EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Perhaps some time in the future, and we will keep monitoring it and if this amount is too small and if demand is high we would review it because the government is the only entity who buys sealskins.
We will monitor it.
I am hoping my colleagues here are going to bail me out because I am not a expert in sealskin, but is there is a point where if the government subsidised a seal skin it would be attractive for someone to buy.
Like I don't even know what the price of a sealskin is today, it might be 20 dollars or it might be 30 dollars.
I think the government owes the seal hunter in Nunavut a break on the purchase of sealskins and we all try to wear as much as we can and contribute as much as we can.
But to me again, in a budget of 600 million dollars for the government, I know there are many communities that depend or used to depend on sealskins.
It is the cultural thing.
You know food, clothing and shelter, is there a point that this government could shelter sealskin sales until the sealing business picked up.
Would the sealskin harvesting pick-up if we subsidised them by 10 dollars and buy "x" number more.
I am sure that would make many people happy in the smaller communities where there is high unemployment.
Is there a point where these sealskins would become attractive if the government subsidised them.
I heard someone say the other day, my colleague from Hall Beach said the Federal Government subsidised the grain farmers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba with the Crow rate and things like that.
I know the government doesn’t want to get into the purchasing of sealskins on a full time basis but we all have been saying that the traditional economy is important to us in the smaller communities and sealskins contribute a lot to the communities.
Is there a threshold where the subsidy on sealskin would make the sales pick up so they are attractive to somebody, whether chairs, bags, jackets or anything.
Has your department looked at that.
I know you produced a successful movie but are we going to go one step farther and help this industry come back on track.
Mr. Minister, before I recognize you we have visitors in the gallery.
Brent Buckler and Tobi Winmill, they are from the young offenders and welcome to the Legislature and thank you for coming over to watch the proceedings.
Please give them a hand.
Just to explain further, in 1998-1999 that same year sealskins cost 30 dollars and with the subsidy we had to put in an additional 80 thousand dollar subsidy and it went up to 210 thousand dollars.
In 1999-2000 fiscal year the sealskin cost 30 per skin and we subsidized, we had to subsidise them by 19 dollars and 65 cents, 50 cents per seal skin.
In total for 1999-2000, 310 thousand was in subsidies.
In our previous year we do not have that information.
We do not have the total information for our previous year.
We were able to get more money for sealskin subsidies because the demand was quite high.
Last year we had to find 150 thousand dollars from the government to subsidise the sealskins.
That is good that we are getting we are putting money on where the priorities are and I have no problem whatsoever if we are looking at a 300 thousand dollar sealskin subsidy.
I did not think this government even gave an eyelash on it.
Especially when we are building campgrounds for 1 million, 500 thousand.
I have heard this from numerous people, that once the seal is harvested, it is all used for food and clothing.
It is one of the things in the Bathurst Mandate that builds healthy communities because seal meat is probably a very healthy commodity in the communities.
It is healthy to see and the sealskin that is harvested is usually turned into clothing and things like that.
I think it is money well spent.
Has your department looked at maybe enhancing this even more.
In regards to the sealing and fishing industries, when I first came into this department I found that we were not doing enough about the sealing industry and the fishing industry.
So in Sustainable Development we would like to create a position so that this person would deal solely with the sealing and fishing strategy.
We would get into more of these types of programs accessible to the public.
In our plan in regards to fishing and sealing and for part of this year I would like to see it implemented with a position whereby the person would deal solely on those issues and there would be more programs or plans going into sealing and fishing.
Mr. McLean: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Every time when we develop a policy we have to develop a person to enact the policy.
That is an extra 75 to 100 thousand a year that could be put in directly to the program.
It is a mainstay of the government to get bigger and when you get bigger you take money out of programs and put it into staff.
I am not against hiring people to work for their jobs.
But like I say, I liked what you said in regards to developing a fishing policy and a sealing policy.
I think these things are great.
Let us not get to caught up in developing a staff around it where the money by the time it gets down to the little people and this is a little people program where I think it is very important.
It is like the prospecting program.
It goes to the little people and it gives them money.
It gives them self-esteem and I know you are tired of hearing me saying it.
I have three or four more years saying it.
Either you are going to do it or get rid of me somehow.
Like I say let's put the money where it is important.
I think subsidising sealskin is important.
I think the prospectors program is important and that is money that is well spent and really builds capacity and I hate to use that word, in communities in regards in circulating money and making people feel better about themselves.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman that is all I have to say.
Looking at the past few operations I am sure that we will be increasing the amounts that are made available.
I think it shows visibility of the department looking at the needs and meeting the demands of the people out there.
Looking at the fur program and the fishing and sealing strategies.
I just wanted to make that comment for further clarification Mr. Chairman.
In regards to the fur price program.
Foxes or fox pelts are hardly used or hardly marketable.
It was one of the important materials in the olden days.
Do you have any plans for creating the usage of fox pelts.
I had to ask my official for clarification.
His question was in regards to fox pelts and there have been huge decreases in the quantity of fox pelts that are being marketed today.
We are going to keep this fur program going because it is needed out there.
Going back to the position that we are going to create who will deal solely with the sealing and the fisheries.
This person is going to be looking at who we can work with in regards to those two issues.
We are hoping to increase the benefits that are going into the Nunavut Territory.
In regards to pelts and furs, the price of seals and skins and pelts are very cheap now.
One fox pelt might be about 20 dollars and in my community it would not even buy five gallons of gas for the snowmobile.
What kind of assistance could you provide to hunters because from what I have noticed they wait for the end of the year in order to get money through social assistance so that they could buy the basic necessities to go out hunting.
But if the price of fur pelts or fox pelts was better they could generate some revenue in order to maintain their hunting lifestyle.
I was giving an overview of the monies that are made available through the Grants and Contributions.
We are just following through with what happened last year.
We are just following through with the quantities of fox pelts that were bought last year and we are looking at the market value of these furs.
We base our Grants and Contribution on those.
Just a comment, Mr. Chairman.
We have fox traps that are available out in the market today and there are the humane traps that are available today.
They are quite dangerous to the young people if they do not know how to handle those types of traps.
What can we do about this problem or we should be considering what we should do about that problem.
Chairperson (interpretation): That is more of a comment than a question.
I do not hear a question.
I do not have any other names in my list.
We also set aside, again you can see the information on 11-6 where we have money set aside for humane trap development.
These grants are made available to inventors working on the development of humane trapping devices.
For example, they could be humane traps for foxes for example.
There are monies set aside for inventors.
We were on 11-6.
Turning to 11-7.
Information item Sustainable Development.
And 11-8.
Sustainable Development branch summary.
Community Futures in the Inuktitut the second down.
Under Grants and Contributions.
There has been a decrease.
Is it because of less of a demand from the communities out there.
There is a decrease in the amounts because there were monies available from outside.
That is why there is a decrease.
One the Nunavut Tourism core funding I noticed there is a decrease in that as well.
I am just wondering at to why there is a decrease.
This is for a position in Pangnirtung that was requested by the Tourism Association.
There was an increase because that position was moved from our department.
I guess that difference represents one less PY. Under Economic Development Officers, contributions to the Hamlets if I'm correct, for Hamlets to hire the economic development officers to work for them rather than being employees of the government.
It show that last year’s Main and this year is the same.
Has there been an increase or a decrease.
Are they the same as far as the Hamlets and Municipalities that are performing that function now.
Are there plans for those communities that are not developing them or can they take on that capability in the interim and increase the level of funding in that area.
We work with the Hamlets and in their by-laws it states that the communities can all have economic development officers.
So this is part and parcel of the by-laws that were created under the Hamlet Council.
I guess I am just wondering how many Hamlets or communities now have economic development officers working for them as opposed to working for the government.
All the community economic development officers in Nunavut are under the Hamlet Councils.
We have none in our department.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 1 million, 620 thousand dollars is being used to employ the economic development officers.
Is it ok now by transferring the responsibility to municipalities from the department.
I do not know exactly how much money we have saved with this transfer.
I do not have a response to your question at this time.
I guess I am looking at the money that is saved in staffing.
I like to see where these savings went.
Whether, I hope they go into other programs like my colleague on my right indicated for the little people for the small people.
Is that where the types of savings through these types of ventures or devolution of authority, where those savings go to those types of programs.
I do not have any information about when the Economic Development Officers were transferred over to the Hamlets.
I do not know what their objective was as to saving dollars.
The main objective was for community empowerment.
I realise the main objective is to empower the communities, the decision making being done at the local level.
I know from past experiences a lot of times when these types of responsibilities were devolved down to municipalities there was that cost saving to the government.
I think along with empowering the communities that is one of the reasons for pursuing this type of devolution.
It is simply the government at the time could not afford to continue going in that way.
I am just wondering, I do not need it now.
I am wondering what the difference was or is between that function being carried on by the department and whatever it is now.
Once the information is available I will be make it available to all the members.
I cannot tell you the amount of money that has been saved, but once the calculations are done in areas where we saved.
The areas where we do not provide facilities and housing.
Page 11-8.
Because I do not have any more names on the list, 11-8 is an informational item.
Going back to page 11-9.
Sustainable Development information item.
Under page 11-9.
Community organised hunts, 45 thousand.
Can you explain to me how this is used.
How do you advertise it to the communities.
The communities have been requesting to our department to assist them with organised hunts for when they have to get meat from the other communities.
They will be able to use this funding so that the communities can get meat just in case their species were inadequate.
I do not have any further questions.
On page 11-9.
Community Initiatives Program.
On the detail, there is 175 thousand on the headquarters budget for CIP.
Could the minister explain to me what that is for.
They will be used, for example for the whole of Nunavut.
For economic development strategies.
It is not just the three regions.
It is for Nunavut as a whole.
The initiative program for the whole of Nunavut.
Mr. McLean: Ma'na Itsivautaq. I got the answer.
Could the minister be clearer on what initiatives.
I will try to explain it better.
For example at this point we have made plans for all of Nunavut for prospectors and this is for all of Nunavut.
For promoting the development of a stable, diversified economy.
It is for Nunavut wide carving conferences and the first one that I mentioned was the mining symposium that I could use as an example.
I have no problems with headquarters.
I have a little slush account fund different initiatives.
Are they if they fund these different initiatives like carving symposiums and mining symposiums and stuff like that.
Are they also going to take money out of the regional CIP to fund these things.
We will have to follow the program criteria to do all that.
Mr. Havioyak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I do not know if it fits here.
I want to know about explorations or studies under water, if under sea projects fit in here.
The reason why I am saying this is for the last three years my community has wanted to do this.
However, I am not getting responses from the regional office or to find some money for these kinds of studies.
I want to know what is under the sea in Coronation Gulf and this is a big area.
They are not sure what in under there.
I am wondering if it is going to fit in to these projects, one of these initiatives or contributions.
In the Nunavut communities there have been some studies done in the past. The monies that were made available through the Federal Government are no longer, they have been deleted.
However, they could be used for different uses, for example doing a study done on a ground fishery.
I am not really clear.
I am not getting the answer that I want.
I do not understand it maybe.
Are you saying that it could be in one of these projects that are no longer funded by the Federal Government.
Is that what you are saying.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk: I will try it in English for my friend Donald Havioyak.
If there was a community interested in doing a study of that type, there is no reason why they shouldn't be able to access some of their CIP money.
My colleagues, if it is okay, I would like to ask Donald Havioyak to take over my seat.
Is everybody in agreement.
Mr. Havioyak could you come over please.
The local radios are very old in the communities and they are very useful in each community, especially the one in my community.
The radio station is very old and sometimes you can even break part of the equipment with a pen it is that old and deteriorated.
So do you have any funding available for improvement on the radio stations.
Chairperson (Mr. Havioyak) (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Akesuk.
Yes, the community initiative program could be used for different initiatives or for new initiatives.
If they wanted to apply for improvements on the radio station they could apply to the CIP.
Are there any other questions.
Under page 11 – 9, under 251, community harvesters' assistance program.
Is this because the people are dying off that is why the amount has gone down.
No, it's not because we are decreasing in population, as everyone is aware that at times, when we have to work on programs, I am sorry I was looking at the wrong one, 251. Yes that one.
In order to help the harvesters we have to assist them and we made this available to the Regional Wildlife Boards.
It did not decrease because the population is decreasing.
The assistance program is decreasing because there is less demand now for assistance.
Or perhaps the regional boards are decreasing in their responsibilities too.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): The reason why it has gone down is because we used to have more outpost camps but now the number of outpost camps is decreasing within Nunavut.
It will be part of the review of the outpost camps.
It is because the outpost camps have gone down in numbers.
That is why it has gone down.
Mr. Tootoo, we are on 11 – 9.
Mr. Chairman, on the community harvesters' assistance program the minister indicated that it is handled through the Regional Wildlife Associations.
Is there some kind of criteria that are used or are there any program guidelines that go along with that.
I guess what I am getting at is how do people in the communities, in all communities, access this funding.
Is it funding that they can access if they need to go buy gas, ammunition, or anything like that.
I am just wondering how it is distributed at the community level.
Perhaps I could respond by saying, the hunters and trappers set their own. For example, the HTOs provide the funding to the outpost camps and they look at how long the outpost camp has been existing, that is put into consideration and it's done at the Hunters' and Trappers' Associations.
Mr. Tootoo, did you get your response.
In reading what it says here, it says that the purpose is to assist holders of general hunting licenses to endeavour to harvest renewable resources.
Is that funding available for anyone or is it available just to those in outpost camps.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): I apologize, Mr. Chairman. At this point we only use that program for the outpost camps.
I was just wondering if the program should reflect the actual use, by reading that it seems like anyone that needs help to go hunting that holds a general hunting license is eligible to apply to seek assistance.
So I think, I don't know if the program was funded more, and it is just because of the reduced funding that it dropped down to only outpost camps.
I think that especially in here it should reflect more accurately what the funds are going to be used for.
I guess I would just ask how many outpost camps are being assisted with that amount.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Yes, Mr. Chairman, thank you.
Perhaps there are close to 30 outpost camps that use this program.
Also just to explain further. As I have stated before we will be doing a review and we will be appointing the people to do the review on this program. As well, we will review the funding program here.
The next name on the list is Mr. McLean.
Thank you. He does not want to speak any more. Page 11 – 9.
Chairperson (interpretation): Going to 11 – 10. Questions.
Page 11 – 10.
Going to the bottom one.
It seems like the first time the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation has some funding.
Last year there was no funding.
Is it the first time that there is a demand from people and that is why there is finally funding this year.
I will have my Deputy Minister respond to the question on the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
Ms. Trumper you could respond please.
Last year the money for the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation was in the department’s operations and maintenance budget and this year we have moved it into the grants and contributions budget.
So it is a budget adjustment from O&M to grants and contributions.
That's why it is not showing as a grant and contribution in the previous years.
Did you get your response Mr. Nutarak.
We are on page 11 – 10.
Chairperson (interpretation): Okay then we will go back to page 11 – 5.
Department of Sustainable Development, operations and maintenance. (interpretation ends) Total operations and maintenance, 27 million 788.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, 30 million 488.
Before we proceed with the department, I would like to make two motions.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. McLean to your motions.
Committee Motion 60 – 1(3): Natural Resources Training Centre Feasibility Study
Committee motion.
Mr. Chairman, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Sustainable Development conduct its feasibility study on the establishment of a Natural Resources Training Centre with a view to establishing the centre in a non-decentralized community.
The second motion.
Mr. Chairman, I move that this committee recommends that the…
Your first motion is in order.
Mr. McLean your second motion please.
Committee Motion 61 – 1(3): Parks and Tourism Socio-Economic Benefits
I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Sustainable Development table during the fall 2000 session of the Legislative Assembly a comprehensive substantiation of the social and economic benefits to Nunavut communities and residents of the Department's spending in the areas of parks and tourism.
Chairperson: Thank you Mr. McLean. To the motion.
Going back to page 11 – 5, total expenditures, 30 million 488.
Chairperson (interpretation): Going to 11 – 11.
Details of work performed on behalf of third parties.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Page 11 – 12.
Going back to 11 – 3.
Operations and maintenance, total 31 million 135.
Chairperson: Total capital, 2 million 700.
Chairperson (interpretation): Agreed. (interpretation ends) Total expenditures, 33 million 835.
Do you agree that the total department is concurred with.
The minister would like to make a comment.
Also, I would like to thank my colleagues for assisting us to pass this budget.
Also I would like to thank my officials for when we were preparing the budget they have worked very hard and they have made themselves available to the Assembly during the budget exercise.
I want to remind the Members of the Legislative Assembly about the Economic Forum coming up and all the members will be invited for the forum for those that can participate.
The concerns that have been voiced during the estimates while we were deliberating on the Department of Sustainable Development, I will take your concerns and issues under consideration and we are open to your suggestions.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you for coming and I would like to thank your officials too.
Before we complete this Mr. Alakannuark would like to make a comment.
Chairperson: There is a motion on the floor to report progress.
From what I gathered, the motion is defeated.
We would like to deal with the Department of Finance, if the minister could do his opening remarks.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. Minister, opening remarks for Finance.
Department of Finance: Minister's Opening Remarks
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to present to the Committee of the Whole the proposed budget for the Department of Finance and Administration for the 2000/2001 fiscal year.
The department’s primary role is to act as the chief advisor to the Government of Nunavut on all fiscal matters.
A more detailed description of Finance and Administrations' responsibilities is set out in the 2000/2001 Business Plan.
This plan states that the department will provide direction and leadership to ensure fiscal responsibility and assisting with the establishment of a secure economic base for Nunavut, while promoting and maintaining public confidence in the integrity of government operations.
The department also has the additional responsibility of consolidating the annual fiscal requirements of the government's departments, boards and agencies to ensure that sufficient financial resources are provided to meet assigned responsibilities and to satisfy the financial obligations associated with running a government.