EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving me another opportunity.
I have one question for clarification.
I might have another question based on the response.
Minister Quassa, when one of my colleagues was asking questions about the NTEP program, I understood that you are going to be doing a review of how the NTEP program is set up.
If I can ask two questions at the same time, Mr. Chairman: is the review taking place now and when can we expect the results of the review?
There is the Department of Education, Arctic College, and the University of Regina.
We have started the review and we’ve had meetings with all the entities, including the University of Regina.
We will have to use a procedure where we will set up an RFP that was done on January 13, 2017 and the closing date was February 10, 2017.
We are looking at getting this project started within two months and it will cost approximately $111,000.
The review is just going to get started, so I can’t tell you when it’s going to be concluded. I can only tell you that it is getting started.
Just for further clarification, our present government is going to come to the end of its term this fall, so we might not see the results this year. Is that a possibility?
First of all I think I said “calendar.”
I was trying to say two weeks instead of two months. The project will begin in about two weeks and we hope that we conclude this review before the end of our government’s term.
Will the NTEP program continue without interruption while you are doing the review?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, the program will definitely be able to continue.
We just hope that there will be an increase of students taking the NTEP program.
Wording is very important in Inuktitut as even one word can change an entire sentence definition.
As you stated, this program will definitely be able to continue. Did you mean it will definitely continue?
Will it continue?
Please ensure your response is completely clear, Minister Quassa.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): It may be due to the fact I come from the Amittuq.
I’m just joking.
Yes, it will follow what your wording was, that it will definitely continue and that was what I should have said.
I have also noted previously that my dialect is very distinctive as I was ridiculed before about that wording I used. I use that particular word, but my meaning was exactly as you said. I apologize if my response was a bit unclear.
Policy and Planning. Page G-5. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $2,076,000.
Education. Corporate Services.
Page G-6. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. Mr. Rumbolt.
I have just a few quick questions under this section.
As we know, there have been a number of schools that have been damaged recently and in the past with fires, and now we’ve had another just today.
What kinds of new initiatives have been considered or undertaken to address the risk of school safety?
At this time with regard to security cameras, these are generally the newest technology that we install in the school.
We are also looking at how our doors can be installed better. What do they call these? (interpretation ends) Cameras for all Nunavut schools, again, we want to ensure that if they need to, they are repaired and replaced; any outdated CCTV systems.
The new systems have been installed in Igloolik at both schools. A new school system has been installed at the Sam Pudlat school (interpretation) and at the (interpretation ends) modular in Cape Dorset.
By the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year the department plans to have a new system installed at both the Alookie Elementary School and Attagoyuk Ilisarvik School in Pangnirtung. Multiple CCTV systems are going to be installed and are planned for 2017-18.
If you remember, after the fire in Cape Dorset, we did have a 24-hour security person there, but after we had the portables and so forth, we decided to cut that down to half a day.
We also have partnered with the safe schools and anti-violence committee, which consists of two government staff and two Nunavut Teachers Association members.
They meet and discuss about what the needs are.
We have also developed two manuals, Crisis Response Guidelines for Nunavut Schools; we have a staff manual and safety in schools, the principal’s planning manual.
These are quite a few things that we have implemented within our schools to ensure that our schools are safer than we had seen in the past.
Certainly we want to do a lot more and I think these are things that we keep looking at after the couple incidents that we had seen in the years on our schools. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
With all these cameras and the CCT systems that you’re installing in schools, are they only set up to record or are these cameras being monitored so that people can watch the activity that’s happening around schools?
Hon. Paul Quassa: Yes, Mr. Chairman, they are there just to record. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
You can set up all the cameras in the world and you’re not really preventing a school from being destroyed by fire. You’re only catching somebody in the act of doing something, whether you check the monitors two to four days later or whatever. I think, until we get a system in place where we can actually monitor the activities around our schools, we’re always going to have this issue.
With these cameras that you have at the schools, if the school burns down like in the case that just happened today, is the recording done at the local school or is it recorded somewhere else where you can still retrieve the data of the activities around the school?
During the school day they can be monitored.
They’re being recorded in the school, but they can be monitored during the school day by the principal, during the school hours, and then the recording continues after school hours.
We have been having very preliminary discussions with CGS about camera monitoring. This is something that we take very seriously. Like I said, we are discussing with CGS about how and what is the best means of monitoring our security system.
We also have to remember that parents are our vital links. Again, it’s the parents that also are responsible to ensure that our students, our children are not doing these things that cause fire or damage to any of our schools.
Certainly this is something that our DEAs should be promoting to the parents that we are all responsible for our children.
Again, I just wanted to add that because parental engagement is something that we really promote and certainly our DEAs should be promoting and are promoting parental engagement.
I think that is another means of keeping our schools safe across Nunavut. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The minister mentioned that these cameras are monitored during the day at the schools. I’m pretty sure a majority of our fires at schools are all happening after-hours when nobody is around.
I think the department needs to very seriously consider setting up some kind of system, whether it’s with Community and Government Services, so that these premises, not necessarily only schools but other buildings in our communities are monitored on an after-hour basis. When the community quiets down for the night is when this type of activity happens.
I think that’s a consideration you guys as the government itself should consider seriously.
To move on, on G-6 there’s a line item that says, “Compensation and Benefits,” and the amount in the budget is decreasing by $637,000 from last year.
Can you explain the reason for this decrease?
If I say it in English, (interpretation ends) it’s what we call the vacancy factor.
Again, if you don’t mind, Mr. Chairman, if I can have my director of corporate services elaborate a little bit on that just so that the hon. member will have a good, clear picture of the difference between last year’s budget to this year’s. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Moffett.
Ms. Moffett (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) The vacancy factor is used essentially to acknowledge the fact that we do not have all of our positions staffed at the same time.
That allows us to continue to have those positions funded but recognizing some of them will not be staffed and so it allows us to free up a little bit of extra money to do other things within our operations and management.
In order to continue to fund programs from within and to deal with increasing costs, we often have to look at two options.
One is to reduce the programs that we’re delivering or to pay for those programs using savings where it’s coming from the fact that some of those positions are not always staffed all of the time.
If I understand you correctly, you’re reducing the amount because of the vacancies.
If you’re doing that, that means your plan is to leave these vacant positions vacant for the next year and you don’t intend to fill them.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) This is just for part of the year, but by the end of the year we want to ensure that they are filled. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The next line item on page G-6 says, “Grants and Contributions,” and that budget is going from $165,000 down to $85,000 and if I go to grants and contributions on G-13 it says that the Nunavut Community Access Program is decreasing by that amount, by $80,000. What is the reason that you’re taking the money out of this fund?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) We have just reallocated the money to fund Frontier College. University of PEI and Frontier College, we had just diverted that fund to that section. If you want a little bit more detail, we certainly can give you a little bit more detail. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
According to your business plan, one of your priorities for 2017-18 will be to “Review the student-educator ratio funding formula...” Can you describe some of the problems associated with using the current formula?
According to student enrolment, we hire teachers using the number of students. (interpretation ends) Maybe if I can just speak in English, it would be fine.
The issue with the SER (student-educator ratio) is the instability of frequent changes in staffing.
As you can see, over the years we have seen increases and decreases and it fluctuates on an annual basis. Again, I am basing it on our SER date that switches September 30 every year.
Certainly this creates problems for principals and multi-year planning and creates challenges with recruitment. Certainly this is one of the reasons why we felt that we should start looking at possibility another alternative in deciding how many teachers would be in that particular school of that particular year.
I think we would want to look at how other jurisdictions operate in deciding how many teachers would be in that particular school, but on top of that right now as we speak, it’s already in the Act and certainly this is something that we will need to look at. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just have one more question and I want to go back to the security camera issue. I just forgot to mention it as maybe a question/suggestion.
In most of our communities we have by-law officers. Has your department had any talks with the municipalities to see if there’s any way you can ask by-law officers to increase patrols around schools and whether they can change their hours of operation so that they’re around schools or around town more at night?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Certainly this is something that we looked at and we do notice that in some communities they don’t have by-law officers.
A good example is Igloolik. With a population of 2,000, they don’t even have by-law officers.
Again, it also depends on the budgeting process with communities and it’s the prerogative of the community to decide if they’re going to have by-law officers or not.
There’s that inconsistency if we look at trying to put a blanket policy on how we can keep our schools safe.
We have also talked with the RCMP in the past and we have asked them to increase patrols within the community.
A good example is Cape Dorset.
Again, we just advise them; we cannot tell them what to do. These are things that we have to look at.
It certainly is not just our Department of Education facilities that we have to look at.
It’s a bigger picture, but certainly this is something that we take very seriously and we will certainly be looking at various ways or means or options to see how we can keep our schools safe day and night.
We have looked at security officers. We did use a bit of security officers for Cape Dorset.
Looking at security officers, we estimate that it will probably be close to about $2.8 million to hire security officers for all our schools. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I didn’t have any more questions until you said the $2.8 million. Maybe $2.8 million is a small price to pay if we can save a school every two or three years. I think that’s an option that this government should really consider and again, keep looking at the video surveillance options that we have and the technology that’s out there to be able to monitor our buildings in our communities.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Although it wasn’t really a question, I do agree with the member.
Chairman: Education. Corporate Services. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $4,941,000.
A quick question, number one, priorities for 2017-18, the department says that they will review the funding formula for the DEAs.
As of now, would the department feel the DEAs are adequately funded?
How are you looking at reviewing the funding formula and in what regard?
Is that on page 92?
We review the various categories and I believe it was earlier when I mentioned the (interpretation ends) early childhood education (interpretation) facilities where we provided funding.
Some facilities are funded while others are not, and they aren’t all similarly set up.
Part of the needs will require further review of the funds we use to fund the local district education authorities.
As well, we continue to look for a more standardized fund.
That is the challenge. It would follow their level of work requirements.
Yes, larger communities with more schools get more funding than smaller communities that have fewer schools.
We are looking at standardizing their budget allocation. That is the purpose of this review.
Do you provide funding to the district education authorities based on the student enrolment numbers?
Yes, that is what we do. They are part of the system.
If you have a certain number of students, then you get a certain amount of money.
On top of that, we also give them through a different program monies slated for Inuit cultural or language activities.
We give out funding for different programs.
The main reasoning for the review will be to make a program with fewer barriers.
We’re trying to see if we can take away some of the barriers and also identify the barriers.
You provide funding to the district education authorities. Do all or most communities or DEAs use all the funding that you provide them or do some of them have surpluses?
They are quite different. The local DEAs use their money quite differently from community to community.
I have said a number of times and I said it earlier that those DEAs who have surpluses for early childhood education are supposed to give the money back. Not all of them have to give back the money.
To use an example, in Iqaluit the early childhood education funding is spent properly.
In the communities, if I can use Igloolik as an example, they don’t have a daycare centre.
Even though there is money available, it’s not spent there, so it is just returned.
Mainly due to that reason, we have the Early Childhood Education Division that handles that.
We try to do more work through that division now.
The results from all of the DEAs are quite different.
Also on the same page, 92, under the 2017-18 priorities, the last one talks about the purchase and installation of educational sound field systems.
How many sound field systems are currently installed in Nunavut and how many more are needed?
We use the system from (interpretation ends) Better Hearing in Education for Northern Youth. (interpretation) We call it BHENY.
We use them and maybe I should go through the regions. In the Baffin region, working with the BHENY group or company, the systems have been installed from kindergarten to grade 5 classes.
We’re going to have to purchase more that will need to be installed and the teachers have to be trained on how to use them.
Right now not all the schools have that system installed.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $4,941,000.
Recognizing the clock, I move a motion to report progress.
Just a reminder that the Standing Committee on Legislation meets again at nine o’clock tomorrow in the Nanuq Boardroom.
Motion 42 – 4(3)
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) This House stands adjourned until Thursday, March 2, at 1:30 p.m.
>>House adjourned at 19:27
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Pages 3512 – 3585
Opening Prayer 3512
Ministers’ Statements 3512
Members’ Statements 3516
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 3520
Oral Questions 3522
Replies to Budget Address 3537
Tabling of Documents 3543
Motions 3544
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 3545
Report of the Committee of the Whole 3585
Orders of the Day 3585
Thursday, March 2, 2017 3512
256 – 4(3): Recognizing our Sivuliqtiksat Internship Program Participants (Taptuna) 3512
257 – 4(3): Shuvenai Ashoona Inducted into Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts (Kuksuk) 3513
258 – 4(3): Fuel Pricing – Petroleum Products Division (Savikataaq) 3513
259 – 4(3): Suicide Prevention Initiatives (Mike) 3514
260 – 4(3): Prospectors Program (Ell-Kanayuk) 3515
261 – 4(3): Sanatuliqsarvik Nunavut Trades Training Centre Success Story (Quassa) 3515
486 – 4(3): Congratulations Joannie Pudluk on Becoming an Engineer (Okalik) 3516
487 – 4(3): Hockey Night in Baker Lake (Mikkungwak) 3517
488 – 4(3): Happy Birthday to Children in Family (Akoak) 3517
489 – 4(3): The Program and Service Review (Shooyook) 3518
490 – 4(3): Iqaluit’s Sheila Lumsden (Ell-Kanayuk) 3519
491 – 4(3): Inuktitut Books on Display (Quassa) 3519
639 – 4(3): Support for Safe Shelters (Mikkungwak) 3522
640 – 4(3): Resolutions from the 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (Akoak) 3524
641 – 4(3): Issues with Medical Travel in Winnipeg (Mapsalak) 3525
642 – 4(3): Chesterfield Inlet Airport (Sammurtok, T) 3526
643 – 4(3): Public Service Dental Plan (Angnakak) 3527
644 – 4(3): Status of Agreement between Government of Nunavut, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police “V” Division, and the Ottawa Police (Okalik) 3529
645 – 4(3): QEC Windmill Study for Sanikiluaq (Rumbolt) 3530
646 – 4(3): Firearms Safety and Education (Joanasie) 3531
647 – 4(3): Concerns Regarding Elders in Transit (Mikkungwak) 3532
648 – 4(3): Supports for Persons with Disabilities (Angnakak) 3534
649 – 4(3): Energy-efficient Light Bulbs (Okalik) 3536
002 – 4(3): Mr. Keith Peterson (Peterson) 3537
003 – 4(3): Mr. David Joanasie (Joanasie) 3540
263 – 4(3): A Hunger to Teach (Joanasie) 3543
264 – 4(3): Nunavut Impact Review Board Announcement Concerning Strategic Environmental Assessment in Davis Strait and Baffin Bay (Keyootak) 3543
265 – 4(3): Excerpt from September 17, 2013 Hansard (Okalik) 3543
042 – 4(3): Extension of Review Period for Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Consumer Protection Act (Sammurtok, T) 3544
Bill 34 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2017-2018 – Education – Consideration in Committee 3545
Bill 34 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2017-2018 – Community and Government Services – Consideration in Committee 3575
Mr. Tony Akoak, Ms. Pat Angnakak, Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk, Mr. Joe Enook, Hon. George Hickes, Mr. David Joanasie, Mr. Pauloosie Keyootak, Hon. George Kuksuk, Mr. Steve Mapsalak, Hon. Johnny Mike, Mr. Simeon Mikkungwak, Mr. Paul Okalik, Hon. Keith Peterson, Hon. Paul Quassa, Hon. George Qulaut, Mr. Allan Rumbolt, Mr. Tom Sammurtok, Hon. Joe Savikataaq, Mr. Isaac Shooyook, Hon. Peter Taptuna.
Speaker (Hon. George Qulaut) (interpretation): Mr. Johnny Mike, can you say the opening prayer, please.
Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, Mr. Taptuna.
Minister’s Statement 256 – 4(3): Recognizing our Sivuliqtiksat Internship Program Participants (Taptuna)
Hon. Peter Taptuna (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, my colleagues, Kuglukturmiut, and all Nunavummiut.
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize the Sivuliqtiksat internship members of our public service.
This week eight new interns and trainers are attending an orientation session here in Iqaluit.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, the Sivuliqtiksat Internship Program is an excellent example of our government’s work to increase Inuit employment in the territory’s public service.
Mr. Speaker, sitting behind me are the interns and their trainers. Please join me in welcoming:
Natalie Rheaume with trainer Bonnie Osborne from the Department of Community and Government Services;
David Pitseolak from Community and Government Services;
Margaret Nakashuk from the Department of Family Services,
Steven Curley and Judy Gabuna from the Department of Culture and Heritage;
Sammy Angnauak and Linda Vaillancourt from the Department of Environment;
Neevee Natsiapik and Ron Froese from the Department of Justice;
Ovilok Olsen-Hakongak and Patricia Lear from the Department of Health;
David Korgak and Christa Kunuk from Office of the Representative for Children and Youth; and
Sivuliqtiksat Coordinator overseeing the program, Sylvia Netser, from the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs (EIA).
Mr. Speaker, there are currently 11 interns at various stages of their internship from nine departments.
Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs is filling the remaining five internship positions to make a full complement of 16 interns.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of our government’s work to attain a representative public service, and the Sivuliqtiksat Internship Program is a successful example of our efforts to fulfill Article 23 of the Nunavut agreement. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister’s Statement 257 – 4(3): Shuvenai Ashoona Inducted into Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts (Kuksuk)
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Good afternoon, my colleagues, Nunavummiut. (interpretation) Good afternoon to the residents of Arviat and Whale Cove.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts, established in 1880, celebrates artists who have demonstrated excellence and honours their achievements.
The academy fosters the visual arts through a program of exhibitions and publications.
Kinngait’s Shuvenai Ashoona is the latest artist to be inducted into the prestigious academy.
On February 8 the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative honoured Shuvenai in Cape Dorset with a ceremony at its stonecutting and lithograph studio.
Shuvenai Ashoona’s masterpieces have been exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada and extensively across Canada and overseas.
Her drawings occupy a unique place within contemporary Inuit art.
Her father, Kiugak Ashoona, a carver and grandmother Pitseolak were previously recognized by the academy.
Her mother, Sorosilooto, a graphic artist, fostered Shuvenai’s talents.
Mr. Speaker, Shuvenai Ashoona’s deserved appointment to the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts comes on the cusp of the anticipated Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop in Cape Dorset.
Minister’s Statement 258 – 4(3): Fuel Pricing – Petroleum Products Division (Savikataaq)
Today I rise to share details about the Department of Community and Government Services’ efforts in the fuel early purchase program and the impact it has on pricing of fuel in the territory.
Our estimates show that PPD was able to generate significant savings in 2016 as a result of the early purchase program.
This program began in the winter of 2009 and is based on analysis of market trends.