EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Those are very encouraging finds to see the numbers increasing of the Nunavummiut who are pursuing post-secondary education to better themselves to be able to enter into the workforce.
As far as any changes required, we are looking at that, but also, Mr. Chairman, there are financial considerations that have to be taken into account on that, and that’s something that the department will bring forward.
If we want to change the living allowance from what it is now to a new amount, there are financial implications of that.
That information is being looked and will be brought forward for consideration.
When I was sitting on the government side, we increased the FANS program twice and it provided much needed assistance.
Nevertheless, the cost of the tuition fees has increased and I seem to recall that students received $3,500 to pay for their tuition and books annually.
For some of these courses, the tuition fees amount to about $10,000 and the fees we provide are not even close to that amount. The tuition costs can be much larger than what we provide.
I would like to ask the minister this question. Yes, we are aware that the government will not be able to pay all of the expenses, but if we could at least work with the private sector as well as the federal government to review that program in the future. I would like to direct that question to the Minister of Education.
I know that there have been some recent changes as far as the eligible amounts to tuition that would be covered.
I know there were extremely low limits in the past. There have been some increases to those limits.
Any way in which we can find… . If I understand the member’s question correctly, working with the private sector or anybody else to come up with ways to be able to assist in helping people with their tuition, we would be more than happy to take any of those recommendations and have a look at them.
Mr. Komoartok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A question that I would like to ask revolves around this issue. The example I want to refer to involves students who are taking the same classes and who are in the same classroom.
I was informed last year that students in one classroom are being sponsored by different organizations. Some students were receiving the Department of Education assistance and others were receiving the FANS assistance.
These various funds were also different in the amount of funds that they received with some students not experiencing any issues.
When students went through the FANS program, the processing of the payments was usually delayed and the responses would always be late.
Based on the assistance that the students receive, I wonder whether or not we can set up one central office to handle these requests. At present, the students receive funds from various sponsors.
I wonder whether a central processing office could better handle all of the student assistance programs that are currently under all of these various sponsorships. It would allow for a more effective administration if they compiled all of these programs into a one window approach. Is the current system still the status quo?
I thank Adamee for that question.
Mr. Chairman, I know that students can apply to FANS but they can also apply to other organizations, non-government. For example, in the Kitikmeot, they could apply to the Kitikmeot Economic Development Commission and the Kitikmeot Inuit Association for funding. So there may be multiple sources and programs they can apply to.
But, certainly, from the government’s perspective, you would apply to the Department of Education, FANS.
I’m not sure how we could influence the other entities to coordinate their programs with ours.
Mr. Komoartok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Even today, it still seems to be the problem with the same pathway where students have to sometimes work for two months prior to receiving their FANS allocation. Some students have to wait for a couple of months and they are being put under stress because of that lack of funding.
I would like to see improvements made so that the students don’t have to suffer because of the slow bureaucratic process of the department.
I think that was just a comment, but Minister Peterson, if you want to comment on it.
I thank Mr. Komoartok for that comment.
All I can say in response is that we will take it as information.
I’m sure all of us and all of the organizations are concerned about our students not being unduly worried and concerned about whether funding is coming on a timely basis.
Any other questions? If not, we will go back to Education. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. Adult Learning and Post Secondary Services. Total Adult Learning and Post Secondary Services. $2,500,000.
Chairman: We will move on to page 8. Health and Social Service. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. Social Programs. Any questions?
In one of the line items under Item 1 for Residential Care Contracts under Social Programs, that is an increase of $4.65 million.
Is for contracts within the Government of Nunavut and will the money stay within the territory or is this residential care outside of the territory in other provinces?
Mr. Chairman, I believe that is for residential care outside of the territory.
Do you have a breakdown of how many residents that would be caring for?
Are there any dollar figures in terms of which provinces this will be going to?
Mr. Chairman, I don’t have that information with me.
Under Treatment for Item 3, there is an increase for medical travel of $4 million.
Chairman: Mr. Elliott, we are doing it each section; we are just dealing with Social Programs right now.
If the minister doesn’t have the information that I was asking for, I have no other questions.
Chairman: Any other questions?
If not, Health and Social Services. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. Social Programs.
Total Social Programs. $4,565,000.
Chairman: We will move on to Health Insurance Programs.
I am wondering if the minister can just explain what steps his department and the health and social services department are taking to have more accurate budget numbers so that we have less dollars in supplementary appropriations throughout the year.
As I indicated yesterday, the Department of Finance and the Department of Health are working closely together.
One of the areas they are actually working together on is implementing the recommendations in the OAG’s report.
There is going to be an analysis of the price volume of work.
I believe the Department of Health is looking at hiring a data analyst who can analyze some of the information that they use to track out-of-territory stays at hospitals and physician costs.
As I indicated yesterday, they improved the accrual of expenses and then call up the out-of-territory hospitals in a more timely fashion so they can get those bills in sooner so that we can pay them.
Those are some of the areas.
If not, Health Insurance Programs. Total Health Insurance Programs.
Not Previously Authorized. $14,820,000.
Chairman: We will go on to the next section. Treatment.
In terms of the increase of $4 million for medical travel, is there any root cause as to why there is an increase?
I know, last year, there were mentions of H1N1 and increased costs that way, but is there something that is happening this year that has made it that we need this $4 million in medical travel?
I thank Mr. Elliot for that question.
Mr. Chairman, the department indicates that they are experiencing increase in volumes to medical travel.
Areas, such as higher birth rates, people who need care, medical evacuations, there is no control over those when people need transport to a southern hospital in Yellowknife, or Edmonton, or Ottawa.
That’s a factor.
There was the medevac service contract for the Baffin region that was recently renegotiated and that’s expected to take effect next month, so that will add some increased costs to medical travel.
In terms of the physicians program with the increase of over $2 million, does that pay for more physicians to come to the territory and does it include items such as hotel stays and per diems?
Mr. Chairman, yes, to all of those questions.
Why is there an increase?
Are we having more doctors come to the territory to provide more services or are they travelling to the communities more?
I know, for Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay, they would appreciate having a doctor come more. Is that why there’s more cost, because they’re coming to the communities more?
I believe that is the case.
There is an increase travel of physicians to the territory and to the communities. There is also an increase in specialist physicians to the communities.
In terms of the residential care contracts for mental health programs, again this is for programs outside of the territory or is that for funding for programs within the territory?
I thank Mr. Elliott again for that question.
Mr. Chairman, I believe it’s mostly outside the territory.
I guess with the release and the tabling of the suicide prevention program, one of the things it calls for is increased attention to mental health and mental health programs, especially within the territory.
Is the Department of Health and Social Services working towards that or could they expand on some of the programs they are planning on doing in the future?
I thank Mr. Elliott for the question and concern about mental health.
Mr. Chairman, I believe the Department of Health has an increase in their division of mental health services.
I believe they are opening or have opened an office in Cambridge Bay and will expand their service across Nunavut, but the Minister of Health is here and he, perhaps, could provide more detailed information to Mr. Elliott’s questions.
Perhaps I should make a comment in regard to that.
I think we should know that the cost that is one of the largest costs in Nunavut is on the line of mental health.
I’m not talking about mental health illnesses, but when some of the reasons are alcohol and they have to be sent out of the territory for treatment.
We don’t just pay for the transportation; we have to pay for the services of the doctors and they have to examine the patients right away. If they need support, they are sent out of the territory.
Sometimes they are examined for quite some time.
Costs of the mental health facilities vary from one province to another, such as Ontario and Manitoba.
When they are going to be examining metal health and the problems in their lives, they normally like to do observations for a whole month.
It takes 30 days in Manitoba to examine and find out the mental health of the individual, and it costs $283 per day.
If there is a patient sent out to Ontario and Ontario receives many patients, they need to be observed for 45 days and it costs $500 a day.
Perhaps some Inuit say, “Why do they have to be sent out for a very long time?”
That’s their policy in order to find out and diagnose the individual.
Those are also the costs involved.
On youth programs where some youth have behavioural problems, when they are sent out of the territory, they are sent to EHRLO, the name of the facility.
It takes a whole year for these youth behavioural problems and costs $570 a day per individual.
For a whole year, it costs $200,000 for an individual.
That’s why it’s very hard to break down the costs.
I want to note that the Minister of Finance is working very hard and working well.
Those are our projections, and the supplementary estimate is for 2010-11 and we’re trying to keep it as accurate as possible.
Perhaps, if the patients increase, that cost will also increase too, so we have to put that into consideration.
This is up to the year ending March 31.
I hope I’m coming across clearly.
Yes, you came across very clear.
That’s what I was hoping to hear.
I know it is very expensive to treat people.
I think one of the things we have talked about as regular members is it’s nice to have them be treated in our territory and hopefully bring some of those costs down.
I had noticed that Minister Peterson had mentioned about the mental health facilities in Cambridge Bay.
I remember approving capital dollars for mental health facilities here in Iqaluit.
I was wondering if he could clarify: is there are facilities in both Iqaluit and Cambridge Bay or is it just Cambridge Bay?
I thank Mr. Elliott for asking for clarification.
In fact, I don’t believe there are any facilities in Cambridge Bay.
It’s just person years, the two or three PYs there for the territory.
We are asked to approve a substantial amount of money that has not previously been paid.
I’m wondering that it may be a combination of things, like late accounts payable coming from the southern service providers that are contracted.
Is this part of the problem that we are asked to approve or is it because of late accounts payable coming in from southern institutions, service providers, specialized and what have you?
Mr. Chairman, when we passed the budget last March, we built in a contingency for such budget issues as this.
This supplementary appropriation is for the remainder of the current fiscal year; it’s not for bills that have already been incurred.
Again, it’s forecasting for the balance of the year so that the Department of Health does not have to incur expenses they don’t have a budget for.
Chairman: Thank you. Minister Curley, do you want to add to that?
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
I think we have to take into consideration the positions that are being expressed by the members of the committee and that we need to first have the authorization for finances before we spend them.
It is for that very reason, including the comments from audits from the Auditor General, that we need authorization first before spending.
That is precisely one reason that we are indicating to you now that these are the cost items that we know that we are going to be incurring until March 31. It is for this reason that we are bringing this item forward now rather than too late at the end of the year.
Chairman: Thank you. Any more questions? If not, we will go to Treatment.
Total Treatment. Not Previously Authorized. $9,003,000. Do you agree?
Chairman: Total Department. Not Previously Authorized. $28,388,000.
Chairman: We will move on to page 9. Environment. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. Any questions? Mr. Elliott.
It looked like Mr. Okalik had similar questions.
I notice that we are going to be dealing with the removal of $300,000 from the capital budget for the Minister of Environment and then it is reinstated here for the $300,000. I’m just wondering: where is that money going and what is it going to be used for?
Mr. Chairman, it’s to cover a shortfall in O&M. We are just simply moving money from the Vote 1 to the Vote 2, as Mr. Elliott indicated.
So there is no specific project or it’s not going to be allocated to any specific operation.
It was for the Recycling Equipment project. Is it going to recycling or recycling projects?
According to our information here, it will be going to end-of-life vehicle projects, as well as for wildlife research projects and recycling. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): I’m sorry, Mr. Chairman. I’m not exactly sure what the $300,000 is going to be used for.
I thought it was for recycling and now I don’t know what it is going to be used for.
Now it looks like this $300,000 is going to be given to the Department of Environment instead. What is it going to be used for?
I see my colleague, the Minister of Environment, waiving his hand over there. So, perhaps, he would be in a position to provide some details.
The $300,000 that is being transferred from capital over to O&M is going to be used absolutely for recycling projects and that is to cover the costs of the recycling program that we had in place from April 1 of this year until we phase it out on December 15. That is where the money will go.
Any other questions? If not, Environment. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. Program Management. Total Program Management. $300,000.
Chairman: Total Department. Not Previously Authorized. $300,000.
Chairman: We will move on to page 10.
It states that $280,000 will be given to EIA so that they can purchase additional Internet bandwidth and we have been told repeatedly that there is going to be a huge improvement for… I don’t know how many years now. Yet, we have set aside various amounts of dollars, but there seems to be no improvement with the additional bandwidth.
Exactly what is this going to be used for and is it really going to improve the system?
Mr. Chairman, in May of this year, Telesat, who are the owners of the Canadian Anik satellite systems, announced that the free bandwidth that they were providing was being moved to a different satellite to make room for the commercial customers in its current location.
So the department of community services had to go out and purchase this additional bandwidth to help out the schools and health centres in Nunavut.
Listening to your response, it is just going to service the government. Is it going to benefit the rest of Nunavut and other government agencies?
I am not sure if I understand Mr. Okalik’s question.
This extra bandwidth is to serve the schools and health centres that were using the free bandwidth. The free bandwidth is known as the public benefit bandwidth.
That is a little bit clearer.
In the government’s internal network, is there going to be an improvement, or is that going to stay status quo, or is this going to be an addition to what we are using today?
If I understand Mr. Okalik correctly, he is probably referring to the strengthening financial management, which we have been talking about, whereby we improve the connectivity and Internet throughout the territory for the Government of Nunavut and their local area network and wide area network. I believe Community and Government Services and Finance are working diligently on that, and it’s scheduled to be rolled out with the latest information early in 2011.
I notice that it says that it was needed because funding through Industry Canada didn’t come through, or was that an investment by the federal government in terms of dollars that they provided in the past are no longer available to us?
I thank Mr. Elliott for that question. My colleague from Community and Government Services would like to answer that question.
Hopefully I can clarify the question raised by my colleague.
The bandwidth at satellite 2, at one time, originally was provided at no extra cost through Industry Canada, but because of changes to the satellite, they have moved everybody over that were getting the free service in satellite 2 to satellite 3.
Because we don’t have the resources to change over to satellite 3, it would cost a few million dollars for us to turn over our satellite, we have to now pay for the service currently at a reduced rate, at about $40,000 a month and to tide us over for the rest of the year, it’s going to cost us $280,000.
That’s why we have to pay for it now. It’s because the satellite that was provided free for us is now no longer free and it’s being provided to us at $40,000.
We are in the process of meeting with them and trying to work out an agreement where we’re negotiating with Industry Canada to find a solution with satellites so that we may be able to get this service in the future, hopefully at a very reduced rate or free.
That’s why we asked for this money.
That does help with explaining.
I just thought maybe it was part of Government of Canada’s. I don’t know if it was really a threat, but when they were up talking at the conference last time in terms of having the tap turned off, I thought maybe it wasn’t turned off that quickly.
In regard to this computer network or bandwidth, just so I don’t get it confused, because I know Nunavut Arctic College was before us and talked about receiving money from the federal government on their system, are these shared bandwidth systems or are they totally separate systems in terms of the college is one and CGS is another?
I believe, referring to knowledge information network, that will be part of the improvement to WAN and LAN that is going to roll out, but perhaps my colleague from CGS might like to add some information to that.
Currently the public bandwidth that we’re talking about serves all of the Nunavut schools, college, learning centres, non-decentralized or health centres, and so on, so it’s one pool.
If not, we will go to Community Government and Services. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. Government Services. Total Government Services. $280,000.
Chairman: Total Department. Not Previously Authorized. $280,000.
Chairman: We will move on to page 11. Nunavut Housing Corporation. Operations and Maintenance.
Not Previously Authorized. Any questions?
Something I want to ask about is it states here that $295,000 will be allocated for the final eight months. Is it for the eight months of operation?
It’s my impression that the Oqota Homeless Shelter is given operational funding for the entire fiscal year. My question is: is it because there was a shortfall in the year or can they not keep up with the expenses?
Mr. Chairman, I believe this is for the current year.
My question was I believe the government gives these organizations core funding and it states here that this $295,000 is for the final eight months.
How many dollars do they receive for operations and maintenance? Were they given money that was not enough?
The management of the new society shelter had put forward a budget of $543,000 for 2010-11. That was 15 percent lower than the $636,841 budget from the 2008-09. So they did put a budget together, but increased costs brought them in over budget.
The Sivummut House has put together a budget for… they took in $201,380 in revenue and they incurred expenses of $119,561, but they get revenue from sources.
The City of Iqaluit chips in $100,000, the Department of Education, $153,000, and then Community and Government Services has provided money.
They’ve had cash donations of $20,000. So there are other funding sources.
That’s little bit clearer and I thank the minister.
He just indicated that there has been an increase in the operations and maintenance. Could the minister give us an update on what has increased in their operations and maintenance?
Mr. Chairman, we don’t have that level of detail here, just that they are forecasting increased expenses for the current fiscal year.
As Mr. Okalik was asking in terms of increase in O&M, has there been an increase in the use of the facility in terms of the number of people who are actually coming and having a bed in that facility?
We don’t have that level of detail, but perhaps the minister responsible for the homeless may be able to provide that information.
I believe the minister had said that possibly the Minister responsible for Homelessness might be interested in answering that. So it would be Mr. Curley, I believe.
Certainly I would like to be helpful to the member, but at the same time, I am still getting up to date on all of these investments that were being committed before I got into this situation.
From my understanding, with obviously the budget shortfall for the facility, I think it’s very heavily used by the homeless individuals in town, and so on.
Obviously a number of cost factors have escalated it to the point where they require that amount, one of which was the lease.
For instance, it was quite high in the beginning, but the Nunavut Housing Corporation helped to negotiate to try and make it more sustainable. That is the important word that I like to use.
As I continue to review the whole program, we’re simply going to have to make some choices whether or not that huge cost is sustainable because we are also looking at other communities throughout Nunavut that continue, even as we speak, probably watching us, whether or not we have any programs available for them in other places.
What I want to commit to is that I am going to be getting into drafting this policy and we do now have a specific individual in charge of analyzing homeless issues throughout Nunavut.