EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I think that all members are aware of and certainly the minister responsible has been listening to the discussions on this issue.
And they will all recognize that as we move towards our next budget finalization.
I don’t believe that the people out there, the people of Nunavut and the youth of Nunavut know where to send their proposals.
Apparently there’s money set aside for suicide prevention and intervention.
Can the people of Nunavut be made more aware of where to send their proposals.
Mr. Speaker, for that specific program, we obviously, I believe we have the interest so that goes to the Minister of Health and Social Services who has the direct responsibility in that program area.
Mr. Iqaqrialu, if your following supplementaries are related to your earlier questions, I suggest that you wait and the next question address it to the minister responsible.
Question 289-1(5): Involvement of Arctic Bay-Nanisivik Working Group
I would like to direct my question to the Minister Responsible for Sustainable Development.
When you are setting up the working group for Arctic Bay are you going to include Arctic Bay representatives as well.
We will include the communities that will be affected.
That is the only way that we can proceed properly.
Yes we will be asking for support and representation from the community of Arctic Bay when we are establishing the working group.
We will be working on the closure of Nanisivik mine and yes there will be representation from Arctic Bay.
Yesterday we were told that there will be an immediate establishment of a high level working group.
I'd like to ask the Minister when this working group will be established.
We will be working on it immediately and we are presently reviewing what we talked about yesterday.
We will do it as soon as it is possible because of course the closure is right around the corner.
We will work on it immediately.
I cannot at this time state the date.
But it will be done on a high priority basis.
I am thankful that the minister is responding to my questions and on behalf of the people of Arctic Bay, I would like to thank you.
When are you going to come with me to have a meeting in Arctic Bay.
I think that is a positive question.
I've never been to Arctic Bay since I got my ministerial portfolio.
I would like to have a good close working relationship with the member.
I will leave it up to her to set up the dates so that we can go up to Arctic Bay and check out both mines in the High Arctic region.
Of course I would like to talk to the member so that we will decide on a date that is most appropriate for her.
Ms. Williams (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course the live coverage.
I would like to meet with him as soon as this session is over.
Speaker: Thank you. There is no question there.
Just a statement.
Question 290-1(5): Review of Kitikmeot Boarding Home-RFP
Mr. Alakannuark (interpretation:) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
And I would also like to thank you for recognizing me.
I will be posing a question about the Boarding home that I went to see this summer.
As I said in my Member's Statement, I realized the facility was too small and there were children and newborns in the Kitikmeot boarding home.
At times there were boarders from the Keewatin area.
I would like to ask the minister if there is going to be a review of the Kitikmeot boarding home.
There is an ongoing process right now with an RFP that has been issued and closed to review the operations of the Kitikmeot Boarding Home in Yellowknife.
I was thinking about the youth, the children and the pregnant women that all live in this boarding home.
They have to have a comfortable place to live and they need more space for the children, the newborns and the mothers.
That's why I asked you when you are going to be reviewing this Kitikmeot Boarding Home.
Mr. Speaker, in an answer to a previous question by the Member for Kugluktuk, I tried to point out that indeed, part of the RFP proposal that is in place is to look at the size of the current facility and the need if, based on the numbers, warrant an expansion of the beds that are available.
At the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, the member is correct, we want to make sure that the patients staying at the home are well served and well served by the facility and that includes that wherever possible, we eliminate the possibility of overcrowding.
That's what we are trying to do Mr. Speaker, in the RFP.
Question 291 - 1(5): Hours of Both Spouses Required to Qualify for Income Support
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct another question to the Minister of Education.
As I said earlier, I was speaking about the number of hours that the income support recipients require.
Does that include myself and my wife, that we should have forty hours also to qualify.
Well they would have to be dealt with separately if you were a couple.
If you both approached the department for example, we would figure out if it is going to be a training program and if you are going to be working together, but the daily rates would be set out separately.
The Minister of Education said that they could approach the department at the same time.
I would go first as the man, and my spouse would come in right behind me.
I would like further clarification from the minister on what types of agreement we would come up with as a couple.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I used a couple as an example, if they wanted to work on the same project like working in a day care centre, they would be seen as working together.
If there is a difference between the types of training programs that the man and the wife wanted then they would be dealt with separately.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): As a couple if we want to go for assistance because we have no job and the situation can’t be helped.
If the Minister of Education was an income support worker and we went to him, can he say to me, I can give you income support only if you have the 40 hours.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Anyone can receive assistance through Social Services.
I just want to make that clear.
Clients are still eligible to receive assistance even without the hours.
But if a client comes in we could have an agreement where you would gain 40 hours in order to put you in a training program.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Again to Income Support.
We have a severe housing shortage in Nunavut.
For example as a couple we would be in one house and we would have our in-laws, our grandchildren and extended families all living in the same house.
If I went as a client as the head of the household to social services, would I only receive the amount that equals my wife and myself.
Does it also include the extended family that is living under the same roof.
If you came in as a client we would of course include you because you have no other means.
And if there were people in your house such as your children and extended family they could also be included.
We would also ask questions to find out if the people living under your roof qualify to be included in the amount that you would get.
Question 292-1(5): Update on Human Resources Tracking System
Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister responsible for Human Resources.
Mr. Speaker, last spring in March I believe I asked and enquired of the Minister as to whether he has any way of tracking our staff and our turnover rates within our public service.
At that time he indicated that they were finalizing or hoping to have by the end of March a new Human Resource system in place.
I am wondering if you can update this House as to if the Human Resource system is in place.
Minister Responsible for Human Resources. Minister Ng.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Human Resources has been working with the Department of Finance to try and put together a tracking system, along with the payroll system that we have to be able to provide us with that information.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that's the answer that I got last spring, except that last spring the minister indicated that they were hoping by the end of last March to have it in place.
I would just like to ask him if that system is up and running yet.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: I am looking through my briefing notes, to try and find the actual note, but I know that there has been some work done, but I don't have the exact progress report with me, but I will commit to providing that information to the member.
Mr. Speaker, since he is going to be providing that information to me that would be great, but I would also like to ask him if he could include whether it is the same system that was being worked on or trying to be implemented last March.
If it is the same system or if it is a new system and the costs involved with the implementation of that system.
Minster Ng.
Mr. Speaker, there is an implementation team that has an established time frame for testing and training users and the essential implementation of the system.
So it is now anticipated that the system will be operational early in February, according to the information that I have.
In respect of being functional. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, that is quite a time lag, almost a year from when it was supposed to be ready, eleven months.
I would like to ask the minister, as I asked in my earlier question, is it the same system that they were to have ready in March of last year or is it a new system and the costs associated with that if it is a different system.
I believe that the work and delays are in respect of trying to integrate a system that would be more functional.
That's one of the main reasons and it doesn't appear to me that it is a different system in that they are trying to integrate the current payroll information.
Part of the problem is trying to make sure that the integrity of the payroll system is intact, while at the same time trying to be able to access some of the employee data that Human Resources requires.
That's why there has been a joint working group between the two departments, because it has been a bit more complex than expected and hence the delay in some of the implementation, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister Ng. You will note that question period is now over and before we continue, we will take a short twenty-minute health break.
Members there is coffee in the members' lounge.
The Deputy Premier and the Manitoba delegation will join me in my office for coffee.
>>House recessed at 3.24 p.m. and resumed at 3.52 p.m.
Written Question 013 - 1(5): Status of 2001/2002 Capital Expenditures
The 2001-2002 Capital Estimates of the Government of Nunavut provided for one million dollars in the capital expenditures for the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
I’m sorry I should have said first this is to the Honourable Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
I’m sorry I didn’t say that in the first part.
What are the terms of reference for 300 thousand dollar study awarded to Lord Cultural Resource Planning and Management Limited to develop a strategic plan for the Nunavut Heritage Centre.
Two hundred thousand dollars was allocated to the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth in 2001-2002 for the Nunavut Youth and Elders’ Centre.
As of November 20th, 2001 what has the department spent these funds on.
Three hundred thousand dollars was allocated to the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth in 2001-2002 for a Nunavut Language Centre.
Petition 05 - 1(5): Medical Travel and Choice of Airline
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a petition from Repulse Bay.
The petition is about the cancellation of air services to the community of Repulse Bay.
The petition has 207 signatures.
Committee Report 11 - 1(5): Review of Bill 9 - Change of Name Act 2001
I am very pleased to have the opportunity today to provide the House with an overview of our Committee’s Report on the Review of Bill 9 – Change of Name Act, 2001.
Bill 9 was introduced in the House this past May during our Cambridge Bay sitting, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Health and Education for review.
Members were very pleased to see Bill 9 brought forward.
The intent of the Change of Name Act, 2001 is to simplify the process of changing one’s name and to make the process more accessible to the people of Nunavut.
This Bill is based on recommendations brought forward by Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit, Nunavut’s Law Review Commission, and is a result of the government’s commitment to make our legislation reflective of the needs and aspirations of Nunavummiut.
Over the past five months, the Committee solicited input on Bill 9 from across Nunavut and Members would like to thank those who presented their views to the Committee for their submissions.
Mr. Speaker, as a result of our review, Members of the Standing Committee are of the view that Bill 9 is a good first attempt at improving our legislation.
However, a number of concerns were raised.
the view that certain sections of the proposed Act might lead to confusion or difficulties not faced by the current Act;
the fact that many recommendations proposed by Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit are not addressed by the Bill; and
continuing concerns relating to the implementation and administration of all statutes governing the registration of personal identity information.
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Health and Education does not support the adoption of Bill 9 at this time.
While the Committee recognizes that we are all impatient for made-in-Nunavut changes to our legislation, Members feel that it would be preferable to make changes in the most comprehensive manner possible, rather than settling for short-term fixes on a piecemeal basis.
Mr. Speaker, the Committee’s Report includes the following recommendations:
that the process for correcting erroneous identity-related information, as well as the change of name process, be consolidated under a single piece of legislation;
that the process for verifying related documentation be more flexible and that application forms be simplified;
that any new legislation be accompanied by an extensive public information campaign;
that the Government support an increase in budget for the Department of Health and Social Services to be able to implement the new identity legislation when it comes forward; and
that the Department of Health and Social Services improve the administration of the current process for correcting errors as provided for under the Vital Statistics Act.
Given the tragic events of recent months, Members feel certain that Nunavummiut will understand the need for the Government to take more time to ensure that the system of personal identification in Nunavut is as secure as possible.
As one of our Law Review Commissioners pointed out, Nunavummiut, as well as other Canadians, will, more than ever, want to have correctly spelled names and accurate documents to prove who we really are.
In closing, the Standing Committee on Health and Education is of the view that Bill 9 should be permitted to fall off the order paper.
Members applaud the initiative of the Department of Health and Social Services in making this first attempt and suggest that the Department carefully consider the Committee’s recommendations, and work to introduce a new statute.
At this time I would like to move that the report of the Standing Committee be received and adopted by the House, and that it be entered into the record as read.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Nutarak. Do members agree that the report that has been received be adopted and entered into the record as read.
Bill 9 was introduced in the Legislative Assembly in May of this year, during the Cambridge Bay sitting of the Assembly, by the Honourable Edward Picco, Minister of Health and Social Services.
Members of the Standing Committee were very pleased to see Bill 9 brought forward.
The Bill was referred to the Standing Committee on May 24, 2001.
Given that Bill 9 received second reading just prior to the summer, the Standing Committee requested and received permission from the House to report back at the next sitting of the Assembly rather than within the normal 120 days.
In the early days of this Assembly, Members had raised the issue of naming as a concern to Nunavummiut.
The practice of government officials, RCMP and Hudson’s Bay managers many years ago, and, more recently Project Surname (which took place in the late 1960s and early 1970s) resulted in many Inuit having their names incorrectly spelled or even improperly allocated.
The Government responded to the concerns raised in the House.
When Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit, Nunavut’s Law Review Commission, was established in 1999 with the mandate to identify laws that are not consistent with the vision and goals of Nunavummiut or Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, the first set of laws to come under the Commission’s review related to the themes of names, identity and family.
After extensive public consultation, the Commission’s First Report was tabled in the House in October of 2000.
The Report contained a number of recommendations relating to the Change of Name Act, the Vital Statistics Act, the Custom Adoption Recognition Act, and the Official Languages Act.
Bill 9 is a direct result of the commitment made by this government to make our legislation reflective of the needs and aspirations of Nunavummiut.
The intention of Bill 9 is to simplify the process of changing one’s name, making it easier for Inuit to correct errors in their names.
Bill 9 would replace the Change of Name Act and would allow people to change their name by application to the Registrar of Vital Statistics, which falls under the Department of Health and Social Services, instead of through the Nunavut Court of Justice.
The Bill would allow for a one-year period in which fees for name changes will be waived.
Members were pleased to note that the Bill would eventually provide for people to have their names registered in Inuktitut syllabics as well as in English (Roman) orthography, an initiative that truly reflects the spirit and intent of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
The overall intent of this Bill is to make the service more accessible to the people of Nunavut.
Since the creation of Nunavut, the process for changing one’s name has been implemented through Nunavut’s Court of Justice.
In April of 2000, the Minister of Justice announced the Change of Name Initiative, a program designed to make the change of name process easier for Nunavut residents.
The Court Services Division and the Department of Justice worked together to simplify the application forms and to train staff to process applications during court visits to the communities.
In addition, a 1-800 number was established, court fees were waived, and a working relationship was established with Vital Statistics.
This is the process that is currently in place.
Committee Consultation on Bill 9
As the Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit Commissioners had already visited communities and heard directly from the public on these issues, Committee members reviewed the information and decided to focus consultation efforts on soliciting input from representative levels of municipal government and from key stakeholder groups, as well as from constituents and the general public.
In mid-July, the Chair of the Committee wrote to all Nunavut Mayors and Senior Administrative Officers inviting communities to make written submissions on the Bill, or to indicate their interest in appearing before the Committee.
At the same time, the Chair wrote to Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the Nunavut Social Development Council, the Chairs of all three Regional Inuit Organizations, and the Chair of Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit, inviting each of these bodies to make written submissions on the Bill or to indicate their interest in appearing before the Committee.
Given the Nunavut Court of Justice’s experience in implementing the Change of Name Initiative, with nearly two hundred applications processed in the year 2000, representatives of the Court of Justice were also contacted for submissions regarding Bill 9.
Input on the Bill was solicited from the public through the local media.
Newspaper advertisements were placed in Nunatsiaq News and News North from July 20 to August 31, 2001; a Public Service Announcement was provided to CBC North for radio broadcast and a short text calling for public submissions on the Bill was broadcast on local community television stations.
The Standing Committee on Health and Education would like to thank those representatives who presented their views to the Committee. The comments and suggestions received were most useful in reviewing the Bill.
Copies of submissions received are included as appendices to this report.
While recognizing that Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit had already addressed this issue in depth at the community level, Committee members were still somewhat surprised with the level of response to an issue that concerns a great many people.
Committee Concerns
Members of the Standing Committee on Health and Education are of the view that Bill 9 is a good first attempt at improving legislation for the benefit of Nunavummiut.
The intent of the Bill is to simplify the change of name process and to make the service more accessible to Nunavummiut.
However, Members of the Standing Committee raised three main areas of concern with Bill 9.
The first area of concern relates to the wording in some sections in the Bill where the new phrasing may lead to more difficulties or confusion than the wording in the current Act. The notion of “custody”, for example, refers to the rights and obligations that an adult may have with respect to a child or a person who lacks mental capacity.
Certain provisions of the proposed Act that relate to custody do not adequately take into account the various situations that may arise when one individual is making decisions for another.
In addition, Members felt that the principles of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit had not been adequately addressed with respect to the issue of consent and the age at which an individual is able to make decisions for themselves.
Proposed sections of Bill 9 relating to marriage and divorce are not as clear as in the current Act, which quite satisfactorily explains that applications for change of name are not generally required in these circumstances.
In addition, changing the term of residency in Nunavut from one year to three months before being permitted to apply for a change of name increases the potential for people to abuse the Act, for example, by moving to Nunavut and changing one’s name in order to avoid paying child support.
The second area of concern lies with the fact that Bill 9 only addresses a portion of the recommendations found within Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit First Report to the Premier.
With respect to the legislation under review, the Commission’s Report contains several specific suggestions for amendments to the Vital Statistics Act that are not addressed, even though Bill 9 makes other amendments to the Vital Statistics Act.
For example, the Commission recommended that traditional Inuit naming practices be recognized in the Vital Statistics Act by allowing a greater period of time to register names for newborn babies.
Bill 9 also does not refer to the Adoption Act, nor to the Custom Adoption Recognition Act, which both contain references to the change of name of adopted children.
In discussions with the Committee, the Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit Commissioners reiterated their view that a single piece of legislation should cover all aspects of identity (including name, gender, birth date, place of birth, etc.) instead of having multiple pieces of legislation as is presently the case.
Even with the adoption of Bill 9, this situation would continue.
The Committee does note, however, that many recommendations presented by Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit do not require any change in legislation in order to implement them and improve the situation for Nunavummiut.
Many concerns heard by the Maligarnit Qimmirrujiit Commissioners, and subsequently discussed in their report, relate to the correcting of personal information.
Making the necessary corrections is currently possible through section 28 of the Vital Statistics Act.