EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
So, hopefully, within the month I will be able to report to this House who that individual is. I will advise the members, as well as the communities who the individuals they can appeal to, or file complaints to.
The position of client service coordinator is currently located in Cambridge Bay.
Will the minister commit to evaluate the performance of this position, especially with respect to its effectiveness in dealing with the issues that arise in the eastern region of Nunavut?
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Barnabas. (interpretation) Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Aglukkaq.
Once the position is filled and the individual has had some time in that job, I’ll commit to evaluating how effective it is and work with each of the regions to put in the processes as well.
The individual position itself is located in the Health and Social Services headquarters operation and its goal will be to put in the processes, as well as evaluations and follow up on their complaints as well.
So I will commit to that to see how effective it is in addressing the complaints that the member is referring to.
Question 164 – 2(4): Kiilinik High School Trade Shop Delays (Peterson)
A few weeks ago I toured the, I am not sure if I should call it a misfortune, but I went to the Killinik High School to visit the teachers and students over there, and I thought I’d ask for a tour of the trades shop.
I expected to see a fully-operational trades shop as the Legislative Assembly approved close to a $1 million in upgrades and the fact the equipment arrived on the barge last August.
Instead what I saw there is a facility that was probably 80 percent unutilized, in my humble opinion, expensive shop equipment sitting idle, collecting dust.
In fact, I took a picture of one of the pieces of equipment that I wrote on it, “Ed, please help” and then emailed it to the Minister of Education.
I asked the school officials why there are delays and they couldn’t give me any solid explanations. So I emailed the minister and I am still waiting for a response.
My question for the minister is: can he explain why, after nine months, the trades shop of the Kiilinik High School is still basically inoperational?
I’m pleased to say that the member had an opportunity to go to the school.
Sometimes when we look at what we see in the media and go on that basis, of course, there are always two sides to every story.
In this case, as the member knows, the trades shop area is in the school; it’s in the Kiilinik High School in Cambridge Bay.
I would suggest to you that that school has electricity and that indeed most of the equipment would be able to work.
The problem seems to be that the current shop teacher, and the school itself, had ordered more industrial electrical equipment, and because of that, when that arrived, they didn’t have the opportunity to have the electrical upgrade done so that when you have several pieces of equipment running, including equipment to take care of the dust issues and so on in the school, that you weren’t able to use that equipment.
CGS have the responsibility of making sure that the school is up to snuff, as it were, under electrical code. What occurred then is that a request had to go out to CGS to say all of this equipment is now on the ground here and we need the wiring done. Thus, CGS had to go out to get an electrical person to get the drawings done and so on to have the electrical done.
So that’s basically what occurred.
The first step was that the equipment was ordered, and the equipment that came in was ordered before the consultation was done with what was needed on the electrical side to support that equipment.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister Picco. Your first supplementary, Mr. Peterson.
There certainly does seem to be some confusion over what the process is in Cambridge Bay. Here you have school officials ordering expensive equipment, the Department of Education officials. The minister indicated that Community and Government Services should probably have been in charge of that project, and probably came in after the fact, as he said.
I did hear that story that the power is 208 versus the requirement of 220, but it shouldn’t take nine months to sort out that problem. I have heard many meetings were held with school officials, members of Community and Government Services, and officials from the Department of Education.
So in those nine months, nothing has happened.
My question for the minister: can the minister explain what the respective roles are for each of these departments, to ensure that this project will be successfully developed and serve the Kitikmeot students and adults who want to continue to further their education?
Again, this is a lesson learned. I know the member doesn’t want to lay any blame, or I’m not in a position to lay any blame.
What I can say is that CGS has moved forward. They have hired a consultant. That person is doing the logistic and administrative work to be able to have the electrical installed, and that should be up and running by August; that’s the amount of time that I’m told.
So when school starts in a couple of month’s time, the equipment and everything will be able to be used.
What has happened here is that we’ve gotten a little ahead of ourselves. The equipment was ordered. Once that equipment arrived, the capacity of the electrical grid in the school, to have all the equipment on, for example, wasn’t there, and then it had to go back to the Department of Education.
The Department of Education doesn’t do the actual work; we contract that, as the member knows, to Community and Government Services, who takes care of all government property, then they moved quickly to ascertain what type of voltage was needed and what type of specifications were needed, and so on.
So that’s my understanding of what has occurred. I’ve been to that site with the member. We’re quite proud of the work that is being done there.
Equipment in the shop could be used. I’m not saying that there was no equipment being used; you just couldn’t, for argument’s sake, have it all on at the same time.
So there was actual training and everything able to occur there, it just wasn’t to the capacity to have the majority of the new equipment on. That has now been rectified.
We do have the CGS person in, and the students at Cambridge Bay Kiilinik High School will be able to use the equipment in August.
It’s always amazing how fast we can get things resolved when the ministers are contacted and they start directing people. It shouldn’t have to happen that way. We shouldn’t have to stand in the Legislative Assembly and follow up on this stuff, and ask the ministers embarrassing questions.
The minister mentioned that it should be operational by the end of August. Would the minister be prepared to give me his commitment today that the Kiilinik High School Trade Shop will be fully operational by the end of August 2007, and further; offering a full range of program courses available to the high school students and the Nunavut Arctic College students?
First, again, I thank the member for raising it. The member has been in correspondence with me on this issue for a couple of weeks now and I don’t find it embarrassing.
It’s an issue where, logistically and administratively, the ball was dropped. We have tried to pick that ball up and move forward with it.
My understanding is, based on the good work that CGS is now doing on the file, having the consultant in place, the shop should be running by August. So I’ll make a commitment to the member that by August 30/September 1/September 15... no, I will make a commitment to the member that by August 30 that the shop and the equipment that have been sent in will be fully functional and be able to be operated in the school; and, that the electrical system, which seems to be the major problem, will be rectified and up to snuff.
I hope he means August 2007. I noticed that he didn’t mention the year.
The school officials mentioned that the woodworking and welding was Phase 1 of the shop project, and of course, there was the little electrical situation there so they couldn’t offer those programs, but they are willing to offer Phase 2, smaller equipment; working on small engines, piping, and other small programs, if they can purchase equipment this month, or within the next few days.
I wonder if the minister could give me his commitment to assist the school officials to purchase that equipment so that they could at least offer some programs to the high school students prior to the conclusion of this school year. Can the minister give me that commitment?
The whole process for the Cambridge Bay High School trades shop was part of the initiative we announced last year with the trades school. We said we were building the major facility, the Nunavut Trades School in Rankin Inlet. We also upgraded the auxiliary sites that we have in Iqaluit and in Cambridge Bay to provide additional mine training.
The focus in Cambridge Bay out of that shop in the high school is to help Cambridge Bay residents, Kitikmeot residents, and the high school students to be able to broaden their horizons by going to trades programs.
Welding and millwright training are two of the scheduled programs that will be moving forward on that.
If the school and the local DEA have suggestions on some other programs that we’re able to facilitate, then, I would make that commitment to the member that we’d be very pleased to look at it and see how we could help facilitate that.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister Picco. (interpretation) Orders of the Day.
Question 165 – 2(4): Status on the Breakwaters (Alagalak)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Small Craft Harbours and Docking Facilities.
First of all, I would like to thank David Simailak for going to Arviat to help with the fishing derby. Everyone was pleased to see him in our community.
The next day, through the CB radio, although I’m not one of the senior citizens, I heard the senior citizens in the community talking through the CB radio that they enjoyed your visit very much. (interpretation ends) People really appreciate you being in Arviat.
(interpretation) Now that I’ve given you very good news because they appreciated you, I give you a bit of bad news, too.
Last winter, we met with each other to talk about small craft harbours and I was mainly talking about breakwaters because when we live in an area where the tide is high, we have no place to put our boats in such as safe harbours.
Sometimes we do work on behalf of women; we provide them with women’s shelters.
We talk about safe harbours and breakwaters. So I would like you to update me on what the status is on the breakwaters.
Minister responsible for Transportation, Minister Simailak.
Yes, I enjoyed my visit in Arviat very much because every time we visit Arviat their hospitality is always great.
We haven’t really worked on the development of the breakwater because we have no funding.
Although I mentioned the seven communities, we’re still waiting for that.
The federal government minister and I spoke to each other, and they said that they would set aside $25 million for seven years. Ottawa has not told us how we’re going to utilize this $25 million since the federal budget has not been approved yet.
We have not been told as to how the funding is to be used. We’re still waiting for that response.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Simailak. (interpretation ends) Your first supplementary, Mr. Alagalak.
Just prior to you becoming a minister to this portfolio, I used to make statements in regard to the homemade breakwater to protect the fibreglass and steel boats.
We do not wish to see boats being destroyed due to lack of breakwater facilities; it’s very difficult to get insurance. There is no funding available for hunters who lose their hunting equipment and there’s no compensation program.
My question is perhaps to work with the municipalities to get a breakwater, or get some form of a facility where they can use the facility during low tide.
Speaker (interpretation): Minister responsible for Transportation, Minister Simailak.
If it’s the facility in Arviat where they had a fishing derby, yes, it’s very short and it’s very shallow.
I will ask my officials to look into the Arviat breakwater to see what they can do. So I will ask them to look into this again.
Yes, we will be expecting that this coming summer.
We do not wish to see another incident. Yes, we were talking about some form of protection. I know that when they built Eskimo Point, the engineers drew the facility, but according to the knowledge of Inuit, that facility is quite shallow.
I would like to ask the minister again. I know that there’s no funding for this but not too long ago I was a Chair of the DEA, but there have been so many re-profiling on capital budgets.
Perhaps you can do the same, like move one budget to another.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Alagalak. (interpretation ends) Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Simailak.
We have been thinking about all those issues because, of course, there is a need in all the Nunavut Communities.
There are breakwaters required, landing docks, holding docks, or other devices that are required in every Nunavut community.
We have been considering all of these issues and trying to come up with a plan where we can do something in all Nunavut communities.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Simailak. (interpretation ends) Oral Questions.
Question 166 – 2(4): Number of Health and Social Services Deputy Ministers Resignations (Curley)
From April 1, 1999 and to date, the Department of Health had nine deputy ministers so far and all or most of them have resigned on their own due to their work or for some other reason.
I think the Premier knows very well why or for what reason these deputy ministers have been resigning.
Mr. Speaker, the people of Nunavut do not know why nine deputy ministers have resigned.
To date, the people of Nunavut are now asking for answers as to why so many deputy ministers are resigning from Health and Social Services.
Could the minister inform the House as to why there are so many deputy ministers resigning?
Premier of Nunavut, Mr. Okalik.
The majority have resigned on their own. We cannot do anything about them and we cannot keep them if they do not want to work in those positions.
This department is the most challenging of all to work in and there is a very heavy workload, and we are sorry that there have been that many resignations.
We do try to get people to work in those positions, and on more than one occasion we have advertised nationwide to find qualified individuals to fill those vacant positions.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Okalik. (interpretation ends) Your first supplementary, Mr. Curley
I would like to thank the Premier for responding to my question, but he didn’t answer some of my questions.
There are deputy ministers who resigned for personal reasons. They worked for the people of Nunavut. We are aware that the Department of Health and Social Services is one of the bigger responsibilities.
We can see more and more staff who have roamed around.
Can the minister inform the House as to why there have been firings of some personnel, and as to what kind of compensation is paid once they ask the department?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Curley. (interpretation ends) The Premier of Nunavut, Mr. Okalik.
As I stated earlier, a lot of them resign for personal reasons. We try and make sure that we take good care of all of our employees.
I am very pleased to have Alex Campbell take on the deputy minister’s role when we did ask him and we’re grateful that he has accepted. We hope to have him there for a long time. We have to try and catch up for the past nine years.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Okalik. (interpretation ends) Your second supplementary, Mr. Curley.
The people of Nunavut would like to know why there are way too many resignations in the department, as we’re losing faith.
The current deputy minister we have there, as some of us think, he has worked for Economic Development and other departments. I think it’s very important that he has that experience; deputy ministers have to have experience in the field that they are taking the responsibility for. Mr. Campbell doesn’t seem to have any experience in Health and Social Services.
As that’s the case, I would like to ask the Premier if this individual has the qualifications to fill the deputy minister’s position.
Looking at the deputy ministers and looking at their work experience, and their past experiences, he has been a deputy not only in Nunavut, but also elsewhere in the south.
I am very pleased that he has the experience and the expertise, and also the willingness to fill this position.
There have been a lot of turnovers over the years. Some of them were put in for just a term position to fix whatever the problem was. While we were looking for a permanent employee, there have been term positions.
I would like the people of Nunavut to know that this is a very important department.
Looking at the nine deputy ministers, it’s not only that, there have been interim fills in between, which are counted into the nine.
Some were just there for an interim position. For the people who want to look at the dirt and so on, they put it all together and make it into nine deputy ministers.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Premier. (interpretation ends) Your final supplementary, Mr. Curley.
The Premier stated that there were some who filled the positions on an interim position. I believe that’s not the case.
They were hired by the Premier; the Premier personally appointed those deputy ministers to those positions and signed the contract. That contract was signed by you, personally.
I don’t believe we should do that.
We have very few people who have the willingness. I have seen Mr. Campbell’s resume when I was working for NTI as I used to work with him in the 1990s and before.
Due to that, if we’re going to be hiring deputy ministers who do not have the qualifications, then I think it would be a lot better if we appoint deputy ministers who are unilingual, elder, and Inuit.
This position has to be filled, and because of that, we have to have interim positions sometimes that have the expertise and the knowledge.
We have looked outside of Nunavut to make sure that this position is permanently filled.
Because of that, it seems like we have a high turnover in this deputy minister’s position.
The reason is because of the interim fills and the permanent fills. They’re all counted as nine.
The only person who can fill this position is someone with the expertise, knowledge, and the experience.
It is a position that cannot be filled by just anybody.
Mr. Campbell is very experienced, and I want to make sure that his integrity stays in tact, and I would like to assure you that he has the experience, knowledge, and the expertise to fill that position.
Question 167 – 2(4): Status of Passport Photos (Barnabas)
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought I was going to run out of time.
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Multiculturalism, Mr. Picco.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, through repeated questioning in this House, we are finally supposed to have a solution to passport photo problems.
Can the minister update this House on the status of this issue?
Very quickly, the member is correct. The member should take a lot of credit for helping drive this issue through repeated questioning in the House.
Mr. Speaker, recently, during the Nunavut Association of Municipalities meetings, we were able to facilitate the purchase of passport-quality photo equipment, and training sessions were given to employees of our various communities and hamlets in Nunavut.
The hamlet employees then took that equipment back with them to their communities, and I am very pleased to say today that the majority of our communities are using that equipment and were able to facilitate the expedient taking of passport quality photos to help Nunavummiut get their passports.
I understand that during the Nunavut Association of Municipalities meeting, the senior administrative officers were given the training to take pictures that are required for passport applications.
How much are the hamlets going to pay for the usage of the equipment and for the application process?
Minister responsible for Immigration, Mr. Picco.
Very quickly; because we were able to tag the training on during the NAM meetings, there was no cost for bringing people in and being able to facilitate the training.
Also, Mr. Speaker, the Government of Nunavut has purchased the equipment and has turned it over to individual hamlets at no cost to the hamlets.
This will be my last question. (interpretation ends) Did the government supply any private businesses with the equipment?
We did hire a contractor to help deliver the workshop, but the equipment was not given to any private communities.
In some communities, for example Iqaluit, there are five individuals who are doing the passport photo.
In those cases, they did not receive the equipment. In other communities where there was no person or individual doing passport photos by the private sector basis, we provided a camera to the hamlet.
The hamlet has the option of charging $30 or $40 whatever the amount they feel is correct in that given community for the passport photo taken and the passport photo that we provided, the equipment meets all the passport requirements of Passport Canada so that the passport taken will meet their standard and help facilitate the passports. So this is a good news story across Nunavut.
Returning to the Orders of the Day. Question Period is over.
Return to Written Question 003 – 2(4): Akitsiraq Law School Program (Clerk)
Return to Written Question 004 – 2(4): Environmental Contaminants (Clerk)
Return to Written Question 005 – 2(4): Supplemental Costs of Staffing HSS Positions with Non-Certified Nurses (Clerk)
I am tabling the responses to the Written Questions 3 – 2(4), 4 – 2(4), and 5 – 2(4) that were filed with the Office of the Clerk.
*See Appendix for full text of Returns to Written Questions 3 – 2(4), 4 – 2(4), and 5 – 2(4) filed with the Clerk.
I have some documents that need tabling.
Tabled Document 078 – 2(4): Statutory Requirements for Tabling of Reports and Other Documents in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut May 2007 (Speaker)
Tabled Document 079 – 2(4): Integrity Act First Five-Year Statutory Review January 10-2007 – Report from Integrity Commissioner (Speaker)
Tabled Document 080 – 2(4): Integrity Commissioner Annual Report April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007 (Speaker)
Tabled Document 081 – 2(4): Elections Nunavut Annual Report for 2006-07 and Report on the Administration of the Tunnuniq By-Election October 2006 (Speaker)
I wish to table the Statutory Requirements for the Tabling of Reports and Other Documents in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut dated May 28, 2007.
Also, I wish to table the Report of the Integrity Commissioner of Nunavut on the 5-Year Statutory Review of the Integrity Act.
I also wish to table today the 2006-07 Annual Report of the Integrity Commissioner of Nunavut.
I also wish to table today the 2006-07 Annual Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut.
Tabled Document 082 – 2(4): Utility Rates Review Council of Nunavut 2007 Annual Report (Okalik)
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I wish to table the document: 2007 Annual Report of the Utility Rates Review Council. (Interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Premier. Can we have the papers at the table?
Tabled Document 083 – 2(4): Dry Cargo Resupply Programme Activity Summary Shipping Year 2006 (Brown)
I wish to table the following document: Dry Cargo Re-supply Programme Activity Summary - Shipping Year 2006.
Tabled Document 084 – 2(4): Response to Petition 1 – 2(4) - Medical Charter Services for Sanikiluaq (Clerk)
I’m tabling the response to Petition 1 – 2(1) Medical Services for Sanikiluaq that was filed with the Office of the Clerk.
Motion 012 – 2(4): Confirmation of the Integrity Act – Notice (Peterson)
I give notice that on Thursday, May 31, 2007, I will move the following motion: