EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
So that’s one reason that we have become obviously subject to a lot of review and evaluation of the Assembly. Some cost pressures that we have seen involved the union related salary increases that were not established.
During the last number of years, we have had to update them in the fall to account for the actual requirement of our compensation and benefits.
So I’ll leave it at that and I’m sure that if there are further questions, our finance officials will respond to that.
My next question is: what steps has the Department of Health and Social Services taken to try to keep within that budget?
The steps that the department has been taking to try and control costs within the department, one of the major steps would be our nursing strategy to try and reduce the agency nurse costs and we have been successful in that this year.
Another strategy that we have been undertaking recently is the electronic health record.
We don’t have a full analysis, of course, but we’re hoping that that’s going to help us reduce costs with regard to having a quick turnaround of diagnostic services.
So therefore, we’re not sending people south if it’s not necessary because we’re getting diagnostic information back more quickly.
These are the type of initiatives that the department is undertaking to try and control costs.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Ms. Voth.
Yes, the comments are quite understandable, but there is no mention of these other programs, albeit they may already be stated elsewhere. I’m talking about food insecurity, laboratory services, and school breakfast programs. Yes, I am thankful for these programs and they can be offered.
However, I don’t see any mention of preventative measures. As an example, we should be looking at health care and prevention of sicknesses prior to requiring medical attention.
Whenever members visit their communities, and this may apply to all of the MLAs, there are cases where our constituents have experienced issues with health centre visits. When they go for an appointment, they often ask why they didn’t receive the proper treatment. They often feel that they aren’t receiving the service that they require.
Many people have commented on these issues and this applies to most of the members here.
Maybe the Department of Health and Social Services is getting too large.
Perhaps it is due to its size, but quite a few communities request more nurses and doctors to service their health needs.
We hear of too many cases where a patient was misdiagnosed and by the time the illness or disease has been properly diagnosed, it is often in the late stages and too late for treatment.
Perhaps we should split the Department of Health and Social Services into the Department of Health and the Department of Social Services as it seems too large.
Perhaps if we made health a standalone department, then the people who require medical attention would be better serviced and looked after with one minister. Social services should also be a separate department.
With the current set-up, the officials are trying to deal with health issues, as I imagine we have many of our residents requiring medical attention, and I believe that the minister recognizes this situation as they have created a complaints office. For those people who have complaints, they have a number that they can call and I believe they also have a fax number. The minister has recognized that there is a need.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Chairman, most complaints that I get under the Department of Health and Social Services are those that relate to health rather than social services. I think the good office of the hon. minister recognizes that fact.
He has a complaints office under his department, under his domain, so he must know that.
If we make the Department of Health a standalone department, perhaps we can start dealing with the shortage of the health profession in the community and start doing our preventative measures in the health sector.
My question to the hon. minister is: do you feel that the government can handle the Department of Health and Social Services under one department?
Why do you think, Mr. Minister, that you put the complaints office in your department?
Why did you put in a complaints office? If there were no complaints, I don’t think you would have that.
Do you think that the Department of Health and Social Services is too large to focus on health rather than social services?
I believe that was just a comment, but if you would like to comment on that, Minister Curley, I give you the floor.
First of all, I would like to respond to his comments. With respect to the first item related to the funds that I mentioned in my opening comments, they are specifically for the new allocations. The funds will be used for developing initiatives to provide more benefits in light of the price increases, as per our comments.
With respect to ongoing programs and services, such as public health and the Community Wellness Program, these already exist in most communities and they can request funding for their programs.
We want to continue this program by having $600,000 allocated for foster homes, family relations, and proper nutrition, which form part of the Community Wellness Program.
Many communities are utilizing the Community Wellness Program.
As an example, we visited Igloolik near the end of the fall season, and the program administrators were extremely busy providing various services. I also know that the program is quite well used in Pangnirtung and they are focused on transportation of those residents to outlying camps.
They are focussed on healthy living initiatives as well as healthy bodies.
With respect to the issue raised here, I cannot answer at this time. As our Premier noted, we have to pay attention to these issues as they form part of the list of items that need to be reviewed under our comprehensive operational review.
We have to determine what needs to be revised or improved in order to have proper services as many people feel that it could be improved by segregating Health and Social Services into separate departments. However, they don’t offer any suggestions on improvements that would occur if the department was split into two separate departments.
Perhaps the costs for providing these services will escalate and we will suffer from inadequate funding. Further, they would each require their own deputy minister, which also requires funding under their operations.
With all of the associated offices and staff, it would require an additional fund of approximately a million dollars as it would also require a separate minister.
Our population base in Nunavut is not very large, with only 25 communities stretched throughout Nunavut. If there are concerns about the way certain departments are being operated, does this mean that we need to split into more departments?
These are the types of issues we have to address when contemplating changes to a department.
Some of the programs could be administered more effectively and areas that cause problems can be massaged, such as our social services that have always had issues related to their divisions, such as child protection and family services.
These types of services need to be improved.
A member mentioned crime prevention measures and that we should also have counselling services available in our department and once that service is provided, it would alleviate a lot of the issues.
In thinking about these issues, as a department, we have looked at various options that we can pursue down the road.
Perhaps by virtue of having an agreement with the regional organizations, we can look at merging programs so that there is no overlap. Services, including the healing circle programs that are currently used in some communities, have resulted in quite a number of residents who are now capable of providing these services, including counselling. We have quite a fair number of qualified individuals that we could enlist to provide these services collaboratively.
We should be looking at preventative measures, not providing services after the fact, such as when an individual commits a crime. We have to start deliberating on our options in these areas. If we were to brainstorm on resolving our existing issues, then we can move forward.
At least, that is my expectation.
With respect to the issue of segregating the department, the Premier already provided a response to that question, so I will just leave it at that for the time being.
This also applies to the items in the Minister of Finance’s Budget Address that relate to the priority items and future plans and whether we ought to be contemplating changes.
John Ningark.
With regard to the complaints we hear on occasion from patients who have experienced these incidents, most members are usually uncomfortable about mentioning specific cases or incidents that cause concern to our residents.
If the communities could better utilize their community health committees to voice their concerns and problems related to health centres and nursing, then they could be tasked to deal with these local concerns.
The most pressing concern is related to the shortage of nurses in our communities and due to the shortages, I imagine that the nurses suffer from stress and work overloads. Some are on call during the evenings and they have to deal with emergencies during the nights.
Perhaps if the Department of Health became a standalone department, then they would be better able to handle the myriad of local complaints and concerns in our communities. In my opinion, it would allow the department to concentrate solely on health issues and disease prevention rather than deal with all of the concerns of our residents. That would also apply to the Social Services Branch as they could just concentrate on providing social services to our residents.
I believe that the programs are listed here and to mention a few listed under the combined Department of Health and Social Services, it lists health benefits, food insecurity issues, school breakfast programs, medical travel, and others.
I’m unsure as to who is exactly responsible for medical travel, either Health or Social Services.
I believe that we have to start looking at our options since these services are provided to our residents in our communities.
Many of us have been informed about the statistics related to the social problems faced by our people.
We have all heard about the many social problems in Nunavut.
If we separate these into two departments, then we can start to make improvements in our service provision.
When we review the other pages, I will make further comments.
I thank you for the opportunity to speak my mind. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This was just a comment, but I’ll give you a chance to respond to his comments. If you would like to respond, you may do so, Mr. Curley.
Yes, I understood the comments he made with respect to the various issues faced in our territory.
I will ensure that we include them in our comprehensive review, and I will include it in my notes to the cabinet.
We will have to keep these issues in mind, especially as we are looking at improving our programs and services.
We will look at our options to improve the programs provided in our department as has been requested by various members.
We will keep them in mind.
At the appropriate time, we will be able to present it to the cabinet.
Thank you to the minister.
You say by the discussions we’ve been having this afternoon, it sounds like everybody is ready for a structural review of the government departments.
Getting away from that, I think I’m feeling a little generous today because I find the health care that we have in our territory, I think, is excellent. For the number of people that we have travelling, I think it’s something like 32,000 people, I know you’re going to have…. .
If you ask any travel agent whether they have any problems with people coming and going when they ship 32,000 people, I’m sure you would find that people get stranded or lost.
I think with this being Mr. Campbell’s last appearance, I would like to say and thank him for all of the hard work he has done over the past few years.
I think it’s a very difficult portfolio to have.
You’re dealing with people who are either grieving or facing treatment that’s scary; a lot of unknowns, a possibility of death. That brings up a lot of emotion that either tends to be coming out as anger or fear.
I just want to thank Mr. Campbell for all of the hard work that he has done over the years, and I’m sure we will miss you. At the same time, I don’t want to let you off the hook totally in terms of not asking any questions or making comments.
You mentioned the idea under laboratory services in your opening comments, and this is for the minister, where it talks about the testing for infectious diseases and tuberculosis.
I know that our MP announced $800,000 for Taima TB and you had made a Member’s Statement.
Is that money to be spent in this fiscal year or is it going to be incorporated in what we’re talking about now with this budget for next year?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Elliott. (interpretation ends) Deputy Minister Campbell.
Mr. Campbell (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) The funding that we were receiving from Health Canada was a specific proposal submitted to their office last summer or fall.
It’s a project that’s going to be reviewing the situation here specifically in Iqaluit and taking a survey on what are the causes of TB and doing a bit more work on promoting and trying to prevent TB from occurring.
So it’s a separate process, a specific project or proposal that we submitted.
Chairman: Qujannamiik, Deputy Minister.
In terms of the school breakfast program for communities that already have the breakfast program, which I think all three of my communities are involved with breakfast programs… . They access funding through Brighter Futures dollars and whatnot.
Instead of having the school breakfast program, will they be able to possibly provide lunch to the students since they already have the breakfast program?
What we’re trying to do this fiscal year is trying to do a bit of an assessment of the school program itself.
The $165,000 will be directed for an environmental scan to determine what the best fit of that program should be for Nunavummiut in each of the communities that are presently doing the program. $500,000 of the funding will be to enhance the existing breakfast programs during the year, during the environmental scan as well.
As a department, we haven’t been thinking of providing a lunch program at this time.
So then there will be some consideration put into the communities that already have the breakfast program as to what’s going to happen in terms of pulling their funding to combine it all as one.
Mr. Campbell (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Yes, it’s always a good practice to try and pool our resources at the community level to identify some external funding sources like the federal government to contribute to the process.
The $500,000 that I spoke of to enhance the program will include some small capital purchases as well that communities may be interested in purchasing for that program, such as refrigerators and dishwashers, but those are just examples that we’re trying to be flexible with the $500,000.
I do have more questions on that, but I think I’ll wait until we go to the page by page to do more detailed questions on this specific program as to how it’s actually going to roll out.
Hopefully with April 1 and the introduction of the new Nutrition North Canada Program, the funding will come up before sealift orders so that they don’t have to purchase items and have them flown up, which would be more expensive.
In terms of food security, this is a big issue in terms of a lot of discussions that have been going on in the recent weeks. This is actually the first time that I have heard anything called the Quality of Life Committee.
I was just wondering if the minister could explain what that committee is, whether it’s intergovernmental within Health and Social Services or what that committee actually is.
I think the member will recall that during the Tamapta, an action plan, there were various initiatives that were announced by cabinet. One includes poverty reduction, as well as dealing with food insecurity.
The Quality of Life Committee is one committee of a number of committees that were struck down to deal with action plans following the Tamapta announcement, Qanukkanniq statement.
I know that it’s not a Health and Social Services committee, but I believe it’s guided by the EIA and it involves interdepartmental committees that have the responsibility of social and economic aspects.
I believe it’s quite a large one.
I may be right if I say that you are the Chairman of that group, so the deputy is quite able to do so. It’s not health initiated, but the cabinet as a whole.
No, I wasn’t finished.
My light wasn’t on, so I couldn’t say anything.
I was wondering then maybe this is a question I could put out to the minister and then he could talk to all of the other bodies involved. In my mind, it’s getting a little confusing but I want to get a grip on it.
There is the Poverty Reduction Working Group; there is the Anti-Poverty Strategy, which there are committee members on that; there is the Quality of Life Committee; there is the Anti-Poverty Secretariat; there is the social advocate’s office; and then there is the Social Advocate Secretariat; and then we learned the other day that within EIA there is a committee that’s working on monitoring Nutrition North Canada.
Is there a list of these committees? Just to keep it a little bit straight in our minds, is it possible to get a list like that from… ? Again I don’t know which department to ask for it because it’s scattered all over the place, so maybe Mr. Curley could help.
Minister Curley, I’m not sure if your department is the appropriate department, but I’ll give you the opportunity to respond. Minister Curley.
In terms of the mandates of the committees, I’m sure that can be provided as well as a list of committees. My colleagues on the cabinet are sitting right there and I’m sure they would be glad to table that information.
In terms of trying to clarify why we’re linking the Quality of Life Committee, each department taps into all of these various committees when announcing a specific amount of their contributions through the budget process. Ours is related to preschool and children.
In that regard, we are asking for that specific amount that I stated in my opening remarks. I’m sure the other departments and the department will have certain contributions as well. So it’s a team effort and we’re all sharing in that regard.
In terms of supplying you with further information, the appropriate minister, no doubt, will table the list of committees that resulted out of the Qanukkanniq Action Plan, and so on.
At this time, we will take a 7-minute break. We will be back shortly.
>>Committee recessed at 17:11 and resumed at 17:24
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, my committee colleagues.
We now have quorum and we are ready to start again.
Johnny Ningeongan.
With regard to this matter, I am unsure as to where it is situated but it is in the opening comments which I want to direct a question towards.
I believe it is on page 5, near the title under the heading of food security.
I believe that it was last fall when I directed a question regarding this matter.
As per that question, in the Kivalliq, we used to have a laboratory which was located in Rankin Inlet. They conducted trichinosis tests on walrus meat to ensure that it was edible and didn’t constitute a hazard.
The minister may recall my previous question as it related to the conservation officer in Coral Harbour.
There was supposed to be a new building constructed for their use and I had asked whether or not it was possible to include a laboratory. I had directed my question to the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Tagak Curley.
I had asked if the laboratory would comprise part of this project and, if it is included within the project, where would it be located. I would like to get this clarified and I’m directing this to Minister Curley.
Mr. Minister Curley.
With respect to that very important question, it is indeed a challenging matter as many people consume the meat and in particular, the walrus meat prior to the testing of the meat. That has formed the problem, at least with respect to our department.
We have been faced with difficulties for approximately two years now with respect to the laboratory in Rankin Inlet. With the problems we face in that situation, we’ve had to ship the meat out of Nunavut in order to have it tested.
At this time, my deputy minister could provide more details on the issues we face and if we are to resolve the problems we face in Rankin Inlet.
We need to work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in order to provide the proper testing on meat as per their requirements.
We were able to provide the testing at that time due to the arrangements we made with respect to the testing.
However, at this time, we are considering all of our options, including working with Nunavut Arctic College so that they can offer training for laboratory technicians.
I believe that is something we can support if that is the best option.
I directed my deputy, Alex, to look into the matter and to try and provide more assistance as per the requests of the members. Last summer, after your correspondence on the matter was received, I asked him to look into the options we may have had.
Mr. Chairman, I would like my deputy minister to respond, if you can provide him the opportunity to do so. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Curley. (interpretation ends) Deputy Minister Campbell.
Mr. Campbell (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Thank you to the member for the question.
The Deputy Minister of Environment and I have been having some discussions on how we need to approach this so that we can have these tests done in Nunavut.
That’s the only update I can provide, but we are taking the questions from last fall seriously and we are trying to facilitate a process to get that done as soon as possible.
During the minister of Finance’s Budget Address, he referred to country food and the possibility of trading country food between regions and communities. If this initiative does proceed, it is vital that priority be given to food inspection as Inuit prefer to trade country food that may not be available in their community.
Some communities have larger walrus populations versus others, and I would prefer that if a laboratory is established that it be established near these communities. It would be easier to offer this service if the testing was done adjacent to the communities that depend largely on walrus meat. This would be the most effective manner of providing this service.
Although the meat may not necessarily be inspected by the federal government, we do need to have proper country food in order to trade it.
It would allow more trust amongst the communities in Nunavut and due to that reason, it would be ideal to get a laboratory in Nunavut somewhere in the middle like Coral Harbour because it is right smack in the middle of the Nunavut territory.
Although this was a comment, I’ll give you the opportunity to respond, Minister Curley.
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I understand his comment.
When the cabinet was discussing land related issues, we spoke about the meat testing laboratories as they would allow people to eat their foods without concerns.
The meat can then be placed in the community freezers.
I’m working with my colleagues from the Department of ED&T and the Department of Environment to start planning on this initiative.
As the Minister of Finance stated in his Budget Address, we will use the Tamapta Mandate to try and provide more assistance. We need to make community freezers available. We believe that there will be more intercommunity trade on country food.
I want to urge the other department as they will be the lead department on the country food initiative.