EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It’s the first day back and the member is asking for commitments, he’s asking for information, he’s needling the minister, and I would suggest to him that the answer to his first question is yes, I can make a commitment that we’re not going to increase the power rates in Rankin Inlet based on what has occurred this past winter.
Number two, I can assure the member that the Power Corporation we have, through the Financial Management Board of the government last week, actually received an invoice and we have agreed and authorized a payment of over $1 million to the Power Corporation for their expenditures, to the local housing association in Rankin Inlet for their costs, as well as covering off the costs that have been submitted to us from the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet, so all three areas will be covered.
I know that Minister Brown was quite vocal in ensuring that we cover off those costs and that those costs would not be laid on the feet of the consumers in Rankin Inlet. So I think that’s all good news for the community and for the member’s constituents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My final point is I would like to thank the minister. I think that’s the best news that people in Rankin Inlet have heard for a long time.
There doesn’t seem to be a question.
Question 532 – 2(4): Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission Initiatives (Tootoo)
My questions are for the new Minister of the newly-renamed Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission.
Mr. Speaker, as the minister will recall from his time on this side of the House, the Workers’ Compensation Act now provides for the appointment of a Workers’ Advisor, who has the important job of helping injured workers understand the often complex compensation system.
Mr. Speaker, last month, the Workers’ Advisor resigned in order to be appointed to the new Appeals Tribunal.
Can the minister indicate to us today whether a new Workers’ Advisor has been appointed and who it is?
Minister responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, Minister Barnabas.
Hon. Levi Barnabas (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The advisor resigned recently.
What we are looking at right now are the applications and as soon as we find out, then I will be able to answer the member’s question.
Again, we know that the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission has an important mandate with respect to providing coverage to workers in different sectors.
Concerns have been brought to my attention from the Baffin Fisheries Coalition with respect to coverage for people working for them on their fishing boats not being eligible for coverage.
Can the minister update this House today of the status of the commission’s policy on this issue?
I recently had a discussion with my NWT counterpart responsible for Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, Mr. Miltenburger.
From my understanding, we have jurisdiction within a 12-mile radius. Beyond that 12-mile limit, it is considered overseas fishing.
As a result, the companies involved are responsible for insuring their own employees, just like airliners have to provide their employees’ insurance coverage.
As a result, there isn’t much we can do because of that rule with the 12-mile radius.
I think maybe, Mr. Speaker, this is another example of where legislation can never capture everything and there’s maybe a loophole in there that where this was never even thought of when the legislation was drafted.
I believe in other jurisdictions, their Workers’ Compensation Boards that have no jurisdiction for people that go outside for fishing, do have the benefit of workers compensation from that jurisdiction.
So will the minister commit to working with his counterpart in the Northwest Territories to bring forward amendments to address this concern?
Yes, I can work with my counterpart from Northwest Territories to deal with that, but as long as our office is not moved to Nunavut from Newfoundland, then it will continue to be a problem.
I will work with the minister for NWT and speak to him to find out if the office can be moved from Newfoundland.
Another issue that I have raised over the years during the past with the Workers’ Compensation Board, it’s now Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, is the fact that, we all know... and the name was just changed.
One of the concerns that have been brought to my attention in the past is with the organization, procurement, and contracting policies. I know that it’s a joint board and it covers both territories.
When tenders go out for new promotional items, like they will now with the name change, can the minister assure this House that for the Nunavut portion of all those items that NNI will apply and Nunavut companies will have a fair opportunity to bid on those contracts?
Minister of Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, Mr. Barnabas.
Yes, the Government of Nunavut provides the information to all companies seeking those contracts.
Whoever wants to bid on the contract has the opportunity to do so.
If there are none, Item 8.
Return to Written Question 009 – 2(4): Academic Success of Arviammiut (Clerk)
Return to Written Question 010 – 2(4): Status of Decentralization (Clerk)
Return to Written Question 011 – 2(4): Fuel Stabilization Riders and Other Matters (Clerk)
Return to Written Question 012 – 2(4): Annual Fuel Purchases (Clerk)
I am tabling Returns to Written Questions 9 – 2(4), 10 – 2(4), 11 – 2(4), and 12 – 2(4) filed with my office.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Item 8.
If there are none, Item 9.
If there are none, Item 10.
Tabled Document 224 – 2(4): Medical Travel Contracts - Correspondence with Minister of Health and Social Services (Tootoo)
I wish to table an exchange of correspondence between myself and the Minister of Health and Social Services with respect to the recent awarding of the medical travel contracts. And also, I would like to apologize in advance for anyone that gets it for the spelling mistakes that are in there.
Tabled Document 225 – 2(4): Qulliq Energy Corporation Annual Report March 31, 2007 (Picco)
*See Appendix for full text of Returns to Written Questions 9 – 2(4), 10 – 2(4), 11 – 2(4), and 12 – 2(4) filed with the Clerk.
I am very pleased to be able to table the following document:
Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Annual Report for 2006-07.
I have a document to table.
Tabled Document 226 – 2(4): Statutory Requirements for Tabling of Reports and Other Documents in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut - May 2008 (Speaker)
Tabled Document 227 – 2(4): Report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut on the Nunavut Housing Corporation May 2008 (Speaker)
I wish to table today (interpretation ends) the document Statutory Requirements for Tabling of Reports and Other Documents in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.
This listing is current to May 21, 2008 and includes backdoor tablings made after the House adjourned on March 14, 2008.
(interpretation) Thank you. (interpretation ends) And again, members, I wish to table today the May 2008 Report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut on the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Tabled Document 228 – 2(4): Response to Petition 3 – 2(4) – Repulse Bay Health Centre (Clerk)
I am tabling the Response to Petition 3 – 2(4) filed with my office by the Minister of Health and Social Services.
I apologize; I didn’t see your hand.
Tabled Document 229 – 2(4): Taloyoak Hamlet Office Building - Photos (Aglukkaq)
On behalf of the Mayor of Taloyoak and the Hamlet Council, I wish to table photographs that were taken of the interior of the Taloyoak Hamlet Office building which was recently ordered closed by the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission due to mold and other safety considerations.
Can you please provide the Tabled Document to the clerks table?
Motion 033 – 2(4): Withdrawal of Bill 13, Nunavut Energy Efficiency Act – Notice (Tootoo)
I give notice that on Monday, May 26, I’ll move the following motion:
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member from Rankin Inlet North, that the Legislative Assembly orders the withdrawal of Bill 13 from the Order Paper.
Bill 29 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2008-09 – Notice
I give notice that on May 26, 2008, that Bill 29, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009, be read for the first time.
Bill 30 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009 – Notice
I give notice that on May 26, that Bill 30, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009, be read for the first time.
Please provide the Notices of Motion to the Clerk’s table.
If there are no more, Item 16.
If there are none, Item 17.
I request consent of this Assembly to waive the two-day notice requirement to allow for first reading of Bill 30, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. The minister is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 62(1) to allow for first reading of Bill 30.
Bill 30 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009 – First Reading
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Nattilik, that Bill 30, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009, be read for the first time.
The motion is carried and Bill 30 has had its first reading.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request consent of this Assembly to waive the two-day notice requirement to allow for first reading of Bill 29, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009.
The minister is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 62(1) to allow for first reading of Bill 29.
Bill 29 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009 – First Reading
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Quttiktuq, that Bill 29, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009, be read for the first time.
The motion is carried and Bill 29 has had its first reading.
Bill 29 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009 – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Iqaluit East, that Bill 29, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009, be read for the second time, Mr. Speaker.
This bill makes supplementary appropriations for the Government of Nunavut to defray the capital expenses of the Government of Nunavut for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009.
The motion is carried and Bill 29 has had its second reading and will be referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Bill 30 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009 – Second Reading
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Rankin Inlet South-Whale Cove, that Bill 30, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2008-2009, be read for the second time, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Finance, Minister Taparjuk.
This bill makes supplementary appropriations for the Government of Nunavut, and reduces an appropriation, to defray the operations and maintenance expenses of the Government of Nunavut for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, Mr. Speaker.
The motion is carried and Bill 30 has had its second reading and will be referred to the Committee of the Whole.
I apologize. Member for Iqaluit Centre, Mr. Tootoo.
Motion 034 – 2(4): Adjournment for the Day (Tootoo)
Pursuant to Rule 46, I move, seconded by the Right Honourable Member from Iqaluit East, that this House adjourn for the day.
The motion is carried and we will proceed to Item 22.
A reminder there’s a meeting of the Regular Caucus with the Minister of Finance at 4:15 today in the Tuktu Boardroom.
Orders of the Day for May 23:
Members, this House stands adjourned until Friday, May 23, at ten o’clock in the morning.
>>House adjourned at 16:28  Appendix – May 22, 2008
Return to Written Question 009 – 2(4): Academic Success of Arviammiut
Asked by: David Alagalak, MLA (Arviat)
Asked of: Hon. Ed. Picco, Minister of Education
In consideration of individual privacy, we have not separated the numbers by gender.
In some cases, numbers were small enough that individuals could potentially be identified by members of the community.
For the 2003-04 school year, 15 students 19 years or older were enrolled in grade 12 in Arviat.
For the 2004-05 school year, 17 students 19 years or older were enrolled in grade 12 in Arviat.
For the 2005-06 school year, 32 students 19 years or older were enrolled in grade 12 in Arviat.
For the 2006-07 school year, 40 students 19 years or older were enrolled in grade 12 in Arviat.
The following information was collected by FANS, but the information for courses completed was not available, so we have provided enrolment numbers instead.
For the 2003-04 school year, 21 students 19 years or older enrolled in courses funded by the Department of Education including Nunavut Arctic College (NAC).
For the 2004-05 school year, 34 students 19 years or older, enrolled in courses funded by the Department of Education including NAC.
For the 2005-06 school year, 39 students 19 years or older, enrolled in courses funded by the Department of Education including NAC.
For the 2006-07 school year, 33 students 19 years or older, enrolled in courses funded by the Department of Education including NAC.
In accordance with the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act Section 23(2)(d) “A disclosure of personal information is presumed to be an unreasonable invasion of a third party’s personal privacy where the personal information relates to employment, occupational or educational history,” the Department of Education cannot release the statistics requested.
The information requested is very detailed and the numbers are small enough that individuals could be easily identified by members of the community.
However, the member may discuss the questions with the minister privately.
Students and educational institutions outside of Nunavut are not required to report this information to the Department of Education, so we are using our student data collected by FANS to give this estimate.
Some students may not have applied for FANS and therefore would not be included in these numbers.
For the 2003-04 school year, 15 Arviammiut 19 years or older were enrolled in programs from educational institutions outside of Nunavut.
For the 2005-06 school year, 25 Arviammiut 19 years or older were enrolled in programs from educational institutions outside of Nunavut.
Return to Written Question 010 – 2(4): Status of Decentralization
Date: March 10, 2008
Information was required from all GN departments, agencies and Crown corporations in responding to many parts of this written question.
This response could not have been prepared without the assistance and cooperation of the staff across all GN departments, agencies and Crown corporations.
The data was assessed as of 31 December 2007 and 30 June 2007.
There was some reorganization of GN departments effective 31 December 2004, so the decentralization data is broken down by the current departmental structure which is different from the government structure in the response to Written Question 26 – 2(2).
The data includes the following GN departments, agencies and Crown corporations:
Education (Edu)
Environment (Env)
Attached is the list of cabinet approved decentralized positions by employing entity and community as of 31 December 2007.
JUS
Attached are the numbers of indeterminate versus term positions as of 31 December 2007.
Indeterminate 324
Term 14
Total 338
Vacant 121
The response considers how the position was filled on 31 December 2007 and not as of the date of decentralization.
Below are the numbers of NLCA Beneficiaries versus Non-Beneficiaries as of 31 December 2007.
Indeterminate 184 140 324
Term 2 12 14
Total 186 152 338
The response considers how the position was filled on 31 December 2007and not as of the date of decentralization.
Attached are the numbers of persons living in the decentralized community versus the number relocating from elsewhere to decentralized positions as of 31 December 2007 was:
The first part of this response compiles the information provided by the departments regarding the number of positions within each department being performed on a casual, contractual or consultancy basis and excludes any secondments or transfer assignments.
Attached is the number of persons in the decentralized positions engaged on a casual, contractual or consultancy basis as of 31 December 2007.
Casuals 3
Consultants 1
They were deemed residents of Nunavut as of 31 December 2007.
As of 31 December 2007, information on casuals may not be complete.
The response to Question 7 includes positions that were vacant as of 31 December 2007.
The vacancy by employing entity and by community as of 31 December 2007 (left hand column for each community) and 30 June 2007 (right hand column for each community) was:
This includes all individuals who selected option (c) within 90 days of receipt of their letter on the decentralization initiative and who had departed the public service as of 31 December 2007.
It would not include individuals who formally declined to accept offers of employment but deferred their actual departure dates and had not departed the public service as of 31 December 2007.
The total amount spent by the GN on settlements for employees who declined to accept offers of employment for decentralized positions, and who departed the Public Service by 31 December 2007 was $612,201.
Costs include all relocation expenditures for new GN employees to fill decentralized positions, relocation costs to move existing employees who moved with the decentralized position (option (a)), and all costs (including relocation and severance) for individuals who declined the offer to continue their position in the decentralized community (option (c)).
Please also note that the Capital and Operations & Maintenance (O & M) costs do reflect the costs attributable to decentralization, however, significant expenditures under these headings would have been incurred anyways from filling the positions in Iqaluit.
O & M $ 12,050,145
Capital $ 20,312,078
Total (includes Capital & O & M) $32,362,223
Return to Written Question 011 – 2(4): Meetings and Directives of Executive Council and its Committees
Asked of: Hon. Ed. Picco, Minister of Energy
Date: March 13, 2008
Return to Written Question 012 – 2(4): Annual Fuel Purchases
Asked by: Tagak Curley, MLA (Rankin Inlet)
Asked of: Hon. Levinia Brown, Minister of Community and Government Services
Attached are spreadsheets showing actual resupply quantities and dates for purchases by the Government of Nunavut for diesel, gasoline and Jet-A-1 fuels for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
PPD purchases all diesel fuel requirements for QEC by community and uses two methods to determine the price purchased by QEC:
PPD sells approximately 18 million litres of bulk diesel fuel to QEC this fuel is discharged directly into QEC storage tanks.
QEC pays the full landed cost (product and transportation).
PPD also sells approximately 27 million litres of nominated diesel fuel for QEC which is stored in PPD tanks and sold to QEC as required over the course of a 12 month period.
QEC pays the retail price (the rate established by the Cabinet) for this nominated volume.
QEC receives the benefit of a subsidy on the nominated diesel volume and PPD forecasts that the value of the subsidy for fiscal year 2008 will be approximately $1.7 million.
The four attached spreadsheets show the actual volumes and amounts paid by Qulliq Energy Corporation for diesel fuel purchased for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, broken down by community.
Minister of Environment
Minister of Human Resources; Minister responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission
Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth; Minister of Finance; Chairman, Financial Management Board
Decentralized Community
30-Jun-07
31-Dec -07
Friday, May 23, 2008
Pages 4081 – 4106
Opening Prayer 4081
Members’ Statements 4081
Oral Questions 4084
Tabling of Documents 4103
Notices of Motions 4104
Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills 4104
Orders of the Day 4105
Friday, May 23, 2008 4081
425 – 2(4): Congratulations to Whale Cove Graduates (Brown) 4081
426 – 2(4): Territorial Canada Day Poster Challenge – Naiomi Alookie and Jennett Kingmiaqtuq (Aglukkaq) 4082
427 – 2(4): The 2008 Youth Parliament (Tootoo) 4082
428 – 2(4): Paul Kanayuk Jr. and Rene Aggark Walk to Raise Awareness for Widows and Children (Curley) 4083
429 – 2(4): Announcing Birth of New Grandson (Netser) 4084
533 – 2(4): Nunavut Medical Travel Contracts (Tootoo) 4084
534 – 2(4): Capital Projects in Baker Lake this Spring and Summer (Simailak) 4087
535 – 2(4): GN Policy on Smoking in Apartment Buildings (Curley) 4088
536 – 2(4): Income Support Worker for Repulse Bay (Mapsalak) 4090
537 – 2(4): Nunavut Medical Travel Contracts (Tootoo) 4092
538 – 2(4): Patients Signing Prescription Waivers (Curley) 4094
539 – 2(4): Removal of GST on Fuel in Nunavut (Tootoo) 4096
540 – 2(4): Status of Fuel Purchase for 2008-09 (Curley) 4098
541 – 2(4): GN Strategy to Deal with Increase in Fuel Price (Tootoo) 4100
230 – 2(4): The Akitsiraq Law Program: Lawyer-making in the Arctic (Okalik) 4103
231 – 2(4): Minimum Wage Annual Report 2007 (Okalik) 4103
232 – 2(4): Withdrawal from Nunavut Association of Municipalities – Letter from Baker Lake (Simailak) 4103
035 – 2(4): Withdrawal of Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Local Authorities Elections Act – Notice (Curley) 4104
036 – 2(4): Banning the Use of the Hakapik – Notice (Okalik) 4104
037 – 2(4): Adjournment for the Day (Picco) 4104
Bill 33 – An Act to Amend the Labour Standards Act – Notice 4104
Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Honourable Olayuk Akesuk, Honourable Levi Barnabas, Honourable Levinia Brown, Mr. Tagak Curley, Honourable Peter Kilabuk, Mr. Steve Mapsalak, Honourable Patterk Netser, Honourable Paul Okalik, Honourable Edward Picco, Mr. David Simailak, Honourable Louis Tapardjuk, Mr. Hunter Tootoo.
Speaker (interpretation): Good morning, my colleagues.
Member’s Statement 425 – 2(4): Congratulations to Whale Cove Graduates (Brown)
I rise today to congratulate the students who graduated at the Inuuglak School in Whale Cove.
There were three graduates: Karen Adjuk, Josie Okalik, Premier’s namesake’s daughter, and Jerias Teenar.
Those were the three graduates in Whale Cove.
It was very sentimental to hear one of them make a statement about their parents waking them up so they can go to school and that’s led to their success.
Therefore, I would like to thank the parents of the graduates as well.
As always, there’s a slogan that states that ‘It takes a whole community to raise a child.’
This slogan is very much in evidence in the communities.
On behalf of the members, I would like to congratulate the graduates at the high school in Whale Cove.
Appolina Manilak was in my place during the Youth Parliament and I am very proud of her.
I would like to thank the grandparents for encouraging them to come here to the House to attend the Youth Parliament.
Member’s Statement 426 – 2(4): Territorial Canada Day Poster Challenge – Naiomi Alookie and Jennett Kingmiaqtuq (Aglukkaq)
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq (interpretation): Good morning. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the Assembly that Naomi Alookie, age 16, of Taloyoak was chosen as the territorial finalist for the Canada Day Poster Challenge. This contest is sponsored territorial wide by the federal government’s Department of Heritage.
Mr. Speaker, the territorial finalist is chosen from among four age groups and I would also like to note that Jennett Kingmiaqtuq was one of the regional finalists in the 12- to 14-year-old group. Jennett is also from Taloyoak.
Mr. Speaker, Naomi will now have a chance to travel to Parliament Hill for Canada Day and she will also continue on to Quebec City to take part in the city’s 400th anniversary celebrations.
I would like to offer my congratulations to both Naomi Alookie as the territorial finalist and to Jennett Kingmiaqtuq as a regional finalist from Taloyoak.
Member’s Statement 427 – 2(4): The 2008 Youth Parliament (Tootoo)