EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Again with what is happening with the Nunavut Housing Corporation and now we are having to allocate more funding, I am just wondering if this going to be a recurring thing that keeps happening in terms of having to give out more funding.
How do they decide that the budget is accurate and the funding is the exact amount that they are forecasting?
I agree that a proper budget would help.
In this particular case, the Salvation Army operated it and then they gave notice that they were going to cease operating it, but they were running a deficit, so a new society was created to take over.
The $200,000 core funding was exceeded, then the Housing Corporation chipped in with $120,000, and then the audited statements required an additional $214,000.
So the costs became quite high and you will see further on that it is still quite high for the homeless shelter.
I am not sure what the significance of that is, if it’s improper budgeting or an increase in the services to homeless folks in Iqaluit.
I don’t have any other names here for questions, so we will go to Total Corporation. $214,000.
Chairman: Total Corporation. $214,000.
Chairman: Go back to Schedule on page 2.
Schedule 1. Operations and Maintenance. Operation Maintenance Appropriation. $7,814,000.
Chairman: Go to Bill 39 in your white legislation binder.
Bill 39, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2009-2010.
Chairman: Go back to Schedule on page 2. Schedule.
Vote 1: Operations and Maintenance. Total Operations and Maintenance. $7,814,000.
Chairman: Total Supplementary Appropriation. $7,814,000.
Chairman: Does the committee agree to Bill 39 as a whole?
Chairman: Is the committee agreed that pursuant to Rule 62 (2) that Bill 39 can be immediately placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
Chairman: Does Minister Peterson have any closing comments on Bill 39?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the members for their good questions and scrutiny on Bill 39.
We will certainly make sure that officials will get the concerns that you raised and work on them.
I believe, at some point, Minister Curley, particularly on the Department of Health, as I mentioned, he will be tabling a document in response to the OAG’s recommendations.
Bill 40, Supplementary Appropriation (O&M) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011.
I would now like to ask the Minister of Finance, Mr. Peterson, for his opening remarks on Bill 40.
Bill 40 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011 – Consideration in Committee
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members.
I am pleased to present Bill 40, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011.
Bill 40 will appropriate an additional $34,893,000 of operations and maintenance funding.
Items included in this appropriation are:
$28.5 million to the Department of Health and Social Services to fund a proposed budget shortfall in various programs;
$2.5 million to the Department of Justice to increase contributions to the Legal Services Board to fund a projected budget shortfall;
$2.5 million to the Department of Education to fund a projected budget shortfall in the Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students program;
$530,000 to the Office of the Legislative Assembly to fund a projected deficit under the Members Retiring Allowances Fund;
$300,000 to the Department of Environment through a transfer of funds from its Vote 2 Recycling Equipment project in order to fund a projected shortfall in the Department of Environment’s operations and maintenance budget;
$295,000 to the Nunavut Housing Corporation to provide funding to the Oqota Homeless Shelter and the Sivummut House Shelter in Iqaluit;
$280,000 to the Department of Community and Government Services to fund the purchase of additional bandwidth previously funded through Industry Canada; and
$100,000 transferred from the Department of Health and Social Services to the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs to reallocate the Nunavut Disabilities Makinnasuaqtiit grants and contributions budget.
Do members have any general comments on the opening statement?
I guess there are no comments on it, so we will go to the page-by-page review of the supplementary estimates starting with page 4.
Office of the Legislative Assembly. Operations and Maintenance. Not Previously Authorized.
Expenditures on Behalf of Members. Total Expenditures on Behalf of Members. $530,000.
Chairman: Total Department. Not Previously Authorized. $530,000.
Chairman: Go to page 5.
Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs. Operations and Maintenance. Not Previously Authorized.
In regard to $100,000, it looks like it’s a shift from Health and Social Services to EIA. I was just hoping to get some more information on this.
I know I have questions in the House about the Nunavut Disabilities Society.
Is this going under the new social advocate’s office?
Yes, it is, Mr. Chairman.
How will this change service delivery?
Is everything the same as it was before?
Mr. Chairman, moving the disabilities file into the Social Advocacy Office will ensure a more structured and holistic response to the disability-related issues, which he is a tireless advocate for.
Mr. Elliott: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can the minister explain how, by moving it into that department, this will be achieved?
Mr. Chairman, given the level of detail that Mr. Elliott is seeking, I’ll ask the Minister responsible for the Social Advocacy Office to respond to his question.
Chairman: I guess the question is for Madam Premier.
Hon. Eva Aariak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This is all part of trying to streamline the areas that need to be streamlined because before, it was managed out of Health and Social Services.
Because we now have a Social Advocacy Office which deals with policies, and so on, in regard to social issues and wellness, it seems that it would be the best fit to put it under the Social Advocacy Office.
I thank you for that answer. In the past, $70,000 was more or less a contribution agreement that was signed over to NTI and then the services were provided, which mostly provided the wage for an individual to work. Is this the same sort of thing that is happening?
Maybe if you could expand.
I know you had mentioned something about working it under the social advocate’s office umbrella in terms of other meetings going on, in terms of how the services could be provided better to Nunavummiut who have disabilities.
I’ll ask the Premier to answer that question.
It is the same amount of dollars that were housed in Health and Social Services; we are simply moving it to the Social Advocacy Office.
We are always, forever, trying to improve issues certainly with disabilities, and so on, and we are in conversation with the independent social disabilities office in trying to address the needs that are out there.
It is an ongoing process to help improve the system that we serve.
Mr. Elliott: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In terms of doing our jobs better as MLAs, if someone comes to our office and would like information regarding disabilities and wheelchairs or wheelchair accessibility, do we contact EIA, or Health and Social Services, or the Nunavut Disabilities Council?
I thank Mr. Elliott for that detailed question.
Again I’ll have to ask the Premier to answer that question.
Chairman: Thank you. Madam Premier.
Hon. Eva Aariak: It depends on the need.
There are services that are provided for the kind of disabilities that are required. The independent disabilities office is also available.
For the services of the Social Advocacy Office, that will be a good start to start inquiring in terms of the needs that an individual may be asking.
In terms of the social advocate’s office, someone has been hired to help organize that office, create policy, and do research.
Is everything in terms of that office or all of the pieces to that office under one roof in one building where they can go access it?
Is the Nunavut Disabilities Society inside the social advocate’s office within EIA or are they sort of spread out in different areas?
The Nunavut disabilities independent office has their own office outside of EIA and the Social Advocacy Office exists with employees who deal with policy development, and so on, so it is a separate office from the Nunavut disabilities office.
Go back to Total Directorate. $100,000.
Not Previously Authorized. $100,000.
Chairman: … (inaudible)… Not Previously Authorized. $100,000.
Chairman: Go to page 6. Justice. Operations and Maintenance.
Directorate. Total Directorate. $2.5 million. Do you agree?
I wish to ask a question to the minister. The Legal Services Board receives a large funding contribution annually and this additional funding request is quite large.
What is causing the shortfall?
Was there an increase in the number of court cases? I would appreciate it if the minister could provide more information on what the reasons for this additional funding are.
Mr. Chairman, historically legal aid has been underfunded.
I believe, years ago back in 1999, it was a fifty-fifty split between Canada and Nunavut, and it’s the same with all provinces and territories.
Over the years, the expenses and costs have increased, and the Government of Canada’s share has not and the Government of Nunavut has had to step in and increase their share.
What has been happening in the last couple of years is there has been an increase in criminal law and family law requests.
For example, we have 14 folks charged with homicide, 9 assaults; they are very expensive cases to try. The folks do seek legal aid to defend them. There has been an increase in family law cases with families and parents seeking legal aid and support with child apprehension or child custody cases.
There is currently a backlog right now of 150 of those cases.
So there is a general increase and there is general awareness out in all communities in Nunavut.
It has been increasing in the last several years that you are going to require a lawyer to represent you and people are going to the lawyers.
To provide those services, we need increased funding to hire lawyers and pay for some of the other costs.
I do not mind the reasoning, but we need to look into reducing our expenses, especially those related to government operations since we need to look at how we can decrease these expenses.
This is something we could use to ensure that the Department of Justice is effectively utilizing the lawyers and the court system.
We have to look at ways to deal with issues, aside from the constant court cases we are dealing with today. We should be trying to provide assistance to the families who are experiencing legal issues and not just lean on the court system. They should be utilizing Inuit traditional ways.
This is just a comment that I wanted to make. Perhaps the department and the staff can learn from this process.
It is just a comment, but Minister Peterson, do you want to comment on it?
I appreciate Mr. Okalik’s suggestion.
To the credit of the Department of Justice and the justice committees and elders and youth out in all of the communities, there are people working towards that, trying to divert people from the justice system.
I know certainly in my community of Cambridge Bay, the justice committee there is very active in doing that.
Unfortunately, there are people who do need to seek lawyers to help them if you get charged with homicide or assaults.
That is what legal aid is for. You do need to have the best of legal aid defence that you can to defend you. Again, with family law, it is very complex as well.
If you have children who are being apprehended, for example, you should have a lawyer helping you. A parent or even a child can seek a lawyer to represent them.
It is complex. There is work being done at the community level to divert people from the justice system, but there are people who do need lawyers in criminal and civil legal aid, and it is not just in Nunavut where this is occurring.
I was at the federal/provincial/territorial justice ministers’ meeting in Vancouver two weeks ago and we called on the federal minister to increase the assistance to legal aid.
We actually pressed him and said that Nunavut has unique circumstances. We are the only jurisdiction in Canada where there are no roads connecting the communities, so it is very expensive to operate in Nunavut.
Mr. Okalik’s comments are well taken and I will reinforce his comments in discussions with my officials.
With respect to the time, at this time, I would like to move to report progress.
Minister Peterson, we will get the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort you out of witness table.
Your committee has been considering Bills 38, 39, and 40, and would like to report progress and that Bills 38 and 39 are immediately ready for third reading.
A reminder that tomorrow morning at 8:30, a meeting of the Standing Committee on Legislation.
Orders of the Day for October 27:
Motion 27 – 3(2)
This House stands adjourned until Wednesday, October 27, at 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Pages 2793 – 2859
Members’ Statements 2796
Returns to Oral Questions 2799
Oral Questions 2800
Revert to Item 5: Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 2818
Reports of Standing and Special Committees* 2818
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills 2820
Tabling of Documents 2821
Notices of Motions 2822
Motions 2822
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 2826
Report of the Committee of the Whole 2857
Third Reading of Bills 2858
Orders of the Day 2859
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2793
209 – 3(2): Premier Aariak Absent from House (Curley) 2793
210 – 3(2): QEC’s 2010 Laura Ulluriaq Gauthier Scholarship (Kusugak) 2793
211 – 3(2): Regional Principals Conference (Tootoo) 2794
212 – 3(2): Poverty Reduction through Public Engagement (Taptuna) 2795
213 – 3(2): First Nunavut Trades Training Centre now Open (Shewchuk) 2795
328 – 3(2): Issues in Repulse Bay (Ningark) 2796
329 – 3(2): Happy Anniversary (67th) to Peter and Cecile Kamingoak (Taptuna) 2797
330 – 3(2): Addressing Poverty (Rumbolt) 2797
331 – 3(2): Congratulations to Dianne Iyago (Aupaluktuq) 2799
Return to Oral Question 450 – 3(2): Tourism Deposit Assurance Program (Taptuna) 2799
482 – 3(2): Tourism Assurance Program (Okalik) 2800
483 – 3(2): Public Housing Rent Scale Review (Ningeongan) 2801
484 – 3(2): The Fate of Axel Heiberg Forest (Elliott) 2803
485 – 3(2): Governance of the Nunavut Housing Corporation (Rumbolt) 2804
486 – 3(2): Work on Public Housing Units (Komoartok) 2805
487 – 3(2): Issues in Repulse Bay (Ningark) 2807
488 – 3(2): DEA Elections Following New Education Act (Schell) 2809
489 – 3(2): NHC Tender for Staff Housing Furniture (Okalik) 2812
490 – 3(2): General Rate Application (Elliott) 2813
491 – 3(2): NWMB Appointments (Okalik) 2815
492 – 3(2): Student Funding (Schell) 2816
Committee Report 004 – 3(2): Recommendations for Amendments to the Rules of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut and Other Matters (Elliott) 2818
Committee Report on Bills 016 – 3(2): Bill 35, Licensed Practical Nurses Act (Okalik) 2820
Committee Report on Bills 017 – 3(2): Bill 37, Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act (Okalik) 2820
Committee Report on Bills 018 – 3(2): Bill 42, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010, No. 2 (Okalik) 2821
232 – 3(2): Turfed Outfitter Fights Back (Okalik) 2821
233 – 3(2): Report #1 on Status of Action Plan (Peterson) 2821
234 – 3(2): 2010 Annual Report Utility Rates Review Council of Nunavut (Tapardjuk) 2821
235 – 3(2): Fuel Tax Rebate Program Annual Report, 2009-2010 (Peterson) 2822
236 – 3(2): Nunavut Arctic College Annual Report 2009-2010 (Shewchuk) 2822
030 – 3(2): Special Sittings of the House – Notice (Ningeongan) 2822
027 – 3(2): Referral of Tabled Documents 207 – 3(2), 209 – 3(2), 210 – 3(2), and 212 – 3(2) to the Committee of the Whole (Elliott) 2822
030 – 3(2): Special Sittings of the House (Ningeongan) 2826
Bill 38 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2011-2012 – Third Reading 2858
Bill 39 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2009-2010 – Third Reading 2858
Bill 40 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011 – Third Reading 2858
Bill 41 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011 – Third Reading 2858
Bill 40 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011 – Consideration in Committee 2827
Bill 41 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011 – Consideration in Committee 2842
Bill 35 – Licensed Practical Nurses Act – Consideration in Committee 2844
Bill 37 – Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act – Consideration in Committee 2855
Honourable James Arreak, Mr. Moses Aupaluktuq, Honourable Tagak Curley, Mr. Ron Elliott, Mr. Adamee Komoartok, Honourable Lorne Kusugak, Mr. John Ningark, Mr. Johnny Ningeongan, Mr. Paul Okalik, Honourable Keith Peterson, Mr. Allan Rumbolt, Mr. Fred Schell, Honourable Daniel Shewchuk, Honourable Louis Tapardjuk, Honourable Peter Taptuna, Honourable Hunter Tootoo.
Minister’s Statement 209 – 3(2): Premier Aariak Absent from House (Curley)
Good day to the people of Rankin Inlet who are listening in to the proceedings.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that our Premier will not able to attend the session this afternoon. (interpretation ends) Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation) is on official duty travel to Rankin Inlet.
Minister’s Statement 210 – 3(2): QEC’s 2010 Laura Ulluriaq Gauthier Scholarship (Kusugak)
Good day, people of Rankin Inlet and Nunavummiut.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce that the latest recipient of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s annual Laura Ulluriaq Gauthier Award is Dianne Iyago of Baker Lake.
Dianne is currently a second year nursing student at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit and has been chosen as the recipient of this year’s $5,000 scholarship.
Mr. Speaker, during her first year in the program, Dianne was voted student council president by her peers and managed those duties along with the demands of her heavy course load.
Dianne, like too many Nunavummiut, suffered tragedy at a young age. However, she persevered, finishing her high school education while participating in high school sports and volunteering within her community on a regular basis.
Mr. Speaker, Dianne also took advantage of some of the amazing programs offered to young Nunavummiut, such as the Nunavut Youth Abroad program and Nunavut Sivuniksavut.
It was while job shadowing during Northern Youth Abroad that Dianne had a taste of nursing as a profession. She continues to volunteer with Northern Youth Abroad as a board member and organizes events as an alumnus.
Dianne plans to return to Baker Lake once she has completed the Nursing Program to help with health services in her community.
Dianne believes that the economic benefits that have affected the area as a result of the mining industry will also increase demand on health services.
Mr. Speaker, every year since 2001, the corporation has awarded this scholarship in memory of Laura Gauthier, who passed away suddenly in 2000.
As many Nunavummiut may remember, Ms. Gauthier worked hard to develop a made-in-Nunavut electrical utility following division from the Northwest Territories. Ms. Gauthier’s work was the foundation of the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to see other young Nunavummiut following in Ms. Gauthier’s footsteps and we are happy to recognize them based on their hard work and continued effort.
I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering Ms. Gauthier while we applaud Dianne Iyago on receiving QEC’s 2010 Laura Ulluriaq Gauthier Scholarship.
Minister’s Statement 211 – 3(2): Regional Principals Conference (Tootoo)
I rise today to tell my colleagues about an annual event that helps our education administrators in their efforts to help shape learning in Nunavut.
The regional principals conferences are an important opportunity for our school leaders to come together to learn, share best practices, and network with colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, from September 21 to 30, principals from the Kitikmeot, Kivalliq, and Qikiqtani gathered in their respective regions to learn more about the implementation of the Education Act, the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit curriculum framework, succeeding with district education authorities, and providing superior student support, among other topics.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of these conferences is to foster a sense of togetherness in the Department of Education’s goals of inclusive learning, quality opportunities, and a solid foundation in culture, language, and tradition.
Our regional school operations teams planned, facilitated, and hosted these conferences in their offices in Kugluktuk, Baker Lake, and Pond Inlet. Their work each and every day to shape education in our territory is truly remarkable, as is that of all our devoted and enthusiastic educators.
I know this year’s conference was a great success and information, policies, and procedures covered will be translated to increased learning outcomes for our students.
Minister’s Statement 212 – 3(2): Poverty Reduction through Public Engagement (Taptuna)
Good afternoon to the people of Kugluktuk, Nunavummiut, and my colleagues here.
Mr. Speaker, I want to announce to Members of this House that on November 1, 2010, Nunavut’s public engagement process for poverty reduction will begin.
Members are aware that Premier Aariak and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated Acting President James Eetoolook have written to each municipality to invite the participation of the community in the preparation of Nunavut’s Poverty Reduction Action Plan.
This participation will take place in three stages: community dialogues, regional round tables, and a final poverty summit.
Our community dialogues begin in November and will take place over the next four months. All Nunavummiut will have an opportunity to talk and express their points of view on poverty.
We want to hear everyone’s ideas about changes we need to improve the standard of living for those most in need. These ideas will be published in a report and discussed in four regional round tables taking place in Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet, Pond Inlet, and Iqaluit.
Those round tables will produce options for action.
These options will be considered by the government, by Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and by our partners in the non-profit sector and in the business community.
Together we will decide on a plan – Nunavut’s Poverty Reduction Action Plan – at a poverty summit next fall here in Iqaluit.
Mr. Speaker, this type of public engagement initiative will be a first for our territory, and indeed, I am aware of its use in only one other jurisdiction in Canada, but we know that none of us can solve the poverty problem acting alone.
Only through a comprehensive public engagement process can we ensure that all Nunavummiut can play their part. Working collaboratively, I am confident that we will succeed in achieving our Tamapta priority to reduce poverty.
Minister’s Statement 213 – 3(2): First Nunavut Trades Training Centre now Open (Shewchuk)
I would like to say also “hello” to all of my constituents in Arviat, and the fine people across Nunavut.
Also, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to wish a happy anniversary to my colleagues and all of the members as today, I believe, is two years since most of us got elected.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to announce a significant moment in the development of our territory and the realization of a dream that many Nunavutmiut have looked forward to for many years.
The Nunavut Trades Training Centre is open for business. For the first time in our young history, Nunavut has its own state-of-the-art trades training facility.
This new centre of excellence will provide more opportunities for Nunavutmiut to study closer to home in a learning environment reflective of Inuit societal values.
Mr. Speaker, the Nunavut Trades Training Centre is currently offering Pre-Apprenticeship Electrician, Oil Burner Mechanic, Plumbing, and Trades Access programs.
There are presently 33 students enrolled in these programs at the centre.
Our commitment to Nunavutmiut is to ensure that our graduates and apprentices meet the highest standards. Programs and courses offered will adhere to the national standards of red seal accreditation.