EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It is more complicated than that. Our department has already been working on other bills. With the staff complement, it is just not possible to do all of our wish list.
At this time that Act in particular is not slated for this government.
Speaker: Hon. Minister, (interpretation) I’m sorry for saying the wrong corporation.
Another outstanding issue concerning the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation is the need to eliminate the secrecy surrounding which individuals or companies receive loans from this Crown corporation.
When I raised this with the minister during our fall sitting last year, she indicated that the board of the NBCC had discussed the issue.
Can she assure us that the NBCC’s next annual report, which she tables in the Legislative Assembly, will contain this information?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister responsible for the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk.
Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the member for asking about that issue.
I saw the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation board of directors and their staff when they were here in Iqaluit.
They had discussed this further for consideration.
We have urged them to work on something like this and the board is still considering it.
Moving forward, we can expect that their annual reports will be structured differently.
The minister’s annual letter of expectation to the chairperson of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation for the 2016-17 fiscal year was dated March 22, 2016.
It is now June of 2017.
Can the minister describe what new priorities she included in her letter of expectation to the NBCC for the current 2017-18 fiscal year?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister responsible for the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk
The board was actually reviewing my letter of expectation this week, and I’m pleased to say that I’ll be hearing from their chairman in their response to our letter very shortly.
Some of the expectations to the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, of course, include the comprehensive report of all the procurement, contracting and leasing activities undertaken by the NBCC.
Other things are asking them to look into the sectors across Nunavut as well as other ventures that could possibly happen.
Some of the ideas I heard from the board are that they want to have an economic type meeting amongst the boards, such as the NBCC, the BBDC, and Atuqtuarvik to get together to discuss what possibilities can be done for Nunavummiut.
Question 797 – 4(3): Integrating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit across the Government (Shooyook)
Today is our last sitting for the spring, so my questions are for the Premier.
I have expressed many frustrations about the slow pace of integrating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit across the government, especially in the areas of family counselling and services.
The Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit was established to provide advice to government about how to integrate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into its laws and policies.
Can the Premier provide me with some examples of how the territorial Government of Nunavut has been actually listening to the advice provided by the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Premier of Nunavut, Hon. Premier Taptuna.
I thank the member for asking about that matter.
Mr. Speaker, when the government is reviewing bills for enactment, they refer to this committee he mentioned. We meet with the representatives to develop ideas on how to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into legislation and that is the process.
Sometimes the committee provides advice to the government, for example, on the requests while other times bodies such as Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated are our partners in working on the draft legislation.
With respect to Article 32, we are aware of the (interpretation ends) Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (interpretation) and the various provisions of Article 32. When we are working on draft legislation as a government, this is how we try to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles by meeting with this committee. It is debated and sometimes a different outcome from the meeting results in changing draft legislation to ensure that Inuit don’t endure hardships due to the inability to adhere to it.
It is hard to review every law as we can only change a few pieces of legislation as a government.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Your first supplementary, Mr. Shooyook.
I thank the Premier for his hard work in trying to implement part of my expectations for this government and I am proud of his efforts.
I believe that it is also important for the federal government to respect Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit when it is making laws and policies that affect Inuit in Nunavut.
Does the Premier raise this issue when he is meeting with the Prime Minister or other federal officials on Nunavut’s behalf?
Absolutely. I would like to thank the member for asking about that issue.
Yes, whenever we hold meetings or whenever I meet with the Prime Minister of Canada, I speak about that matter, and we do have a process for discussing that.
As Inuit, our culture is foreign to the lawmakers. (interpretation ends) Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (interpretation) is where we also explain what our culture is when meeting with the minister responsible.
I maintain that when we try to practise our lifestyles and culture traditionally, we run into trouble with the law because legislation in Canada is designed for southerners and a different culture. We have a culture different from our lawmakers. When I am meeting and discussing northern issues with them, this is what we try to voice.
This includes discussions on the future as our own lands change due to climate change and we want to be involved due to our experience in facing that daily in our cultural practices.
Most of us were born on the land and here we sit.
Meetings are held with our provincial counterparts or the federal government on future impacts like with provinces such as British Columbia or other provinces. Whenever the leaders of the northern territories of the NWT and Yukon along with Nunavut meet, either to respond to the Prime Minister or other leaders that the north is experiencing the biggest change, our goal is to be able to make our own decisions now and in the future. We maintain that position.
Although we do talk about the fact that we are a part of Canada and should not be forgotten, the federal government is starting to learn that we want to be self-determining in planning for our future while incorporating our culture.
I also thank the (interpretation ends) Premier (interpretation) for responding accordingly.
I do not want this issue to be forgotten by the next government. What is the Premier doing to ensure that the next government can continue to address this issue?
Prior to upcoming elections, the government prepares a priority platform for each department, what was being worked on, and what else needs work, for example, my office at EIA.
This would include a written report and the issues requiring further work, either for the government or for the department.
With the Denesuline file, overlap work has been performed, including many other files.
This is to ensure that the work required for certain territorial files can be continued by sending copies to our federal counterparts.
In that way we can have, which I will say in English, (interpretation ends) continuity (interpretation) for the departments and the incoming new government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 798 – 4(3): Status of Learning Coach Positions (Joanasie)
As the school year is ending for the summer, my final series of questions will be for the Minister of Education.
Mr. Speaker, in recent years the Department of Education introduced a significant number of learning coach positions for all schools across the territory.
Can the minister provide an update on the status of those positions, how many learning coach positions are filled, and how many have been vacant for any length of time?
I also thank my colleague for commenting as well as asking a question about that.
I also appreciate the fact he provided a very good term, so I thank him for that.
I was brainstorming on what to call it in Inuktitut, but your terminology is very precise for “learning coach.”
If my colleague recalls, it began in 2015-16 as an entirely new position and I take pride in the fact it has moved ahead.
There are 44 positions for the learning coach category and at this time 38 of them are filled. This is the most up-to-date information I have.
The introduction of learning coaches will likely have had an impact on how the education system has been delivered in Nunavut’s communities.
Can the minister describe how his department has been evaluating the effectiveness of learning coach positions in Nunavut’s schools?
Yes, they help a great deal in our school, quite obviously.
The main reason for creating them is to see how we can strengthen literacy in our schools.
The learning coaches are more like assistants to the teachers than anything else.
We have also heard that the learning coaches are very helpful in the schools because we all know teachers need to be able to teach different disciplines like math or reading and different subjects like that.
The main purpose for the learning coaches is to help the teachers strengthen literacy.
They help our teachers a great deal in Nunavut.
I appreciate that the Department of Education has sought to provide additional support to principals, teachers, and other educators through the role of learning coaches.
Will the minister commit to reporting on the effectiveness of the learning coach initiative since it was implemented and to providing that report to members before the end of our term in September?
Yes, this is very important. To answer my colleague’s question, I can explain and say how effective they were since they were introduced.
I will be able to provide a report to the House that my colleague is asking for in our September sitting. It will be to report on how they are doing and how effective they are.
Question 799 – 4(3): Public Housing in Rankin Inlet (Sammurtok, A)
I want to follow up today on the issue of the housing units in Rankin Inlet that were recently damaged by fire.
Can the minister update me today on the status of the investigation of the fire?
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the member for asking about the status of the housing units in Rankin Inlet.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member that after the recently damaged unit, the fire marshal will have to make a report and submit that report to the housing corporation.
I looked into this issue this morning, but the Office of the Fire Marshal in Rankin Inlet has not completed their final report yet and that’s why I cannot respond to the member’s question at his time. We will have to get the final report from the Office of the Fire Marshal before I can provide any further information.
Can the minister confirm how many units will need to be repaired or how many units will need to be replaced?
From what I understand, there is only one unit. I believe it’s a five-plex and in that five-plex there was only one unit in that row that was damaged by fire.
It will be repaired. Mr. Speaker, I can also inform the member that it will be repaired and completely renovated.
Can the minister confirm when the work to repair or replace the units will begin?
As I indicated earlier, we are waiting for the final report from the fire marshal, which will be provided after the investigation has been completed.
We will take steps on repairing those units.
Once we have the opportunity, we will assess the unit to determine what resources we will need to make that unit available.
It’s pretty heavily damaged, but it can be renovated to be occupied again.
If there are no materials in Rankin Inlet, we would have to consider ordering and decide whether we’re going to be contracting out for the renovation or if we will do it locally.
If there is a need to order materials, we will have to wait for the annual sealift to arrive in Rankin Inlet, but we hope to have it completed within a year.
I’m sorry. (interpretation ends) Hon. Member for Baker Lake, Mr. Simeon Mikkungwak.
Motion 052 – 4(3): Extension of Question Period (Mikkungwak)
Mr. Mikkungwak: Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Rule 39(7), I move, seconded by the Member for Iqaluit-Sinaa, that the time allotted for Oral Questions be extended.
(interpretation) Moving on. Item 6.
Question 800 – 4(3): Police Conduct Investigations (Okalik)
This is a question I have asked quite a few times and I would like to direct it to the Minister of Justice.
We have seen quite a few of our fellow Nunavummiut who were killed by the RCMP.
Last year the minister announced a new agreement between the government and the RCMP in regard to the investigation of police conduct.
Could the minister give us an update on what his department is doing with regard to this issue?
I will go on to the next person on my list.
Question 801 – 4(3): Expansion of Martha Taliruq Centre (Mikkungwak)
Mr. Speaker, on April 1, 2017 the Department of Health took over responsibility from the Department of Family Services for providing support and resources for three elders facilities which are operated by independent societies, including the Martha Taliruq Centre in Baker Lake.
Can the minister provide an update on the transition of these responsibilities from the Department of Family Services to his department and tell us what the next steps will be?
When those three facilities were transferred over April 1 to the Department of Health, it was the final step in taking over responsibility.
That being said, from the report that led to the determination that that would be a more efficient and effective way for making sure people can age in a place appropriately, for providing a continuum of care for our elders across the territory, making sure that our policies are aligned to make sure that we’re providing the full service to Nunavut elders, those “measurables” are still going to be analyzed on an ongoing basis.
As far as taking over responsibilities for the facilities, it was completed April 1.
Mr. Mikkungwak: Mr. Speaker, the Martha Taliruq Elders Centre accommodates a number of elders and unfortunately the need for additional spaces is growing.
Can the minister indicate how his department evaluates the space, services, and level of care for elders at such facilities as the Martha Taliruq Centre?
When the Department of Health and Social Services was devolved into two separate departments, Department of Health and Department of Family Services, with that division came a division of some of the infrastructure or responsibilities for elders.
By coordinating that responsibility back together again, it took a little bit of work to make sure that there was an actual team of professionals that were tasked with making sure that the transition would be smooth, just as it was back when through the separation of the departments, making sure that there was, again, a task force then on separating the responsibilities.
It did take a period of time to make sure that there would be a continuum of services.
That being said, part of that evaluation, there were health care professionals from the Department of Health, including the clinical side of things, coordinated with CGS, who do facility evaluations or checks of infrastructure across the territory.
From the clinical side we sent over part of our team, continuing care, to make sure that the facility was able to be able to meet the needs on the level of care that was expected to be delivered, and to make sure that the residents there are in an appropriate facility for one.
There was and is a lot of work into basically making sure that we have that continuum of care for elders.
It was ongoing by health care professionals, including the clinicians, to make sure that the level of care was appropriate to the residents.
Mr. Mikkungwak: Mr. Speaker, I have visited with the elders at the Martha Taliruq Centre and some of them have indicated to me that they find it a bit claustrophobic at the centre.
Will the minister commit to working with the community hospice society to explore options for expanding the Martha Taliruq Centre?
Officials from the Department of Health meet regularly, whether by teleconference or, when needed, in person with the management and ownership or the leadership of the society.
I’m always open to discussions with any partner if they’re looking at being able to expand services to Nunavummiut. My door is always open, Mr. Speaker.
Question 802 – 4(3): Inuit Curriculum Lost (Okalik)
Yesterday I tabled a document on the funding provided for curriculum development and as I was reading the Blues, I noted the Member for South Baffin asked the Minister of Education about the makeup of the Inuktitut curriculum.
Part of the response indicated that previous work was lost, so I ask the minister if he had a review done.
Where is the work put together by elders that were designed as pathways to learning for Inuit?
I also thank my colleague for that question about the curriculum that was developed back then. In relation to the older curriculum work, I had a review done on that previous work.
Mind you it was back in 2003-04. It is slightly over 20 years now that, I believe, is the subject here.
The initial attempts to create Inuktitut curriculum back in the initial days are still in use today.
Further, during the work to create the work as part of this review, it was specific to the higher grades.
For example, (interpretation ends) junior and secondary years, (interpretation) so I mean those grades when I say higher grades.
Further, curriculum work isn’t just incorporated into school curricula and if any person makes lessons, then you can learn immediately as that is not the case in our schools.
Instead it has to follow the streams approved.
Because of that, I want to first thank those who initiated this work back in the day and the work created previously for the curriculum to be used in the schools.
It didn’t follow the guidelines for learning within the schools and required additional work prior to being introduced into the curriculum.
As per my previous statement, some curricula are still used.
Nonetheless, some of the material has been stored now, but there are many examples of written materials that were created.
I just received correspondence from Ayaya Communications today that 250 pieces of materials were in their files from the previous work done.
The 250 files currently held by Ayaya are being incorporated into the curriculum and they are a resource to us when we start to develop curriculum.
I just want to repeat, for example, that we are quite selective in our choices as we prefer pieces that are well laid out which can be used in our schools and produced in Inuktitut, English, or French.
That’s the information in regard to the 2003-04 school curricula that were produced at that time. I am sure he remembers that as he was the Premier when they were produced.
I would also like to thank the minister for finding the curriculum that was developed in the past.
Nevertheless, some of the material is very applicable to what we are trying to incorporate, albeit much of it isn’t used today. However, they can lay the foundation culturally and they can also be used today.
Even if these created works won’t be incorporated into the curriculum, they should not just be shelved but be used in another avenue outside of the school system, perhaps in other departments of this government.
I wonder if they can be made available as it cost money to develop them and the government owns the rights and they are booked for storage.
I want to ask the minister again to reconsider it.
Indeed, this is what we want to see with material designed for our schools.
Yes, there are various types of materials created and this process will continue as we receive new material every year.
Further, the materials, irrespective of when they were developed, obviously will become used. As per my earlier comments, this work is still underway to date.
It has taken quite a while to develop a comprehensive set and the different materials from 2003 to date as more materials are under development for school curriculum, particularly those for Inuktitut classes.
We will utilize the written materials that we can develop. I want to let all of my fellow members know that we’re developing the curriculum. As I stated earlier, there are over 300 Inuit language materials that are being used in our schools.
I know that we will continue to develop those reading materials for the schools. I thank those individuals who develop the curriculum material in the past so that they can be used for our schools.
Question 803 – 4(3): Activities of the Climate Change Secretariat (Angnakak)
As the minister will recall, in November of last year he announced the creation of the Climate Change Secretariat, which is now responsible for managing climate change adaptation and mitigation programs and policies for the Government of Nunavut.
During that time the minister also stated that the Climate Change Secretariat would absorb the positions and responsibilities of the previously named Energy Secretariat.
Can the minister describe what specific work the Climate Change Secretariat has completed, including any new programs or policies that it may have been developed, since its creation?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Environment, Hon. Joe Savikataaq.
This is a very new secretariat and it takes a while to set up when you absorb two different secretariats, I guess.
We’re still in the process of filling the positions. Some had no bodies in the person and some were filled by casuals.
All I can tell the member is that we’re still trying to build up the secretariat. We’re just trying to set up shop.
To the best of my knowledge, we have not developed any new policies yet other than the existing policies that were already in place.
We’re just setting up shop.
On June 8, 2017 the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation tabled the Comprehensive Report on the Activities and Expenditures of the Energy Secretariat, 2015-16.
This report provided updates on a number of ongoing projects, related costs, and future plans of the Energy Secretariat.
Will the minister commit his department to completing a similar report on the activities of the Climate Change Secretariat covering the 2016-17 fiscal year?
I’ll go back to the first question. Some of the projects that were done and we can talk about it some more, but some of the things they have done is they have incorporated climate change into the Nunavut environmental assessment process.
They put on climate change adaptation courses and that is ongoing. That course is to government departments so that they can plan for either if the permafrost is more active or less of it.
That’s what that course is about. They have done some permafrost mapping in communities, where communities should build and places where they are recommended not to build.
The list goes on here and I can share it with the member rather than going on.
These are projects that are ongoing and were already on before the secretariat came up. The capabilities of the secretariat will be enhanced now that it has gone from, I believe, it was four positions to seven or three to four. I can’t remember the exact numbers, but total positions are four.
They have meetings with the federal government. There are all kinds of funding available now for climate change and we are doing our best to tap into those funds.
I didn’t hear a commitment for completing a similar report on the activities of the Climate Change Secretariat.
I’m sure he will agree to that. I’ll go on to my next question. In his answer, his response, thank you very much.
It leads into my third question.
In that report the Energy Secretariat indicated that “information gathered from previous energy audits will be analyzed and may be used to study the feasibility of a targeted energy efficiency incentive program.”