EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The buildings already exist. What they need now is funding to add to the existing structure.
Perhaps if the Premier could meet with the minister responsible before this session is over, I would be very appreciative of any outcome.
At this time, we are still in the approval process for our main estimates, so I will have an opportunity to bring this up with my colleagues.
I cannot commit to anything now, but I am willing to discuss this matter with my cabinet colleagues.
Question 288 – 3(2): Medical Client Complaints Procedure (Arvaluk)
Yesterday, I raised several questions relating to wheelchairs and whether the department could conduct feasibility studies as to whether battery-operated models would be practical up here.
Today, I would like to pose my questions to the same person, the Minister of Health and Social Services.
My colleague from Akulliq had eloquent words to say last week.
Apparently, they had tried to lodge a complaint regarding services provided by the health department but didn’t know who to complain to.
It was also said that the complainants couldn’t get in touch with the proper people.
I myself have been notified by several constituents in our community that their attempts to contact people from the health department go unanswered. When they left phone messages outlining their issues and contact information, none of these individuals received any follow-up.
Now, I would like the minister to inform this House of the correct contact information in order to get proper services. I would like to know if the client service coordinator position in the Baffin region is vacant. Is this office even open to take calls?
I understand where the member is coming from and I recognize the concern.
What I can tell the member unequivocally is that if a letter is indeed sent or a phone message is recorded, then that information will not be ignored.
I can tell him this with respect to the concern he just expressed.
In addition, I believe that the officials in that office are listening to the proceedings. The individual who is handling that office is quite familiar with the issues and is also an Inuk, but we have more than one staff member who works at that office.
The facsimile number is correct.
However, what I can state here is that if the information contained in our public service announcements need correction, then we will ensure that it is corrected and the proper information is made public. If we need to remedy this, then we will do so.
With regard to the facsimile machine and number, that machine is in their office. Here I am referencing the facsimile number that our colleague, John Ningark, tested the other day.
As a matter of fact, when inquiries are made through my office, we transfer them to the same individuals who are handling the client services.
Due to these reasons, we believe that these complaints are being processed properly.
However, we may have to update our contact information that is being announced as public service announcements and I will ensure that the contact information is indeed correct.
The information is readily available, but sometimes getting it out there to the public is not easily done.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the minister for that response, although he only answered part of my question.
Last summer, the minister distributed a series of pamphlets describing the patient/client complaint procedure.
The minister distributed this information to all three regions, the Kitikmeot, the Kivalliq, as well as the Qikiqtaaluk region.
Can the minister tell the House specifically what the cause of the problems are and what steps are being taken to correct the complaint process? This applies as well to patients who feel that they didn’t receive an appropriate response. What steps has your department undertaken in order to ensure that this process is effective?
What I can tell the member is that as long as the problem is clearly identified, our senior officials can try and resolve them through the Senior Management Committee.
They have regularly scheduled meetings.
In fact, when emergencies and other pressing issues arise, they will hold a meeting to try and resolve them, to ensure that they are properly addressed. This also applies to timely communications.
Sometimes problems arise in dealing with requests or complaints immediately due to the different time zones. Complaints are sent from all over; the Kitikmeot and the Kivalliq region as well. Also, the contact numbers are for all of Nunavut and sometimes all of the lines are busy.
The fax machine might also be busy too. I have suggested that the fax machine be used solely for receiving complaints and not for anything else.
Another way of passing communications is through your constituency office. This would help a lot when we need to get the information out there.
My office is always open to suggestions and such.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the minister for his response.
My last question is: will the minister commit to reviewing the operations of the client service coordinator’s office to ensure that clients receive timely and considerate responses to their inquiries?
The reason I’m asking this question is that the minister stated that there is more than one employee working there and that there are two employees in the office. If patients are not getting through, is it because they have the wrong numbers?
Can you investigate this further so that all barriers are removed for people with complaints?
Yes, we can do that indeed. When our Senior Management Committee meets, we often take further action. We are hoping to look at how we can make improvements to the present system.
Sometimes we run into problems, such as the shortage of nurses and overworked nurses.
We are looking at other options that deal with what the member raised.
Once we have found solutions, I will announce them.
Thank you, Mr. Arvaluk. (interpretation ends) Oral Questions. Member for Quttiktuq, Mr. Elliott.
Question 289 – 3(2): United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Elliott)
My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Hon. Tagak Curley.
Yesterday, I tabled an official announcement by the Government of Canada dated March 11, 2010.
The announcement indicated that the federal government has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It also indicated that and I quote, “The Government of Canada consulted provincial and territorial governments throughout the Convention’s negotiation, signature and ratification processes.”
Can the minister tell the House what concerns and suggestions the Government of Nunavut made during these processes?
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for tabling the document, it is very helpful, and I certainly will do my best to help the hon. member from the High Arctic.
The convention deals with over 190 nations in the world.
There are some countries in the world that do not enjoy the freedoms and rights that we have as Canadians or those of us in North America.
There are Third World countries that do very little to provide basic rights to their citizens, unlike Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I would love to help the hon. member, but I think it would be more appropriate if you guide it to the appropriate minister. The Nunavut government certainly was consulted. This is a human rights issue, not a health issue particularly.
In that regard, I think that I would like you to direct him to the appropriate minister so that he can get a thorough response.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. (interpretation) Minister Curley, at this time, could you elaborate which minister you are referring to, if it’s either the Minister of Justice or another minister.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I think the rules in the House are quite clear.
The Minister of Justice is responsible for human rights issues of Nunavut.
As such, I think he is more prepared to respond to the convention on the rights of disabilities and so on because it’s a human rights issue that the federal government is dealing with.
Minister of Justice, Keith Peterson, are you prepared to answer the question? Hon. Keith Peterson.
I thank Mr. Curley for redirecting the question and I thank Mr. Elliott for asking the question.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Nunavut does support people with disabilities and we have had input into the UN convention.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, we sent a letter to the Hon. Lawrence Cannon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, late in 2009 expressing our support, which goes together nicely with our Human Rights Act, which is a very important Act for the people of Nunavut.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, I had the executive director and the interpreters for the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal in this Assembly to introduce them. They are looking for support and they are also willing to help people with disabilities if they feel that they’re being discriminated against.
Mr. Elliott: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the answer.
I apologize for directing it to the wrong department.
Article 9 of the United Nations Convention commits signatories to “take appropriate measures” to identify and eliminate “obstacles and barriers to accessibility” in relation to “buildings, roads, transportation and other indoor and outdoor facilities, including schools, housing, medical facilities and workplaces.”
That’s why it’s actually quite nice that the Department of Justice can answer this now because asking the questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services would only limit that to health and social services issues. This is broader now, so he can answer this question on all departments in terms of health and education.
Given that education and health care facilities and all other facilities of the Government of Nunavut are under territorial jurisdiction, can the minister indicate how the government is working with all departments to address the needs with respect to people with disabilities?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for the question.
Mr. Speaker, it’s no secret that I have been in support of people with disabilities for a long time.
In fact, I have talked to Ms. Quirke and Mr. McDougal. When I was an MLA in the Second Assembly, Mr. McDougal was here.
Mr. Speaker, I have people with disabilities in my riding and many of my constituents have disabilities.
All government departments are well aware of people with disabilities and special needs, and I believe, Mr. Speaker, that all departments are making efforts to accommodate people with disabilities.
If there’s anyone out there who has an issue with government departments or with the government as a whole that’s affecting their ability to work, as I indicated earlier, the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal can help them.
As I noted earlier, the federal government has stated that it consulted with provincial and territorial governments.
Has the federal government committed to providing any additional resources to the Government of Nunavut in order to help us upgrade our buildings and infrastructure to improve their accessibility?
I again thank Mr. Elliott for that loaded question.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has many programs and services available for people with disabilities.
I can’t stand here today and say with any certainty that they’re giving any extra money to the Government of Nunavut to help people with disabilities, but we will certainly check the availability of the programs.
I’m sure most departments are well aware of the various programs that affect their departments.
Non-government entities, such as hamlets and the private sector, are also aware of the programs that are available through this government and through the Government of Canada.
Just to clarify, in my example yesterday, I used how, over Christmas, some of our residents were trucked back and forth.
You’re saying, just so I know for sure, that I should direct these individuals in our communities who possibly need a vehicle for being transported back and forth to go to the Human Rights Tribunal and make a complaint.
I’m sure Mr. Elliott knows that in most small communities, there are limited resources.
I know that in my home community of Cambridge Bay, many years ago, to help out the disabled and particularly to help out elders, we fundraised and we raised enough money to buy a Handi-Bus to move people around with wheelchairs, rockers, and all of those sorts of things.
So there are ways to get those kinds of vehicles.
But if the folks in his community feel that they’re discriminated against because of their disability, again, it’s their right to contact the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal and express their concern. It’s difficult to say in small communities that people are being discriminated against.
MLAs say that people are put in a back of a truck. I know you used the word yesterday of “herding” people.
I don’t know if that’s really the right word.
I help people in my community get in my truck or another truck and give transportation when there’s no other transportation. So we have to be very careful, Mr. Speaker.
But if the people in his community feel they’re being discriminated against, again, the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal is in Coral Harbour. They have a phone number that people can contact them to raise their concerns.
Question 290 – 3(2): Tax the Pop (Okalik)
I wish to direct my question to the Minister of Finance.
Lately we’ve been hearing on the news that other governments are taking a closer look and taxing soft drinks.
I believe it’s time we started considering this for the good of our health.
Our government is always claiming to have a shortage of funding and I see this tax as a funding source.
I want to ask the minister if the government has started to look at levying this tax.
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. Okalik for that question.
It’s a good question, Mr. Speaker, and I know that we’re all concerned about the health of Nunavummiut. At this time, I would like to tell Mr. Okalik that we’re not planning to introduce a soda tax.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I think we have been very fortunate in being isolated in some cases and we have been fortunate in that diabetes hasn’t hit us as hard as other aboriginal groups elsewhere, but that day is coming.
There is far too much soda being consumed by our fellow Nunavummiut and it’s just a matter of time before diabetes will take its toll on our population. At the same time, we’re looking for ways to generate revenue. I believe the issue of a soda tax, which is being explored elsewhere, should be reviewed by our government.
Will the minister commit to reviewing this matter? (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Okalik. Minister Peterson.
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I again thank Mr. Okalik for that question.
I understand why he’s asking the question, but you know, Mr. Speaker, I read one of the newspaper stories about the soda tax in New York.
They say it’s a soda tax to tackle obesity and budget shortfalls.
Mr. Speaker, last week, I introduced a balanced budget, so we’re not looking to find extra taxes to deal with any shortfalls.
Mr. Speaker, I’m also aware that the Department of Health and Social Services has done a great job over the last several years. They’re recognized across the north for introducing the ‘Drop the Pop’ campaign, which is being touted as an educational program. It helps the kids in school understand that drinking too much pop and consuming too much sugar leads to obesity.
I think education is probably more important than actually taxing people, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I believe we are $40 million in deficit, so I don’t know about a balanced budget at this time. We’re obviously not getting any additional revenue, maybe in the future, that we know of because the biggest source of our funding is facing some financial challenges.
We have to look for ways to generate some revenue as a government and at the same time, we use the tax system to deter smoking, for example, and other unhealthy ways of living.
So I ask the minister again: will he commit to reviewing this matter in the future?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I was getting hammered a little bit about dropping the payroll tax because we’re taxing people and I had to say no to that because we needed some of the funds for programs and services that we deliver in the communities to Nunavummiut.
Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, the Government of Nunavut introduced a tax on cigarettes thinking that increasing the taxes would actually lower the smoking levels in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, it proved to be an inelastic tax. In other words, the more we taxed, the more people continued to smoke. We got more revenue, so the net effect was more revenues for the Government of Nunavut.
We’re tackling the smoking issue with the Tobacco Reduction Strategy and education. Mr. Speaker, I see the same thing with obesity. The ‘Drop the Pop’ and other preventative health programs that the Department of Health and Social Services is introducing is a way to get to people and educate them about the dangers of sugar, obesity, and diabetes.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I know that we have been carrying out the ‘Drop the Pop’ campaign for some time.
I actually stopped drinking pop when we started it, so it served its purpose on me, but there’s still a lot of consumption of soda pop throughout the territory.
It’s just not a health issue, there’s a dental cost associated with it. It affects a lot of our citizens and in unknown ways as well.
So I ask the minister: can he review this for future budgets?
Mr. Speaker, I recall several years ago in Cambridge Bay at a health fair, there was a contest to guess how many teaspoons of sugar are in a can of Coke.
I guessed three and then they lifted the cover and there’s 14 teaspoons of sugar in an average can of Coke.
So I’m well aware of the dangers of sugar and obesity and the health risks imposed on individuals, plus the damage that it causes to your teeth.
As Mr. Okalik indicated, he learned and he stopped drinking pop, and this is what we’re hoping that other people in Nunavut will do, that they become aware that consuming too much soda pop, especially soda pop with sugar, and Mr. Speaker, it’s not just soda pop with sugar, it’s cans of juice and other products that have a lot of sugar and calories, people become more aware that the more sugar they consume, the greater dangers there are to their health.
As far as I can see, education is the way to go.
Imposing taxes probably impose a hardship on those people in Nunavut who are already struggling to put enough food on the table to eat.
Question 291 – 3(2): Additional Building Inspectors (Schell)
We have been nine days into the session and it’s hard to believe that I haven’t asked the Minister of Housing a single question.
I wouldn’t want him to feel like the Maytag repair man. We all know what happened to him.
My first question is for the housing minister.
In that $100 million trust fund, is there any money allotted for additional inspectors to inspect the buildings?
I was beginning to think that the member had forgotten about me; I am very glad that he hasn’t.
Mr. Speaker, in not only the $100 million but also as was with the Nunavut Housing Trust, there is an admin portion of that funding that the corporation can use for administrative costs.
As a result of those administrative costs, just last June, as a part of the trust, we had 13 additional technical positions approved throughout the three regions in the territory to be able to move around and take care of the backlog and the shortage that we had of staff to be able to go around and do inspections on the projects.
Yes, there is some funding in there for it.
Additional term positions have been approved and are in the process of being advertised and filled right now to do those jobs.
I guess I should have clarified this. I’m basically referring to electrical and mechanical inspectors.
I’m not sure of the exact breakdown of what those technical positions are, but I think there were five, four, and four for the three regions. If the member would like, I will get that information exactly. Some of them are different trades to do different inspections, so I’m not sure of the exact breakdown of what exact trade they’re there to do inspections on, but I will get that and provide it to the member if he so wishes.
My understanding is that the Housing Corporation had sent a letter off to Protection and Safety Services indicating that there were funds in that trust to hire an additional electrical inspector, but of course, they wanted it in writing to confirm that they were going to pay for that position from the Housing Corporation.
Apparently, they have been waiting three months for that and they haven’t received a letter.
So I would like to ask the housing minister if he can make sure that he gets back to protection services so that they can hire for that position.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman… Mr. Speaker.
I say that the Housing Corporation, through this funding, it’s a percentage of the administrative… that is for Housing Corporation’s administration of it. It is not for the administration of the electrical inspector, it’s somebody who works for a different department.
I’m not aware of some of the things that the member hears, but I will follow up and look at that.
As far as my knowledge goes, the only technical positions that were approved through the corporation are our own technical people to go around and inspect the projects. The final electrical inspection that is done, it’s done on a project when it’s completed and needs to get certified by the electrical inspector before power can be hooked up to it. So I will follow up.
To my recollection, those are the only positions that I know of.
I can’t see that funding going to fund a position in another department. I know that wasn’t something that we brought forward.
Apparently, this was a letter sent directly from your Housing Corporation office in Cape Dorset and it was received by protection services.
They were willing to fill that position and all they asked was that they wanted in writing to confirm that they would support the funds, so that’s the only reason why I’m asking that question.
I wish and hope that he can look into it and make sure if that’s the case, he gets a letter off to them stating that they are going to finance that position.
As I indicated earlier, the only positions that we brought forward and asked to fill were the technical positions that would be in the district offices in Cape Dorset, Arviat, and Cambridge Bay.
But I will, as the member pointed out that he seems to find out things from his own community, be more than happy to follow up with that.
Again, I won’t make a commitment one way or the other. I don’t believe that we would be able to utilize that funding to fill a position like an electrical inspector in another department, but I will certainly follow up with it and I would like to thank the member for bringing that to my attention.
Question 292 – 3(2): Feasibility Study for New BCC using CGS (Elliott)
My questions are directed to the Minister of Justice, the Hon. Keith Peterson.
I don’t think that it will be something that could be transferred over to the Minister of Health.
Mr. Speaker, I was extremely pleased to hear the Premier talk in her Minister’s Statement and perhaps, this could be a suggestion for the GN acting as champions for one of the areas of interdepartmental effort.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in Committee of the Whole, the Minister of Community and Government Services, the Hon. Lorne Kusugak, explained how his department has a whole division entitled Capital Planning and Technical Services.
In reviewing the operational maintenance accounting structure for that department, the division has 112 positions of which 44 employees provide technical services and 13 employees provide capital planning services.