EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
As you know, Mr. Speaker, we passed the capital budget for the major renovation for my school in Coral Harbour. My question for the minister is: will the renovations at the school have a daycare included into that renovation?
In answers to the questions yesterday, the member questioning me was informed of the good news that any new major renovation to schools and new construction would include a dedicated childcare, or daycare space in the school.
In this case, for Coral Harbour, I don’t have the plans. I don’t know how big that space will be. What I can say is that that is the intent of the department in new construction, and in major renovations.
I can confirm that for the member.
He indicated that he could confirm that to me. When will he confirm that we will have dedicated daycare spaces in my school?
Hon. Ed. Picco: Good question, Mr. Speaker; I don’t know.
When you do a plan for a school, and it could be six classrooms, eight classrooms, what’s being renovated and so on; I don’t have the scope of the work with me, so that’s why I’m suggesting I can’t say what that space would be.
I don’t want to mislead the House and say that it’s going to be a huge space or what have you.
So that’s why I said I would like to confirm that information for the member.
Question 153 – 2(3): Medical Travel Office (Arreak)
(interpretation ends) I would like to follow up on an issue I raised on Wednesday.
This issue was also raised by my colleague from High Arctic. The medical travel office for the Baffin region was recently moved from Iqaluit to Pangnirtung and since then travel accommodation arrangements for patients travelling from up island have not been properly made.
Can the Minister of Health and Social Services clarify for this House when the decision was made to transfer the medical travel office for the Baffin region to Pangnirtung, and why?
The implementation of the transfer of the office to Pangnirtung was made recently.
The work was devolved to try and provide more support to the travel function for Baffinmiut travel out of the Pangnirtung office.
As you all know, the Baffin Regional Health and Social Service Office is located in Pangnirtung.
That function was transferred to be administered by the Baffin Regional Health and Social Service operation in Pangnirtung, and that was recent.
On November 21, 2005, my colleague from Iqaluit Centre asked the minister for a commitment not to move any of the positions relating to medical travel out of Iqaluit.
The minister committed to keeping these decentralized numbers in each community.
Why were these positions moved?
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Mr. Speaker, the positions were moved to Pangnirtung because of the Pangnirtung Health and Social Services Office location.
That’s why the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Office was decentralized out of Iqaluit back in 1999 and that function to transfer that responsibility of administering was transferred as part of that overall plan.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services commissioned KPMG Consulting to conduct a very expensive and detailed Nunavut Medical Travel Review.
It took a long time before members of this House were allowed to see that report. One of the main recommendations from the report was to establish a centralized medical travel coordination centre for all of Nunavut. Why was that recommendation rejected?
The response I had provided some time in November related to the Member from Iqaluit Centre. It was to talk about travel as well.
One of the things about that particular recommendation that I had a concern about was that it would involve movement of jobs from Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet, Pangnirtung, and Iqaluit.
It would involve the movement of those positions to be a centralized function.
I had concerns about that particular recommendation because it would mean positions from Cambridge Bay, or Rankin Inlet, or Iqaluit would be moved somewhere.
At this point in time, we are supporting the decentralized model providing the functions of coordinating travel and those functions will continue to be delivered out of Cambridge Bay for the Kitikmeot region and out of Rankin Inlet for the Rankin operation; for the Baffin that function will be carried out by the Pangnirtung Health and Social Services Office. So the reason for not carrying that out was because I had concerns about jobs being lost in other centres, as a centralized model.
The other concern I had was I wanted to support the regional operations in managing the day to day affairs related to medical travel.
The functions being in each region made more sense if they are going to respond in an effective way, in an efficient way in coordinating travel for patients that are requiring treatment outside of their communities. That is why the recommendation was not supported.
Speaker (interpretation): Your final supplementary, Mr. Arreak
Mr Arreak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you Madame Minister.
I don’t want to lose any positions that are out there in the communities, but the patients that come to Iqaluit are experiencing problems with the Transportation Office. So I will be asking all questions in regard to this to make sure that this is done properly.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you that was just a comment.
Question 154 –2(3): Medical Travel Airline, Co-pilot (Kattuk)
Yesterday, I made a statement in regard to Sanikiluaq residents that have to go down to Winnipeg.
I was talking about the airline that is used because I have been asked many times by my constituents why we have one pilot when we have to go on medical travel. It’s pretty scary. Myself, I have ridden on the plane a couple of times and with no co-pilot it seems to be a bit scary or dangerous to have one pilot when you’re traveling.
So I would like to ask the minister: why do we travel for long, maybe over three hours, without a co-pilot? Especially for medical travel, there are patients that have to travel on that plane. And to make sure of this, I know that the pilot has to go through some kind of an inspection, but my question is: why do you not comply with the Federal Act with just having one pilot per plane?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes, these airlines they are not the property of the Government of Nunavut and when there’s a contradiction of the legislation, officials in Nunavut have to be informed right away as to which airline has contravened an act wherever they travel in Nunavut. Northern Quebec has their own airlines; we don’t have jurisdiction over them.
The Nunavut airlines, if they happen to contravene an Act; I would like to be informed as soon as possible with details.
It’s not correct to have one pilot without a co-pilot when you are traveling on medical travel.
During our session in Rankin Inlet, we went to Qikiqtarjuaq with one pilot and I was concerned right away. They are contravening the Transportation Act with one pilot.
Also, from Sanikiluaq to Winnipeg they utilize Kivalliq Air. I urge the minister to speak to that airline or look into this and I would like to get an update on that because the majority of Sanikiluaq residents asked me those questions.
They are quite scared to get on a plane with one pilot, especially when you have to fly for over three hours. So they are quite scared to fly like that. I would like to ask the minister to look into this further.
Yes, I will be writing to the airlines that operate in Nunavut asking them to make sure that they are following the rules and procedures, also to get an explanation as to why they do that, and reinforce that they follow the rules. I will be writing to the Nunavut airlines from the government.
When will he be writing that letter to those airlines?
If my staff is listening, then I’m asking them to start writing the letter. So I will try and do that immediately.
So I will expect the copy by lunchtime.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes, we will try and deal with that as soon as possible, maybe you will not be able to see it by lunchtime.
Member for Pangnirtung, Mr. Kilabuk.
Question 155 – 2(3): Decentralization for the Communities (Kilabuk)
In 1999, there was a plan to decentralize jobs to the communities.
I would like to ask our Premier: the plan called Tumiit, footprints, and these jobs that were to be decentralized, are they all decentralized now?
Yes, it’s almost complete, but there are some positions that are still vacant. We are very close to what was written in that plan and we try to complete that, but unfortunately, there are still some positions that are vacant.
Yes, it’s clear that in Pangnirtung there were going to be 80 positions first identified and then after that, it decreased.
But, up to now, we know that they haven’t reached their goal.
I believe there were some positions that were not moved because of the present employees.
Those original positions that were going to be moved to Pangnirtung, are they still going to be moved?
Yes, we did make some adjustments as to when we first formed our government and we try and stick with that plan we had.
Speaker (interpretation): Your second supplementary, Mr. Kilabuk.
I would like to ask the minister if the government has been very slow moving the jobs to Pangnirtung.
I would like to ask the Premier if the government is willing to hear what the residents of Pangnirtung wish to see in their community so that the government will reach their goal.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.  Speaker (interpretation): Premier Okalik.
We have almost reached our target and looking at the positions that were going to be moved to Pangnirtung, we were able to transfer the positions that we could.
We wanted to see the Workers’ Compensation Board moved up there, but it was beyond our control, so we had to look at alternative ways to move positions.
Some communities are above targets and others a bit short. Those are some of the drawbacks that we encountered even though we were trying our best to put those positions up there.
Speaker (interpretation): Your final supplementary, Mr. Kilabuk.
Yes, it’s clear now because they are not certain as to what kinds of positions they are willing to move to Pangnirtung to reach the number they had identified.
Mr. Speaker, my constituents; who can they call in the government in order to get more information other than the Premier himself, who is always travelling?
My office is constantly working on those and John Walsh is responsible for the operation and he can respond to any questions that people might have.
Question 156 – 2(3): Accreditation Report (Curley)
Mr. Speaker, on January 18, 2006, the government issued a news release announcing new funds in staffing for the Baffin Regional Hospital.
According to the release, these resources will address issues identified in four separate accreditation reviews that took place between 2004 and December 2005.
The minister had indicated that she will share the Accreditation Report with the members of this House.
Keeping in mind that members are willing to accept the document in whatever language it is currently in and that translations may follow at a later date, will the minister provide members with copies of this report as soon as possible?
Will the minister provide members with copies of these reports to this House as soon as possible?
I also committed, when I met with the regular caucus members to provide a summary of that accreditation and that information is being distributed to you this morning. If the members will accept the accreditation report in English only, I am prepared to do that.
The 2005 Annual Report of the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation, which is a volunteer group, conducts accreditation evaluations across Canada, shows that according to the page provided to us that all health centres and other facilities in the Baffin region were reviewed at the same time as the Baffin Regional Hospital; none from the Kivalliq or the Kitikmeot.
Will the minister also commit to providing members with the Accreditation Report for these other facilities listed in the page that CCHSA provided to the regular members during the briefing that you provided in late November 2005?
I don’t recall providing the CCHSA report that the member refers to.
But what I can do is explain the process of the accreditation. The Baffin region, as the members are aware, went through the accreditation survey process, which started in September of 2005. That report was completed December 14.
As part of the process the accreditation, again, is a voluntary process, and applied to the hospital in the Baffin.
Part of that process involves an evaluation or self-assessment by the staff. The staff completes a self-assessment. They rate themselves against criteria, a standard provided by the CCHSA and that involves surveys with employees from the Baffin.
That is the process that I’m aware of. There are no separate accreditation reports for the health centres that I am aware of. The one accreditation falls to the Baffin Regional Hospital in Iqaluit.
Can the Minister of Health and Social Services clarify for this House whether any of the new funding and staffing that she has already announced and committed will be directed towards resolving issues identified at any of the other Baffin regional hospitals?
The recommendations that came out of the accreditation review are all for the Baffin Regional Hospital. The additional incremental funding will be directed to addressing those recommendations for the Baffin Regional Hospital here in Iqaluit.
Mr. Curley: Mr. Speaker, I have with me a copy, it’s only a page, and it has a date of June 30, 2005, which is probably part of that report. It has a list of all the Baffin Regional Hospital as well as other facilities listed. I would like to also like to ask my final question to the minister.
Can the minister clarify for this House that the future accreditation evaluation activities also be carried out in the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot regions, as they did in the Baffin region?
Again he makes reference to a report dated June 30. I don’t know what that report is.
Perhaps the member can table that document here because I don’t recall providing any reports to the regular members during our briefings of regular caucus around hospital accreditation. So I don’t know what that report says that he is referring to.
To answer the member’s question, I have mentioned in previous responses that the accreditation process is a voluntary process for the Baffin Regional Hospital.
Once it has addressed all of the recommendations, we are giving ourselves 18 months to deal with the recommendations, at which time we will then invite CCH and say to come back and review the hospital again.
As for the Kitikmeot and Kivalliq hospitals we will want to go through the same process. And it’s a way to assess how we are doing compared to other hospitals in Canada. So we want to be a part of that process.
But we are also dealing with the issue right now of building the capacities of those two hospitals. Once they are fully operational and we have given ourselves some time to operate at full capacity, we will then request CCH to come in and evaluate those two other facilities as well.
Question 157 – 2(3): Plans for a Training Centre with the Department of National Defence (Barnabas)
I know that there are smaller communities with no employment. Since the Conservative Government was elected they have asked for more military presence in the North and there are a lot of military people coming into Iqaluit.
My question is directed to the Minister of Education. (interpretation ends) The military are looking to set up training bases in Nunavut. Has the minister been in contact with DND to look at their proposal?
It’s my understanding that the announcements by the Department of National Defence, as the member has indicated are correct.
They are looking at setting up a northern training base in Cambridge Bay. They are also looking at extra infrastructure in Iqaluit, specifically with the port project.
As an MLA for Iqaluit, I have actually requested a meeting with the Minister of Defence, Mr. O’Connor, to discuss his port project.
I have not had any indication or communication with the Minister of Defence on the issue of training in regard to their announcements on the military establishment of the base in Cambridge Bay and/or the port facility.
Would training bases be located in smaller, non-decentralized communities?
I think, as the member is indicating, that there may be an opportunity with the federal government in placing armed forces personnel within Nunavut to look at opportunities for smaller communities.
For example, in a lot of the smaller communities where we have active ranger forces, cold weather land training for the armed forces personnel could be considered opportunities for SAR (Search and Rescue) operations, training, and so on.
So Mr. Speaker, I would agree with the member that the Department of National Defence, where possible, should look at opportunities to place training facilities into the smaller communities.
As the minister indicated that there are rangers in smaller communities as well and during exercises the communities do benefit from income to the families for those who are participating in the training with the rangers.
My question is, and also knowing that the Nanisivik Mine has a fair sized airstrip and a deep-water port: could Nanisivik be a training site?
I think some military analysts were surprised when the Conservative Government talked about their defence portfolio and some of the things that happened during the campaign did not mention Nanisivik.
Nanisivik is recognized as a deep-water port. It is strategically located in the Strathcona Sound, where there is indication from the federal government that there may be the transference of submarines and so on.
So Nanisivik would, because of its infrastructure that was in place in the past, have been an ideal location. The runway and airport infrastructure is still in place and the infrastructure for the port facilities, although because of the decommissioning of the Nanisivik Mine, may allow the rapid expansion of the military in the area and may cause a delay.
But, Mr. Speaker, saying that, Nanisivik would be a site I would suggest to you, that myself or the Premier or any Member of the House would probably recommend because of the infrastructure, the logistics, as well as the administrative abilities of Nanisivik, to be an Armed Forces training site.
Will the minister arrange meetings to discuss Nanisivik as a training site?
I would be happy to meet with the member to discuss the issues around Nanisivik and make those representations to the federal government.
Again, I have requested a meeting with the Minister of National Defence and also the Minister for HRDC for training, Minister Findlay. I would hope in the next few weeks, once the session is completed, to have an opportunity to follow up on some of those training issues.
So, Mr. Speaker, I would make a commitment to the member to see if there are opportunities for outside training interests in Nunavut with our Armed Forces.
Question 158 – 2(3): Plans for Port Training Programs (Tootoo)
I think this is the best time to ask the Minister of Education a question, when the clock is running out. It’s Friday.
Mr. Speaker, the question for the minister, as we all know, a new port here in Iqaluit will need training programs: has the minister followed up on this with the Department of National Defence that he has just spoken so eloquently about with the Member for High Arctic?
I haven’t directly followed up with the Minister of National Defence or the Department of National Defence on specific training issues with the port project but I do know that the member has been working on a committee with the city and has been doing a fantastic job representing the people of Nunavut on the port project itself. We are pleasantly surprised to see that mentioned in the Conservative election platform.
Mr. Speaker, what I can commit to doing is following up with the Department of National Defence, seeing when they’re moving forward, and what training opportunities that may present themselves for Nunavummiut in general and for Iqalungmiut specifically.
I would like to thank the minister for that answer.
I would also like to comment that, maybe since the change of the election, I notice that he’s wearing a nice blue and white tie. Hopefully that helps him when he’s meeting with the Minister of National Defence.
Mr. Speaker my next question for the Minister is: we know that marine training for fishing vessels is occurring at Nunavut Arctic College and I would like to ask him if similar types of training and programs for the multi-million dollar port project would be something they’d like to look at.
Speaker (interpretation): Minister Picco  Hon. Ed. Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I know that the Premier has been in contact with the Department of National Defence and the Minister and on the training aspects.
The member is correct again when he says that the fisheries training that is occurring at the college is going ahead very smoothly. We have several dozens of people involved in those trainings and that’s the type of program we would like to see implemented on a port project depending on what those occupations and trades are that would be associated with it.
So Mr. Speaker, the answer would be, yes.
It might be a very little known fact that my family has a history in shipping from my mother’s side. My grandfather started and his brother started a company called Wolf Stevedore Shipping Company and they did stevedoring and long shoring for vessels in the Maritimes and Montreal.
My question for the minister: would the training for longshoremen and stevedore work be a part of the port training plan that they be looking at?
Hon. Ed. Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, the concept plan that the town have put together for the port really didn’t indicate that it would be to the degree of a huge port facility where you would have a lot of stevedore or long shore work.
However, the plan being put for the Armed Forces, from what we know of it would indicate there would be a need for stevedore work, long shore work, and other work to facilitate the on-loading and off-loading of cargo.
Mr. Speaker after saying that, we would like to work with the Department of National Defence to see what their actual plans are and we need some lead time to be able to plan those types of training plans that would need to be put in place. So as an example, if they said that the project would start next year and would be completed in year 2011, we need to start to be able to work now to make sure the training program are put in place so that any opportunities for employment would be available to Nunavummiut who would be able to take long shore training or stevedore training or other such work.
Again, I thank the minister for that answer and also comment along with his nice blue and white striped tie he’s wearing a blue striped shirt too. This Friday must be a striped day for Department of Education or the Power Corporation, I’m not sure.
Mr. Speaker, the minister indicated that they would be looking at this training and they need some lead time to try and develop something in that area.
I’m just wondering if he could give us an idea of when the Department, whether it is Department of Education itself or Nunavut Arctic College, would begin looking at implementing or starting to develop that type of training for Nunavummiut.
First of all, I just want to say very quickly that I appreciate the wonderful comments that Mr. Tootoo is making about my tie and my shirt.
First of all, my shirt is not blue it’s actually black and red and white and in Inuktitut you’d probably say that Mr. Tootoo is finding me to be his Sukkualuk and I don’t really appreciate it. I don’t really appreciate being the Sukkualuk of Mr. Tootoo, but I’ll take it.
Mr. Speaker the answer would be yes, that when we find out what training programs and plans would be put in place by the Department of National Defence and through the college we would hopefully be in position to examine those plans and see what types of training we’d be able to deliver.
I seek unanimous consent to return to Item 5 in our Orders of the Day.