EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Again, I know it has been brought up in this House before that this government has been paying Trillium Consulting a sum of $13,000 for the recruitment of every single international nurse. Does this fee cover any orientation and bridging programs for these individuals?
As I said earlier I do not have a copy of the federal government announcement before me to see if that covers orientation, but I can speak to the contract that we do have with Trillium.
The contract back in May 2004 was signed shortly after the elections to address the major shortage of nursing within Nunavut.
The time we signed the contract with Trillium I believe we had a vacancy of 49 percent of our nurses in Nunavut.
At that time when we signed the contract, it was to provide for international nurses to be hired to fill the positions that were vacant in Nunavut. The contract with Trillium provided the recruitment as well as the orientation of the new hires.
So the contract conditions as is remains, no other incremental funding internally or from the federal government have been added to that Trillium contract.
If I understand the minister correctly, part of the contract that this government has in place with Trillium Consulting includes that orientation program for these international nurses.
Maybe she could outline exactly what type of orientation, what are we paying for in that $13,000 per nurse for this consulting company?
Exactly what, as far as orientation-wise goes, and what are the obligations in that aspect, that the contractor has with the government that would be different than what seems to be coming from the federal government now?
The orientation of our international nurses covers a number of areas similar to the orientation also provided through the Department of Human Resources; orientation to Nunavut, the environment, the communities, orientation to the department in terms of our programs, our policies, and how we function in each community; cultural orientation as well.
So there are a number of programs that are offered to the new recruits before they start work in Nunavut.
At the same time, the individuals are also given an opportunity to study for their registered nurse’s exam as part of that overall orientation.
Again, I will say that the contract with Trillium, funding has not changed with this announcement that he makes reference to.
So I would just like to clarify that for the House.
I am a little concerned that we’re not going to use this funding to do another orientation for these nurses when we’ve already paid for an orientation for them.
My question to the minister is; the federal government has come out with this announcement yesterday, of a little over $305,000 over the next two years.
She’s indicated that she is not aware of this.
Has her, or her senior officials had any input into negotiating with the federal government, Department of Health, that we need this kind of funding.
Did they just pull this out of the hat? Surely, there must have been some kind of request coming from her department, asking for funding like this in order for it to be provided by the federal government.
So if I could just get the explanation from the minister as to what type of input they had, and what argument they put to the federal government to secure this funding.
I think I need to clarify.
I didn’t say that we were not going to be providing orientation to our staff.
All I’m saying was that the orientation...you asked the question earlier: what type of orientation did we provide? I explained the orientation we do provide.
The federal funding you’re making reference to, I don’t know the information about the federal programs.
I can research that and provide that information to this House.
As far as I know, my staff has not been directly involved in this discussion, this new announcement.
As of yesterday, it’s news to me.
So I will look into it and provide further information to the member.
There are two different things; the federal announcement, and the Trillium contract. I can’t speak to the federal government initiative.
I can speak to the initiatives that we have undertaken under the Trillium Program, and that was to hire nurses and provide orientation to the nurses to fill in the vacant positions in Nunavut and so on.
I can speak to that, but I cannot speak to third party information because I’m not aware of that, but I will get the information for the member and share it with the Members of the House what it is intended for, and how we will benefit from that.
I just remind members to either direct your questions or responses through the Speaker please.
(interpretation) Oral Questions.
Question 337 – 2(3): Recruiting Nurses for Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk (Mapsalak)
I recall not too long ago when the minister went to see the nurses that were interested in working in Nunavut, and there was one nurse who was slated to go to Repulse Bay, but we never saw this nurse up to today.
I think there are three nurses slated for Repulse Bay now.
And there’s forced growth in our community and also in Kugaaruk. I have also realized that it seems like every week we see a new nurse. There are nurses who are going to Repulse Bay on a rotating basis, coming and going every week.
I would like to ask the minister if the third position will be filled shortly.
Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms Aglukkaq.
The department continues to try and recruit nurses, indeterminate nurses in every community. We were under a lot of strain back in 2004. I had mentioned earlier a 48 percent vacancy rate in Nunavut overall.
We’re experiencing a national shortage of nurses, so there are number of initiatives underway to try and fill the vacant positions with the ultimate goal of providing more services in the community.
Some of the things we have done are our international recruitment, training of our own nurses in Nunavut and so on. Right now in Kivalliq we have a vacancy of 22 positions in nurses.
So we are continuing to fill those through agency nurses, through international nurses or through our own hires through the Nunavut Arctic College program.
Using that as an example, the Nunavut Arctic College students that have graduated from the program are being offered positions throughout Nunavut and for the Kivalliq, two or three in Kivalliq to date.
I want to reassure the member we continue to address that, ultimately we would like to have all the positions filled, but we’re not there yet at this point in time. Efforts are continuous.
I’m aware that transportation is very expensive up here and I think I asked this question first, but I would like to ask again: how long will we have to wait for that third nurse to be based in our community? Do you have an idea of when or how long we’re going to have to wait for that position filled?
I can get the information from the Executive Director for the Kivalliq when they plan to fill that position, whether there are vacancies as well. I can get that information for the member.
Overall, I think it has to be noted, that the challenges of recruiting nurses are still a challenge for us. There is national shortage and we are experiencing challenges of recruiting and filling all the positions at one given time, so the effort for recruiting nurses is continuous, but we are trying to address it through different means.
Within our own, we are trying train our Nunavut people to be nurses in Nunavut, we are hiring through casual, we are hiring through Canada, international, and so on.
But I will get information for the member from the regional staff when they expect to have positions filled in Repulse Bay.
Speaker: Thank you, Madam Minister. Oral Questions.
Question 338 – 2(3): Strategic Investments for Nunavut (Peterson)
My question is for the Minister of Finance and it concerns his economic statement update yesterday.
Yesterday the minister mentioned in his update that the Prime Minister made a pledge to help Nunavut achieve a dream. My question for the Minister of Finance: in view of the federal government’s recent cuts to literacy, tobacco education, Status of Women funding; what did the Prime Minister pledge that would make Nunavut stronger, more prosperous and liberated?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Peterson. Minister for Finance, Minister Simailak.
I’m sorry, the Premier, Mr. Paul Okalik will respond to that question.
I think I could respond to that question because I have had some meetings with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has not said no to helping Nunavummiut in regard to literacy programs. I have talked to the Prime Minister about self-sufficiency here in Nunavut.
I have also talked to him about the ports and other infrastructure to go to the Nunavut communities.
So I have discussed those types of things with the Prime Minister.
I thank the Premier for answering that question.
My second question, I guess, it’s for the Minister of Finance again. He mentioned that in the short term that Nunavut will require continued strategic investments from the federal government and his officials have been talking to the federal government.
So my question for the Minister of Finance, what specific strategic investments has the Government of Nunavut told the federal government that we require in Nunavut.
My staff are the ones that are in talks with the finance people in Ottawa in regard to mostly power and fuel costs or, excuse me, in regard to the high cost of fuel, as well as housing and everything about the rising costs here in Nunavut, especially when we are ordering fuel in the summer time. It is very costly.
Those are the types of things that we talked about, such as education, and health, and other items that cost money. Those are the types of negotiations that my staff are having with the staff of the federal government.
Mr. Speaker, recent announcements by the Government of Nunavut about a cultural school, heritage center, and trade school all require massive amounts of capital funds and subsequent annual O&M.
These would be considered old capital projects, the minister yesterday had mentioned prioritization for new capital projects.
I know the heritage center is probably going to cost anywhere between $50 million and $80 million to construct, trade school $16 million, culture school $10 million over the next two, or three, or four years.
A question for the minister, would the government consider putting any of these major capital projects on hold until the Government of Nunavut finds funds to construct and operate them?
The cultural school and the trade school, we have already received some money to build the trade school and cultural school under strategy planning.
Just before the building of the trades school and the cultural school, we are also looking at the operations and maintenance money.
We’re still in talks about getting some operations and maintenance money for those.
And the minister touches again on the housing situation in Nunavut; the Nunavut Housing Trust not being included in the 2007-08 Capital Estimates.
However, we know that over the next three years 725 houses will be constructed in Nunavut.
Based on previous information I believe the operations and maintenance for those houses was $18,000 per house annually for a total cost estimated about $13 million.
My question for the minister: when these houses are constructed where does the Government of Nunavut intend to find the additional annual $13 million operations and maintenance to operate these houses?
The Minister for Finance, Minister Simailak.
We have heard from the Minister of Housing that there are options that they have in place and where the money will be coming from for the operations and maintenance part of those houses that are going to be built.
We have not heard what is going to be happening, where the operations and maintenance money is going to be coming from.
Question 339 – 2(3): Accessing Food Mail Program (Barnabas)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education, who is responsible for the Income Support Program.
Earlier today I spoke of the difficulty that many Nunavummiut have in accessing the Food Mail Program.
A lot of people who are in need of such programs are income support clients.
I would like to ask the minister what steps his department has taken to ensure that those most in need, such as income support clients, are able to take advantage of the cost-saving programs for nutritious foods such as the Food Mail Program?
Minister of Education and Income Support, Mr. Picco.
It was a good question and I didn’t write it.
Mr. Speaker, the member raised a very strong point and that is at any given time between 35 and 47 percent of Nunavummiut can and will be on income support. This government, over the last two years, for the first time in several years actually increased the amount of money available under that Income Support Program and that helps give access to income support clients, and if they chose to do so, to help them in the purchase of food mail products.
Two ways that this can happen. First case: when stores bring in food under the Food Mail Program it is subsidized at source, meaning the prices are lower because the coverage of the Food Mail Subsidy kicks in from the federal government.
At the local level, if an income support client was to order a food order from a place down south and have it brought in on a food mail shipment, there may be an opportunity with the income support worker to have a portion of the income support payment made to that food supplier. Indeed, in this case, if the majority of items being brought in were actually food.
We don’t want to be in the position where we’re subsidizing pop, or what have you; I guess that would be the clarification point on the question.
Speaker: Thank you, minister. (interpretation) Your first supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.
We don’t know how the stores operate the Food Mail Program. They can order items that are not basics, and Inuit are paying for the Food Mail Program.
Also, income support recipients, when they get their welfare cheques, some of them are given vouchers, especially for the Northern Store.
When they use their welfare cheque, they are charged on top of that because the money that is given to the welfare recipient a portion is taken off so, this kind of system is not good.
(interpretation ends) It has been suggested that municipal or government workers could assist people in the community to order nutritious food by food mail.
Would the minister agree that income support workers are in the ideal position to be able to help people in this regard?
The role of the income support worker is to help out a given family in our communities under the program of income support, which is a program of last resort.
Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, the program has increased 15 percent over the last two years, 2004-05. I do agree with the member that the income support worker would be in a position to help out the family in that case.
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we have to rectify these kinds of problems to make sure that we support the income recipients. They are human beings just like us.
They are the people that don’t have Visas and they don’t have bank accounts, especially in the smaller communities; there are no banks, or financial facilities, and there are no facilities available.
(interpretation ends) Will the minister commit to reviewing this issue, especially with income support clients in mind, and work with his colleagues in the Department of Community and Government Services and Health and Social Services to come up with solutions to address this issue?
If so, will he report back to the House?
Minister for Education and Income Support, Mr. Picco.
I think the member has made a good observation and a good point.
Following on the end of the session today I will contact the department under our income support. Maybe there is an opportunity here to try to do a test pilot program in one of the member’s three communities of Arctic Bay, Resolute Bay, or Grise Fiord, to see if there is an opportunity under our Income Support Program if we can help individual clients if they’re ordering food mail for example, and then issue cheques and see how that works under a test pilot project.
So that is something that I would be interested in doing. At the end of the session today I will review the issue with the member and then we’ll have some contact with the department and see where we go from there.
I would like to thank the member for his good questions and good solutions.
Question 340 – 2(3): Federal Correctional Facility in Nunavut (Arreak)
(interpretation ends) As the minister will recall, I posed a question to him earlier this year on the issue of rehabilitation and healing programs offered in territorial correctional facilities.
Recently concerns have been raised in the communities with respect to the issue of the release of potentially dangerous offenders from federal custody.
I would like to ask the minister to inform this House about what discussions he has had with his federal counterpart on the need to have adequate federal correctional facilities and resources in the territory.
Minister responsible for Justice, Minister Okalik.
This is a concern held by all Nunavut residents, and we have been lobbying the federal government to get a federal correctional institution in Nunavut. That way we could provide better programs.
Also, I wrote to the new federal minister in this regard. I recommended that we work together to get a federal correctional facility here as it would be more beneficial to inmates coming in from Nunavut.
We are now lobbying the federal government but have not yet had a response. In the earlier years with the previous Liberal Government, they were unable to agree to our suggestions.
The Conservative Government is paying close attention to the issue of federal facilities.
Last year one of my colleagues asked a detailed written question to the minister concerning rehabilitation programs for offenders in territorial custody.
Can the minister tell us today which programs are working well to rehabilitate and heal our offenders, and which programs are not working well?
Before we proceed, I would like to welcome Mr. Kattuk to the Assembly.
I did not quite understand his question. Is his question in regard to the federal or Nunavut Government programs? Which programs are you talking about?
I would also like to welcome Mr. Kattuk to the Assembly, too.
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Arreak, could you please clarify your question?
I would also like to welcome Mr. Kattuk as well. I’m so glad that you came in.
(interpretation ends) Last year, one of my colleagues asked a detailed written question to the minister concerning rehabilitation programs for offenders in territorial custody. Can the minister tell us today which programs are working well to rehabilitate and heal our offenders, and which programs are not working well?
Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Premier.
Yes, some of these questions were answered in my responses. The ones that are working well are the outpost camp programs in the communities.
That has been one of the strongest programs and it really supports and helps the elders when they go and counsel the inmates. We know for sure that these are very positive, especially our elder from Rankin Inlet. Mariano Aupilarjuk was recognized and acknowledged for providing counselling services to inmates.
We know that he is very supportive of that.
We are all aware of the overcrowding situation at the Baffin Correctional Centre. Does the minister plan to build a new facility to replace BCC, and if so, in which community will it be located, and when will it be built?
Minister of Justice, Mr. Premier.
During this session review I will identify what our plans are for the facility.
The BCC facility has been overcrowded and we are now looking at ways to address it. The officials and the staff are now planning for a review.
We will identify when the timeline is to complete that.
As we had heard in the past, we heard about the petition and that the minister had signed the petition against the federal inmate that was released here.
We had campaigned to help Nunavummiut who require assistance.
Is the government just going to wait for the federal government to get funding, or is the GN prepared to come up with the funding without the federal government coming up with the funding for this?
That’s why I had tried to give the detailed information to the federal government about the inmates that are in federal institutions.
These inmates when they are in federal institutions should be provided with some kind of programs and support.
When they just release a federal inmate to Nunavut they should provide more support.
We were not happy about that; not just in Iqaluit, it could happen anywhere in Nunavut communities. We don’t want any dangerous offenders to be released to any of the communities.
This situation has to be rectified. That’s why I had signed the petition. I will be lobbying the federal government that this does not occur anywhere in Nunavut.
Question 341 – 2(3): Funding for the Nursing Program (Arvaluk)
In her response she stated that we have a 46 percent shortage of nurses in Nunavut.
We need nurses and doctors that come from our region.
My question is regarding the Nursing Training Programs; the funding for their housing and for their food; for the students taking on the Arsarniq, are they equivalent to the law training program that occurred?
I hope I understand the member’s question clearly.
From what I understand he is asking what allowance has been given to nurses based on training.
If he can clarify that?
I believe there is a request for clarification of your question, Mr. Arvaluk.
What I am trying to say is the Akitsiraq Law School. There were Akitsiraq Law School students who were given funding, an allowance, and a housing allowance. For the Nursing Program, are they treated equally and provided the same allowance?
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for clarifying his question.
The program that we have for the nursing students is part of the Nunavut Arctic College Program. So the funding provided to the students that are in that program is part of the student financial assistance.
The individuals in the training program are receiving student financial assistance and are not on salary. As students of the Nunavut Arctic College they also reside in student residences again offered by the Department of Education.
Your first supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk
Recognizing that, or acknowledging that, the importance of needs for home trained nurses, would she consider reviewing the program or redoing the program so that it becomes more attractive for potential students, to enroll in the Nursing Program that is similar to, for example, the Akitsiraq Law School Program.
Currently we have about 29 students participating in that program, we graduated nine so far and those individuals have been offered jobs within the Government of Nunavut.
So we are starting to see a change in our recruitment of our own home grown nurses, if you want to call it that. I think for clarification, the program itself is in partnership with Dalhousie University. It meets national standards.
I think the member, if he can clarify, is looking to see how we actually provide allowances to the students, and to review that part of the program itself, and not the actual curriculum.
If that is the case I would commit to reviewing that further. I would also like to state to the House and to the member we are looking at an overall recruitment human resource strategy for the Department of Health, and nursing is one piece of that.
There are a number of programs that we have been delivering throughout Nunavut to try and address the shortage that we have in the health care field, not just in the nursing program. One example is the midwifery.
We graduated two for the first time this year. We have the social work program, the mental health program, the nursing program. There are a lot of programs in Nunavut right now geared towards professions in the health care, and nurses is one of them and we are again looking at developing a stronger recruitment strategy of those individuals in the program.