EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The reduction of $150 thousand from the 2002-2003 Main Estimates, we got some $150 thousand dollars, we got $650 thousand dollars for the Nunavut Wildlife Act.
We did not get allotted money.
They gave us a certain amount of money to do the Nunavut Wildlife Act, so it is for funding contribution programs for the communities.
I just wondered if you will be giving out the $495 thousand dollars to every community every year, or is that enough?
When we start going page by page in the Main Estimates we will find out how much contributions that we give out.
It is the total amount of about $16 million.
That $495 thousand dollars is just additional funding.
I have no more names. 11-5, in the Main Estimates.
Branch Summary for Sustainable Development, Corporate Management, total Operations and Maintenance, $3 million, 874 thousand.
Carried. 11-6 to 11-17, Branch Summary, Program Development and Delivery. Mr. Iqaqrialu.
Compensation and benefits are over nine million.
I have asked the Minister about the Grants and Contributions in the amount of over $16 million dollars.
What I am trying to say is that nine million coming from the $16 million?
Compensation and benefits are $9 million, 494 thousand is for staff.
Under the organizational chart, that is who they are for.
That $16 million, 279 thousand is just for the Grants and Contributions to the communities.
We will see that when we go page by page.
When we see the $16 million dollars under Grants and Contributions.
We are on page 11-16, under Compensation and Benefits and Grants and Contributions, so if you look on page 11-17, you’ll see the Grants and Contributions. Mr. Iqaqrialu.
If you turn the page to 11-14, the grants and contributions to businesses are here and we also received some information and it’s supplementary detail, which was given to us by the Minister during the committee stage, under Businesses Development Fund, $1 million, 189 thousand dollars under 11-14.
If it was just written like this, we wouldn’t have understood what it was for.
But now that he’s given us some extra information, we know what it’s for.
There’s $482 thousand dollars for Baffin, $310 thousand for Kivalliq and $397 thousand dollars for Kitikmeot.
Why, since 1999, Kivalliq has been receiving less funding than any other region.
To the question of the member, I cannot answer his question right now, because I don’t have the information in front of me.
This was done by the Kivalliq Partners and Development.
I will get back to the member and give him a response as to why it is so.
The Kivalliq Partners and Development are the only ones that do work in the Kivalliq region and they also get funding from the Federal Government for training and other things.
The amount of money being contributed from your department is the smallest one going to the Kivalliq Region.
It would be good to get the information.
Lastly, Mr. Chairman, 11-16, for the organised hunts, sometimes, even though you give out a contribution of $45 thousand dollars to all the community in Nunavut, like Mr. McLean said, there should be more money for organized hunts and there is no funding to ship meat to other communities.
My question is, if there is going to be more funding injected into the organized hunt contribution and where it would come from.
It’s not going to be much but perhaps just to be used for chartering a plane or freight purpose and expecting if you could meet with your cabinet colleagues and put in about $100 thousand dollars.
Like Igloolik, they have different sources of meat, like walrus in Igloolik area, caribou in Coral Harbour and seal in the Baffin region and Arctic Bay has very good maqtaak.
There are all different kinds of country food that the communities can exchange and it would be very good if those most of them putting their organized hunt so they could do more.
Yes, we will consider your comment.
I know that $45 thousand is not very much but we could probably use it wisely and do more with it.
There are not very many people that request for funding from this organized hunt in the communities and we will advertise it a little more.
Northern Quebec, when they had their quota cut down by the Federal Government what they did was they ordered some maqtaak from Nunavut communities.
So, we have to look at that as Nunavut Government too.
Under page, under Business Development Fund and Grants to Small Businesses, you amalgamated those two people that called and would like to get some tools for carving and people who would like to get small business that cost about and they would like to access money about $5 thousand dollars.
I was wondering that it might other potential business developers might deplete the funding from the other people because they active ones tend to apply for the funding and leave out the other small businesses.
We should be applying from grant to small business.
How are you going to make sure that this funding is going to be allocated evenly?
This funding was $330 thousand grants to small business and it’s going to continue with that figure and nobody will have to come up with 5% or 10% equity so this grant to small business is not going to change.
The information goes on to page 11-17, all the way there Mr. Chairman.
I was looking.
Did you ask me a question?
Go ahead please.
Please clarify for me please.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): From page 11-6.
The total is $41 million, 428 thousand for Operations and Maintenance and you said that the other pages thereafter are information items all the way to 11-17.
If that’s the end of the page over there on information the total $4 million, 155 thousand and from page 11-6, where would I find that figure I just mentioned.
Chairperson (interpretation): Perhaps the minister can elaborate to me where it is.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, although I said earlier on and that grants and contributions, $16 million, 379 thousand I said that 11-17 grants and contributions. 11-17, grants and contributions goes all the way to that page.
Page 11-7, the very last one, $70 thousand, I did not quite understand the explanation here, if the Minister can elaborate that to me.
It is for the fur and skins because the price has gone down and it has gone down by $50 thousand because we expect the guaranteed minimum price for species of fur, selected species.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): In the Inuktitut version, it says valid Nunavut general hunting or trapping license, 11-7.
So, I had asked that question, what is that going to be used for, this funding?
He said that it would be used for selected species of fur or ptarmigan; it could be used for ptarmigan skin.
So, that is how I read it in Inuktitut and he said that it was reduced down to $70 thousand.
The Inuktitut version, it says that they require or they need to hold a valid general hunting or trapping license.
It seems like I need to hold a general hunting license according to the way it is written in Inuktitut.
I was wondering if that is the case.
I would like to get that clarified.
Yes, we used to have general hunting license, but now, we now have enrolment cards.
We can now use beneficiary enrolment card, we can now use it instead of general hunting license.
According to the Land Claims Agreement and also, since we are a Government, we are a public Government, we have to service non-natives too for the requirement to hold hunting license.
Perhaps, someone will ask another question.
I am very, very slow.
At this time, I have heard that we are going to try and complete this session on 8 or 9 ‘O’clock p.m. and at times, we have no quorum during our review of the Main Estimates.
So, I will try to extend our hours.
On page 11-17, the very last one, $690 thousand and there is an increase by $90 thousand for Nunavut Business Corporation.
So, I was wondering if you can elaborate that to me.
Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
Is that just for O and M or is this the funding that people with small businesses can get credit on?
Yes, this is for operation and maintenance only for Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
The loans that have been dispersed to the public out there, I have tabled them in the House.
You can look at them and review the report on the businesses that took on the loan from this and all of the information is written down, but this $690 thousand dollars is for the Operations and Maintenance of the Credit Corporation.
In the three land claims there are economic development through Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.
Is that through that?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): No.
This is our own program.
Government of the Northwest Territories heads this program, and we need this program but Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated has their own called Atuqtuarvik Corporation, which has an office in Rankin Inlet.
For our government, the office is located in Cape Dorset.
This is from Government of Nunavut.
Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, how many staff members do they have for this program.
There are five employees and also there is a board who were just recently appointed with nine members.
There’s a chairperson and this is for their Operations and Maintenance for the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
There is an increase for this funding by $90 thousand dollars and in the previous year it was $600 thousand dollars.
Now there is an increase of $690 thousand dollars with nine board members.
Is that for their transportation as well; is that why there’s an increase of $90 thousand dollars.
This $90 thousand dollar increase is because we want to try and lease a unit and we had to pay for the lease but if this has to change, maybe Public Works and Services will end up paying for lease increase.
If it wasn’t depleted, we would want to use it for the communities.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Where would I find the Operations and Maintenance for the board members?
They are included within the $690 thousand dollars for the operation of the board.
It was $600 thousand dollars in the previous years.
During the 2002/2003, there is an increase by $90 thousand dollars.
2003/2004, main estimates, he said they established a nine member board for this.
It seems like the increase is just a contingency fund.
Since 1999, we’ve had board members for this Nunavut Business Credit Corporation and we’ve had their members existing then.
But this $90 thousand dollar increase is for the administration.
As I stated earlier, if Public Works and Services ends up paying for the lease, this funding will remain in there and it will be utilized by the communities.
But just in case, if we had to pay for the lease, we would use some of this $90 thousand dollars for the lease just in case because it was already written down that we lease an office.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): This funding is to be used for the staff and to operate the board.
What percentage would the board utilize out of this $690 thousand dollars?
I will be able to provide the Member the information later; I do not have the information in front of me.
I will provide the Member all the information as to how this $690 thousand would be utilized.
I will make the information available through tabled documents in the Baker Lake Session.
How many times a year does the Board meet?
How frequent is their meeting?
Perhaps four times a year.
Due to some urgent cases they do hold special meetings.
They have quarterly meetings annually.
As the Minister had stated that they would provide me with the information.
And I am sure that my colleagues would like to get the information too, so I would suggest that you provide it to the Members.
As I have stated before, in the Baker Lake Session I will table that information in the House.
The information will be provided to you at that time.
The questions that I was going to raise were asked already, but I have one question in mind.
On page 11-9, core funding.
It has remained the same from last year; contribution to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board to support the HTOs on their core funding.
Are there any plans as to when you could review these?
Not only review, but we need some more funding for their operations at different communities where they have more responsibilities?
I am saying that there is less in other communities, but there is some extra work that they have to do to hire someone, support workers for the managers.
Do you have something in place that you can try and to find ways to raise this funding that the HTOs that require that?
I will try and provide a response to the Member clearly this year.
The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board is now negotiating with the Federal Government for a ten year term financial funding agreement.
If this goes through, if the negotiations are successful, the Department of Sustainable Development, by 2004-2005 will review this funding, because it is evident that this funding has had no change since the Nunavut Government was created.
We will have to wait for the negotiations to be completed Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and the Federal Government for the year 2004-2005.
And then we can look into if we can provide larger funding for this.
Mr. Havioyak: I look forward to seeing that.
Just one more concern that I raised earlier on my opening statement about soap stone quarries: I guess that is the site in Coral that is getting a safe to get in there for carvers so they’re saying that it needs some work to be safer for the any carvers to get in there to get their stone.
Maybe I’m missing it somewhere.
It might not be in this part.
It might be grants or small business somewhere I wish it could be more than that so we’d be able to bring some more equipment out to the site.
For example, maybe 14 miles out of the community that requires bigger equipment to go so they’re going to need additional funding too to work on that site.
So, is there something inside that we can use or have this community will help the carvers to get some soap stone from that site.
In the south Baffin this is a concern because the soap stone quarry in Kangisukuttaaq is quite a safety hazard.
Qikiqtani Inuit Association have been working or negotiating agreements for the soap stone quarry.
We can work with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, to look into how we can improve the soap stone quarry to make sure its safe for the carvers.
Yes we can look into it how we can improve the situation and its true when you stated that grants to small businesses they could get that funding through that program.
I would just like to say again in order to make sure this happens as soon as possible maybe we do some evaluation this summer.
I will go see the site.
Is it going to work with KIA?
How soon can you get in touch with KIA to make sure this happens this summer?
I will have my officials to consult with the KIA staff or entity.
I know that its not going to be an easy task to deal with but we would have to work very hard to make sure that soap stone quarry sites are safe.
Yes, we will work diligently to improve the situation.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 11-11.
Nunavut Tourism Core funding. $2 million, 364 thousand.
I guess I’m wondering if they apply for funding for tourism groups in communities.
This funding is for the core funding for that Nunavut Tourism Association for their Operations and Maintenance to ensure the market, the tourism possibilities in Nunavut.
Groups can also apply for funding from Federal Government and this is how much we aside for this association.
Federal government have recognized the need for tourism association and there is money set aside for $2 million, 300 thousand from the Nunavut Government.
Do they get funding from the Federal Government for this purpose?
The Nunavut Tourism Association can also apply for funding from the Federal Government.
We have to contribute to the budget as well for Nunavut Tourism.
They also do capital funding for this Nunavut Tourism Association to ensure they market Nunavut as a tourism spot and they do it very well.
In the communities they are learning how to benefit from the tourism industry from the park or other areas where communities have specific spots.
There are different tourism opportunities in the communities is there a plan to ensure those groups can access part of that $2 million?
We can try, for instance, they can have membership in this tourism association, they can be a member of this association and we can try to ensure that this information gets out to the communities for the tourism sector.
And in the coming days, the tourism strategy will be released and we are just about done with the Nunavut Tourism Strategy and perhaps, before this session is over, they are translating the document and we would really like to table that document and it has been approved for release regarding the Nunavut Tourism Strategy.
The Nunavut Tourism Association, who are members of that association?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): The membership of the Nunavut Tourism Association, as Arvaluk has said as to how the membership fees can be cheaper for the tourism operators and if you are a member of this association, the premiums are a better price if you are a member of this tourism association and they get better prices through this association.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Membership, who are the members, are they from Nunavut or they have membership from within Nunavut or who is part of this association?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): They used to be the Baffin Tourism Association and there were members from tourism operators in the Baffin Region and now we have a Nunavut-wide association that deals with members from different tourism operators.
For those that are not members of the Nunavut Tourism Association, do they have any other opportunities to access funds anywhere else?
No, if you want to try and purchase a boat for tourism operating, you can put together proposals and business plans for tourism activities, but if it is not going to create too much of a competition within the communities.
It can be possible and we do encourage and have funds set aside for small businesses, not necessarily for tourism, but other small business opportunities.
I have three on my list.
Before they do, we’ll take a break for 20 minutes.
There is food available.
>>Committee recessed at 18:05 p.m. and resumed at 18:32 p.m.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. I still have three on my list.
Regarding the question earlier in 11-7, some of the Inuktitut translation doesn’t correspond with the English and in here it states that Inuit need to be beneficiaries and need licenses and hold a valid Nunavut General Hunting and Trapping licence.
As Inuit, they are automatically recognised through Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated’s enrolment card, because Inuit no longer need that general hunting licence.
We approved these main estimates and we have to ensure that everything is accurate in there.
On 9-11, or 11-9, this Arctic Energy Alliances, what is this $60 thousand dollars allocated for?
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. 11-9 is where her question is. Mr. Akesuk.
Terryl Allan will respond to that.
Chairperson (interpretation): Ms. Terryl Allan.
Ms. Allan: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The funding is a contribution program that can be applied to public education; management program and we program that through out the year to a maximum of $60 thousand dollars.
In Inuktitut, it says it can be given as a contribution to the Arctic Energy Alliance.
Does that mean for power?
What I’m asking in Inuktitut is I don’t understand the one in English.
What education. What public education.
I think it was last year or the year before.
This is for public education, there was a student who won from the middle school for awareness, we had to do commercials for public education of energy efficiency practices and this is for the public education in energy efficiency practices.
In 11-11, on the bottom one, community futures.
It’s always been $700 thousand every year.
How come it’s not changing each year?
Mr. Minister Akesuk.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): This project is very beneficial to the community, but we’re always using up the funds and there has been no increases in that section for that line item.
We try and use the best we those funds that are aside, they are very beneficial for the small community based businesses.
Page 11-13.
On that page, $2 million, 400thousand for community economic development officers for the year 2003/2004.
Contributions to economic development officers.
This is a contribution to hamlets.
Is that due to the rising costs that it is increasing.
Can you tell why there is an increase, or is there a change in the project.
Why is there an increase in that line item for 2002/2003 was $1 million, 960 thousand now its $2 million, 400 thousand.
We were always told that these economic development officers did not have adequate funding by the hamlets and so we added $10 thousand.
It used to be $80 thousand per community and this year it’ll be increased to $90 thousand per community.
We have also set aside $150 thousand dollars for any community see those get further training, but the it is on a first come, first serve basis to access the training funds for these community economic development officers.
We see the need for further training to ensure they help out the communities.
They’re probably all hamlets in the communities as to their status.
Do all the Hamlets have CEDOs?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes, as far as I know, all the Hamlets have hired Community Economic Development Officers because they have an agreement in place.
I am not aware of any of the Hamlets that don’t have any, as far as I know all the communities have hired these positions.
The Department of Sustainable Development Minister had a confusing response.
If he is not aware, can he tell me at a later date?
What I am asking is in any of the communities if the Hamlets do not want to sign those agreements, then they may not have that position in place.
That is why I am asking that question.
You are going to get the same response that if there is no CEDOs in these communities I would not be aware of any that do not have these position, but this funding is for all of the communities, $90 thousand dollars each to ensure that they hire Community Economic Development Officers.
The Hamlets who hold that Economic Development Officers’ project, if there was someone who quit their job, there is always a turnover in any type of employment to take on other employment then they need to hire to fill those positions.
Do you also set aside some funds, or do you also give the Hamlet for the relocation and hiring of these positions?
The $90 thousand dollars that we have given to the Hamlets as block funding through this agreement, and if there is a new employee we can discuss with the Hamlet as to how it would be dealt with.
If any of the Hamlets wanted assistance, he said that he was open to that suggestion.
Is that in the agreement?
I can show him a copy of the agreement with the Hamlet.
I do not have it with me at this point, in front of me, but I can show him a copy of the agreement.
I just have a couple of questions here.
Minister Akesuk, just to keep myself, to give me piece of mind over the next six months is that the Grants for small businesses, the $330 thousand has been put into contribution to business development.
I just want to ask you one more time for the record.
If a carving person goes into the CEDOs office and he is looking for a Grant to buy five, or six, or seven, or two thousand dollars worth of carving tools, or a printmaker goes in and applies to buy some paint and some paper, and if another carver goes in to fill out a grant application to get some assistance to go down and pick up some stone, that this will just be as simple as it was before and they are not going to have to fill out hundreds of papers, business plans, financial statements and things of that nature.
So, I’m just asking you for one last time, before the fiscal year end starts and I go back to my community and I’m there for four months and I’ve got half a dozen in my office saying that some CEDO said no, they don’t qualify anymore.
So, will you assure this house again that this is not going to happen again?
Yes, it will be the same set of criteria and I was asked the same question earlier.
There will be no change in the criteria.