EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
We went in caucus I believe till 8 o’clock last night after we finished the Financial Management Board and Cabinet, and Kerry was waiting yesterday afternoon to meet with me. So Kerry if you would meet with me today, after break, that would be great, I’ll make time.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to welcome to the gallery, an old family friend, I’ve known him for 17 years, and his family.
He was re-elected on Monday with the highest number of votes in Iqaluit, I believe he will be our Deputy Mayor, he’s our former Sergeant-At-Arms, Mr. Simon Nattaq.
Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to welcome to the assembly, the new Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Andy Johnson.
Andy comes to us, via England, Alberta, Ontario, and I believe next door to me.
Also there Mr. Speaker is Mr. Errol Fletcher.
Errol is well known as a singer, and he also can tell a mean story and a good joke.
I believe also behind me, I forget the first name, I should remember Mr. Speaker, a new reporter from Nunatsiaq News, coming to Nunavut via Alaska.
Mr. Speaker I wish to recognize a person from Igloolik who is well known.
Back in the days before we had TVNC, he was an employee of IBC.
Since TVNC is no longer showing his programs this particular person has been in movies, in Nunavummiut movies.
He is also a producer of Isuma Productions and I wish to welcome Pauloosie Quliktallik to the gallery.
I would like to welcome some people from Kugluktuk, they are our hard working interpreters and I would like them to be recognized.
Agnes Allen and Ida Ayalik McWilliams. Thank you.
I wish to recognize one of my constituents.
I have two communities in my constituency, which are Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak.
We will have a new Sergeant-at-Arms who is from Taloyoak.
He will take on the responsibilities and duties of Sergeant-at-Arms.
He has held various jobs in my community of Taloyoak, including as a by-law officer and I am very pleased to have one of my constituents, James Saittuq to be Sergeant-at-Arms.
Speaker. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.
As usual I wish to recognize all of Nunavummiut.
At times I am sure we will go through difficult times in dealing with major issues in the House.
Sometimes we will have differing opinions.
However, we will have to use the interpreters for communications.
I wish to recognize the interpreters who will be in the House during our proceedings and I am sure they will do a good job for us as usual.
I wish to recognize also the Department of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth’s staff members, Mr. Mark Thompson and Kathy Hanson.
I also wish to recognize and welcome my team staff members who are sitting right across from me Sheila and Cole Winter who are staff of Public Works in the Policy and Planning section.
I wish to recognize all the people that have been not recognized and Mr. Ed Picco mentioned the members of the press, and also the other people that are here from the press, especially Mr. Lamb from CBC, he is back to his old colourful self, welcome.
Mr. Puqiqnak I will recognize you first because you are on my blind side.
It is difficult to see you most of the time.
Question 590 - 1(3): Purchase of Art Program
Thank you for recognizing me first.
Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Sustainable Development.
Recently the government issued a press release announcing that the Department of Sustainable Development will allocate 175 thousand dollars to promote the art economy in part to purchase art for the Nunavut Art bank.
In my riding artists are suffering as the only buyers of carvings are the co-ops.
The co-ops are reluctant to buy any carvings and their reasoning is that their warehouses are full.
Can the minister assure the Assembly that these funds will be distributed to our artists all across Nunavut particularly to those people who have difficulty in selling their carvings.
Speaker: Minister of Sustainable Development, Mr. Kilabuk.
I thank the member for asking this question.
We have announced our commitment to help the artists of Nunavut, to promote their art and to try and purchase them through a Nunavut Art Bank to assist all carvers and artists in Nunavut.
The money that they receive from their carving is their livelihood for food, shelter and clothing.
Having all that in mind we will try to assist them with the money.
As the member indicated we have recently announced the allocation of 175 thousand dollars to assist the artists, as today it is hard for some Nunavut artists to sell their work.
For that purpose we have committed to allocating some money to provide this needed assistance.
On behalf of the artists I thank you.
I know this will be very good for the artists. Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question to the minister is, we are aware that the funding will be available now, but will there be future funding to assist artists.
I know that there is an association of artists.
But they do come across difficulties in processing the required paperwork as they only have volunteer members on the board.
Somehow they have difficulty time trying to get administrative paperwork done.
Particularly the jewellers and artists who need to build their skills in accounting.
This is the kind of assistance that is required if we are going to be helping the artists as much as we can.
Can the Minister of Sustainable Development answer my question.
I can only say if the community wishes to find out where they can sell their art work I am sure they can give a proposal to Sustainable Development and those communities can try that way to promote carving and other art in Nunavut especially when they have to go outside of Nunavut.
So the question he raised was if we can make funding available.
I can only say that he can give a proposal to our department and we will consider it.
Mr. Puqiqnak (interpretation): Thank you minister for that response.
But I would like more information, on behalf of Nunavummiut, especially the artists.
They have an association which is called Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association.
I think we also have to take advantage of groups like the Canada Arts Council and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.
Is there any working relationship between the Nunavut Government and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs for federal programs.
Do they give funding to the Nunavut Government for art.
Do you work closely with the Federal Departments on this.
Speaker: Thank you Mr. Puqiqnak .
The Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association receives assistance from the Department of Sustainable Development.
I can say to the member that we are very supportive of the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association.
We try and get assistance from the Federal Programs, but it has been very difficult to deal with them.
Question 591 - 1(3): Five Year Capital Plan Consultations
My question is directed to Minister of Finance regarding the 5 year capital plans for the communities.
I wonder if the hamlets have been consulted regarding the status of these plans.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No not to date. As members know, right now the Department is trying to co-ordinate the finalization of draft 5 year capital plans, so that we can present it to Members of the Legislature in our upcoming November review of business plans, including those draft 5 year capital plans.
He said that they were still trying to finalize the information, I would like to know if the communities will be consulted before it’s presented to the Assembly.
If that’s what members want that certainly can be done.
But I thought the first priority for us would be to present it to members of this legislature and give them the opportunity for some input and at the same time they would work on the process of how we would manage providing the information to the municipalities and the stakeholders throughout Nunavut.
That is still the plan as it stands now for the government to finalize the draft plan to provide it to the Standing Committees for their input and review, and develop a mechanism for additional public input subsequent to that Mr. Speaker.
Question 592 – 1(3): Paying Workers for Relocating Graves
My question is directed to the Minister of Justice.
I have been questioning the minister since we became members in regards to the cemetery relocation.
I have raised this question before to the Minister of Justice.
I gave him the names of the people who transported the bodies to the new grave sites.
I have provided him with information.
I wonder what the minister has done about this.
Yes, I remember this issue and I thought this was going to be dealt with by another minister.
I apologize that maybe the other department did not work on it but I will consult with the other minister.
I thought they would be working with the Health & Social Services.
I apologise that they did not and I will get more information and I will get back to the member.
Question 593 – 1(3): Request to Review Time Zones
Mr. Havioyak: Koana Uqaqti.
I will be directing my question to the Minister of Community Government and Transportation and Justice, Mr. Jack Anawak. (interpretation) Earlier I talked about the time zone.
I will be talking about the concerns of Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay because on October 29 the time zone change will come into effect.
Is the minister aware that this is going to be a problem in my constituency and parts of the Kitikmeot.
Will he be looking at the concerns that we have raised regarding the changes in time zones that will change every six months to a year.
Will they be looking at the problems that this is creating.
When we changed the time zone we had an indication that not everybody would approve.
We were going to give it a year and test it.
There was also a survey done about how Nunavummiut think of having one time zone.
The majority of them favoured one time zone.
So we have been using that.
During the discussions on how we can make improvements and during one of our meetings it was clear after consulting with Nunavummiut the majority of them wanted the same time zone.
So for that reason we tried to fix it where it would be most appropriate to most people.
Because in some cases if we do not make a change in springtime there would be more problems with the other regions especially in the Kitikmeot.
But a majority of the people wanted the same time zone so that is why we were using that all year.
Also as you know, in Nunavut all the Nunavummiut people, they wanted one time zone because they were going to help each other.
For one year we have tried that and now it is finished.
As you all know it is a problem in the Kitikmeot.
As you indicated before, you said that you surveyed the people and I want to see the responses.
Because when we start going to Yellowknife we will have problems from Kugluktuk.
In Holman just next door to us, it is going to be a two hour difference.
I would like you to review that because in Kugluktuk and in Cambridge Bay they have that problem.
As you know, here in the Baffin, they had problems with the time zone and you fixed it.
It is still a problem because it is like you just moved the problem onto the Kitikmeot region.
I want you to review it within six months to a year.
When we were consulting with the Inuit we asked 472 residents all across Nunavut and they were in favour of the single time zone, about 70% of them.
Of 26 thousand, five hundred were asked.
We are aware that this will create problems but we have to think about that the Nunavut government is trying to move forward.
We are trying to improve transportation through airlines from Winnipeg to Yellowknife, Yellowknife for Ottawa, we are trying to make improvements in the transportation and we are trying to improve it within Nunavut.
We feel once we have made improvements to the transportation we feel, and we know, we will have objections, but I think it will get better once we know more of the transportation strategy, once its policies are in place.
I believe that it will take a while for it to improve.
We have to support the regions, the headquarters in some regions, in Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay, Baker Lake, Arviat, Pangnirtung, Cape Dorset, Igloolik, and Pond Inlet.
They will all have government offices, government departments.
They will all have government offices.
Even if there is a 1 hour difference, we will lose about 3 hours from our employees.
What we are saying is that we are trying to come up with the most appropriate way.
We are not trying it for a certain length of time so we will not review it.
It is for efficiency purposes and it will improve.
I'll ask my question again.
Do you have plans to review this.
Honorable Jack Anawak: As I said at the very end of my response, at this point the government does not have any plans to review it because at this time as I said earlier, in view of the transportation strategy and putting my other hat on as Minister of Community Government and Transportation, we are looking at maybe changing some of the transportation routes in Nunavut.
Hopefully if there are changes within the transportation routes and the way transportation is handled in Nunavut, then that might alleviate some of the concerns that the people in the Kitikmeot have from October 29 to the end of April.
As well, the Baffin sometimes has problems from April to October.
One thing people have to understand and I heard it on the radio this morning is that we are staying on this time.
It is not a question of Eastern Standard Time for October 29 and then reverting to Central Time on April 29.
That is automatic.
The time will just remain as it is and the outside thinks that we are changing time.
Nevertheless, at this point we do not have any plans to review this.
Speaker: Thank you, minister.
I guess it caused great problems in the Baffin and now that you have reviewed it, you know there were problems.
I think the problem is still there for the Kitikmeot.
Therefore, if you could review it before, in fact you can review it for our region.
Honorable Jack Anawak: Mr. Speaker, we did not review it for the Baffin.
The review was done for all of Nunavut because there were concerns from across Nunavut about the time zone.
I pointed out when the review was done 70 percent of the people across Nunavut in that review were for keeping a single time zone.
Now the problem comes into being when a single time zone is staying the way it is and I understand that my colleague has a problem with it.
As I pointed out, when the transportation strategy is released hopefully during this session, and that transportation strategy is acted on in some cases, I think we might see an alleviation of the problems that the Honourable Member is speaking about.
Qujannaami.
Question 594 – 1(3): Staffing Targets & Capacity
Mr. Speaker my question today is to the Minister of Human Resources.
Mr. Speaker, I know in every session that we have had, I am sure members on both sides of the floor have been frustrated by hearing the term any time questions are not being able to be answered, it is because of the capacity problems that the departments have.
Mr. Speaker my question I would like to ask is, I know last March the government departments were 55% staffed.
I would like to ask the minister how far they have come since then in achieving the staffing target.
Mr. Speaker, first of all recognizing the importance of this issue, we were in the process of finalizing the statements, for the House.
I do have the information here.
I can say that right now, government wide, we are at 76 and one half percent in staffing capacity.
Mr. Speaker, the minister indicated 76% government wide.
I am wondering if that includes all the boards and agencies that are staffed with public servants.
Mr. Speaker it includes the Government of Nunavut departments, the Nunavut Housing Corporation, all the Divisional Education Councils, and the Nunavut Arctic College.
Mr. Speaker, the 55% that I was referring to last March I know is a level that dealt just with the government departments alone.
The number government wide last March was 77% of staffing levels including, if you take into account, all those boards and agencies, that the minister mentioned.
I ask the minister that if we are at 76% now, are we losing staff and why we seem to have gone down 1% in staffing levels.
The fact is that with turnover and vacancies that there has been a 0.2% net loss overall from 77% to 76.5% and again I would say that, once I have more detailed information I will be able to speak to that, once that statement is delivered.
Mr. Speaker I appreciate the minister's response.
I look forward to getting more information on that.
Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if the minister could identify some of the areas of problems that they are having in being able to retain and attract staff for the Government of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, right now we are finding that there is a demand from other organizations, we have primarily the federal government, as you know, if you recognize the headquarters here in Iqaluit, it’s trying to staff up their operations.
We have the aboriginal organizations of course, that have historically been expanding their operations, the private sector itself because of the economic situation that we are in, these are all factors, in trying to compete with other groups, and in trying to hire, recruit, and retain individuals.
There is a whole multitude of reasons.
Like I said I will have a more, as much detailed information as possible, once we bring forward the report early next week, in the next session.
Question 595 – 1(3): Initiatives to Assist Carvers
I will have to bring my yellow shirt tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, first I would like to congratulate the Minister of Sustainable Development for his recent success in renegotiating the turbot quota for Nunavut.
I think it was a historic moment and the quota should bring more much needed outside dollars and I always seem to say that a lot, that we need outside dollars to better the territory.
I would also like to comment on the tapestries on the back.
I come from a community in which there is a high unemployment rate and a lot of people make things with their hands.
Carving, wall hangings, prints, and various other things.
The traditional economy in my community, as I say all the time, creates a lot of income for people in that community.
My question today Mr. Speaker is, can the Minister responsible for Sustainable Development tell the Assembly what initiatives have been done over the past 6 months to help carvers and all the other fledging artists in Nunavut.
In regards to all carvers in Nunavut we have allocated more funding to provide assistance to the carvers and small business owners, and we’re also trying to assist the bigger businesses so that they can expand. However this will be the first time that we have such funds to provide to Nunavut Artists, and we have 200 thousand allocated for the next 6 months. Under the Nunavut Development Corporation, 5 communities have indicated their interest in obtaining funding for artists.
We are trying to set up a Nunavut Art Bank, so that we could provide more help to those people who might need it, in the communities. We also have some information that would be put forth, available to the artists all across Nunavut and if there are other communities in Nunavut interested in obtaining assistance, we are more than willing to help them out, if they have the need for filling out application forms.
There is also some funding provided for people who do sewing.
They can go to our department for assistance as well.
We’re also preparing, after having consulted with communities, to see if we can assist those people who are in movie or video production, this is the first time we have been able to provide for people in producing movies in Nunavut.
We are hoping that the artists will know that they have our Department to go through if they are in need of assistance, particularly for the funding.
I’m looking forward to working with the artists and we are hoping that we will have these programs in place in due time, so that the carvers and artists will have opportunities to sell their products. We had a meeting in Rankin Inlet just recently, we have tried to come up with ways as to how best we can provide funding for artist and carvers.
Mr. McLean: That’s the answer I wanted to hear, and all these programs and new initiatives and I think that these new initiatives are getting back to the carvers.
There is no long term soap stone proposal, or strategy that carvers in Baker Lake especially, can access, it seems like they make an inquiry, and it is hit and miss.
Can the minister commit that with these new initiatives that he said, with the carvers, that he would look at developing some kind of long term strategy for retrieving soap stone for the communities in Nunavut that are interested, and when can I see it.
At this time we don’t have a long term strategy in our department.
However we will look into that further.
Particularly for those communities that are having a difficult time in accessing soapstone.
We are aware they are having difficulty in purchasing soapstone.
I regret to say that we do not have a long term strategy.
I am sure that the minister will get around to that later.
On the same topic.
Traditionally Baker Lake has been noted for its wall hangings and its seamstresses.
He also says there is going to be help for the seamstresses.
Could he elaborate a bit more on that and how people can access that funding.
I indicated a few programs that we will put forth for seamstresses and carvers.
These are first time initiatives that were being put forth by my department.
We do not have a one stop shop in our department, however, if there is any information that is required by any member which my department has access to they are welcome to request it.
If there is anyone that is interested in accessing some funds my staff are readily available for those people who have difficulty in filling out an application.
I am a little confused on the minister’s answer.
If people want to access funds for seamstresses do they apply to the headquarters or regional offices for funding.
As of today we are aware that not all communities have access to funding that is available in their region.
First of all, if there is anyone that is interested in accessing some assistance there are Economic Development Officers in their community for help.
If there is anything more that we can do then the EDO's can contact us for further information to try and help them out anyway we can.
Question 596 - 1(3): Status of Anti-Smoking Campaign
He stated that in the coming months we would see non-smoking campaign pamphlets.
What is the status of the non-smoking campaign right now.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member for raising the question.
As we stated in the budget debate in May here at the Legislative Assembly, the target group for the department of Health & Social Services was for teenagers and young people ages 9 to 19.
As we know Mr. Speaker if we can stop them from smoking, then we do not have to worry about getting them off smoking.
As we know the success rate for people who are smokers to quit especially is around 40%.
So Mr. Speaker the aim of the department is to focus on prevention.
After saying that Mr. Speaker, the member asked about pamphlets and posters and so on, we have had several things happen over the last few months, since the budget came out.
We have a team of public health experts within the Department of Health and Social Services reviewing programs that have been offered in other communities and other jurisdictions to make sure that we do not reinvent the wheel or duplication.
We had the Minister of Health from British Columbia here specifically in July, with the senior staff, and as you know Mr. Speaker, and some of the members know, the jurisdiction of British Columbia has probably the most stringent and aggressive anti-smoking and anti-tobacco legislation in the country.
They have produced several good information packages, one called Kicking the Nick 2000 aimed at young people.
We have also had discussions with the province of Newfoundland who have just come out with a program called Smoking Sucks Mr. Speaker.
The Smoking Sucks campaign from the Newfoundland Government has also been very successful and receptive to audiences of young people.