EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health.
Mr. Speaker, I have continually voiced concerns about the Medical Travel Policy, as some members are deeply concerned.
The reason for our concerns relate to the fact that some of our constituents may not be receiving the proper medical care, at least in my opinion, due to that particular policy.
I wish to ask the Minister of Health this question: to ensure members can review the policy at their leisure, can the latest Medical Travel Policy… ? Here I mean the latest iteration of this policy, including the criteria in this policy. Can the minister provide that information to this House prior to the end of this winter session?
As this policy is publicly available on the Internet, I have no problem with providing that information to this House.
Question 069 – 4(1): Inuit Employment Plan Initiatives (Mikkungwak)
Mr. Mikkungwak (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) My questions are for the Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
The Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs now has responsibility for coordinating the government’s Inuit Employment Plan initiatives.
According to the most recently tabled quarterly employment report for the GN, five interns were employed under the Sivuliqtiksat Internship Program as of December 2012, which is that document
The department’s current business plan indicates that one of its priorities during the current fiscal year has been to “review the Sivuliqtiksat Internship Program.”
Can the minister indicate what actions his department will be taking as a result of its review of the Sivuliqtiksat Internship Program?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, Mr. Taptuna.
Mr. Speaker, as the Premier, I expect all department heads to come up with an Inuit employment plan, which we will develop and have our training initiatives within the plans.
As members are well aware, this government is committed to increasing the number of Inuit working within the government, as per Article 23 within the land claims agreement.
Mr. Speaker, our intention is to put that in our 2014-15 business plan to include more participation and training programs within the Government of Nunavut to increase the numbers of Inuit employed within the government. Mr. Speaker, also there are some other programs developed. We have established a committee there to oversee and develop policy to increase the numbers within the Government of Nunavut.
I would like to thank the Premier for his answer.
I believe that it is important that internship and trainee opportunities be available to residents of communities outside of Iqaluit.
Can the minister indicate what steps his department will take to provide internship opportunities at GN departments and Crown corporations that have offices in communities such as Baker Lake?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, Mr. Taptuna.
Mr. Speaker, when we speak about Government of Nunavut employees, we are speaking about all employees, whether they be in decentralized communities or not, in headquarters.
They will be a participant in any development that takes place, whether it is development training or more workshops to prepare them for higher level jobs.
The government’s overall rate of Inuit employment across all departments and Crown agencies currently stands at approximately 50 percent. It is important that we have a realistic and achievable timeline for achieving a fully representative workforce.
Can the minister indicate what the government’s current timeline is for achieving an Inuit employment rate of 85 percent or better?
There are a lot of employees within our territory. There are a lot of corporations, a lot of businesses and organizations. It’s very difficult to put in a timeframe to reach 85 percent representative number of our population.
It’s not automatically when our high school students get educated that they want to work for the government.
There are other places that they choose. It’s very difficult to put a timeframe on there.
As you know, in the last several years, we have been making efforts to try and increase that number, and this government will make every attempt to continually increase that percentage for Inuit to be employed within the government.
Question 070 – 4(1): School Guidance Counsellors (Hickes)
I would like to ask the Minister of Education some questions regarding his Minister’s Statement earlier today.
In looking at some of the specific goals that this initiative, the Literacy 4 Life Initiative, is looking to accomplish, one of them is to “Ensure our high school graduates leave school with literacy skills that will enable them to pursue career and college aspirations.” The way I understand it, Mr. Speaker, this is going to put a role for the guidance counsellors of each school.
Would the minister be able to answer the question whether every school in Nunavut has guidance counsellors available?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Minister of Education, Mr. Quassa.
To date, there are a number of guidance counsellors. There is one in Iqaluit and in Pond Inlet, Arviat, and Rankin Inlet, as well as Repulse Bay who work half-time. Those are the guidance counsellors who are working in the schools at the present time, Mr. Speaker.
I am pretty sure that this is my first supplementary.
With this expected role being added to the guidance counsellors… . Maybe not added, but it already is part of their role. I think it is going to be key to support students and parents into choosing the appropriate courses to graduate with the highest level of literacy this initiative hopes to achieve.
Another goal is to “Support teachers to deliver high-quality learning experiences for our students by giving them high-quality professional development training in literacy acquisition.”
Would the minister be able to give me a little bit more detail on what type of training opportunities that they will be exploring for the teachers of the territory?
A very good question from the member and I thank him.
There is training that is provided to teachers on language and literacy called Literacy 4 Life.
There are literacy experts that will be there to train teachers primarily.
The minister also quoted, “students will experience a balance of direct and indirect instruction as they move from support to independence in word study, reading, and writing.”
I’m not familiar with the terms of direct and indirect instruction.
I just would like the minister to clarify that for my benefit.
At the present time, we use computers in the schools.
As well, the students in each school have computers with the help of instructors. Those are what we are talking about, direct and indirect.
The teachers instruct and they use the computer to do that.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Members will note that the time for question period has expired and we will proceed to Item 7. (interpretation) Written Questions. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister Ugyuk.
There are no nays. Please proceed, Ms. Ugyuk.
I would like to recognize an individual in the House, my uncle James Eetoolook, who is well known by people in Nunavut. I would like to recognize him, being my uncle, my family member, and I would like him to be recognized.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Welcome to the House. (interpretation ends) Item 7.
>>House recessed at 15:01 and Committee resumed at 15:27
Good afternoon, Nunavummiut, as well as our television and radio audience.
Welcome to your committee.
Yesterday, we weren’t able to complete our review of the bill when progress was reported. At this time, we have to deal with Bill 2.
We wish to continue with the review of the capital main estimates for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, followed by the Department of Education.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Rumbolt.
Does the committee agree that we continue with our review of the capital estimates for the Nunavut Housing Corporation?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Do you agree to bring in the witnesses that the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation had with him at the table?
Thank you, Sergeant-at-Arms. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister, (interpretation) for the record, please introduce your witnesses. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister.
I say “good day” to my fellow Nunavummiut.
With me here at this time to my left is our Chief Financial Officer, Heather Moffatt, and to my right is the President of the Nunavut Housing Corporation, Lori Kimball.
Chairman: Qujannamiik, hon. minister. (interpretation) Ms. Kimball and Ms. Moffatt, welcome to the House.
Moving on. Yesterday, we were on page L-3.
I still have a list of people who wanted to ask questions.
In regard to capital expenditures, and we were talking about that for 2014-15, the Modernization and Improvement program for Baker Lake is my first question.
When would it actually start? Will it start this summer?
In regard to your question as to when, I’ll get Ms. Kimball to respond to that.
Mr. Kimball: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Typically, it starts early in the new fiscal year.
We will work with our LHOs to prepare tenders for the materials component of the supply. Following that, have separate tenders for the labour portion of the material.
Often some projects will be two years, so we may well be tendering some labour portions relative to some material supplies that would have arrived last year. Some projects span two years, and in some projects we’re able to complete in the same year.
It really depends on the sealift cycles for the individual communities.
The reason why I raised that question is because as noted there was a tabled document in the House on March 12, which showed us the planned construction, land acquisition and development for public housing.
I don’t see my community of Baker Lake in that list.
Will this document be revised?
Its two different things: there is one program where new buildings will be built; and then there’s M&I where there is maintenance and improvements. With M&I, has nothing to do with new building construction, it’s a program on its own.
I thank the minister for his comment. In reviewing the capital, I guess I will change gears here.
Private homeownership should benefit long-term residents. Will the Nunavut Housing Corporation review the threshold so that we help a greater number of homeowners within the territory to alleviate the wait list of people on public housing?
Thank you to my fellow MLA for the question. You are asking about private homeownership.
We have many responsibilities in my department and there are people who are just starting to get into public housing, and then there’s also people coming out of public housing. We’re always looking to see how we can alleviate the lack of social housing. We’ve been reviewing what kind of planning has been done about it.
I would like Ms. Kimball to explain that further. I would like to hand it over to her, if you don’t mind, Mr. Chairman.
They mentioned before, when looking at the income levels of our existing public housing tenants, there is very few that make enough money that could be viable as homeowners.
In the past, we’ve seen, there was a major push, many years ago, under the NWT days and also in the early Nunavut days, to push people into homeownership and we’ve seen quite a number of quick claims resulting from that where people were unsuccessful as homeowners.
So we want to be very careful. We do want to encourage homeownership but we want to make sure that they will be successful as homeowners.
Right now, one of the challenges that we have identified in our Government of Nunavut long-term comprehensive housing strategy, is that, we have public housing and then you have private homeownership and if you look in Iqaluit, homes start at $400,000 to $500,000 and if you are going from public housing to this other extreme.
So one of the things we want to do is develop other affordable housing options, that are mid-tier, that would be targeted for people that are in a middle-income range, something between, you know, $50,000 to $60,000 a year to $100,000 a year, that range that is not quite attainable for homeownership, but something other than public housing and we are looking at various options for that.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Ms. Kimball.
In looking at the capital estimates, homeownership programs from 2011 to now have remained at the same level and when you look at one particular unit costing $400,000, as noted yesterday, as mentioned yesterday, with that capital estimates remaining at the same level, how does the Nunavut Housing Corporation see it accommodating homeowners?
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for asking that question.
I don’t want to just guess because it is a very good question. I would like to get Ms. Kimball to respond to that, if it is okay with you, Mr. Chairman?
One of the things that we are doing is we are relooking at the income threshold, especially for our Down Payment Assistance program.
That is something that is currently under review and we do recognize, as we stated yesterday, $125,000 as the maximum income threshold.
If you are only making $125,000 and going for a $500,000 home, you probably shouldn’t be putting yourself in that position because it’s not financially viable.
So, we are looking at the income threshold and that is something we hope to have reviewed shortly.
You have not increased the capital budget for capital assets. The same amount has been budgeted for 2013-14.
My question is, all the prices are going up every where. Does that affect as to how many homes can be built per year?
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): I’m sorry, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much.
I don’t quite understand the member’s question. What exactly is he referring to when he mentions housing or future construction of housing? Can he please elaborate further for clarification?
Chairman: Qujannamiik, hon. minister. (interpretation) Mr. Mikkungwak, please clarify.
Maybe if I ask in English.
Each and every year, there are all kinds of cost increases.
My question here is: with the incremental costs that happen each and every year or every couple of years and with the capital estimates remaining at the same level, does that impact the number of units constructed when, as mentioned yesterday, we have $400,000 per unit?
Does that clarify the question? (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister.
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you very much for asking a good question.
Mr. Chairman, I would like Ms. Kimball to provide a proper response.
In terms of the homeownership programs, we actually don’t have a program that specifically targets new home construction.
Our down-payment assistance program just provides 7.5 percent towards a home being purchased, which can be an existing home already in place in the market or it can be a new home being constructed.
Definitely cost increases do impact the cost affordability of housing units, but it’s not really something that we track in terms of our homeownership programs, tracking the construction of new privately held homes.
It’s something that we have identified in our strategy that we do want to work on, coordinating with other stakeholders to gather that information and main those statistics, but at this point, the housing corporation does not have that information on the private homeownership market.
A follow-up to that, my question would be also: when we’re reviewing capital estimates, does the Nunavut Housing Corporation keep in touch or keep discussing the situation regarding the CMHC funding?
Considering that it has remained at the same level of funding, is there room for an increase or has that remained or will that remain the same for a number of years yet?
If I understood his question, the NHC has an internal funding program specific to private home ownership or even for the housing association public rental units.
This is particular to retrofits of private homes, or if it is a local housing public unit.
What I can respond to is this. If the budget was to be increased as per his question, it would have to be thoroughly reviewed to assess the best options.
We will look at trying to make improvements to the program, but currently the way it is setup is primarily to fund renovations if it is a public rental unit or in the case of private homes, the Homeownership Assistance Program. In looking at these factors, the figure is based on past expenditures and figures.
That is the reason for this amount, if my response was understandable.
My additional question is reference to the homeownership program.
Considering the fact that the capital estimates have remained at the same level from 2011 to now, how does that impact the possibility of affordable private homeownership?
Chairman: Hon. Minister.
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to thank the member.
I would like to defer this question to Ms. Kimball.
Looking at the statistics for the number of approved applications for various homeownership programs, some assist with maintenance of a home, some assist with the acquisition of the home. Last year in 2012-13, we had 443 approved applications.
In 2013-14 up until the end of January, we had 384. We still have another month or so to process, so we will have slightly fewer spending the same budget, which probably is reflecting different costs.
Again, we are reviewing the threshold for the funding per applicant for the different programs. We may be making some changes.
We are reviewing all of our homeownership programs at this time.
Mr. Mikkungwak (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) In reviewing the substantiation sheets for the capital estimates, something that really caught my eye was from 2012-13, and then you go to 2013-14, when you’re seeing that, one fiscal year there has been in a drastic increase in the capital estimates regarding staff housing versus the homeownership programs, which have remained at the same level.
What is the reasoning there?
Chairman (Mr. Akoak): Thank you, Mr. Mikkungwak.
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I thank the member for his question.
Regarding your question, it has an impact on the public housing that is operated under the Nunavut Housing Corporation through the housing authorities.
There has been increase from $8 million to $10 million. It has been increased by $2 million. I don’t quite understand it when you’re referring to decreasing the amount.
I would like to ask the member if he could re-phrase his question. What is decreasing? Whether it’s for some programs in homeownership, or in some other type of program?
I apologize to the minister.
My question was in reference to staff housing.
Looking at the substantiation sheets, when you look at staff housing in capital estimates, in 2012-13, it went from $2,750,000 and then it took at drastic hike from the fiscal year 2013-14 to $5 million versus the homeownership programs.
I guess my question here is: in the interest of the long-term residents, what is the reasoning for the substantial difference?
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Mikkungwak. Minister Kuksuk.
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): I believe I understand your question now. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
I also thank the member for clarifying his answer.
There are two separate programs that you asked about in a singular question, so to clarify the matter, there is the homeownership program as well as other assistance funds he melded into one overarching question, so at the discretion of the chairperson, I would ask the Ms. Kimball be allowed to explain it properly with your permission, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Kuksuk.
At the time that the staff housing budget was dramatically increased, there was also a corresponding increase in the government’s support of the construction of public housing.
In the past, we were receiving no funding at all from the GN for the construction of new units. When the increase was done to the staff housing, it was also supported with a public housing increase of $8 million.
Fundamentally, the issue in Nunavut is there are not enough houses for the number of people who need houses, whether that be staff, whether that be our public housing tenants, so the focus was on the construction of new units.
At present, our homeownership programs provide support to acquire existing homes and acquire homes that people are able to fund new construction for, but the homeownership programs really aren’t driving the construction of new dwellings at this point and that is part of the strategy document that we have developed because we need to do some more targeted homeownership to incense the construction of new homes. Fundamentally, we need more dwellings constructed.
I guess my next question refers back to the capital estimates again regarding homeownership programs.
Will the Nunavut Housing Corporation consider… ? At the very beginning when Nunavut became a territory, there was the HAP program.
Will that be taken into consideration again, seeing that the funding level has remained the same for capital estimates, to accommodate more long-term residents within the territory and to maybe cut down the waitlist for homes?
This question related to the past HAP program, since you raised that question about past programs is that in hindsight, it was exceedingly more expensive to build the HAP homeownership program.
The NHC was aware of the higher costs and that included most of the public at large.
Due to these reasons, and the exorbitant costs, they start looking at alternatives to try to benefit more residents who were interested in homeownership through other programs, such as purchasing an older unit or an existing building requiring renovation only where it could become a private home.  The alternatives became more of a focus, especially better and more effective usage of our limited funds.
There was a push to get more bangs for our bucks, and with that being the case, that is why that program was abandoned. However, if I didn’t adequately answer his question, Mr. Chairman, I would ask that the question be referred to Ms. Kimball if the member wants a more detailed answer.
With the homeownership budget for $4.616 million in total, we have to very careful about how we distribute that and help as many people as we can maintain their homes that have homes, as well as help as many as we can to achieve a home.
What we found is programs such as HAP and MAP required a huge amount of resources for one client. So there are difficulties if you want to spread the wealth, so to speak, across to as many clients that can access these programs.
We will be looking at our homeownership programs through our long-term strategy to see if there are other things we can do, but something like those programs in the past.
With the current price of housing, I’m not sure that would be financially feasible at this point.
Mr. Mikkungwak: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the minister and his official for their responses.
In reviewing the substantiation sheets regarding capital estimates, my question here now is when we look at public housing, there is public housing funding for construction of new units. You also have M&I funding under capital.
This homeownership program funding under the capital estimates, is that directly to construction of new private homes?
Or does that take into consideration of other things?
Maybe I’m not making myself clear regarding homeownership programs. For clarity, it’s not to be used for construction of a new home.
I defer this question to Ms. Kimball, because I don’t think I’m coming across.
The homeownership programs that we have right now are really two streams. One is for repair and preventative maintenance programs, so basically, to support existing homeowners and make sure the dwellings that exist in Nunavut stay viable, and that we don’t lose buildings.