EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, we have not begun to inoculate in Nunavut, for small pox, anthrax or any of these chemical, biological or any other type of instance that we have heard about at this time.
I am also not aware of any time frame where we will be doing this.
It would be based on national directives as our national government; our Federal Government have the responsibility for that.
Question 483 – 1(6): Plans for Docking Facility for Baker Lake
Over the last four years, the community of Baker Lake has been asking the Department of Community Government & Transportation about a new docking facility for our community.
The present facility as we know is really just a lump of dirt in the centre of town.
I know it’s the only inland community in Nunavut, and when I travel around and I see the luxurious docks that they have in every other community and break waters, I said to myself, a person got killed there a few years ago, in the centre of town when a ship arrived, it’s all chaos.
Can the Minister update me on the department’s plans to build a new docking facility in the community?
I am aware of this through the Member of the Legislative Assembly and through various people in Baker Lake that they need a new docking facility.
I’ve seen it first hand.
I used to live in Baker Lake with my husband.
I’ve already directed my staff to go there this summer and investigate the site where it might be possible to put a new dock and then after that we can see what we can do in terms of funding that project.
It’s nice to know the Minister is taking our concerns and the concerns of the community seriously, as usual.
Is this a federal jurisdiction or a territorial jurisdiction?
Hon. Manitok Thompson: Mr. Speaker, I’m not even sure but I will find a way to build a dock there regardless.
I’ll have to find a way.
Question 484 – 1(6): Plans for Home Heating Fuel
My question is for the Minister responsible for Petroleum Products.
Last Friday, the Minister had committed to ensuring that the home heating fuel in all the communities was going to be tested.
I want to ask the Minister if he has any plans in place as to when that testing is going to take place.
My response was that these communities that received the fuel that we would get the tanks in these communities checked and the levels as well of last year’s supply, especially in those two communities of Cape Dorset and Naujaat.
We will find out how much of the supply was left from the year before when the new shipment came in.
We’ve started work on that.
Mr. Speaker, I’m just wondering if the Minister can indicate, again he’s going back to just those two communities, what communities received the home heating fuel from that, I believe it was Texas refinery where that additive was added in there.
Can the Minister indicate which communities in Nunavut received fuel from that shipment?
The Kivalliq communities and Baffin communities received that same fuel shipment.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister indicated the two eastern regions, the central and the western area of Nunavut.
I’ll assume that Iqaluit was included in the Baffin Region.
Sometimes we get their shipments a little bit differently.
Is the Minister committed to, as he had indicated on Friday, checking the fuel in all the communities in those two regions to make sure that we’re not going to run into the same problem as they’re running into in the communities that have been reported already.
Yes, I will commit to that and I will repeat that the communities that received this fuel through these contractors, I will get staff and officials to check and see what additives we’re missing in these.
We’ll find out exactly what the levels of shipment were received from the previous year as well as the current year.
I don’t have the exact preliminary results in front of me of the study.
I will also check to see if this same fuel is causing any problems in other communities and we’ll find out if this fuel came from the same refinery.
The Minister just indicated that the two regions, the Baffin and the Kivalliq got all the same fuel.
I’d like to ask the Minister if he could provide us with any plans that the department has of schedule or a time frame in which it plans on checking the fuel in all the communities in those two regions.
Like I said earlier, we’ll find out what was added onto this fuel and find out the exact contents of this fuel and proceed to the other communities.
At this point, we’re focussing on the two communities.
As I’ve been saying, this supply, we don’t exactly know what is missing from the additives.
From then on, we will proceed to ask the contractors to see exactly what the contents of this fuel were.
Now that the weather getting warmer, we’re thinking that the problems won’t be as much as the winter.
But we are looking into the matter and we will deal with it the best way we can and we expect the problems won’t be as recurring with the warmer weather coming.. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Are there any further Oral Questions.
Question 485 – 1(6): Setting Polar Bear Quotas
Thank goodness you looked at your list.
My question is directed to the Minister of Sustainable Development regarding the number of polar bear quotas set in the communities.
In respect to the High Arctic communities of Arctic Bay, Resolute Bay, and Grise Fiord, what is their involvement in the process and what information will you be disseminating as to how the quotas were formulated and when?
The local HTOs in these communities are the signatories to these agreements.
They represent the community regarding wildlife issues in the communities.
I am sure that they have a good understanding and familiarity with local community concerns and we will be dealing with the HTOs to deal with this issue.
Yes, I know that they represent the local residents really well.
My question was, what undertakings did the Department of Sustainable Development operate, such as have they gone to the communities?
Have they met with the HTOs regarding these MOUs?
If they have not gone up there, then when are they going up to the communities?
There is a schedule of the communities that will be toured and I can provide the information to the Member as to which communities have been visited, and whether the three communities she represents will be visited, if they have not been visited already.
I will let her know when we plan to visit those communities.
Tabled Document 097 – 1(6): The First Annual Report of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqagninnut Task Force
Today I will Table the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Review that was a report from 2002.
These are the recommendations from this Working Group on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
The recommendations for the council and the terms of reference are within these documents, from the recommendations made to the Government.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Working Group that worked on the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Group, and it really helped out the Government.
Tabled Document 098 – 1(6): Terms of Reference for Noth the Inuit Qaujimajatuqanit Katimajiit and Tuqtarviit
I would like to Table a Document on the Terms of Reference for the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Committee from Nunavut, and also from the Nunavut Government, Tuqtarvik, I know that these individuals are very knowledgeable and they will be very beneficial to the Nunavut Government.
The elders will be involved during Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Meetings.
Whereas no community in Nunavut has been spared the tragic consequence of suicide and whereas suicide threatens the very future of our communities and our youth, and whereas we can no longer hide behind walls of grief, silence and inaction.
What it is saying is that we can no longer hide behind the walls of grief, silence and being silent even when other people suffer through this experience.
And whereas no single individual or organization can end this crisis alone.
And whereas every member of the Legislative Assembly bears the responsibility of contributing to the fight against suicide;
And whereas this house wishes to confirm its unwavering determination to support efforts to end Nunavut’s suicide crisis.
Now, therefore I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Baker Lake, that the Government of Nunavut establish a task force on suicide prevention and community healing;
And further, I move that the task force be established no later than May 1, 2003.
And furthermore, I move that the task force be charged with responsibility of examining the issue of suicide in Nunavut and make recommendations for real action in the areas of suicide prevention and community healing;
And, I further move that the task force be broadly representative of Nunavut communities, youth, elders, healers, educators, and justice workers. The task force receive all necessary resources and support from the Government of Nunavut;
The task force report to the Minister of Health and Social Services within six months of its establishment and the Minister of Health and Social Services table the task force report in the Legislative Assembly.
To the motion? Question has been called.
Bill 33 – Tobacco Control Act – First Reading
Mr. Speaker, let me just say quickly on the motion that as the Minister of Health and Social Services, I appreciate the motion on the suicide task force.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Rankin Inlet South and Whale Cove that Bill 33, the Tobacco Control Act be read for the first time.
The motion is carried Item 18.
Bill 30, Bill 31, Bill 32 and Minister’s Statement 126-1(6) with Mr. Irqittuq in the chair.
In accordance with the authority provided to me by Motion 002-1 (6), Committee of the Whole will stay in session until itself out.
>>House recessed at 15:21 p.m. and resumed at 15:50 p.m.
Please try to remain seated during Committee of the Whole.
Today in Committee of the Whole we will be dealing with the following items Bill 30, Bill 31, Bill 32 and Minister’s Statements 126-1(6).
What is the wish of the committee? Ms. Williams.
The committee would like to continue dealing with reviewing Bill 30 for the Department of Health and Social Services and also if we have time, we would like to move on reviewing Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Minister Picco, if you’re ready, you can go to the witness table.
Sergeant-at-Arms please escort the Minister’s officials.
Mr. Minister, please introduce your officials.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and good afternoon.
With me today are on my right Mr. Keith Best, acting Deputy Minister of the Department of Health and Social Services and on my left, Mr. Don Maychruk, Director of Corporate Affairs.
Also, with us in the gallery today, we have Mr. Andrew Tagak.
He is in charge of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit with the Department of Health and Social Services.
Also with us, our senior policy analyst within the department, Ms. Lori Idlout.
With that Mr. Chairman, we are prepared to continue with page 10-5 on the review of the Department of Health and Social Services 2003 business plan.
Are there any comments or questions?
We did not complete this page.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total Operations and Maintenance, $17 million 61 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Turning the page. 10-8.
Healthy Children, Families and Communities.
I have a question on page 10-8 and I hope it’s on this line item.
In regards to my statement yesterday where we were talking about Health and Social Services.
I spoke about the recommendations by the Nunavut Social Development Council.
They are responsible for Article 32.
I was going to ask a question Mr. Chairman, to the Minister, how many recommendations have you implemented to the department from Nunavut Social Development Council.
I’m just getting the information right now.
Mr. Chairman, there were several issues related to the Health and Social Services from Article 32 that were brought forth.
Some of the work has been done on the recommendations. As we know, Nunavut Social Development Council was under the land claims, set up as a separate entity.
Its Headquarters were in Igloolik and then were moved to Iqaluit quickly after the Elections the new leader for NTI, the Nunavut Social Development Council as a distinct and a separate entity was ended and Nunavut Social Development Council no longer became a society.
However, under Article 32, there are concerns that have been now brought forward though the auspices of the new working groups that are in place under the Land Claim, under the Nunavut Social Development Council.
And there are several different ones.
Would the Member want me to go through each page and then give a specific overview of what has been done by the Department?
Thank you for letting me know of what has been happening; I used to be a Chairperson when this was established under the Land Claims.
So, thank you for reminding me of what used to happen before.
Under the Article 32, it talks about that Government’s obligation to be included in Policy making, delivery of programs and how they are delivered.
So, my question to the Minister is, have they been involvement to fulfill their obligation under the Land Claims to make sure that policies and programs and method of delivery are done by Social Services according to the recommendations that were given on a report called “In Our Own Terms?” I hope that is a little bit clearer.
Mr. Chairman, as you know in the Land Claims was signed off in 1993.
One of the boards and agencies set up under the Land Claim was the Nunavut Arbitration Board, which has the Mandate to review the total Land Claims.
And having been a founding member of the Nunavut Arbitration Board, I certainly remember, I hope that the different Members would like to, remember Williams, we are on a different and varying Agencies.
As part of the Mandate of the Arbitration Board, as one of the co-founders of that group, was to review the legal implications and the recommendations.
So, I can say, with some authority, Mr. Chairman, that the recommendations by Article 32 specifically outlined in the Land Claim have been followed.
I will give specific examples for the Member.
One of the issues surrounded that incorporating traditional, social and cultural values as well as practises within the Department of Health and Social Services, for example, the traditional usage of midwifery, which we have actually extended and enhance, as the Members know in Rankin Inlet.
I would suggest to you that we have a long ways to go yet before we can meet some of the obligations under that end of things and that is part of the budget that we are in dealing with right now, Mr. Chairman.
We have also looked at; under the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, the Department of Health and Social Services was the first Department in Government specifically having Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit specialists within the Department.
Mr. Tagak is with us again here today, and he is reviewing the policies, procedures and so on with the Department to make sure that they incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
I would also suggest to you, Mr. Chairman, later this month; we are doing a traditional healing workshop.
We are actually having unilingual healers and traditional councillors, well known to the many people in this room, Meeka and Abraham Arnakak, who are delivering not only counselling skills, workshops, something that you have talked about, Mr. Chairman.
They are also working in the professional way, in a structured classroom with nurses, with mental health and addiction workers and so on, with the social workers.
So, that again is incorporating some of the policies and recommendations from the Nunavut Social Development Council within the Department of Health and Social Services.
We have looked at setting up the Local Health Committees in communities and helping them with appropriate training so that they can undertake collaborative planning, which is outlined under Article 32.
Article 32 is not only a responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Services; it’s a government-wide responsibility.
I think you also want to talk about using elders as advisors in the Department of Health and Social Services.
We’ve done that too.
I think in quite of few of the recommendations, we’ve done that and on page 94 it talks about the Nunavut Social Development Council recommending a conference of Inuit elders, Inuit leaders, government health and welfare officials, Inuit and non-Inuit field workers, to be convened and review Inuit traditions in health.
This was the major recommendation to the department from Nunavut Social Development Council and we’re moving forward with that workshop and conference in the coming months and we are reviewing legislation to make sure that indeed we have things that are incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
So, I think we’ve done quite a bit but the member is correct that there are some other issues that we need to move forward on.
On the same page, a different question.
Everything is lumped up here, information and research, health promotions to Bathurst Mandate to dental activities and there are some social worker programs in there, lots of health promotion.
The title says “Family and Communities.” I’m not sure if this include social services.
My question is how much of the $33 million dollars is for health related and how much of it is for the social services program.
Mr. Chairman, everything that we do at the department is social services, whether it is mental health workers working with a client, that’s a form of social work.
Some times we get confused as a department ourselves by looking at what the job title is and is that what you do.
For example is it just a social worker doing a social work job.
Are nurses are doing social work, our mental health workers, addictions councillors, our community wellness workers, the many people that we have in the field, at various times and given times, they’re doing social work.
That’s why within the integrated Department of Health and Social Services, it’s called Health and Social Services.
So specifically to look at one line item in the budget and say this is social services, it’s very difficult to do because everything we do is social services.
What I could do for the member is break out the number of social workers that you have in Nunavut as a total and say this is what the salaries are and this is their operating budget but that wouldn’t be fair or realistic because there is so much that goes on within the department that touches on as part of social services, and each line item whether it’s in healthy children, families and community and so on, through the budget as part of social services.
Thank you, for the explanation from the Minister.
That’s probably why some of the communities are confused because the department some times is very hard to understand what it is trying to do, except when we’re sick and we have to go to the hospital or when someone’s child has been apprehended.
Those are two very different things.
And I’m sure it could be very quickly divided up.
My question is on the next page Mr. Chairman, Suicide Prevention, can the Minister tell us that there is nothing for 2003/2004 and can the Minister explain why that is.
Mr. Chairman, $97 thousand dollars that was indicated was part of our contribution to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention Program that will be ran here in Iqaluit in May, their annual general meeting and that was our contribution to that meeting.
Just the line above that, funding to Nunavut Municipalities provide Alcohol and Drug Treatment Programs.
It has not increased.
I am just wondering is the problem staying the same?
Or do we have more people drinking?
It seems like there are many people getting into trouble with the law.
We also know that when people are drinking, they get involved with breaking the law, but there is no increase at all for the Alcohol and Drugs Program.
Can the Minister explain that?
Mr. Chairman, this is part of the stacked agreement that we have with the Federal Government.
It helps to provide some of the Awareness Programs around Alcohol and Drug Programs within communities.
That is why it is a constant amount, because they have not increased through stacked agreement with the Federal Government.
My question is there is no increase.
Do we have the same problems as we did two years ago?
That was my question, because there was no increase in funding.
Is the problem exactly the same as 2002?
Mr. Chairman, in the Main Estimates, you will see that the amount for last year was 949, and this year it is 949.
That agreement that we have in place does not expire until 2004, next year.
At that time it will be re-negotiated.
At that time, the Member is correct; we would be looking for an increase in the amount of money available from the Federal Government.
My first question is about Rankin Inlet; they have a Birthing Centre where they have incorporated Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
I am not exactly sure what the Facility is like, and the incorporation of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit?
Can he clarify this for me?
Mr. Chairman, we have been very proud of the program that has gone on in Rankin Inlet.
I want to give out a commendation to Minister Ng, when he was Health Minister in the previous Government of the Northwest Territories.
He had the foresight to initiate that program.
What we have done over the last couple of years, Mr. Chairman, is to put more work into the program itself.
And now, Mr. Chairman, we believe we are at the point where we can expand the birthing services, through traditional midwife, as the Member has talked about to other communities and that would be the plan to bring these services to other communities.
The Member has brought up many times, Mr. Chairman, about how women have had to go out of their own communities, and so on or down south in some cases because of the lack of a place to have a baby in a good environment.
That is one of the things that we are moving forward on, under Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
We are using traditional practises within that.
As the Member knows, again we are proceeding with the traditional midwifery program and training within the Territory this upcoming fiscal year.
In regards to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, we were born not a Birthing Centre, but in a home, in our own homes. We were born using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
I do not believe that this birthing center that does not incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, but uses contemporary methods.
One thing that I would like further information is do you have Inuit midwives?
Mr. Chairman, first of all, one of the big questions I have received as the Minister of Health and Social Services is why we have not been able to have more home birth children and local birth of children.
I think the Member has made an excellent point.
Twenty years ago, I would suggest to you that a lot of women were healthier.
There wasn’t so much process foods, that we did not see diabetic populations, maybe there would not be much smoking and so on.
Today, we are seeing lower birth rates in some cases and we want to make sure that when the child is born that indeed that it is done the very best way.
One of the things we do know of it is that the infant mortality rate in the 40’s and 50’s is very high in Nunavut.
And infant mortality rate is still high but it has dropped considerably.
They are incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit traditional practises within the birthing center.
As the Members know, we have Inuit working there.
One lady in particular has done excellent service for us, an Inuk and she incorporates traditional Inuit practises within that.
I have also been, for example, Mr. Chairman, been approached by women here in Iqaluit to look at expanding our traditional practise of midwives with some Elders here in Iqaluit as well as other people.
So, we are progressing by using the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit within that framework and by having the deliveries, we are actually incorporating, as the Member has said, the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit model.
I would also recommend to the Member for the next time we have an opportunity to be in Rankin Inlet, I think next month or we go to Baker Lake, stop in and you could actually see some of the work that has been there, be able to talk to some of the staff.
But again, we would like to use that model in other places in Nunavut.