EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The standing committee notes that ministerial letters of expectation for the 2011-12 fiscal year to the GN’s five largest Crown corporations and agencies were not tabled in the Legislative Assembly until October 27, 2011.
Last year, the department’s business plan indicated that the process of developing formal memorandums of understanding between the government and its Crown corporations and agencies was underway.
The standing committee again repeats its call for the annual contracting, leasing and procurement reports of all of the GN’s Crown corporations and agencies to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly in a timely manner.
Although the most recent ministerial letters of expectation to the GN’s Crown corporations and agencies instructed them to prepare such reports, not all of the government’s Crown corporations and agencies appear to have complied with this direction.
Mr. Chairman, the timeliness of the tabling of the government’s annual public accounts has been an issue of ongoing concern.
The standing committee applauds the government for having backdoor tabled its 2010-11 Public Accounts in December of 2011.
This marked the first time since the creation of Nunavut that the public accounts have been tabled in compliance with section 74 of the Financial Administration Act, which requires that they be tabled on or before December 31 following the end of the fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, the 2009 Report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Legislative Assembly noted that “the underlying cause of the Government’s lack of progress on our previous recommendations is its limited human resource capacity. Simply put, there are not enough qualified financial staff to properly carry out basic financial functions.”
The GN’s 2008-09 annual report on procurement activities indicated that the Department of Finance awarded a $303,000 contract in 2008-09 to an individual to provide consulting services to assist in the production of the public accounts.
The same consultant received a $205,968 contract in 2009-2010 and a $204,985 contract in 2010-11.
The Department of Finance’s business plan indicates that one of its goals for the 2012-13 fiscal year is to “Continue to expand a professional training regime to enhance the financial expertise of the territory at all levels.”
The business plan also indicates that “Discussions commenced with Nunavut Arctic College on the delivery of courses for an accounting diploma program to be delivered within the territory.”
Members urge the minister to continue providing regular reports to the standing committee on the status of the department’s strengthening financial management and network capacity initiative.
The standing committee also looks forward to the minister providing regular quarterly reports to the standing committee on capital adjustments, as required by Directive 302 in the Financial Administration Manual.
Mr. Chairman, during the minister’s recent appearance before the standing committee, members raised a number of concerns regarding the issue of liquor management, which falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of Finance.
Responsibility for support to the liquor licensing board was transferred to the Department of Justice in the 2007-08 fiscal year.
The department’s business plan indicates that the final report and recommendations of the Minister’s Task Force to Review the Liquor Act are expected to be completed by April 2012.
The standing committee has urged the minister to table the task force’s report and recommendations in the Legislative Assembly at the earliest opportunity so that all Members of the Legislative Assembly have the opportunity to consider them.
The standing committee also encourages the ministers of Finance and Justice to pursue the idea of introducing civil forfeiture legislation to address the issue of assets acquired through the proceeds of crime.
In communities where voters have chosen through plebiscite to establish alcohol education committees, the standing committee supports efforts on the part of the department to provide training and support for these bodies while recognizing the need to review whether their core mandate should be focused on controlling access to alcohol or providing counselling services that might be more appropriately delivered by other entities.
The standing committee notes that the idea of allocating revenues that are received by the government from fines imposed under the Liquor Act to alcohol education and treatment programs remains worthy of consideration, as is the idea of allocating profits from the government’s sales of alcohol.
The standing committee emphasizes that such allocations should be viewed as a supplement to existing funding, not as a replacement. The standing committee is mindful of the precedent set by the recent passage of Bill 35 in relation to the allocation of tobacco tax revenues to smoking prevention and cessation programs.
In March of 2010, the Legislative Assembly approved a motion calling on the Nunavut Liquor Commission to stop purchasing alcohol products from the European Union until such time as the issue of the EU’s ban on the import of seal products is resolved to Nunavut’s satisfaction.
The standing committee applauds the minister for having instructed the Nunavut Liquor Commission to respect the will of the House and encourages the minister to table in the Legislative Assembly a list of the products that the commission actually purchased during the 2011 resupply.
On October 28, 2011, the Minister of Finance tabled the annual government-wide report on grants and contributions made by all departments during the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Between the 2004-05 and 2010-11 fiscal years, the government spent over $1,871,000,000 in grants and contributions.
The standing committee encourages the minister to pursue further enhancements to this benefit with his federal counterpart and notes the impact that such improvements would have in helping Nunavummiut address the high cost of living in the north.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s proposed 2012-13 main estimates include $8,577,000 in funding for the Nunavut Electricity Subsidy Program.
On a government-wide basis, the GN plans to spend approximately $36.16 million on utility costs during the 2012-13 fiscal year.
On November 1, 2007, the provisions in the Qulliq Energy Corporation Act providing for the creation of an affordable energy fund came into force.
The policy states that “The GN believes that a cooperative approach to building infrastructure through public-private partnerships (P3) can be an appropriate, efficient and effective use of Nunavut’s resources to deliver services.” On October 26, 2010, the Premier tabled in the Legislative Assembly a document titled Refined Direction from Cabinet Retreat 2010.
The document stated that one of the GN’s priorities is to “explore financial partnerships (P3s and others) for major capital projects.”
Mr. Chairman, amendments were passed to the territorial Payroll Tax Act in 2006 to increase the GN’s payroll tax rate to 2 percent. The government raised $19,803,000 in payroll tax revenues during the 2010-11 fiscal year.
However, it is not clear what percentage of payroll tax revenues is raised from the government’s own employees and what percentage is raised from workers in other levels of government and the private sector.
The government raised $13,058,000 in 2010-11 from tobacco taxes.
The department is responsible for administering the government’s Fuel Tax Rebate Program.
The most recent annual report on the administration of this program was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on October 27, 2010.
The 2010-11 annual report has not yet been tabled.
Chairman (Mr. Enook)(interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Elliott.
Are there any general comments on the Minister of Finance’s opening comments?
The majority of Nunavut’s revenues come from the territorial formula financing arrangement, the Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer, and others.
According to the opening remarks of the hon. minister, we hope “to offer the same quality and scope of services as other Canadian governments.”
When we don’t have the capability or power to raise our own revenue in Nunavut, I don’t know how we can afford to offer the same services as other Canadians.
When the hon. minister talked about other Canadian governments, was he talking about the Yukon and the NWT, or are we basically talking about other Canadians in the southern provinces where they have the power to raise their own revenue through their own resources and royalties and what have you?
Mr. Chairman, when I made that statement, I was comparing us to all provinces and territories in Canada.
Mr. Ningark: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the hon. minister for that response.
According to the statement, I believe that the Minister of Finance expects technical discussions over this coming year and I believe that we want to achieve our ability to offer the same quality and scope [of services] that he talks about.
So have you had any discussions with the Government of Canada, our counterpart, perhaps Mr. Flaherty in this case, about our dreams and aspirations to get the same scope of services as other Canadians? How do we hope to achieve these qualities that other Canadians take for granted, especially the provinces in the country?
Mr. Chairman, I raised that issue with Minister Flaherty at the federal/provincial/territorial finance ministers’ meeting as recently as December in Victoria. My officials continue to have discussions on a regular basis with his officials in Finance Canada.
When the Hon. Minister of Finance discussed what we wanted to see up here, was Minister Flaherty receptive to the idea? Was there any hope at all that we will begin to see a quality of life up here?
Mr. Chairman, there is always hope.
Mr. Flaherty is a very busy man, but he did hear me out and I appreciate his listening to me. His officials indicated that they will continue talking to our officials.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Peterson. (interpretation ends) General comments. (interpretation) We will go to C-4.
Directorate. Total Operations and Maintenance. $1,493,000.
Turn to page C-5. (interpretation ends) Branch Summary. Finance. Policy and Planning.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $3,660,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Turn to page C-6.
Mr. Curley: Thank you. (interpretation) I have a question to the minister on this page because it includes the FMB and the financial management and budgeting process.
If FMB is going to conduct an audit on a matter of concern, do you initiate the financial audit if needed? That is my (interpretation ends) first question.
Hon. Keith Peterson: Mr. Chairman, it didn’t quite come through clear. Could Mr. Curley repeat his question?
Chairman: Mr. Curley, please.
Mr. Curley: I’ll try to be clear. One of the responsibilities of the financial management, obviously, is to conduct audits and so on of any department or whatnot. FMB, for instance, requires departments’ special audits.
Is that done through this division?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank Mr. Curley for the clarification.
Mr. Chairman, through our internal audit services, that would come under comptrollership.
Mr. Curley: Yes, internal audits for the finance department, but in some occasions, if this division is responsible for FMB, FMB occasionally does issue a directive for special audits. Would that be an appropriate place to ask questions on?
Under the FAA, or the Financial Administration Act, under section 78, it would be a ministerial directive and that would apply to a Crown corporation.
So under C-7, I’ll be able to ask that question.
Chairman (interpretation): I didn’t quite hear what you said, Mr. Curley.
Mr. Curley: I want to ask some questions with respect to audits of major corporations.
I’m trying to get into the appropriate… . I’m taking up time here, so I need direction.
So I’ll ask him at C-7. Is that what you’re saying, the next page?
C-7 would be fine.
It states here that this department has 84 vacant positions as of March 31, 2011, which is a vacancy rate of approximately 40 percent.
Out of those 84 vacant positions, do you expect to fill them, Mr. Chairman?
Mr. Chairman, I was hoping to fill all the positions. We’re actively recruiting all the time for finance positions.
In fact, the other day, I was up at the Brown Building meeting a lot of folks and we did some vacant positions there and they advised me that there are recruitment activities underway.
As we had questions for the Minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College, has the minister made decisions on the need for financial management courses and certification?
Mr. Chairman, yes, we are working with Nunavut Arctic College to develop that program. I believe the plan is set for the fall of this year.
In the meantime, we do continue to offer other training programs for financial employees.
We are on page C-6. (interpretation ends) Finance.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $2,886,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Turn to page C-7.
I’ll be clear with this. I want to ask the minister: when the special audit was conducted with the Nunavut Housing Corporation, was that under the direction of your department?
Was it the finance department that was responsible for the specific set of terms of reference for the independent audit?
Mr. Chairman, I issued a ministerial directive, section 78, under the Nunavut Housing Corporation, following the issue with the housing projects.
Under section 78, we assisted with the development of the terms of reference for the audit.
The minister tabled the independent audit and members had an opportunity to comment on it as well.
Was the finance department, including you as well as the minister, satisfied with the recommendations and action plans that were contained in that special audit?
The audit by the firm, Deloitte & Touche, was a clean audit.
It indicated that there were no issue, no money missing, and it was tabled in the House.
During the review of the committee of the estimates for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, the minister responsible made it quite clear that he had authorized another audit and indicated to the committee that the Deloitte & Touche audit was a very limited audit.
Why would the minister or the government now say, after the conclusion of the whole audit, that it is not satisfactory?
Mr. Chairman, the Deloitte & Touche audit was a financial audit; it was not an administrative audit.
During the course of the evaluation of the various reports, including that special audit, as well as the recommendations from the standing committee of the legislature, as well as the Auditor General, it was never alleged or recommended that there be an additional audit in order to conclude whether the performance of the corporation must be examined further.
Has the minister spoken to the Minister responsible for Housing at all whether or not this particular audit is actually required?
It might be a diversion again, as far as I’m concerned. When the federal budget was about to be announced shortly, there was a bit of hope that there might have been some funding for extra housing.
Are you satisfied that the recommendation from the Minister responsible Housing is actually needed?
Mr. Chairman, the minister of the housing corporation is the minister. If he requests some financial information to satisfy some of his concerns, that’s his prerogative.
However, I talked to the Auditor General at the time and she indicated in her audit of the housing corporation that they didn’t find anything amiss, maybe more down to basic things like over-budgeting and that. I think she indicated that in one of her earlier reports to the Legislative Assembly.
The Deloitte and Touche audit, again, it was financial and it did not indicate that there were any monies missing.
Mr. Chairman, what I’m getting at is I think there has to be coordination with government in terms of announcing policy or intent, that there be a bit of a strategy, whether or not it would implicate some or signal to the various partners and the whole thing whether or not there are underlying problems that have not been uncovered.
Does the minister at all feel that the strategy that the minister responsible has taken is really benefiting Nunavutmiut and that we now have to dig through the records and find out what went wrong when it could have maybe been announced in the House that special actions have been either looked into or will be corrected?
Mr. Chairman, with the establishment of the new board of directors and the transfer of the accounting division from Arviat to Iqaluit, we were hoping that that would position the Nunavut Housing Corporation to move forward to build houses.
We were hopeful that they would take the lead on whether they required financial information. I would say at this point that it’s up to the minister or the board of the directors of the Nunavut Housing Corporation to decide if they wish to proceed with an administrative audit.
I appreciate the minister responding.
I think the minister is quite knowledgeable with how the major corporations do operate.
As well now, a number of Crown corporations we have are arm’s-length institutions or corporations.
What I’m getting at is I think I would like to suggest to the minister that his advice is important for a number of reasons. One is obviously financial, including the management of a Crown corporation, which could also be addressed through letters of expectation, and so on.
That never appears to have been highlighted, that there are other management issues or whatnot that should be dug further to try and get to the bottom of anything. There might not be any.
What I’m getting at is: can the minister confirm to the committee that he will exercise his important position and provide advice occasionally to the new ministers that may not have had a long experience in managing those kinds of things?
A strategy is important when dealing with the federal government.
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank Mr. Curley for the comments.
Mr. Chairman, I think it would be a good time to mention here that the Auditor General of Canada does the audit for the Nunavut Housing Corporation and her most recent audit allowed us to complete our public accounts and table them on time.
Also, I have been listening to the debate the last several days here in the House about Ottawa and houses and other stuff.
I have to say, Mr. Chairman, I have never heard the Government of Canada say that they would not provide us with houses for the people in Nunavut.
When I was in Victoria, I did mention housing to Minister Flaherty and when our MP visited us here about a month and a half ago, I did talk to her and I asked for help with housing.
She did not indicate there was an issue. Even as recently as last fall, I think she provided some funding for housing up here.
But I can assure Mr. Curley that I will talk to my colleague to seek clarification about the type of audit he is contemplating undertaking.
Mr. Chairman, I think the Minister of Finance has been a very vital participant in putting the Crown corporation in proper footing, and so on, and I believe that the management and the governance structures that are in place are serious about the work that needs to be done.
One thing that I wanted to indicate to the minister is that independent Stats Canada has concluded that Nunavut has serious issues still with respect to the major shortage of housing, over 3,000 additional housing needed, and that, I think, was an important signal, independently studied and confirmed that Nunavut seriously needs more housing.
That should be the first priority of the minister responsible as well as the government.
So will the minister, with his assurance that he just indicated to us, continue to work hard along with his colleague, that housing development, the housing need is a very important priority of this government?
I thank Mr. Curley for the comment.
Mr. Chairman, I think everyone in this Assembly and across Nunavut knows that housing is vital to our territory.
Shortage of housing leads to any number of social issues that we debate in this House all the time and read about it in the newspapers and hear on the radio.
I did indicate in my Budget Address a couple of weeks ago that housing is a top priority for our government and we will, as ministers and cabinet, continue to lobby and ask Ottawa for help with housing.
We’re now on page C-7.
Branch Summary. Finance.
Comptrollership. Total Operations and Maintenance. $17,170,000.
Turn to page C-8. (interpretation ends) Finance. Branch Summary. Centrally Administered Funds.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $37,991,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
We will go back to page C-3. (interpretation ends) Department Summary. Finance. Detail of Expenditures.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $63,200,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Do we agree that the Department of Finance is concluded?
I would like to thank the members of the committee for their questions and their support of the Department of Finance. It is a very important department to the Government of Nunavut being a central agency department. We do strive to work hard to support the Government of Nunavut operations, all departments, and Crown agencies.
I would like to thank all of our staff in the Department of Finance who work very hard day in and day out.
With financial numbers, it’s a very difficult department to work in. It’s very challenging. There are a lot of opportunities.
I would like to throw thanks out as well to all our regional operations across Nunavut that ensure that the regional operations of the departments are supported as well.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I would also like to thank, of course, Mr. D’Arcy, who works very hard to make sure it all works for us and for supporting me as the minister.
I would now like to ask the Minister of CLEY if he has opening comments.
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2012-2013 – Culture, Language, Elders and Youth – Consideration in Committee
Chairman (interpretation): Please proceed, Minister Arreak.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to present the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth’s 2012-13 business plan and main estimates.
This department plays a central role in preserving and enhancing Nunavut’s culture, heritage, and languages and provides healthy active living opportunities for all Nunavummiut.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Chairman, the Government of Nunavut is committed to implement the Inuit Language Protection Act and Official Languages Act.
In the new fiscal year, the Official Languages and Services Division will increase its capacity to provide quality translation services to departments and agencies with the new hire of six additional staff and provide more support for community-based initiatives for the revitalization and promotion of Inuit language through its grants and contributions programs.
Mr. Chairman, the Culture and Heritage Division will continue to develop and support arts, culture, and heritage programs and services that preserve and promote Nunavut’s unique cultural heritage.
Special emphasis will be placed on enhancing community library programs and services, including increased distribution of Inuit language resource materials.
The Culture and Heritage Division will also focus on enhancing heritage information management systems for the territorial archives and for Nunavut’s archaeological site records.
Iksivautaaq, I am pleased to advise the members of the first successful intake of students taking cultural courses last fall at Piqqusilirivvik.
The first intake saw 24 students taking cultural courses.
The courses were developed by Inuit instructors and based on seasonal traditional activities.
The students of the first intake were so pleased in regaining some of their lost cultural knowledge that 12 students have returned for winter courses that are running from February 13 to May 15, 2012.
In addition to cultural courses, the students will also be taking firearm safety and wilderness first aid courses. This is to prepare them for the actual on-the-land program. Mr. Chairman, all courses and the language of teaching is all in the Inuit language.