EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Chairman (Mr. Enook)(interpretation): Thank you, Minister Kusugak.
That’s very good to hear and I’m glad that you stated it that way.
The reason I want to raise this is that when we are going to put out a tender, CGS has the discretion to sole source because that’s one of the options of the deputy minister.
My colleague sitting right next to me will probably recognize that the Municipalities Act was bypassed in some of the contracts. I hope that has been rectified.
I don’t have the section that speaks to it, but it seems to state that if there are any funds that will be allocated to the hamlet, irrespective of whether it is from the Department Economic Development and Transportation or your department, the minister has to approve it. Will you ensure that that is followed down the line?
On the sole sourcing that the member talks about, each government department, including the departments he mentioned, we don’t have a say.
I can tell the member that where CGS is involved, we ensure that we adhere to the regulations pertaining to sole sourcing.
In Cape Dorset, there were allegations that various contracts were awarded unfairly, which the minister were to have signed and approved, but were done at the hamlet level and have subsequently become court matters.
Perhaps they will adhere more to the legislation since that issue has come to light.
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Yes, I believe I signed that particular document to move it forward, but we make every effort to honour any obligation that we have to follow. Sometimes, however, even when you’re following the correct legal procedures, someone doesn’t agree.
In those cases, if we need to make corrections, then we do so.
Perhaps the best way is to simply get the hamlet to facilitate the construction because of the short construction season.
I keep referring back to the Auditor General. When you look at these projects, you have to look at the best and most effective use of public funds.
When you look at the tender process, this might actually be a problem and that’s why the Auditor General assumes that a non-tendered contract would be a lot more effective.
Will you be giving more weight to these recommendations and look at trying to create a more effective means of contracting?
The reason is that in Nunavut, we have a lot of businesses that depend on these government contracts and their employees want to be able to have an opportunity to work.
That is the reason why I want an answer to this.
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Thank you, Tagak. Your questions are quite clear and it’s good to hear the reasoning behind your questions.
I was very happy to note, and you may have noted it yourself, that when we talk about a sole source contract, the number of sole source contracts has started to dwindle and it has been dwindling ever since.
I am very happy to see that.
As I stated in my comments, the divisions in certain departments handle these contracts that are let by various departments.
We have talked with them and supported them in reducing the number of sole source contracts.
Again, the departments are also online with limiting the number of source contracts and we are collaborating on this issue to try to make it a more effective process.
Mr. Chairman, hamlets have their own contracting procedures and processes, but our department does also provide assistance to hamlets in that regard.
Hopefully I’m understandable.
I believe we’re on page J-4. Your department’s draft 2012-15 business plan indicates that one of the 2012-13 priorities is to “Propose amendments to the Consumer Protection Act.” It indicates that these amendments will be brought forward during this sitting.
Can the minister indicate what changes they are proposing to the legislation?
I believe, this fall, there was a statement about introducing amendments to legislation at our winter 2012 sitting, but I would like to know if the minister can indicate what changes they’re proposing to the legislation.
I’m sorry, but I didn’t quite get the question.
It was not intentional, Ms. Ell.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Kusugak. Again, I apologize to you, Mr. Minister.
I think we had a slight glitch with the interpreting equipment.
Perhaps you can ask your question again, Ms. Ell.
Ms. Ell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) I’ll speak in English. (interpretation ends) Your department’s draft 2012-15 business plan indicates that one of the 2012-13 priorities is to “Propose amendments to the Consumer Protection Act.”
It indicates that these amendments will be brought forward during this sitting.
What changes to the legislation is the department proposing?
We are proposing to make amendments.
I think we all have received phone calls in regard to our deficit situation.
We would like to make some changes to reduce the discretionary authority of debt collectors.
For example, if I had a store and you took too long to pay your bills, despite sending you correspondence urging you to settle those bills, I would keep trying to contact you to avoid further action to collect.
That would be covered under the Consumer Protection Act.
Those are some of the changes we would like to see and will review it this year.
It’s indicated in the business plan that this will come in two phases.
Can you indicate when they will be brought forward and what the two phases mean?
The amendments to the Consumer Protection Act will involve the inclusion of harmonized agreements stemming from Nunavut’s membership on the Consumer Measures Committee and ensuring consistency of Nunavut’s legislation with consumer legislation in other jurisdictions of Canada.
Ms. Ell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for that, minister.
You mentioned that your department is looking into harmonizing with the federal and other jurisdictions concerning the fees, as you mentioned, by retail stores for financial services. Does this include things like money transfers?
What is your department considering?
When will you be introducing this to the Legislative Assembly?
That portion is still under consideration and construction, Mr. Chairman.
We will, at the earliest possible time, be able to bring that forward.
On page 164 of the business plan, your department’s draft 2012-15 business plan indicates that one of the 2012-13 priorities is to “Develop an infrastructure plan for Nunavut to address the existing deficit in infrastructure.” It also indicates that your department will “Develop a long-term financing plan for implementation of the infrastructure plan.” I think it says “implementation.”
In my book, it says “implantation.”
When do you expect the infrastructure plan and financial plans will be completed and implemented by your department?
Chairman: Thank you, Ms. Ell. (interpretation) You noticed something that I wouldn’t have noticed.
We are doing a review at this time, working with the Nunavut Association of Municipalities.
In regard to the municipalities, we all know that the infrastructures of municipalities are aging.
We are now doing a condition assessment and I’m sure that it’s going to take a while.
I believe, hopefully by the fall, we will get the results from the condition assessments.
I wanted to continue on with the line of questioning that Ms. Ell had brought forward from page 164 in your priorities for the 2012-13 fiscal year, specifically in regard to the infrastructure plan.
In the Budget Address put forward by Minister Peterson, there was mention of $6 billion worth of infrastructure that was needed over the next 20 years. When I did the math, it was about $30 million of infrastructure a year to keep up with our aging infrastructure.
Currently, we have approved, in the fall sitting, around $100 million in infrastructure.
Again, with some of the over-commitments or problems that occurred with the Nunavut Housing Trust, when more funding was provided, the capacity within the department… .
At least with the Nunavut Housing Corporation, it seemed it was hard to deal with that.
What I’m wondering is: would your department be able to handle an increase of $200 million worth of infrastructure dollars?
I don’t want to speculate on things like that. It would be good to see, to have that kind of a problem, where we would get that kind of money to deal with infrastructure.
I’m sure, with the planning process that we have underway, the review that we did will go a long way in being able to immediately start to look at where the priorities are in spending that kind of dollars.
We would need to increase our personnel in our departments. I would just like to say that it would be a nice problem to have, to have that kind of infrastructure dollars available. I’m sure our department would own up to the challenge and deal with it.
Thank you for the answer. It would be nice because I think that leads into my next question.
In terms of the $6 billion figure, is that a wish list of what the communities would need or is that with ongoing… ? Viewing what the communities need in terms of power generators that are failing, schools that need to be repaired, schools that need to be built upon because they are expanding with population, is that based on a true figure or is this more of a wish list?
I would even go so far as to say that that’s a conservative look at the costs. At this point, it may be a wish list, but that’s the reality.
We do need these kinds of dollars in order to get caught up in infrastructure in Nunavut.
When that’s taken out with the help of the community sustainability plans that have been developed, that’s really close to the real figures, give or take a million, I think, but that is the sad reality of our infrastructure needs in Nunavut.
We need power plants. The Chairman is talking about the power failures in his community. I think almost all the constituents we have could attest to the same needs.
We all need new schools.
We all need new health centres. Well, maybe not all of them, but a lot of them. We all need new community halls, hamlet offices, arenas, just the very basic necessities of our communities, Mr. Chairman, and yes, that is very close to the figure.
Resolute Bay recently had about 10 or 11 hours without power and Grise Fiord as well had some interesting things that happened with their power plant during the spring runoff where water runs through the actual facility.
So it is definitely a need, but you have answered my next question because I was going to ask how you actually receive those figures and you mentioned the Nunavut community integrated sustainability plans, which have helped you come up with dollars figures to be able to assess what is needed.
I remember last year in lines of questions that we had and also just from travelling around to my three communities and bumping into different CGS personnel who were in the communities doing the assessments, but I was wondering if you could give us an update on… .
I’m not sure quite what it’s called, but you were travelling or your department was travelling around to all the communities across the territory doing a really comprehensive inventory of what is in the community, I think even down to, at least with the way it was explained to me, the detailed information of what boilers in a certain building and what nozzle they had to have for that so there would be a complete inventory.
I was wondering if you could give us an update on the progress of that.
Yes, that work continues and I think it will continue for a while.
The plan is to put it all into a database. We are still continuing to enter the information into the RECAPP database that I mentioned in my opening statements.
That’s ongoing and hopefully that part of it will be completed in the near future.
At this point, you had mentioned the database and data entry has been ongoing, but have all communities across the territory been visited and has the inventory been taken?
Have all the communities been visited and now it’s just a matter of data entry or is it still ongoing that communities have not been visited?
No, all the communities have not quite completed their inventory yet. That’s still continuing. We still have a handful.
By handful, I really don’t know exactly how many, but we’re near the end of that. Nonetheless, we are starting the work with the RECAPP process.
Again getting back to the $6 billion with the potential of $3 million a year and the $2 million shortfall, if this is for needed infrastructure for our basic needs, as the minister had said, I guess it scares me a little bit.
What are we going to do and where are we going to find the funding for this? It sounds like sometimes our communities will slowly start to fall apart and maybe needed services won’t be there when they need to be there. I’m just wondering: what’s the department doing to meet that shortfall?
It’s a very serious issue. We do need more money. We’re talking with the federal government and seeking more money.
Our finance minister and my colleagues are constantly trying to access more federal funding.
Our Member of Parliament works with us and is working hard to try to help us find more federal dollars, and we will continue to do that.
We do have gas tax dollars that are going to continue to flow.
There are P3 possibilities. We do have a bit of the Building Canada Fund that we can access.
It is a struggle. There is no simple solution, but we strive to continue to try to find those solutions and work with the federal government to find some of those solutions.
Getting back to the human capacity issue within the minister’s department, I think, most recently, we’ve had about $85 million worth of capital carryover projects.
I’m wondering, in terms of keeping up, whether we can get an update today as to how those project dollars are coming along in terms of needed infrastructure in our communities.
Maybe I could ask my deputy to elaborate a bit on that issue.
Chairman: Ms Lausman.
In answer to that question, which is a very big question, we have put together a capital planning process that’s really going to allow a lot of pre-planning on projects.
We would get a lot of technical information and we would understand the scope better. That would allow us to deliver projects in a more timely fashion and have a better sense of what the actual costs would be. We’re transitioning into that new process now.
We expect that over the next couple of years, we will be able to have fewer capital carryovers. We will know exactly when the capital dollars will be used for construction and when they’re going to be needed for consultant work. So we expect that whole problem to actually taper off a lot.
In terms of the Building Code Act that’s before the House, one of the concerns I have… .
I think I might have to ask it later when we get onto staffing, but I’m sure that the directorate would have looked into this.
I think some of the other members were asking questions around this as well.
When there was construction going on with the Nunavut Housing Trust, there were a lot of houses being built.
One of the concerns that was brought to me many times was the idea that construction was being held up by not having either electrical inspectors or a building inspector coming in to approve at different stages.
I won’t pretend to understand what all those stages are and when it has to be done, but I know, in the way it was explained to me, the concern was that it presented a problem to the contractor to get work done, which actually translated to more money being spent on keeping individuals in the community and housing them or having staff on and paying people when the work couldn’t be finished until the next phase was approved. I’m just wondering whether your department has looked at that in terms of implementing a building code.
Again, I think a building code is something that we need to look at.
With wheelchair accessibility and with recent developments in terms of fire codes and whether there should be fire suppression systems and sprinkler systems in buildings, I think it’s needed. At the same time, I don’t think they want to slow down the process of construction because we have such a short construction period anyway.
I’m wondering if your department has looked into that and what resolutions have been made in terms of staffing a position like that or staffing the number of people to go through the building code and follow through on the procedures.
Good points, Mr. Elliott.
Mr. Chairman, we’ve had issues in the past and we will again in the future, unfortunately, in dealing with inspections in a timely manner, which was and has been an issue in previous construction seasons.
That was twofold, partly because we were short of staff and partly because of scheduling by the contractors themselves, where we had in place with the contractors to say, for example, “Please let us know a couple of weeks or a month or so before your inspection is required.”
Many contractors followed that and more often than not, we would get a call to say, “We finished this portion of it.
Could you come and inspect it now?”
And in the meantime, the people who specialize in that field, if it’s an electrical inspection or a vapour barrier inspection or what else, they may have been at another project at the time.
So we’re working with the departments and contractors to deal with that part of it, but it’s very important that the inspections do take place because safety is the ultimate goal here and that proper electrical, boiler, and what other inspections take place in a timely manner and that they be done properly so that we are not jeopardizing the health and well-being of Nunavummiut.
When we do work with the building code, it will be not to speed up the whole construction process but to ensure that safety comes first, that the two can marry and go in a timely fashion.
We will work to ensure that personnel are in place so that the code is properly adhered to.
We will go back to the page we were on.
We were on page J-4.
Looking at the clock, (interpretation ends) I would like to make a motion to report progress. (interpretation) Thank you.
Mr. Enook: Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 24 and the main estimates, and would like to report progress.
A reminder that this afternoon at half past one in the Nanuq Boardroom, there’s a meeting of the Standing Committee on Legislation.
Members, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our pages who have been here assisting us this week.
From Pond Inlet, Suzanne and Kimberly, thank you very much for coming down and I hope you enjoyed yourselves and learned a lot this week. Also, from Iqaluit are Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Amanda and Joe Michael. Thank you very much.
I thank our Sergeant-at-Arms, the technicians, the interpreters, and everybody. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend
We will be watching our athletes in Whitehorse commencing this weekend. I wish them all the best of luck this week in Whitehorse.
With that, this House stands adjourned until Monday, March 5, at 1:30 p.m.
>>House adjourned at 12:03
Monday, March 5, 2012
Pages 2041 – 2129
Opening Prayer 2041
Ministers’ Statements 2041
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 2050
Oral Questions 2050
Written Questions 2064
Reports of Standing and Special Committees on Bills and Other Matters 2065
Tabling of Documents 2068
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 2070
Point of Privilege 2082
Point of Privilege 2084
Report of the Committee of the Whole 2128
Orders of the Day 2129
Monday, March 5, 2012 2041
134 – 3(3): Minister Absent from the House (Kusugak) 2041
135 – 3(3): Facilitate Mine Training in Nunavut (Taptuna) 2041
136 – 3(3): Status of Nunavut’s Mining and Mineral Exploration Industry (Taptuna) 2042
137 – 3(3): Mature High School Graduation (Aariak) 2043
204 – 3(3): Arviat Participants at the Arctic Winter Games (Shewchuk) 2044
205 – 3(3): Happy Birthday to Wife, Lucie (Tapardjuk) 2044
206 – 3(3): Bell Mobility Billing Problems (Ell) 2044
207 – 3(3): Rankin Inlet Hockey Teams Participate in Tournaments (Kusugak) 2045
208 – 3(3): Dealing with Family Violence (Ugyuk) 2046
209 – 3(3): Implementation of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan (Elliott) 2046
210 – 3(3): The Effects of Global Warming to Homeowners and Aging Fuel Tanks (Ningark) 2048
211 – 3(3): Marine Infrastructure and Services (Aupaluktuq) 2049
212 – 3(3): Opening of Coral Harbour Arena (Ningeongan) 2049
303 – 3(3): Services at Boarding Homes (Ell) 2050
304 – 3(3): Bilingual Education Models (Elliott) 2051
305 – 3(3): Review of Government Contracting and Procurement (Curley) 2052
306 – 3(3): Implementing the Ilagiitsiarniq Family Violence Strategy (Ugyuk) 2053
307 – 3(3): Marine Infrastructure and Services (Aupaluktuq) 2055
308 – 3(3): Physician Services in the High Arctic (Enook) 2057
309 – 3(3): Global Warming and its Effect on Homeowners (Ningark) 2058
310 – 3(3): Donation of Food Legislation (Elliott) 2059
311 – 3(3): Assistance for Prospective Home Buyers (Oshutapik) 2060
312 – 3(3): Government Contracts (Ningark) 2062
313 – 3(3): Hotel Policy on Government Contractors (Curley) 2063
015 – 3(3): Southern Hudson Bay Polar Bear Population Management (Rumbolt) 2064
Committee Report 014 – 3(3): Bill 28, Write-off of Assets Act, 2011-2012 (Tapardjuk) 2065
Committee Report 015 – 3(3): Bill 29, Write-off of Assets Act, NO. 1, 2010-2011 (Tapardjuk) 2065
Committee Report 016 – 3(3): Presentation of the Report of the Standing Committee on the Review of the 2010-2011 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut (Elliott) 2066
163 – 3(3): Information Brochure - Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (Ell) 2068
164 – 3(3): Articles Concerning People of a Feather Documentary (Rumbolt) 2068
165 – 3(3): Alaska Suicide Hospitalizations: 2011-2012 (Elliott) 2069
166 – 3(3): GNWT - Donation of Food Act (Elliott) 2069
167 – 3(3): 2010-2011 Annual Report for the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation (Taptuna) 2069
168 – 3(3): 2010-2011 Annual Report for Nunavut Arctic College (Shewchuk) 2069
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Community and Government Services – Consideration in Committee 2070
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Economic Development and Transportation – Consideration in Committee 2123
Honourable Eva Aariak, Mr. Moses Aupaluktuq, Mr. Tagak Curley, Ms. Monica Ell, Mr. Ron Elliott, Mr. Joe Enook, Honourable Lorne Kusugak, Mr. John Ningark, Mr. Johnny Ningeongan, Mr. Hezakiah Oshutapik, Honourable Keith Peterson, Mr. Allan Rumbolt, Honourable Fred Schell, Honourable Daniel Shewchuk, Mr. Louis Tapardjuk, Honourable Peter Taptuna, Honourable Hunter Tootoo, Ms. Jeannie Ugyuk.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Elliott. (interpretation ends) Moving on in our orders of the day. Item 2. Ministers’ Statements.
Government House Leader, Minister Kusugak.
Minister’s Statement 134 – 3(3): Minister Absent from the House (Kusugak)
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Good day, Mr. Speaker and my colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise members that the Hon. James Arreak will be absent from the House today.
He is attending the opening of the Arctic Winter Games.
We’re happy you’re back too.
Minister’s Statement 135 – 3(3): Facilitate Mine Training in Nunavut (Taptuna)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to update the House on our work to coordinate efforts to prepare Nunavummiut for opportunities in the minerals sector.
In 2009, my department helped facilitate the creation of the Kivalliq Mine Training Society. With funding from the federal government’s Aboriginal Skills Development Program and our Strategic Investments Program, and by partnering with Agnico-Eagle, the society has provided training for over 400 Nunavut residents.
Much of this training was delivered by Nunavut Arctic College.
As we work with industry to expand opportunities across the territory, we are also working with the regional Inuit associations, Arctic College, the Department of Education, and industry to develop a Nunavut mine training society that can collaborate with the mine training societies in the other two territories.
Together, we are developing a pan-northern strategy and proposal to provide long-term funding for mine training across the north.