EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, I support our government in its ongoing efforts to work with other provinces and territories to impress upon Ottawa the urgent need for new resources to be provided to our legal aid system.
Mr. Speaker, government makes the laws for its citizens to follow and live by.
It is incumbent upon governments to provide sufficient funding to ensure that the public receives timely justice.
Member’s Statement 545 – 2(4): Lack of Jet Services in the High Arctic (Arvaluk)
Last evening, we had dinner with several First Air officials. I would like to thank them first of all for the dinner.
We had an opportunity to discuss with the executives of First Air where we sat with them and raised our concerns with regards to ticketing and other concerns of the communities.
I prefer not to jog the collective memory of the government regarding an issue I have raised on numerous occasions whereby we can improve the services in the High Arctic, especially when the communities no longer receive jet services. All of them are without jet service.
Again, 50 percent of the communities within the Baffin region are in the High Arctic and there are six communities in the High Arctic with approximately 50 percent of the communities separated by long distances.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): For example, Grise Fiord passengers travelling to Iqaluit take upwards of several hours on a small plane and this is especially arduous if you’re an elder or are ill when you have to put up with a flight that long.
I think that I have to remind the government of the need for a jet-capable airstrip hub in the High Arctic. I have already provided the example that if there was a jet service hub in Pond Inlet, it could service a total of six communities in its immediate vicinity.
The government ought to commission a complete review of the High Arctic to see how we can provide faster and cheaper air services to the High Arctic communities, especially for medical patients travelling to Iqaluit for treatment. It’s as if the High Arctic residents are treated like non-Nunavummiut, as strangers, based on the quality of service provided by the airline companies.
For those of us who have travelled to Grise Fiord, we know that it’s quite demanding to try and coordinate travel to the community. You could just imagine the difficulties faced by medical patients travelling to or from Iqaluit. They undergo tedious travel times due to long distances.
We would like the government to look into the situation when they have a chance to do so because it’s becoming a major concern to High Arctic residents.
Member’s Statement 546 – 2(4): Rankin Inlet Residents Walk Against Cancer (Curley)
I rise today for the need for every one of us to join in the fight against cancer.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize three residents of Rankin Inlet.
I am pleased to inform the House that Veronica Tattuinnee, Lizzie Tattuinnee, and Leonie Berry will be involved in the fight against cancer by travelling to Winnipeg later this month to join the Challenge for Life walk.
This 18-mile or 20-kilometre walk will benefit the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.
Mr. Speaker, the community of Rankin Inlet has been very supportive of their efforts.
All of our families have been touched by tragedy at one point or another, and it is gratifying to see the community support Veronica, Lizzie, and Leonie in their efforts.
They are young ladies.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members of the House to join me in congratulating these three Nunavummiut for their courage and dedication to a worthy cause and for supporting the fund-raising event which is aimed at including Nunavut. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
Member’s Statement 547 – 2(4): Relocation of Inuit to Communities (Kattuk)
I rise today to speak to an issue that I have raised on more than one occasion and it’s the hardship that the government caused when they were bringing the Inuit into settlements.
I am grateful for the apology from the Prime Minister, but I also remember my parents, uncles, and relatives who went through hardships when they were relocated from their camps to the settlements.
At that time, we went through very hard times.
A lot of relatives were brought to one location.
The reasoning behind it was that it was going to be too expensive to govern the people if they were scattered out in camps.
Mr. Speaker, family members had to move to communities and they weren’t given any transportation.
I remember my father who didn’t have a boat or a canoe and only had a Qajaq.
There were a lot of us children and my grandmother was still alive at that time.
So there were a lot of us and there were also a lot of dogs that had to be transported to the community. No type of transportation was provided when the Inuit were forced to relocate to the settlements.
I especially remember the announcement that 15 houses would be built by local men with the necessary skills and all the men who were available went to the community to build the houses.
At that time, there was no form of transportation other than Qajait and the men went to the community to build the houses. At that time, they also left all their belongings at their camps, believing that they would return upon completion of the houses.
I remember my uncle who had two sets of dog teams.
He would use one set for day hunting and the other for long distance hunting.
At the time of the relocation, all the dogs were tied at the top of the nearby cliff.
So when they were moving to the community, he shot all the dogs and they would fall over the cliff.
My father also did that.
It was very hard at that time and I can say that what I’m saying is the truth because I still see the bones of the dogs to this day.
I still find it hard to accept what has happened to this day.
The government had said that everything would be provided for free. Yet, we used to pay $32 a month for rent.
So I believe that the Prime Minister should apologize to the people that were forcibly relocated to the settlements.
My relatives and I were moved. A school, a power plant, government staff houses, and everything was provided.
Some people even left their tents and those tents were set on fire. I don’t know who did it or how it happened, but all the tents were set on fire so that we wouldn’t come back.
One of my constituents is here and I would like to recognize this individual who is the husband of one of my relatives. I would like to welcome Sammie Peter. Thank you for coming to the Gallery.
If there are none, Item 7.
I wanted to ask a question, Mr. Speaker.
That was under Item 6, which we just passed, but if you wish to do so, I will allow you the opportunity of seeking consent to return to Item 6.
I was writing something and you went pretty fast there.
My question is for the Minister responsible for Qulliit Status of Women.
Mr. Speaker, at our last sitting in May...
Speaker: Mr. Peterson, I will ask again that if you wish to return to Item 6 to ask questions that you seek the consent of the Assembly to return to Item 6.
I request unanimous consent to return to Item 6.
The member is seeking unanimous consent to return to Item 6.
Revert to Item 6: Oral Questions
Question 675 – 2(4): Qulliit Status of Women Council - President Resignation (Peterson)
This is certainly the first time for us in this Assembly where we had to request unanimous consent to go back to Item 6.
I appreciate my colleagues’ support.
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for the Qulliit Status of Women.
Mr. Speaker, at our last sitting in May and June, I posed some questions to the former Minister responsible for the Qulliit Status of Women and I had asked the minister at that time why the former Qulliit Status of Women Council President was singled out for attention by the Government of Nunavut for possible comments she would have made that would cause embarrassment to the government, and in fact, she didn’t ask any questions.
The former minister said, “I will have to get the information as to the reasons behind” why the president was singled out “... and respond.”
Of course, the former minister is no longer with us and there was a Cabinet shuffle.
So my question for the minister: could the minister update the House and tell us if she followed up on the former minister’s commitment to get the information why the Qulliit Status of Women President was singled out for attention by the Government of Nunavut?
Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Minister Brown.
I also thank my colleague for his question.
Yes, I did look into the matter and as far as I know, that individual resigned voluntarily.
I realize, Mr. Speaker, that the former president resigned voluntarily. However, Mr. Speaker, she felt that she was being pressured by the Government of Nunavut as the President of the Qulliit Status of Women Council and consequently, she resigned.
I asked some questions to the former Minister of Qulliit Status of Women if there’s a policy in place that the government imposes on Government of Nunavut employees on the Qulliit Status of Women Council that prevents them from speaking out on government policies and issues.
And the minister at the time said, “I will commit to look into that,” and I wonder if the minister today can tell the House if she has looked into that issue and if she would update us on what her findings are.
Minister responsible for the Nunavut Status of Women Council, Minister Brown.
Yes, I did my own follow-up on the matter. I was informed that with respect to the Nunavut Status of Women Council, if they wish to speak on behalf of women, they can speak freely and they are allowed to express their opinions.
I’m not 100 percent sure and confident in what she said.
I know in the upcoming general election, the Qulliit Status of Women Council members will probably be asking some of the candidates from the communities of their positions on women’s issues and I think we should encourage the members to speak to the candidates.
Can the minister today assure them and the House that these members of the Qulliit Status of Women Council can freely voice their opinions without fear of retribution from the Government of Nunavut?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Peterson. (interpretation ends) Minister responsible for the Qulliit Status of Women Council, Minister Brown.
As I stated earlier, the Qulliit Status of Women Council members represent all women in Nunavut.
They have to be able to speak freely and they should be welcomed into any forum without fear of retribution.
Women cannot be singled out or pressured. We support their work towards equality and their right to free speech, especially in this case. We would like them to be able to speak freely and as a government, we support their cause and I encourage everyone to allow them to speak freely.
I’m sure the women across Nunavut are encouraged to hear the minister’s support for them to speak freely in the upcoming elections.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister to inform the House if she has given consideration or thought to establish an independent Qulliit Status of Women, independent from the Government of Nunavut, similar to the Nunavut Association of Municipalities, who can represent women in Nunavut.
I’m extremely proud of the Qulliit Status of Women Council and so is the Government of Nunavut.
Many people are proud of them. This organization is the foundation for many women and they represent women to the best of their ability here in Nunavut.
I believe that they are representing their clients extremely well and they seem to be operating smoothly at this time.
Perhaps the new government will be able to deal with the additional requirements of the Qulliit Status of Women Council. That’s up to the new government and I can’t do anything more at this time. Nevertheless, I am grateful to the Status of Women Council.
The Legislative Assembly has shown its support of the Status of Women Council and I thank all of you for that. And yes, men are now recognizing the status of women and also the needs of women and their representatives.
Question 676 – 2(4): Food Allowance Rates in Sanikiluaq (Kattuk)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Income Support.
Mr. Speaker, over my terms in this Assembly, I have spoken a number of times about the high cost of living in Sanikiluaq.
For people who are on income support, the high cost of food makes it difficult to have enough food to feed the family.
Food allowance rates were last increased in 2005 and this was very welcomed.
I have noted, however, that the food allowance rate for Sanikiluaq is still lower than other communities in Nunavut, even the three regional centres.
In June of 2007, I asked the minister if he would commit to reviewing the issue of bringing Sanikiluaq up to the same level as other communities in Nunavut and he gave me that commitment.
Can the minister update this House and the residents of Sanikiluaq on the results of his review?
As we said in the House at that time when the member asked me the question, income support has been increased and indeed it has been increased by 15 percent over the last four years and we have made improvements to the program.
The amount of money that is available by community and by family are based on the cost of living, the price of a food basket, and some of the other factors, including power bills, in any given community, so we have them rated by zones.
After the question in the House by the member, we had an opportunity to look at the zone requirements and found that the zone requirement for Sanikiluaq was complete.
So that’s the answer to his question.
Mr. Kattuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Mr. Minister.
I would like to bring some good news home to the community of Sanikiluaq at the end of this session.
Can the minister tell me when the community of Sanikiluaq can expect to see an increase in the food allowance rates for income support clients?
Sanikiluaq and all of our communities in Nunavut were included in the 15 percent increase that we negotiated; it was ten and then five percent.
We have also made other changes to the Income Support Program so people in Sanikiluaq and other communities can keep more of their money. A good example of that is the change we did with Co-op dividends. For example, when money used to be received from members who are part of the Co-op, then that went into their earned income amounts and we used to take that off their income support.
So that’s no longer the case and that gives more money to income support clients across the territory.
Specifically on the member’s question and the good news for Sanikiluaq upcoming, again, on a regular basis, we are reviewing the food allowance amount. At this time, in the government, we’re not able to increase those amounts, but that’s something that would be reviewed on a case-by-case and by community basis.
When we see the amounts increase, for example, for electrical and so on, those amounts are also included in increases for the member’s constituents so that those would already be factored in.
I really liked the answer from the minister.
I recognize that social assistance benefits have been increased by 15 percent over the term of this Assembly.
However, the last increase was over three years ago.
Can the minister clarify what plans are in place to review all social assistance regulations across Nunavut?
I appreciate the member trying to get on the record program reviews for the department’s Income Support Program. Indeed, there’s probably no more important program in the territory and at any given time, we can see between 50 and 60 percent of Nunavummiut having an uptake on that program.
We’re constantly reviewing the amounts as well as the ability of the Income Support Program to be able to help out our clientele and indeed our citizens.
Again, income support, Mr. Speaker, is a program of last resort. It’s a program when there are no employment opportunities, no other type of income, for example, no UIC or EI income, available.
So we’re quite pleased and excited about the program itself and the good work that’s done by Sandy and some of the other people within the department, and indeed, our income support workers on the ground.
So over the next few months, we will be looking at the program in the context of necessary increases and those recommendations would come to the new government after the election.
Question 677 – 2 (4): Government of Nunavut Position on Foreign-Flagged Vessels (Curley)
Last week, I asked the minister a question concerning the GN’s policy with respect to foreign-flagged ships providing sealift services under contract to the GN. The ships that come from the North say that they can’t compete.
She took my question as notice. I have now had the opportunity to review the minister’s return to my question, which she tabled yesterday.
Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping, which is an Inuit owned firm, has publicly called on the federal government to respect the Coasting Trade Act and stop unfair competition from foreign vessels and foreign crews in our arctic waters.
Will the minister commit to supporting NEAS in its efforts?
I would like to thank the member for his question concerning this issue.
However, the Department of Community and Government Services only deals with the contract issues for shipping and they contract out to various entities like NTCL, NSSI, and NEAS, and those companies conduct their own scheduling and passage.
With regards to the question, I believe that the Minister of Transportation is in a better position to respond.
Mr. Speaker, it’s understandable that any company who needs to borrow a ship, whoever is contracted out by the GN, wants assistance even with a contract. That’s exactly what happened with NSSI.
Their ship had suffered damage, so they had to use another ship. They were able to get support from the other shipping companies contracted by the GN, but they had to get a foreign vessel to assist them.
In regard to the Coastal Trade Act that I had mentioned, they could apply to it through the federal government. If any company can’t do the work on their own, then they have to submit an application.
However, it also states that they have to be notified by the Nunavut government of whether or not they’re approved.
Apparently, the Nunavut government didn’t even respond to this issue. Due to this reason, are you in support of NEAS on their position not to allow foreign vessels into Nunavut? The costs for the use of these ships just go out of Canada.
Thank you, Member, for asking that question.
The contracts do not disallow the use of foreign-flagged vessels.
Yes, I would support NEAS if that’s their wish.
However, we must be very careful because in Nunavut, our season is very short and they have to do what they can.
If there’s no Canadian ship available, then I think they try and find another way of getting contracts or subcontracting from outside of Canada. Apparently, that is the case. They can do that under the Coastal Trading License that is administered by the federal government, so that’s out of our jurisdiction, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, I understand that clearly. It’s the responsibility of the federal government and they provide licenses to come into Canada.
However, as the minister responsible, along with your colleagues in Cabinet, you have the authority to say yes or no if you’re asked.
The government didn’t reply when the federal government consulted them on an application for a foreign ship last summer.
Due to our very short shipping season, we need to keep the money in Nunavut because the northern employees who work on these ships and the shipping companies that transfer and offload goods purchased by its northern clients need to be paid.
For those reasons, can you commit to working with these shipping companies that operate in Nunavut and discuss ways to strengthen their capabilities since you already have contracts with them?
Can the minister state that she will be consulting them?
I also would like to thank my colleague for his questions.
We will be tabling our annual report and we will be able to get the detailed information from that report at that time.
It sounds like I was just tasked to do some consultations with the shipping companies.
I will ask my senior officials to consult with them and ask them to deal with the issue that was raised in this House.
I’m sure that there will be briefing notes submitted on the issue and I will commit to addressing your question.
Question 678 – 2(4): Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Members of the Executive Council (Tootoo)
Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of days, having an opportunity to catch up on my Hansard reading, I would like to revisit an issue that the Premier himself raised last week on September 9 in response to my question concerning conflict of interest guidelines for his ministers.
Mr. Speaker, in his response, he indicated that he insists that “there be no potential or perceived conflict, and if they have spouses working in various departments, that there be clear standards in place for another minister to assume those responsibilities in the event of any potential conflict.”
Mr. Speaker, I’m still not clear whether or not a spouse or a dependent child of a minister is or is not allowed to be an employee of the minister’s department. Can the Premier indicate if he’s aware if there is any provision in his additional requirements for ministers that indicate that the minister shall ensure that their spouse or dependent children do not hold their entry into a contract, including a contract of employment, in any department of the Government of Nunavut in which the minister is responsible?
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Whenever a portfolio changes or a new minister is assigned, we look at potential conflicts with the Integrity Commissioner.
In the event of potential conflicts, there are clear guidelines put in place that if the individual’s spouse is working at a particular department, in a particular section, that minister is not to deal with those matters and that minister assigns those duties to another minister so there is no conflict. So that is how we manage any potential conflicts and we do that beforehand.
So if my colleague has a complaint, it can be filed with the Integrity Commissioner. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Again, I just wanted to refresh the Premier’s memory that under his additional guidelines, it’s only he himself that could request the review by the Integrity Commissioner, not anyone else.
He did not answer my question, Mr. Speaker, and that’s what I was asking: is there a provision in his additional guidelines that states that a minister shall ensure that their spouse or dependent children do not hold or enter into a contract, including a contract of employment, with any department of the Government of Nunavut in which the minister is responsible for?  That’s what I was asking, if that provision is in his additional conflict of interest requirements to his ministers.
Hon. Paul Okalik: There must be an election coming. These questions are coming to play when elections are coming pretty close, so it’s unfortunate.
But I must say that we have been in government for four years, there has been no conflict...
Speaker: I’m sorry, Mr. Premier. A Point of Order has been called. (interpretation) Member for Iqaluit Centre, Mr. Tootoo.
My Point of Order is that the Premier is implying that I have ulterior motives for asking my questions for doing my job because there’s an election coming.
I think that it is inappropriate.
You’re not allowed to infer that there are ulterior motives for members doing their jobs here in the House, and I would like a ruling on that and I ask that he withdraw those comments.
I would like to ask the Premier if he has any comments on the Point of Order.
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) As I said, we have been in the House for four years and there’s been no issue on this matter.
In the last few days of our Assembly, all of the sudden these questions start popping up, so I must say that this is quite kind of odd.
So all I’m trying to explain is that I have made sure that there are rules in place, additional rules, to prevent any potential conflict for those ministerial colleagues that may be perceived to be in conflict.