Nunavummiut being able to get quality photos taken that will actually meet the standard that has been requested by Immigration Canada for passports.
What that entails, Mr. Speaker, is that the quality of photos being taken has to meet the standard that has been put in place by the federal government.
We have looked at several different sources since our last discussion here in the House.
Right now, we have what is called ‘passport in a box’ kind of a camera. It is around $5,000.
We’re looking at where we will be able to help facilitate this in communities and how we will get money to help train people to be able to use this equipment.
The member is correct: the current equipment we have right now for driver licenses, ID and so on may not be up to the quality that is needed for passports.
We have investigated a system to be able to use, we’ve priced that system out, we’ve met with our federal partner to say we know there is an issue in Nunavut, would you like to help partner with us and provide the needed resources for Nunavummiut to do this.
The government used a large amount of money when they sent one of my constituents down to Ottawa to have his picture taken so he can get a passport. Maybe it would be a lot simpler if we all just got sent down to Ottawa and get our pictures taken so we can get passports.
I am sure Nunavummiut would be very pleased to take Mr. Barnabas up on his offer to use his constituency fund and fly to Ottawa.
Thank you, on behalf of Nunavummiut, Mr. Barnabas.
He’s not being serious.
What I am trying to say is that we are looking at right now between $50,000 to $100,000 to purchase the needed equipment for all communities in Nunavut. At the same time, I’ve gone back to the federal government and said, “Look. Is there an opportunity here to help us provide some of the training?”
That means bringing a trainer here into Nunavut, and either sending them to each community, or holding regional meetings in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, and Cambridge Bay where we bring people in from communities to learn how to use the equipment.
That’s some of the discussions that we’re having.
The federal government has not done this for any other jurisdiction. They do realize that there are some unique issues in Nunavut. We need to be able to have a budget for that.
As the members know we’re discussing the budget right now. I have to be able to come up with the $100,000, or whatever monies that we need to be able to purchase the equipment and then I have to look at if there’s monies available to train people to have this meeting, to bring people into the communities, let’s say bring in people into Rankin Inlet from all the Kivalliq communities for three days for training. Do you house them?
And should we be doing that when it’s the federal government’s responsibility for passports.
So that’s some of the issues. So we haven’t been just sitting around. We’ve been working on it.
We’ve priced out things. I’ve brought the information to Cabinet, for example. We have the assistant deputy minister in Ottawa right now, Mr. Carson, who is working on it.
I would hope to be in the position in the next couple of weeks to be able to price this out and see where we go.
Again, we have researched it.
We’ve gone back to the different avenues. Some of the equipment we have in communities right now that’s not our concern because it is good for drivers’ licenses. The federal government has changed the standard that they have on passport photos because of security reasons, so we’re trying to meet those standards.
I would suggest to you in the next couple of weeks we’ll be in a position where we will actually have the equipment and so on. What we need to be able to do is see how logistically we provide training for that equipment and what happens.
Spring is coming around again and a lot of people want to visit their relatives outside of Canada. Spring and summer is usually the time to take holidays and a lot of people want to go outside of the country.
I’m talking about individuals who want to get their passports right away.
What is the government going to do to accommodate those individuals at this time; the ones who require immediate passports? They are talking about traveling in the springtime.
Very quickly, if a person knows if they are going to be traveling in April or May they should be applying for their passport, if they don’t have it, in October, or November, and December.
It takes anywhere between, according to the federal government, again because that’s where apply to get your passport, it could take anywhere between eight to 12 weeks.
We know for example, because of the new regulations that have been brought in by the United States Government that no citizen of Canada can fly to the United States by air unless they have a passport to get back and forth.
However, the American Government has been flexible. In the last several weeks, since they’ve put this in place in January, they have allowed Canadians to go across the border without passports, as long as they have two pieces of identification. That’s not going to continue for much longer.
That’s the information that we have.
What I can say to the member is, we understand there is a problem with getting passport photos in Nunavut.
Passports are issued by the federal government. We are trying to help Nunavummiut be able to access those photos and we are looking at which system we need to be able to do that with.
Do we hire a photographer, do we send them around, and so on. So there is a lot of work that needs to be done. Should the Government of Nunavut pick up the expenses for an area of jurisdiction that is a federal concern?
I have written the ministers’ responsible on several occasions.
We have had discussions at the intergovernmental affairs level. We are pushing it. At the end of the day, we will have to look at it, in the next couple of weeks, if the Government of Nunavut proceeds, buys their own equipment, and does a one-shot deal to get people their passport quality pictures that are needed.
That is where we are with that right now.
As Canadian citizens, we don’t have any access to those types of services.
In regard to the applications, of course they are in English and French but we are talking about unilingual people when we are talking about the people in my riding, especially those people who are landed immigrants originally from Greenland and Qaanaaq.
Is it possible for your department to translate the application forms so that they will know what documents are required by the federal government, especially for those people who do not read either English or French? Is it possible to translate those documents?
Every time in Nunavut that we deal with federal forms, they are in either English or French because those are recognized as the official languages of Canada. It is the same problem we have with Income Tax.
We have moved several times, and I have written the Canadian Revenue and Taxation Agency, for example, and asked them to translate forms into Inuktitut.
They haven’t been able to do that. They are not able to do that with the passport applications either.
However, locally at the Human Resources and Social Development Canada office here in Iqaluit, they have informed us that they have bilingual staff available and they can walk through the forms, if needed, with people who apply.
At the same time, here in Nunavut we need our federal partner to come to the table in many different areas with services that we are trying to deliver and the member has raised one very important one right now with passport applications and the application process.
What I can suggest to the member is that the federal government is responsible for passports. If there is a need to have them translated in a given community, or help, then that person can use the 800 number for here in Iqaluit. If they are not getting that satisfaction on the passport issue, to let our office know so we can contact our Member of Parliament, at the same time, the federal government.
On the passport issue and the photos, specifically, I would hope to be in a position again within the next few weeks, to be able to make an announcement on how we are going to proceed because we are in discussions with our federal partner.
Question 076 – 2(4): Services for the Elders and the Disabled (Peterson)
Earlier in this session, I raised the issue of elder care in Nunavut. I raised concern about a couple of elders in Cambridge Bay that need care.
I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services to clarify for this House what specific resources and services are provided to elders and individuals with disabilities at the local level in our communities?
Currently, the Department of Health will develop community based, individual based plan of care programs and each community has a home and community care worker and a nurse.
In the case of Cambridge Bay I believe there are about 25 clients that the Department of Health provides a service to through the home care workers as well as the nurse to provide assistance to individuals that have disabilities or are ill.
I mentioned the other day that, to quote the government, there are approximately 1,000 elders in Nunavut. I’m sure this information will also be able to help staff at the community level.
The minister mentioned there are 25 elders in Cambridge Bay with disabilities. I think it is probably a few more than that.
I would like to ask the minister: what does the Department of Health and Social Services do to ensure that every elder in each community is receiving the care and support that they need?
Home care services and programs are developed by doing a clinical assessment of the individual elder’s needs, and based on that, the home care worker as well as the home care nurse will develop a program in identifying what kind of need or service this individual will require.
In terms of what we do, we have in most health centres a day set aside to deal with elders who need regular check-ups and so on, similar to Well Women, and so on, but for elders.
In Cambridge Bay, I also believe there is a program available through the health centre, set aside for elders for the entire community.
Mr. Speaker, we also have many individuals in Nunavut with disabilities and we have several in Cambridge Bay that I’m aware of.
My question for the minister: can the minister clarify whether her department keeps a record of the number of individuals with disabilities in each community, type or severity of disability, and the level of support and assistance each individual receives or should receive?
The Department of Health does also provide services to individuals who require 24/7 care of people with disabilities.
The individuals that require the 24/7 care are placed in facilities such as the one in Chesterfield Inlet, the one in Rankin Inlet, one here, and in other cases, we provide care for people with disabilities in long term care facilities outside the Nunavut Territory because just do not have the capacity to provide all those services here in Nunavut.
For those individuals, yes we do have those numbers and type of care they need based on, again, a clinical assessment of that individual person’s disability.
One of the commitments that we all supported as Members of the Legislative Assembly during our Arviat full caucus retreat in September 2004 was to open one continuing care facility for each year of the term of this assembly.
We’re going into our fourth year. To date, only two such facilities have been announced. My question for the minister: when will the location of the other two facilities be determined and announced.
The two facilities that we are going ahead with were announced. The other two, we have not made an announcement strictly because we are limited to our financial resources.
I think this was also raised yesterday by the member from Arviat.  I am working with all my colleagues within the fiscal framework that we’re challenged with in trying to meet some of those priorities identified through the retreat in Arviat.
But, the financial limitations that we’re under prevent us from moving forward with the two new additional facilities for Nunavut.
Question 077 – 2(4): Number of Communities with Passport Equipment (Mapsalak)
Since I have been a Member of the Legislative Assembly this is the very first time that I have asked this question. I will ask the second question.
My colleague, in regard to Mr. Barnabas’ question, I would like to ask the same question along those lines to Mr. Picco.
I applied for a passport and I just gave up and I didn’t even receive my passport.
Could the minister tell us how many communities in Nunavut have passport cameras?
Minister responsible for Multiculturalism, Homelessness and Immigration, Honourable Ed Picco.
It is my understanding that the equipment that we have right now in our communities, for example for drivers’ licences and for GID, which is the General Identification photo ID, is not the quality that is needed for passport applications in Ottawa.
What that means Mr. Speaker, is that those pictures that we take with those cameras cannot meet the standard that is needed to be on a passport.
Here in Iqaluit there is actually a professional photographer who is able to take passport quality pictures and I believe there may be someone else who is available in Rankin from time to time.
What this means Mr. Speaker, is the equipment that we need to be able to take quality photographs that will meet the standard in our communities, the equipment that we have right now needs to be upgraded.
We are looking at a process between Passport Canada, Immigration Canada, Community and Government Services as well as through the Immigration Secretariat to see how we can achieve that.
Again, as I said earlier we would hope to be in a position in the next couple of weeks to be able to make an announcement on that.
Do I understand correctly that there is no equipment good enough to take passport quality photos? Is that the only place where you can get passport quality pictures?
Mr. Speaker, the member is correct in that the equipment is there and what has occurred is that the pictures that have been taken with that equipment that we have right now in place, some of them have been rejected, I think about 60 percent were rejected.
So what we need to be able to do is upgrade that equipment so that we have the quality for the communities. Any person from Nunavut, who is travelling for example to Iqaluit or to Rankin, should try to have their passport photos taken.
If they have the opportunity, any of our people from Nunavut who are going to Winnipeg or Edmonton or Yellowknife or Ottawa, and have an opportunity to get a passport photo should take advantage of that.
At the same time Mr. Speaker, what we are trying to do is provide that equipment here in Nunavut in all the communities and we are looking at trying to do that...‘passport in a box’ is the program camera.
I think we will be able to do that.
Also Mr. Speaker, I would say to the members, do not give up. When he applied for his passport he said that he has given up on trying.
If the member needs some assistance with that passport he can contact our office here and we’ve been very successful in facilitating passports along with our MP in Ottawa for literally hundreds of Nunavummiut.
The Question Period is now over. (interpretation ends) Written Questions.
Tabled Document 044 – 2(4): Nunavut Small Craft Harbours Report (2006) (Simailak)
I am pleased to table the following document, the Nunavut Small Harbours Report, Revised 2006.
Please bring the tabled document to the table officers.
Item. 16.
Bill 04 – Workers’ Compensation Act – First Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Nattilik, that Bill 4, Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the first time.
Bill 05 – An Act to Amend the Local Authorities Elections Act – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Baffin South, that Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Local Authorities Elections Act, be read for the second time.
This bill amends the Local Authorities Elections Act to facilitate the better administration of municipal elections in Nunavut; clarify requirements; and correct references to the Northwest Territories.
The motion is in order. Question has been called.
Bill 5 has had second reading, and accordingly, it is referred to the appropriate standing committee.
Bill 08 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Iqaluit West, that Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the second time.
This bill amends the Income Tax Act to increase the cost of living deductions for single parents.
The motion is carried, and Bill 8 has had second reading and accordingly it is referred to the appropriate standing committee.
I ask that members remain in their seats and proceed directly to Committee of the Whole and take your 60-minute lunch break at noon.
Chairman (Mr. Barnabas): I would like to call this committee meeting to order.
We wish to continue with Bill 1 and the review of the main estimates for the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, followed by the Department of Health and Social Services.
Do we agree to continue with the main estimates for the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth?