EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
So do you go and negotiate with NTI concerning Article 23 of the land claims in particular to see if there is any progress with that?
I’m telling you that this is the last question and I’m telling the truth.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Yes, we have a working group set up for the Nunavut Heritage Centre and also we have a committee made up of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Inuit Heritage Trust, and our department. They are all aware of what’s happening and we keep deliberating on our options, especially in relation to the implementation of the NLCA. We are trying to continue our work on this but progress has been slow.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $4,721,000.
I have lots of questions on the next section and looking at the time, there won’t be enough time to do it. So I would like to move to report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Members. I don’t think some members wanted to return to their seats. Going back to the Orders of the Day.
Item 20. Report of the Committee of the Whole. Member for Kugluktuk, Mr. Evyagotailak.
Your committee has been considering Bill 23 and the Main Estimates, and would like to report progress. Also, Mr. Speaker, I move that the Report of this Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Is there a seconder? Thank you, Mr. Netser.
A reminder to all members of the meeting of the Full Caucus tomorrow morning at 10:30 in the Nanuq Boardroom.
Orders of the Day for March 4:
This House stands adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4, at 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Pages 3240 – 3298
Opening Prayer 3240
Ministers’ Statements 3240
Members’ Statements 3242
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 3247
Oral Questions 3247
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills 3267
Tabled Documents 3268
Notices of Motions 3269
Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills 3270
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 3270
Report of the Committee of the Whole 3296
Orders of the Day 3297
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 3240
154 – 2(4): Devolution (Okalik) 3240
155 – 2(4): Pan-Canadian Literacy Forum (Picco) 3241
156 – 2(4): Fuel Tax Rebate Program Simplified (Tapardjuk) 3241
360 – 2(4): Elders’ Home for Arviat (Alagalak) 3242
361 – 2(4): The Annual Fraser Institute Rankings (Peterson) 3243
362 – 2(4): Birthday Greetings to Husband (Aglukkaq) 3245
363 – 2(4): Reflections on the State of Democracy and Debate in Nunavut (Curley) 3245
457 – 2(4): Status of Fuel Hedging Policy (Barnabas) 3247
458 – 2(4): Preferred Option for Renovations of Inuksuk High School (Tootoo) 3249
459 – 2(4): Tabling of Report on Review of Regulatory Structures (Peterson) 3251
460 – 2(4): Number of Justices of the Peace Trained to Deal with Family Abuse Intervention Act (Mapsalak) 3253
461 – 2(4): Update on New School for Sanikiluaq (Kattuk) 3255
462 – 2(4): Development of Emergency Management Plans (Curley) 3257
463 – 2(4): Fuel Tax Rebate Program (Tootoo) 3261
464 – 2(4): Construction of Sanikiluaq School (Kattuk) 3263
465 – 2(4): Support for Residential School Survivors (Peterson) 3264
008 – 2(4): Status of the Review of Bill 6, the Proposed “Official Languages Act” and Bill 7, the Proposed “Inuit Language Protection Act” (Mapsalak) 3267
195 – 2(4): Letter from Prime Minister Stephen Harper regarding Devolution (Okalik) 3268
196 – 2(4): Schedule for Student Loan Fund for Year Ending March 31, 2007 (Picco) 3269
197 – 2(4): Nunavut Fuel Tax Rebate Program, 2007 Annual Report (Tapardjuk) 3269
029 – 2(4): Extension of Review Period of Bill 21 – Notice (Alagalak) 3269
Bill 28 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 3 – Notice 3270
Bill 23 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee – CLEY 3271
Bill 23 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee – Human Resources 3282
Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Honourable Olayuk Akesuk, Mr. David Alagalak, Mr. James Arreak, Mr. Levi Barnabas, Honourable Levinia Brown, Mr. Tagak Curley, Mr. Joe Allen Evyagotailak, Mr. Peter Kattuk, Honourable Peter Kilabuk, Mr. Steve Mapsalak, Honourable Patterk Netser, Honourable Paul Okalik, Mr. Keith Peterson, Honourable Edward Picco, Honourable Louis Tapardjuk, Mr. Hunter Tootoo.
Minister’s Statement 154 – 2(4): Devolution (Okalik)
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to give you and all Nunavummiut good news about the devolution of control over resources in Nunavut.
On February 25, 2008, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, committed to advancing our collective interests in Canada’s Arctic and to bringing forward an integrated northern strategy. I look forward to this strategy that will promote economic and social development, the protection of the Arctic’s unique environment and improve and devolve governance.
Canada is committed to progress on devolution discussions with Nunavut with an objective of providing long-term benefits for the people of Nunavut and all Canadians. Canada has committed to a phased approach to negotiations beginning with on onshore, non-oil and gas resource management, and following with onshore and seabed oil and gas resources management.
While we cannot prejudge future discussions and negotiations, this represents a significant change in position on Canada’s behalf. This positive and powerful signal respects and treats Nunavut equally to all jurisdictions in Canada.
I thank the Prime Minister for his commitment to Nunavut and to moving forward on a regime consistent with federal-provincial internal waters arrangements in the rest of Canada.
Devolution of federal responsibilities to Nunavut will make us a strong, self-reliant and contributing partner in Canada.
At the appropriate time, I will be tabling the Prime Minister’s letter.
Minister’s Statement 155 – 2(4): Pan-Canadian Literacy Forum (Picco)
I rise today to inform my colleagues about an innovative event that will take place across Canada on April 14 and 15, 2008.
Mr. Speaker, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) has brought together provinces and territories to host the Pan-Canadian Literacy Forum.
This interactive event will connect ten sites throughout the country to help expand the work of literacy across all Canadian jurisdictions.
With the purpose of bringing cutting edge thinking to literacy in Canada, and highlighting best practices, Nunavut will have a receiving site in Arviat.
Mr. Speaker, the theme is Literacy: The Path to Success, where we will explore the adult literacy and lifelong learning.
Mr. Speaker, open forums and panel discussion between community members, educators, parents, students, in addition to elders are expected to be passionate, uplifting and hopeful.
As part of this exciting program, we will also be receiving a keynote address from our own Susan Aglukark, who will be speaking live from Saskatchewan.
Mr. Speaker, there is great excitement building throughout Canada for the ingenuity of the Pan-Canadian Literacy Forum.
Finally, I believe it has the capacity to inspire and renew excitement about literacy here in Nunavut. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Finance, and Culture, Language, Elders, and Youth, Minister Tapardjuk.
Minister’s Statement 156 – 2(4): Fuel Tax Rebate Program Simplified (Tapardjuk)
I am very pleased to rise this afternoon to announce changes to the Fuel Tax Rebate Program.
It has been two years since the program was first announced.
That time has provided the opportunity to review the program and efforts have been made to create a simpler process for the applicants.
Mr. Speaker, feedback from the applicants about the application process indicated that it was too complicated.
This led to a lack of uptake by harvesters in Nunavut and is reflected in the statistics for the program’s first year of operation.
For the 2006-07 fiscal year, only 29 harvesters applied for the program, for a total of nearly $3,200 in claims.
Mr. Speaker, the renewed process decreases the burden on harvesters and places the onus on the GN to review applications to ensure that the program is not abused.
Under the original program, only harvesters who earned at least 25 percent of their income from harvesting or contributed meat to the community would qualify for the rebate.
All harvesters are eligible for the rebate under the renewed program.
Applicants fill out a simple form that includes space to identify whether the person is a full-time, part-time, or seasonal harvester.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the Minister of Environment, for helping to improve this program by engaging conservation officers in the application process.
After registering for the program, harvesters can then submit their receipts at any time of the year, and they will be reimbursed every three months with a minimum payment of $10.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that the renewed program will better meet the needs of harvesters and support the important contribution that our harvesters make to our communities.
If there are no more, Item 3.
Member’s Statement 360 – 2(4): Elders’ Home for Arviat (Alagalak)
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I rise today to express the need for an elders’ group home in Arviat.
This need has been identified by my constituents in Arviat many times in the past.
Mr. Speaker, as noted by my constituents, older couples and single elders often have limited abilities to care for themselves. They often find that they are unable to do their household chores. They have difficulty with basic activities, such as doing their shopping, clearing away ice and snow from their doorways, cutting up country food and so on.
Mr. Speaker, even though they are older, they are aware of what needs to be done to continue with their daily living, but their ability to do it is limited.
Mr. Speaker, with limitations on what they can do, our elders find it difficult to stay in good health and live as comfortably as other residents in the community.
Their situation causes much stress and hardship on our elders, especially when they are by themselves in their dwellings.
Mr. Speaker, these circumstances have led to the untimely passing away of a number of our Arviat elders.
Mr. Speaker, Arviarmiut are very compassionate and considerate.
Therefore, I am conveying their request that the government consider establishing an elders’ group home in Arviat so that our elders can live more comfortably and make life lighter for themselves and their families. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member’s Statement 361 – 2(4): The Annual Fraser Institute Rankings (Peterson)
Nunavut’s mineral resources are the envy of many jurisdictions and countries around the world. Our potential remains largely untapped, and we must continue to work hard to attract exploration and development activity.
Mr. Speaker, Nunavut’s representatives attend industry gatherings and work hard to promote our territory. This week they are attending the Prospectors & Developers Conference, the world’s largest mining conference.
They are trying to get the word out that Nunavut is a stable political jurisdiction with sensible policies that support natural resource development.
Mr. Speaker, the Vancouver-based Fraser Institute annually ranks countries, states, provinces and territories on how attractive they are to mining companies as locations to invest their exploration money.
They survey over 300 mining executives to prepare their annual rankings.
Mr. Speaker, the institute has developed a Policy Potential Index that measures the overall policy attractiveness of the 68 jurisdictions in the survey in terms of how welcoming they are to companies.
I am disappointed to note that Nunavut’s ranking has fallen to 54th place out of the 68 jurisdictions surveyed. In the previous year, we were ranked 39th, and are now ranked just above Papua New Guinea.
Ten provinces and the NWT are ranked above Nunavut. Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba are in the top five. They are our Canadian competitors.
Mr. Speaker, the mining executives who were surveyed indicated that Nunavut’s regulatory regime, workforce, and lack of infrastructure are factors in their decisions whether or not to invest in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I was encouraged last year when the Department of Economic Development and Transportation released the Government of Nunavut’s new Mineral Exploration and Mining Strategy.
The Minister of Finance’s recent budget speech stated that the strategy, and I quote, “is designed to prepare Nunavummiut to benefit from mineral development, create an infrastructure to enable it, and develop policies to promote and sustain this important economic driver.”
I was also encouraged to see movement towards developing a uranium mining industry.
Mr. Speaker, request unanimous consent to continue my statement.
Please proceed, Member Peterson.
Mr. Speaker, the department’s 2008-09 business plan indicated that a “final report on the review” of Nunavut’s permitting and regulatory structures to identify areas of inefficiency and duplication was completed in the fall 2007.
I look forward to reading the final report and recommendations and urge the minister to table this report in the Legislative Assembly without further delay.
However, it is clear to me that much more needs to be done to slash the red tape that is impeding our journey towards greater economic self-sufficiency and prosperity for our communities.
I also note that the department’s business plan for the coming year indicates that it will “support the Department of Education in the development of a mine training facility in Nunavut.”
Mr. Speaker, the Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project has been a dream of the Kitikmeot Inuit since 1994.
They recognized 14 years ago that most of the Kitikmeot’s mineral resources in the Slave Geologic Province cannot be accessed without mining infrastructure.
The BIPAR proponents – Kitikmeot Corporation and Nuna Logistics - recently submitted their 5,000 page, 10-binder application to Nunavut Impact Review Board. It is the first Inuit-owned application that NIRB has received.
Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that with the Nunavut mine training initiatives that are currently underway, coupled with improvements in Nunavut’s permitting and regulatory structures, and supported by NIRB’s full and open public review of Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project, that the 2009 Fraser Institute rankings will show Nunavut in the top five Canadian jurisdictions.
Member’s Statement 362 – 2(4): Birthday Greetings to Husband (Aglukkaq)
Today is a very special day for a very special someone. It’s my husband’s birthday today, so if he’s listening today, happy birthday, (interpretation) and I love you, (interpretation ends) and I hope you have a good day, Robbie.
Member’s Statement 363 – 2(4): Reflections on the State of Democracy and Debate in Nunavut (Curley)
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) As we approach slowly the end of the Second Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to offer some reflections on the state of democracy and debate in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, for the record, no one needs any lessons on this area but this Assembly can improve to allow for more public participation, in my opinion.
It is my intention to make a number of statements in the coming months on this important theme.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, the Legislative Assembly is presently considering the government’s main estimates and business plans for the coming year. These are very important documents that we have.
I find it very interesting to note that if one carefully reviews the government’s business plans for the coming year, the word “strategy” appears in the document in no less than 138 times.
Mr. Speaker, as Members of the Legislative Assembly, we frequently raise concerns regarding the infrastructure deficit in our communities, the shortage of funding for new capital projects, and the lack of health care professionals.
These are very serious issues, Mr. Speaker.
However, Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that the government does not lack, it is strategy documents, “action plans,” and indeed, “plans of action.”
Mr. Speaker, we have an Energy Strategy, we have a Nunavut Transportation Strategy, a Suicide Intervention and Prevention Strategy, a Char Marketing Strategy, an Olympic Games Marketing Strategy, and a Carving Stone Action Plan.
We have strategies to address youth, children, elders, and women. What else?
Mr. Speaker, I could go on for quite some time, but it will not surprise me if the day comes when the government hires a consultant to produce a “Strategy for the Development of Strategies.”
Mr. Speaker, what about the public and the business community, and our communities? Who will consult with them?
Mr. Speaker, although I agree that strategies and plans are important, the act of simply producing colourful documents is not enough.
I ask for unanimous consent to finish my comments.
Mr. Curley: Thank you and I appreciate my colleagues, Mr. Speaker.
We need concrete ways of implementing the strategies. We need to allocate hard dollars and real people to make them work.
Mr. Speaker, I also believe that we need to fully and rigorously scrutinize the strategies that are produced and tabled in this Legislative Assembly, and allow for more public debate.
They need to be publicly debated so that our constituents can see what their government is doing.
Mr. Speaker, I will have more to say on this theme in the coming days.
I would like to recognize a visitor who is a Captain from the Navy, Captain T.C. Tulloch.
The military is up here on training exercises.
Tulloch; his name is very appropriate for the work that he does in Inuktitut, but we don’t have a port up here, my apologies for that. I encourage you to come back once we have a port.
I also want to recognize Sammie Peter, who is one of my constituents.
Next to him is one of your constituents, Abraham Angnakak.
Yes, I most certainly do represent him.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome to the Gallery a young student, a constituent of mine from Apex from a well-known family here in Iqaluit and Apex, Margo Crawford.
Question 457 – 2(4): Status of Fuel Hedging Policy (Barnabas)
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) My questions today are for the Minister of Finance.
The world price of oil remains above $100 U.S. a barrel and there appears to be no end in sight to price increases. The government has now introduced regulations to allow its new Fuel Hedging Strategy to be implemented.
Can the minister outline for the House today the next steps of implementing this strategy for the 2008 fuel re-supply?
It is the same question that was posed and at this time, we are still reviewing exactly what it is.
At this time, the Cabinet will have to review what we will be doing, so I cannot answer that question at this time.
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) MLAs have urged the government to be frank with Nunavummiut about the risks involved in a hedging strategy, and I was glad to see that the government’s budget package acknowledges that there is risk.
Can the minister indicate to the House today how it will manage this risk?
As I just stated, the hedging policy for fuel, with regards to how much we can go over and how much we can expend for the fuel re-supply, at this time, we are in the process of figuring out how it could be best handled and managed.
For example, if we’re to buy the fuel, we could make investments to sell it to contractors.
At this time, we still have to work those out. So for that reason, once this policy is in place and completed, and had been reviewed by the Cabinet, then I will be able to give him a definite answer.
On February 19 of last year, the GN announced additional funding of $1.5 million to assist municipalities to “help reduce the impact of increased power and fuel costs.”
Can the minister indicate to the House if the GN is considering similar additional help for municipalities this year?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): I am not too clear on that, so I will have to get back to the member so that I can give him a proper response, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Barnabas, the minister will get back to you on that question.
Question 458 – 2(4): Preferred Option for Renovations of Inuksuk High School (Tootoo)
My question is for the Minister responsible for Ed-ucation.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday when I was asking the minister about the renovation to the Inuksuk High School, he had indicated that they need to get a firm handle on dollar values as well as timeframes.
In relation to the preferred option of the government, I’m just wondering if you could give us an idea if they have a handle on things yet.
As I indicated yesterday in the House, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done on the options that had come forward, and by working through those options in the options paper, I think we have been able to whittle it from nine down to three.
There is one preferred option that the member was speaking about yesterday, and with that option, there are also other contingencies that need to be factored in. For example, there’s landscaping issues, transportation issues, as well as sighting issues. So when those are completed, as well as construction costs and so on, then we will have a better number.
At that time, we would have to seek extra funds, depending on the price tag, to the FMB, but again, those are the logistics as well as the financial things we have to work out.
Does the minister have any idea of how much extra money? I know the deputy minister, at the annual general meeting had indicated, and I think it was in the media, that the budget had to be approved for it. We approved the capital budget in the fall, so that would indicate that they don’t have enough money that’s been appropriated already.
So does he have any idea of how much more money they will be looking for that option?
We all know in the House here and businesses trying to do business in Nunavut, not just in Nunavut but across Canada, that capital costs have continued to increase.
I know I had a conversation with one of the ministers from Alberta before Christmas telling me that they had cancelled several billion dollars worth of capital projects because each project kept coming in over budget. So it’s not just unique to us here in Nunavut.
In this case, the longer the program goes on, then, of course, we see the costs coming up.
We know we had some discussion with the school; we had budgeted $17 million in the first two tenders that came in, and in this case, in the community of Gjoa Haven, the first tender came in at $33 million and the second came in at $30 million.
So that’s why we have a budgeted amount that we approved, over $21 million in the budget, to do the renovations that have been discussed.
However, we know that those costs have increased and we have to look at what those dollar values are, and that’s why we said in the House yesterday that there were contingencies and it was contingent on being able to bring those numbers down to a better estimate.
I understand, at the meeting, the deputy minister had indicated that she wasn’t able to offer many details but the department was still awaiting final approval of the budget, and like I said, I thought we approved that already.
It goes on to indicate that they’re expecting it to come in around $40 million now for the renovations. Can the minister confirm if that’s what the new costs are projected to be?
After speaking with the Premier very quickly, we’re working on that strategy and strategizing to see what those numbers would be.
If I am correct in hearing what the member had just said, I think the member suggested that it would be around $40 million, and that’s not the number that I have, Mr. Speaker, it’s actually lower than that.
Again, I don’t want to get into chasing a number because I don’t have those final figures, like I said, and we have to pick the final option and we have to have that public meeting, so I don’t want to preclude what’s going to occur in the meeting. However, what we are trying to do is ascertain what that number will be; we have a ballpark figure and we’re working towards that.