EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It is for moving personal effects of all employees, whether or not they are specialised employees or recruitment of non-decentralised employees for departments.
Question 540 - 1(3): CBC News Stories
I would the Minister for Information Technology how long or closely she has been working with the CBC.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Mr. Nutarak.
I think this question is directed to me in regards to information technology that my department deals with.
We are not really working with the CBC staff, they are independent although sometimes we talk to them when we are requested to.
The CBC is not under the jurisdiction of our department.
Speaker: Thank you, Ms. Thompson.
The reason why I asked this question because I just wondered if she can encourage the CBC to bring air good news such as the TEP graduation which was not aired although it should have probably been.
Perhaps the CBC could be encouraged to air positive news such as that event that happened last weekend so the Nunavut people can be encouraged to pursue opportunities.
Speaker: Do you want to address that comment or question Ms. Thompson.
Everybody is agreeing to that.
The CBC that is sitting behind us is responsible for what they air.
The person with the cap over there is reporting everything here.
I think that is a good member’s statement.
Question 541 - 1(3): Nunavut Tourism and the Nunavut Development Corporation Financial Reports
Uqaqti my question today is for the Minister of Sustainable Development.
We are working on his department today and I wonder if the minister can make it available to me and to the rest of the Regular Members financial business reports on Nunavut Tourism and the Nunavut Development Corporation.
We were just trying to figure out how to deal with this.
One of them is an independent body but I will try to get the information.
If we have any problems making it available I will find out and get back to the Member.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Minister.
Uqaqti if we are going to agree in this in detail on line items I may have a few questions on Nunavut Tourism budget and the Nunavut Development Corporation budget and I would really appreciate it if the minister could commit to that this afternoon.
I will be able to provide the members some information on these items.
Question 542 - 1(3): Infrastructure for Non-Decentralised Communities
Mr. Speaker, looking at the business plans and the Main Estimates there is a lot of money set aside for decentralisation.
Because the more population you have the more money you are given for building infrastructures such as the tanks, the roads and the facilities of course have to keep up with the population in the community.
My question to the Premier is, I have seen new programs being introduced by the Government, for example there is bunch of new programs coming up for decentralised communities and I just wondered if the smaller communities can take advantage of that.
Yes we consider those by looking at the communities that are being decentralised because it helps the whole people of Nunavut.
We are open and we would like to assist and support all the communities in the decentralisation process and we will keep on reviewing to see how best to assist the communities.
There are ten communities that we are going to be decentralising to.
Iqaluit is the Capital.
We are looking into all the concerns of the member.
I am not just looking at Iqaluit.
I am not talking about Iqaluit, I am just talking about decentralised communities.
Also the communities that are not going to be decentralised to will grow in population.
If you can plan as well to bring in the resources to the communities that are not being decentralised.
That is the question that I have if the resources will be brought to the communities as well.
Yes, we are also concerned and sensitive about all communities we always plan how to use the financial resources especially the smaller communities.
Mr. Speaker, during the consultation process the communities asked questions of the government and made requests there was also review done in the communities when we had consultation.
Are the recommendations being implemented.
Yes, we used those questions and suggestions that were made by the people when we were planning the budget.
We will be using the suggestions that were relayed to us.
I am sure we will use them in the future as well.
Speaker: Thank you, Premier.
Question 543 - 1(3): Per Capita Funding Increases
I will be directing my question to the Minister of Finance.
Concerning the question that was just posed regarding the smaller communities.
As we progress with Departmental estimates, it becomes evident that the communities are growing in population each year.
Why does the funding for the communities not increase even though the population in growing.
Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Community Government indicated they would be doing an extensive review of municipal financing at the same time financing of their housing authorities to find some better way of financing and recognising the extra demands that are placed on Municipalities.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Ng. Oral Questions.
Question 544 - 1(3): Pond Inlet School Budget Allocation
I would like to get a clarification in regards to the Minister response when the Member for Tunnuniq asked him a question on April 12 regarding the Pond Inlet school as to what would happen to the school renovation and addition.
He replied by saying 1 million, 500 thousand had been budgeted for planning purposes.
The Minister responded by saying that during the Committee of the Whole that he would explain to the Member as to how this 1 million, 500 thousand will be allocated to the community in the Main Estimates.
Looking at the estimates and the budget to Pond Inlet it is only 1 million dollars.
I just want to get further clarification on your response to that question.
Because you stated there is 1 million, 500 thousand dollars in the Main Estimates.
It is only 1 million dollars.
Speaker: Minister responsible for Education Mr. Arvaluk.
I am sure that he understood that I stated before during the Committee of the Whole that once we go into the details of our Department.
I estimated 1 million 500 thousand, that was just an estimate during the Committee of the Whole.
You will able to see what is written in the Main Estimates.
When we got to the budget it was only 1 million dollars so I like to apologise because I responded with guess.
As I stated before once we get into the details we will deal with them.
Yes I understand that now.
I will accept your apology.
Did you respond with a guess and we missed out by 500 thousand dollars.
In your response you were out 500 thousand dollars.
Sometimes when we have been dealing with the Main Estimates for a long time and we think we know what the figures are in the Main Estimates and I remember 1 million, 500 thousand which was budgeted for Clyde River, I guess I got confused between the 2 community’s figures.
I apologise if I made a mistake by switching the figure between the two communities.
I think I was thinking of Clyde River.
I responded without looking at the Main Estimates.
Yes, 1 million dollars.
I believe this means that half a million dollars is available.
Mr. Speaker perhaps that half of million dollars could be used for the school in Hall Beach.
It is not even half a million dollars.
It is spelt out in the estimates.
There is no money hidden in there.
Question 545 - 1(3): Home Ownership Programs
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Housing.
We had a Task Force created under the direction of the Minister to look at the issue of housing.
There are quite a number of homeowners in the Nunavut area and of course there are homeowners in Iqaluit.
Was that issue of homeowner discussed by the Task Force on housing.
In the 15 recommendations made by this Task Force there is reference to homeowners that we would look at the market price of the rental of privately owned homes.
I think all of us on this side of the table are losing their voices.
I know that there are some homes that are available for rent.
Do you have any estimates of the monthly rent of these homes.
I think all of us are catching a cold here.
There is quite a lot of coughing going on so I would suggest to the interpreters that they close their ears when somebody coughs.
It varies with rental market here in Iqaluit.
I am sure the rent scale follows correlates with the number of bedrooms, the size of the house and so on.
I would estimate it is roughly about six to eight hundred dollars a month up to 2 thousand.
It depends whether it is a one bedroom, two bedroom or a three bedroom unit.
We have not looked at all the prices but I am just using Iqaluit as an example because those are the approximate figures for the monthly rents.
Since you have not finished reviewing the market rent I would ask the Minister that once the review is done the information will be made available to me.
He did not specify a community.
If he could specify a community or I would also like to know if he is referring to all the 26 communities or whether it is a specific community.
I would like that clarification Mr. Speaker.
Like I said there are quite a number of homeowners Nunavut wide and in Iqaluit.
My question is specifically to Iqaluit and Pond Inlet.
In Iqaluit we started a study which is not completed yet.
Once we get all that information compiled I will give you a copy.
I do not know about Pond Inlet but once I get that information I will submit it to you.
Question 546 - 1(3): Status of Furniture for Baker Lake Offices
Uqaqti my question today is to the Minister responsible for Public Works.
The question that she answered regarding staffing.
Furnishing staff houses I think it is a good investment going to have the younger families or the younger people applying for these jobs in the decentralized communities because they don't have to go out and buy 10 or 15 thousand dollars worth of furniture.
My question today to the Minister responsible for Public Works is, there was an official opening of the office building in Baker Lake on April 4th, that I missed because I was here.
But the building is open, it is empty and there are decentralized positions in Baker Lake right now, I think there are eight of them and they are located in various locations around the community.
Can the minister responsible for ordering the furniture for the office buildings, the telephone lines and the internet provider update me on when this is all going to be installed in the building in Baker Lake.
I could get that updated information before the end of today and provide it to the member.
Question 547 – 1(3): Internet Services in the Communities
First today is my daughter's birthday, I love you, happy birthday and hello to the rest of my children and my wife.
I would like to address this question to the Minister of Technical Services in regards to the internet services that may be provided to the communities.
The Federal Government I believe could provide support so that these technical services will be made available to the offices and so on.
This question keeps cropping up.
There are private homeowners who do not work for the government who would like to be connected to the internet.
We are reviewing this situation.
I can use the example of Sakku, which is an organization in the Keewatin area.
It is the economic arm of the Kivalliq Inuit Association.
They provide internet services and these services are available to the entire public including the private sector, the private public at large.
In the Kitikmeot area there is also a company that it starting to provide internet services to the public.
Everything is in the works but within the government entities we only provide internet services to the government offices and their related entities.
We do not deal with the public at large.
The private sector is providing internet services to the public.
Also, in Iqaluit there is an organization that provides internet services. It has been under discussion, but we only specifically target the provision of these services to the government offices and entities.
The reason I asked that question is that I was wondering if we could market our carvings through the internet.
There are also private cable companies in the communities, is it possible for these cable companies to be given financial assistance by the Nunavut Government if they should wish to get into providing internet services.  With the present services we have to use the long distance services and we have to pay very high prices.
Is it possible to provide financial assistance to the cable companies so that they can provide internet services.
I believe there were two questions that were brought up.
First of all in regards to marketing carvings through the internet, possibly this question should be posed to the Department of Sustainable Development because they go into providing services for these types of projects, I am sure that they are moving in that direction.
Also, the Co-ops I know made a motion because they are cable providers.
They were also wondering how they could get into the internet service provision business.
MACA was working with them to decide on whether they should get into the provision of internet services.
This is different from the government, my department provides services only to the government departments and entities and I also made comments on the internet providers. Polarnet in the Kitikmeot, Sakku in the Keewatin and here in Iqaluit Nunanet.
I know exactly where the member is coming from and it is very expensive to run a computer operation in your home because you have to pay for long distance expenses.
During the Co-operatives Annual General Meeting they tabled a motion which directed the Co-op to look into the provision of internet services.
That was in co-operation with the Department of MACA, I do not know which direction they have taken with that directive because it is not part of my responsibility.
Question 548 – 1(3): Amount of Homeownership Assistance
Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Housing.
With the homeownership assistance, how much money is made available to the communities to get into homeownership.
In regards to homeownership it is very important for this government to get the people to own their own homes through homeownership assistance so that there will be less back up with social housing.
Access homes that we built are just not decorative but very functional buildings.
If anybody wanted to get one of these homes they would go through the Housing Corporation and go through an application process.
There were some that were eligible to get more than others were because it went on a scale and that was just assistance so that they could buy a house.
Anyone who wanted to get into homeownership could get 15 thousand dollars through the NDAP program.
That pot of money was depleted but in our new budget we have set aside a different program that will be accessible to the people that want to go into homeownership.
We have set aside 1 million dollars for that purpose.
I am sorry to the interpreters for coughing into the microphone.
Supplementary Mr. Speaker.
Is the budget allocated to different communities for homeownership.
Whoever wants to get into homeownership can make an application and send it to the communities.
We do not distribute a budget to each community saying that Clyde River gets so much and Coral Harbour gets so much, that's not the way it is done.
Whoever wants to get a home, they fill out an application form to the Housing Corporation.
It is not distributed among each community.
Yes I understand the response of the minister and I thank her for that.
In my community of Clyde River there is a shortage of housing and I wondered if the Housing Minister could think of ways to get more housing for Clyde River such as homeownership for that community.
I just wondered if she could make that commitment.
We have been working as a Housing Corporation to make sure that all the people of Nunavut are provided with adequate housing.
In every community there is a shortage of housing and we have been working very hard to be able to resolve this problem.
In Clyde River is there are any houses that are not being utilized, that's what we are looking for as well to make sure that those houses are rented by the public.
We are doing these things now.
Question 549 – 1(3): Smoking Cessation
This is a question to the Minister of Health & Social Services because he seems to be falling asleep.
To the Minister of Health & Social Services, if I was to try and stop smoking, would I have to be using the step 1, 2, 3.
There are various different resources being used to try to stop smoking.
As you know Mr. Speaker, one way is to use the old cerebral power that you have located just above your shoulders.
Mr. Speaker, using personal habits to break the habit of smoking.
There are other ways Mr. Speaker, including patches that are available through your doctor.
There is also Nicoderm which is one form of commercial product that is available as a gum to chew.
Mr. Speaker, the step 1, 2, 3 process is another one, so there are various different ways of trying to overcome the habit of smoking.
Let me say Mr. Speaker, that all of the different processes are not successful if not taken seriously by the person who is trying to break the habit.
As the members in this house know, it is a very difficult to break.
Some people have tried four, five, six times, have quit for four or five years, and have gone back to smoking. The best way to stop smoking Mr. Speaker, is not to start.
Supplementary Mr. Nutarak.
There was 3.5 million dollars that was set aside to stop smoking for the people of Nunavut.
He also stated that if he had 4 million dollars to stop smoking he said he would use it.
Then Mr. Iqaqrialu said that 3 million is not enough to get the people to stop smoking.
I think it was about 2 million or whatever the amount was that Mr. Iqaqrialu was talking about.
I am asking the question as to whether I will be able to use 1, 2, 3 and I wonder if I can go right to 3, I wonder what it would be like.
Mr. Speaker, going 1, 2, 3 or even 4 or 5 can at times be very difficult.
But I would suggest to the member that if he would like to look into tobacco cessation and quitting smoking, to look at it very seriously and take whatever course of action that he deems is right and suited for him.
In conjunction with a medical professional because they do have some tools available to them that they could help the member and other members and the public with tobacco cessation.
After saying that Mr. Speaker, the member brings up an excellent point.
That was the money that we have in our budget toward stopping tobacco from becoming the epidemic that it is right now Mr. Speaker, in Nunavut, by trying to target our younger people in Nunavut, the 12 to 13 to 14 years olds from actually starting smoking.
As I said earlier, it is a lot easier to stop something if you haven't started it.
That's the program that we are bringing forward in conjunction with Pauktuutit and other organizations Mr. Speaker, to show that tobacco is not a good product.
It is very habit forming and the step 1, 2, 3 process that the member mentioned and some of the other things that we just talked about, the patch, Nicoderm and so on, have proven to be successful.
Those are the types of things that we will be bringing forward in this proposal in the budget that we have just approved, so we can bring this awareness to people who want to quit smoking and indeed, Mr. Speaker, targeting people who are young and most vulnerable in the smoking problem.
My last question to the Minister of Health & Social Services.
He talked about the patches and the Nicoderm gum.
Which one is better.
Mr. Speaker, I don't have a critical analysis of which one is the best, Nicoderm or the patch.
Both equally to my understanding, Mr. Speaker, have been used successfully but also they have been used unsuccessfully.
Again, it takes the dedication of the person who is the smoker to withdraw from using tobacco.
As I said before, tobacco addiction is one of the strongest addictions that we have and it is habit forming, Mr. Speaker.
So when you have a good meal you want to have a smoke afterwards, when you wake up in the morning you want to have a smoke.
Those types of habits Mr. Speaker, are hard to get out of.
Some of the cessation programs that have been brought forward, Mr. Speaker, for tobacco products and tobacco cessation has been centred on breaking those habits.
After having a good meal for example, you do something else instead of having a cigarette.
When you wake up in the morning instead of having a cigarette maybe you gargle some Scope or chew a Nicoderm, whatever works best for that person.
So with that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to sincerely thank the member for his question and raising this topic here today in this House.
Mr. Speaker, over the next coming weeks, once we start on the road, the member is the Chair of the Health Committee, the Standing Committee on Health, in this Legislative Assembly which has been very proactive Mr. Speaker, in supporting the Government of Nunavut in its' anti-tobacco cessation programs.
I would like to thank the honourable member for being supportive and hopefully over the next few months when we are introducing some of these programs, with his support and with his efforts right now in helping me quit smoking and some of the other members of this House, which has been very difficult.
I have been known to take some butts out of my wife's ashtray, as she is still smoking, it's been very difficult for me, but I can honestly say that I haven't had a full cigarette since January the 1st, and actually I am doing a lot better Mr. Speaker, as you know.
However, it is a very stressful place to be sometimes and it is stressful just being me.
So with that Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you and thank the members.
Speaker: Thank you Mr. Picco for that dissertation.
In fairness to some of the members who have not had a question yet or a second question, some of them have had three or four, so we will go to Mr. Tootoo.
Question 550 – 1(3): Types of Homeownership Programs
I would just like to ask if she could clarify.
She indicated earlier, I heard her mention that program of homeownership that there was a 15 thousand dollar grant that was available.
In her answer did she indicate that was a program that they plan to use this year as a homeownership program.
That's a very good question from the member.
I was indicating that we did have different programs in the past, EDAP and NDAP that I am sure that the member is aware of those programs.
What we are trying to do with the 1 million dollars that we have allocated for homeownership is that we want to come up with something as down payment assistance to homeowners.
We are just investigating that right now so it might be something like and NDAP program.
Mr. Chairman, the minister said that they do not have a program to administer the 1 million dollars or the Housing Corporation doesn't plan to use its existing programs to use the funds that have been allocated for homeownership this year.
No what I am saying is that we are working on a program right now, it might be similar to NDAP and I will be making an announcement in regards to that in the very near future to assist potential homeowners.
Mr. Speaker, I know that previously under this government the NDAP program was shelved or axed I think is probably even the word if I remember correctly in headlines in the paper.
Could the minister indicate then if, I know that program is no longer there, one of the other homeownership programs that is still available as far as I know is the EDAP program.
I am just wondering if individuals who are interested in homeownership, if applications will be accepted under that program right now.
According to my budget I just have one million dollars allocated for homeownership and we are coming up with a program that would be able to assist as many people as possible to buy their own homes.
Our priority right now is to build those 100 units that I have been asked to build this year.
We are looking into the possibility of assisting potential homeowners.