EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
At both of those levels, we work to remove the barriers that may otherwise inhibit the hiring of beneficiaries into positions.
Since I know that there are some divisions that exist like that where they have maybe one beneficiary, I know you have the processes in place, you’ve got Article 23, and you try and encourage your departments to follow that and you have a policy here that should be followed, but at the end of the day, there are cases where none of that is followed.
How do you react to that? Is that something that your department would do?
Would you go to that division and sit down with somebody there that’s doing the hiring?
What I’m trying to get at is what actual engagement happens when there’s a concern. Maybe nobody raises a concern.
I don’t know, but how do you provide real oversight over that and when people aren’t following these, because we’re not all angels, what happens?
She says that she’s not an angel.
We’re quite rigorous on this. We make the departments follow it, but it has to come to our attention and to the comptroller general. He’s a fairly senior ranking official.
I have delegated authorities to him to come down hard on departments that aren’t following it and perhaps I’ll ask him to provide some additional information on how he does that.
Chairman: Mr. Chown.
Again, the Department of Executive would be the ones working with departments where, if they were looking at a department globally and they saw an area that seemed to suggest through their statistics that there might be concern with their hiring, they would work with departments in that area.
Again, as the Department of Finance, we provide the enforcement, as I was describing earlier. As far as departments not following that, there’s actually not an option for them to do that.
We require them to do those things that I was describing earlier.
If we ran into a situation where a department was pushing back with regard to what was in a job description or what was going to be in the screening criteria, generally what would happen is that would elevate up to the director level within our divisions. If there was still pushback going on, it would elevate to me and I would have discussions directly with the deputy of the other department.
To be short, basically, if we were to disagree with what they were putting in a job description or screening criteria and felt that it was unreasonable or unacceptable, we would refuse to process it.
Can you tell us if that has ever happened?
Have you had to go through a deputy minister of a certain department to say, “You’re not following the rules that are in place”?
For the longer answer, I’m going to have Deputy Minister D’Arcy explain with your permission.
Chairman: The long answer, please, Mr. D’Arcy.
The answer isn’t very long; also to spare Mr. Chown from answering the question.
There have been times where we’ve had to have discussions or Mr. Chown has had discussions with deputy ministers to ensure that we’re all on the same page with respect to the job description and job equivalencies.
So far, it has always worked out so that we have come to a common understanding as to how to process the job and either redo the screening criteria or job description so that we can move forward.
To specifically answer Ms. Angnakak’s question, yes, it does happen and we haven’t backed away from speaking to deputies about this thing.
One of the things that have come up recently and I was talking with somebody and they came from a division where that person was the only beneficiary there. That person also had a disability, not necessarily a physical disability.
The environment in that office made it almost impossible for that person to go to work every day because she didn’t get all the support that she really should have had, perhaps.
I’m wondering if you know about certain things like this and what you have done to address them. The disability could be in many forms. When other people in the office don’t take your disability serious enough and then you end up not going to work every day, there becomes an absenteeism problem and that’s put against you.
I’m giving you an example of something that I have heard.
Have you come across that and, if you have, what have to done to address things like that?
It appears Ms. Angnakak has information that I’m not aware of and I don’t even know if I can comment on it with all the hypothetical and other scenarios. I’m here to answer questions about facts.
We do have the Employee Relations Division that’s outside. If an employee has a problem, all they have to do is contact Employee Relations.
They’re there for all government employees. We have a collective agreement with NEU and our collective agreement with NTA, QEC has a collective agreement with NEU as well, so you have your shop stewards who can assist. We have the ethics officer if that’s not getting results.
Whoever the employee is, if there are employees with issues and if you can’t take it to your manager or your supervisor or your deputy, then you can certainly take it to those other avenues.
What kind of support do you provide people with disabilities in the government?
I don’t think I saw it mentioned in the Public Service Act.
I’ll have Mr. Chown answer that question.
If I understand the question correctly, I think you’re referring to employees with disabilities and what supports we have for those employees.
Those supports are coordinated through our Employee Relations Division. It’s not just for employees with disabilities. For example, we have the Employee Family Assistance Program, where employees who are having issues can go to that program.
We have a return to work consultant position with Employee Relations and their job is to assist who have had to leave the workforce, whether partly or fully, due to disabilities or injuries or whatnot to help work with those employees to get them back into the workforce.
It’s a fairly new position we just put in place within the last year.
We have actually seen great strides with that position in helping employees who have gone on long-term disability to get them back in the workforce.
We will work with employees who have disabilities to accommodate them in the workforce. We have a duty to accommodate employees who have disabilities.
All they need to do is contact our Employee Relations Division and we will work with them to whatever extent possible to help accommodate them in the workplace. It could be physical or mental disabilities, whether it be accessibility or working with help with addictions and whatnot. That’s what we do within the Employee Relations Division.
I’m just wondering if I can ask: is that support that you talk about also for people who are on casual employment?
I want to ask a little bit more about absenteeism.
What is the rate of absenteeism across the government?
Mr. D’Arcy will answer that question.
The short answer is we don’t know.
The longer answer is we don’t know because our human resource system isn’t capable of tracking the individuals’ leave and attendance, which would include absenteeism.
As members may remember, quite a while ago, we had to change systems and go back to a manual leave and attendance system. We have been having challenges over the last couple of years with our ePersonality computerized payroll system in being able to reintroduce a computerized leave and attendance system.
We’re working on getting the bugs out of that.
We’re not there yet, but at this point in time, we are not able to track absenteeism on a consolidated basis.
Individual departments look at absenteeism, again, on an individual employee basis and that’s the best that we can do at this point in time.
Perhaps the negatives that we’re trying to ask about before when it comes to having things in different departments; the oversight kind of comes down.
Over the last two years, how many indeterminate employees were dismissed for incomplete or poor performance at work?
Mr. Chairman, unfortunately, we don’t have that statistic with us here, but we can provide it in the coming days.
We will be expecting that. Ms. Angnakak.
Perhaps tomorrow, we can get some answers and I’ll also include how many indeterminate employees were dismissed for being absent without leave because we do have some of those situations I know of as well.
I’ll leave my question at that for now.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Documents 73 – 4(2), 116 – 4(2), 140 – 4(2), and 70 – 4(3), and would like to report progress.
Mr. Savikataaq. (interpretation ends) All those in favour.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) This House stands adjourned until Friday, June 3, at 9:00 a.m.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Pages 1996 – 2036
Opening Prayer 1996
Ministers’ Statements 1996
Members’ Statements 2001
Reports of Standing and Special Committees on Bills and Other Matters* 2021
Tabling of Documents 2023
Report of the Committee of the Whole 2035
Orders of the Day 2035
Friday, June 3, 2016 1996
120 – 4(3): Emergency Management (Savikataaq) 1996
121 – 4(3): Residential School Awareness Workshops (Quassa) 1997
122 – 4(3): Polar Bear – CITES Update (Mike) 1997
123 – 4(3): Getting Ready for Employment and Training (Kuksuk) 1998
124 – 4(3): QEC Wins Health and Safety Award for Fifth Consecutive Year (Hickes) 1999
125 – 4(3): Tobacco and Smoke-free QGH Grounds (Ell-Kanayuk) 2000
126 – 4(3): Nunavut Teacher Education Program (Quassa) 2000
258 – 4(3): Inaccurate Article in Nunatsiaq News (Okalik) 2001
259 – 4(3): 2016 Clyde River High School Graduates (Keyootak) 2002
260 – 4(3): Congratulations to NAC Students (Mikkungwak) 2002
261 – 4(3): Kimmirut’s First Hockey Camp (Joanasie) 2003
262 – 4(3): Encouraging Summer Student Employment (Quassa) 2003
263 – 4(3): 2016 Kugaaruk Graduates of NTEP (Qirngnuq) 2004
340 – 4(3): Summer Courses at Nunatta Campus (Angnakak) 2005
341 – 4(3): Baffin Island Caribou Management (Shooyook) 2006
342 – 4(3): Status of Rankin Inlet Mental Health Transition Home (Sammurtok, A) 2008
343 – 4(3): Status of New Cape Dorset Power Plant (Joanasie) 2009
344 – 4(3): Response to Resolution Passed at Kitikmeot Mayors’ Forum (Akoak) 2011
345 – 4(3): Family Resource Position in Sanikiluaq (Rumbolt) 2012
346 – 4(3): Air Transportation Sector (Mikkungwak) 2014
347 – 4(3): Assessing Power Rates (Okalik) 2015
348 – 4(3): Nursing Services in Pond Inlet (Enook) 2016
349 – 4(3): Sealing Day on the Hill (Angnakak) 2019
Committee Report 012 – 4(3): Report of the Striking Committee on Revisions to the Structure and Terms of Reference for the Committees of the Fourth Legislative Assembly of Nunavut (Joanasie) 2021
144 – 4(3): Inuit Circumpolar Council Press Release Regarding Russian Rocket (Enook) 2023
Tabled Document 073 – 4(2): Human Resource Strategy 2014-2018 – Consideration in Committee 2024
Tabled Document 116 – 4(2): Public Service Code of Values and Ethics – Consideration in Committee 2024
Tabled Document 140 – 4(2): Public Service Annual Report 2013-2014 – Consideration in Committee 2024
Tabled Document 070 – 4(3): 2014-2015 Public Service Annual Report – Consideration in Committee 2024
My fellow Nunavummiut, members, ministers, and (interpretation ends) Premier, (interpretation) welcome to the House.
Minister’s Statement 120 – 4(3): Emergency Management (Savikataaq)
I rise today to share information on emergency management in Nunavut.
I recently attended meetings of the federal-provincial-territorial ministers responsible for emergency management to discuss strategies for renewing the National Emergency Management Framework.
This was during Emergency Preparedness Week in early May, when the fires in Fort McMurray were burning out of control.
What stood out in my mind was that though there is no way to predict when an emergency might happen, being prepared can be one of the best ways to manage an emergency situation.
The CGS Emergency Management Organization provides assistance to Nunavut communities in creating their own emergency preparedness plans.
This division takes direction from the federal-provincial-territorial task force to make plans for emergency preparedness in Nunavut that make sense at the community level.
Mr. Speaker, being prepared for emergencies is everyone’s responsibility.
As individuals, we need to ask, “Are Nunavummiut taking measures to be prepared?” As leaders in our communities, we need to be proactive and we need to be good role models to demonstrate that emergency management is important in building a culture of safety in Nunavut.
The bottom line is that all Nunavummiut are responsible for emergency management.
Minister’s Statement 121 – 4(3): Residential School Awareness Workshops (Quassa)
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, my colleagues and fellow residents of Igloolik.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I would like speak to my fellow members about valuable workshops recently delivered in Iqaluit dealing with the history and legacy of residential schools.
One of the calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report was for all levels of government to provide awareness and sensitivity training for all civil servants on the history and impact of residential schools.
Mr. Speaker, our education staff adapted and designed a one-day workshop suitable for Nunavut civil servants based on residential schools awareness training developed by the Government of the Northwest Territories for its employees.
Workshops were held on May 4 and 5 involving education staff and then senior government officials.
Mr. Speaker, I and Peter Irniq, as residential school survivors, provided participants in the workshops with testimonials of our experiences at residential school.
It is important to provide education on the legacy of residential schools.
This workshop will be adapted to be included in the new teacher orientation workshops we are developing so that all new teaching staff will have knowledge and sensitivity regarding this issue.
Mr. Speaker, we need to support understanding and reconciliation on the legacy of residential schools.
My department will be developing a “train the trainer” kit to help other departments potentially offer a similar workshop to their own staff so that all public servants across Nunavut will have access to this workshop, fulfilling our obligation to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member of Environment, Mr. Johnny Mike.
Minister’s Statement 122 – 4(3): Polar Bear – CITES Update (Mike)
Hon. Johnny Mike (interpretation): Thank you. Good morning, Nunavummiut and fellow residents of Pangnirtung.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share encouraging news about our efforts to preserve international trade in polar bear products from Nunavut.
In April 2016, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to submit a proposal to have polar bears up-listed to Appendix I under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Flora and Fauna.
This is the first time since 2007 that polar bears will not be considered for up-listing and is due in large part to our tireless work to highlight the effectiveness of Nunavut’s polar bear management system.
Mr. Speaker, up-listing polar bears to Appendix I would effectively end the export of polar bear products from Canada.
Naturally, we remain opposed to such trade restrictions because they have no rational basis.
Instead, polar bear populations in Nunavut have continued to thrive since the foundations of our management system were first introduced nearly 30 years ago.
Throughout this time, as most polar bear populations have increased in number, Inuit have continued to harvest bears at a sustainable level, a tradition that dates back millennia and one that continues to provide economic benefits for many Nunavummiut.
Over the past several years, the Department of Environment, along with our wildlife co-management partners, has worked hard to engage and educate organizations about Nunavut’s successful polar bear management system.
Thankfully, our efforts have paid off.
It appears that the US government now understands what we in Canada have known all along.
The sustainability of Canada’s polar bear populations is not threatened by trade.
Mr. Speaker, I would to take this opportunity to thank our numerous co-management partners for helping us achieve this important accomplishment. Together, we have demonstrated that Nunavut is a world leader in polar bear conservation and that Inuit continue to harvest polar bears at a sustainable level.
Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister of Family Services, Mr. George Kuksuk.
Minister’s Statement 123 – 4(3): Getting Ready for Employment and Training (Kuksuk)
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, my fellow Nunavummiut and colleagues.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share that the Department of Family Services has now completed the second delivery of the G.R.E.A.T. employment and training program. Fifty individuals graduated this winter session, 40 of whom received the attendance incentive and 19 of whom have already secured employment.
Our career development officers continue to support participants as they seek employment or other training opportunities.
The G.R.E.A.T. program is unique in its design, as it models a successful collaboration between the Income Assistance and Career Development divisions, with delivery by our key partner, Nunavut Arctic College. The job readiness program provides our income assistance clients with the tools and mentorship they need to be successful in today’s labour force.
Mr. Speaker, we have been impressed by the evaluation of the program to date: clients are moving off income assistance and entering the workforce; and self-esteem and self-confidence are increasing.
Classroom experiences indicate that the G.R.E.A.T. program is motivating people to identify what interests them and what skills they would like to develop to lead them to fulfilling employment.
Mr. Speaker, we invited feedback from all involved and have positively responded by extending the program by an additional two weeks, with the inclusion of a basic computer literacy course.
We are excited to expand the program to more communities this fall.
More and more, we learn that participants are keen to enter the workforce, further their education, and contribute to the vitality of their families and communities.
The Hon. Minister of the Qulliq Energy Corporation, Mr. Hickes.
Minister’s Statement 124 – 4(3): QEC Wins Health and Safety Award for Fifth Consecutive Year (Hickes)
It is with great pleasure to announce that for the fifth consecutive year, the Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC) has been presented with the Territorial North American Occupational Safety and Health, or NAOSH, award by the Canadian Society of Safety Engineers and the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission.
Given to a Nunavut employer with 51 workers or more, this award celebrates QEC’s efforts and active participation during NAOSH Week 2015.
This annual event fosters collaboration among employers, employees, and stakeholders to raise awareness about injury and illness prevention in the workplace.
Mr. Speaker, to win this award, QEC organized a number of engaging activities, which included a quiz on the new Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and first aid training. As part of QEC’s efforts to make safety a habit beyond the workplace and to make safety part of Nunavummiut’s daily lives, drivers were invited to join QEC in its pledge to end distracted driving in Nunavut.
For this year’s NAOSH Week, QEC organized a speaking tour and invited Mike Rousselle, a power lineman who lost his left arm and right leg in a workplace accident. Mike shared his life-changing story of his journey to recovery and the importance of following health and safety procedures.
Mr. Speaker, QEC’s commitment to promoting a broad culture of safety and providing a healthy and safe work environment for its employees and customers reflects its continued dedication and involvement to this event which spans Canada, the US, and Mexico.
I commend QEC’s effort and energy to continuously raise the bar on its NAOSH Week activities by inspiring and informing its employees and by engaging the general public in the promotion of health and safety in the workplace and beyond.
Minister’s Statement 125 – 4(3): Tobacco and Smoke-free QGH Grounds (Ell-Kanayuk)
I wish to take this opportunity to bring awareness and to update my colleagues of the department’s continued efforts towards reducing the rate of tobacco use among Nunavummiut.
I am pleased to announce that tobacco cessation in Nunavut will be extending to the Qikiqtani General Hospital. On June 30, 2016, the Tobacco and Smoke-free Hospital Grounds initiative comes into effect.
The Tobacco and Smoke-free Hospital Grounds initiative is about where you smoke.
It is about keeping children, patients, visitors, and staff from being exposed to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
This initiative also enforces the Tobacco Control Act, which prohibits smoking within three metres from entrances, exits, and vents of public buildings and 15 metres from school buildings.
Mr. Speaker, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has found that implementing this type of an initiative in a hospital setting encourages smoking cessation and heightens the message that smoking is a health risk.
Beginning on June 30, the Qikiqtani General Hospital will provide two designated smoking areas.
We know this program is not easy for those who smoke. The Tobacco Reduction Program will also provide educational opportunities and encourage tobacco cessation using a variety of supports.
Programming such as nicotine replacement therapy and cessation counselling by cessation-trained health care professionals will be available to both patients and staff.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that our health care environment is safe and comfortable for all at QGH. It aligns with the goals as set out in the Nunavut Tobacco Reduction Framework for Action (2011-16) and provides our first step towards health centres that are tobacco and smoke-free.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Ministers’ Statements. The Hon. Minister of Nunavut Arctic College, Mr. Paul Quassa.
Minister’s Statement 126 – 4(3): Nunavut Teacher Education Program (Quassa)
I rise in the House today to announce that the Nunavut Teacher Education Program has just completed a five-year program of studies in the community of Hall Beach.
The Nunavut Teacher Education Program, in partnership with the University of Regina, offers a campus and community-based program that prepares Nunavummiut to become classroom teachers in Nunavut schools.
The program has a strong focus on practice and the theory learned in courses is applied in classroom situations through observation and teaching.
Mr. Speaker, the Nunavut Teacher Education Program is an example of making professional education more accessible in the Kitikmeot, Kivalliq, and Qikiqtani regions and communities throughout Nunavut because we desperately need Inuktitut-speaking teachers.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to announce that five students have successfully completed the courses that will lead to a Bachelor of Education Degree that will be awarded by the University of Regina. They will now be eligible to apply for teaching positions in their community or elsewhere.
I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the new teachers because we will have more teachers in our schools this coming school year.
Member’s Statement 258 – 4(3): Inaccurate Article in Nunatsiaq News (Okalik)
It is becoming quite scenic once again with spring arriving and becoming more joyous in our communities.
Mr. Speaker, I generally do not refer to any news articles in the House.
However, I just read a rather embarrassing article in Nunatsiaq News posted by this person I have never seen or met with, but he was apparently covering the Legislative Assembly and writing articles for the paper.
It states that I was asking questions to the Premier and later, sitting behind the Premier and that this occurred the day before or yesterday. That is very upsetting to read in light of our procedures.