EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’re trying for the May/June session, so we’re trying to do that.
Mr. Curley: Yes, hopefully we’ll see that annual report.
Also, what I alluded to in the opening comments was the impact of the Staff Housing Policy and the rental increases that, I believe, have occurred twice now since the Housing Corporation took over the government staff housing.
We actually hear in some communities and see the negative impact where many of the workers are now transferring back to and applying for public housing because they see that, as alluded to by some of my colleagues here on this side, that many people cannot afford it. Do you share that impact that’s happening in the communities?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll get Mr. Scott to respond.
Two points, I guess. Number one is that the Rental Assistance Program is in place and is there to ensure that the staff housing rents are affordable for our government employees using the staff housing.
What the Rental Assistance Program does is if your income is below $90,000 then it will reduce your base staff housing rent to 20 percent of your income, which is more than affordable because the national standard is 30 percent for affordable housing.
That’s the intent of that program: to ensure that the increase in the rental rates in staff housing does not put hardship on any of our tenants.
If the members are interested, then we do have information and statistics on the rental increases over the last two years, and the total amount of increase by community, average increase in the community.
For example, in Pond Inlet over the last two years of increases, the rent has gone up an average of $205 over the two year period.
We can provide that kind of information; I’m not sure what the average is but it varies anywhere between $131 to $300 a month over a two-year period.  Yes, the rents have increased but the position is that it hasn’t increased to the point where it is putting a lot of our tenants into hardship.
If it does put them into hardship, we have the rental assistance program that should kick in.
That information is quite important and I appreciate your response. The second part of my question is; we see the pressure developing with the public housing in some communities as a result of this and I don’t know what can be done about it.
But one thing that we look to is…currently, do you have any surplus housing now as a result of the increased prices or are you still short of staff housing in most regions and some communities?
The government staff housing in Nunavut, we still have a shortage, but as Mr. Arvaluk said earlier some units are empty due to the positions that are not filled. Only if all the positions were filled would we be short of staff housing.
Is there any surplus housing in some communities? We know there are vacancies within government.
For example, there are over 300 vacancies; in Rankin Inlet close to 80 but they are not all funded. Are there some units that are not occupied?
I will get Mr. Scott to respond to that.
There are vacant staff housing units in the regional centres, the three centres and in most of the larger decentralized communities. There are also more vacant jobs than there are vacant housing units in all of those communities.
For example, in Rankin Inlet, this is information that we received a few days ago, there are 22 vacant units with 22 active competitions that come with housing that are out for advertisement right now.
Mr. Curley: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that answer.
My next question is: do we also provide housing to those who qualify; government housing for Cabinet Ministers?
To Mr. Scott.
We prefer reputable tenants in our houses so we don’t provide them to cabinet ministers.
Because the information that we get is that the Housing Corporation is now responsible for all government housing staff. Do the Cabinet Ministers who do qualify, are they responsible for their own housing, do they get any subsidies for rent or housing as part of the package, any idea since that question would have been referred to the Housing Minister anyway, so I’m asking that question.
It’s not our responsibility to respond to ministerial benefits. Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs would be the one who would handle those kinds of questions as we are the ones that handle government employees.
We’re not government employees.
Mr. Curley: You can also volunteer to release any information that you may have.
I’ll leave it to the Minister for Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
We’re on page L-4.
Chairman: Yes, it is department summary.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $98,754,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Are you agreed Nunavut Housing Corporation is concluded?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Scott.
Minister, do you have any closing comments? Minister Akesuk.
I would like to thank the members for raising some very important issues to us, and I would like to thank Mr. Scott for appearing with me.
Just to remind you, we all agreed to meet until 6:00.
We will be here until 6:00 if there is no motion before that.
(interpretation ends) I would now like to ask Minister Okalik of the Department of Justice to make his opening remarks.
Bill 01 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2007-08 – Consideration in Committee – Justice
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present to the Committee of the Whole the proposed Main Estimates and Business Plan for the Department of Justice for fiscal 2007-08.
The Department of Justice has been allocated a total operating budget of $50,072,000, which represents an increase of $704,000 or just over a one percent increase over last year’s budget.
The increase will provide the department with funds to hire five Akitsiraq Law School graduates into lawyer positions to provide greater support to the department and legal aid services.
An additional $54,000 has been reallocated to Justice from the Department of Community and Government Services, to run the recycling program for government offices in Iqaluit.
Staff and residents of our Isumassunngittukkuvik collect recycling from the various offices and workplaces weekly.
I thank you for your strong support of the Family Abuse Intervention Act, especially during the fall Session.
The Department of Justice is developing a framework for the implementation of this legislation that will help to combat family abuse of all kinds.
Since November, Justice has led consultations held with other Government of Nunavut departments, non-governmental organizations, community groups, and the RCMP to collaborate on the implementation of the law.
We have also been working on the development of a training manual. This manual will reflect the unique needs of our communities in Nunavut.
We hope to have the Family Abuse Intervention Act come into force in December 2007, but this will require some additional resources.
We will have a proposal for funding for this important initiative ready for your consideration as a Supplementary Bill during the spring session.
In November 2005, a three year collective agreement for the RCMP was negotiated at the national level. I expect that, in addition to an increase of $381,000 required for this year, the Department of Justice may need to request an increase to the RCMP contract within the 2007-08 fiscal year so that these additional costs will not cause any reduction in services.
The department continues to strive to have the delivery of all of its programs and services be guided by Inuit societal values. In order to accomplish this, we have put considerable focus on having services delivered by Inuit.
I am happy to report that over the past year the department has been able to increase Inuit employment to 47 percent, somewhat higher than the goal we had set for this fiscal year.
We will continue efforts to recruit and retain more Inuit by customizing our hiring practices, providing opportunities for personal development, and fostering workplaces that are attractive to Inuit.
I hope to be able to report to you next year that the majority of our employees are Inuit, as you will see in our business plan that we have plans to obtain 51 percent Inuit employment by March 2008.
I would be pleased to answer questions from committee members. I am sure you have a lot of questions.
Would you like to have your officials to go up with you at the witness table?
Chairman (interpretation): Does the committee agree that the officials go up to the witness table.
Sergeant-at-Arms if you would escort the officials, please.
Welcome Mr. Minister.
I am sure you all know my Deputy Markus Weber, and on my left is our Comptroller Ted Dingle.
I am very pleased to have the minister make an appearance in the Committee of the Whole and I am sure that there will be a lot of questions.
(interpretation ends) I am pleased to deliver the committee’s opening remarks as we begin consideration of the 2007-08 Main Estimates and Business Plan of the Department of Justice.
The Standing Committee Ajauqtiit has had the opportunity to meet with the minister and his officials.
Members noted that the department has hired five of the graduates from the Akitsiraq Law School program into positions in the department.
It is exciting to see these students put into practice the efforts of their hard work, and we wish them all the best.
The standing committee worked well with the minister in ensuring that the new Family Abuse Intervention Act was passed during the last session.
Members were concerned however, that Justice of the Peace Officers will need to be adequately trained in order to carry out their important responsibilities under the Act.
Members were pleased to note that the department plans to provide such training as part of its overall implementation plan for the Act.
The committee looks forward to being updated on progress in implementing the Act.
The committee has noted that the department has recently undertaken public consultations on the effectiveness of Nunavut’s Maintenance Orders Enforcement Act, and looks forward to possible improvements to the legislation.
The department’s business plan indicates that it continues to work on establishing a stand-alone probation service for Nunavut.
This has been a concern for some time now, especially in communities where probation services are provided by the social workers, who are often already overburdened.
There are still 16 communities where the social workers provide this service. While recognizing that resources are limited, the committee encourages the Departments of Justice and Health and Social Services to work together in addressing this issue.
Members were pleased to learn that the department is making efforts to increase Inuit employment within its department.
During the minister’s appearance, the committee was informed that of the approximately 66 positions at the Baffin Correctional Centre, a relatively small number of the positions are held by Inuit. This must improve.
The committee noted the minister’s commitment to achieve a 51 percent Inuit employment target in the near future.
The committee would support efforts on the part of the department to work with such organizations as Nunavut Arctic College to provide pre-employment training programs for the residents of the Kivalliq in anticipation of the opening of the new regional correctional facility.
The committee also supports the development of culturally-relevant rehabilitation programs that will help to address the high rate at which our offenders re-offend.
Members recognize and appreciate the important work performed by Community Justice Committees.
The committee notes that the department’s business plan indicates both Kimmirut and Clyde River are currently without active Community Justice Committees.
Members encourage efforts on the part of the department to ensure that all communities have active justice committees.
Mr. Chairman, members were pleased that the minister recently tabled in the House the Policing in the Territories Report and the Policing in Nunavut Report.
Members continue to be concerned with the after-hours automated telephone services in the communities. As the Policing in Nunavut Report states on this issue, “There is a significant level of frustration in the communities with the central dispatch system based in Iqaluit.
Residents find the process too time-consuming and impersonal.”
Auxiliaries were suggested by community members as an alternative for handling after-hours calls in the detachments.
The standing committee and other members recently took the opportunity to visit the Iqaluit RCMP detachment.
Although, there was no actual demonstration of the call system, members were pleased to raise issues and to ask questions to the RCMP.
Members are pleased to see initiatives such as spousal abuse prevention programs continue to be offered in more communities.
Members continue to support efforts on the part of the department to develop programs that will help resolve family disputes in a culturally sensitive way.
Members urge the minister to continue to seek additional funding for these programs.
Members were pleased to see the first annual report of Nunavut’s Human Rights Tribunal tabled in the House during the last session. Members look forward to seeing the second annual report tabled in the House later this year.
The minister indicated in November of 2005 a three year policing service agreement for the RCMP was negotiated at the national level.
In addition to an increase of $381,000 required in the current year, the department may need to request an increase to the RCMP contract within the 2007-08 fiscal year.
I anticipate that individual members will raise their own comments and concerns on the department’s 2007-08 main estimates and business plan.
Before we proceed, I would like to remind members of the following. According to Rule 77(1), you have 10 minutes to speak and according to Rule 77(2), subject to the discretion of the Chair, a member may speak more than once to a matter under discussion but not until every member wishing to speak has spoken.
I suggest to members that whenever possible, ask your detailed questions during the page-by-page review of the departmental estimates.
When I was visiting the communities in my riding and when I had meetings with the hamlet councils, some of the issues that were brought up to me included these.
In regard to the appointments of the committees, the hamlets, when there is an appointment required, the hamlet councils would like to be notified first-hand before any appointments are made.
When an appointment is made without notifying the hamlet council it creates friction between the appointee and the hamlet council and it is not right not to inform the hamlet councils first of all before making an appointment.
And as our Chairman stated, and we do know that the RCMP need to take a break now and then, but we do have frustrations with the central system, or the central dispatch system being based in Iqaluit.
I know that the RCMP members do have their phone with them when they are on call, but when there is no Inuktitut speaking member, it’s not right, I would prefer to suggest that, why as we are Canadians and the RCMP are under the federal system, especially in the smaller non-decentralized communities, why is it that there are no Inuktitut speaking individuals answering the phone?
We would think that there would be an Inuktitut speaking person answering the phones, and I’ll be asking more questions later.
The elders get very discouraged, and they get scared when there is no answer and they have no place to go and or nowhere to turn to.
I even got phone calls several times at my home to make a telephone call to the RCMP.
So, as Members of the Legislative Assembly, we should not be asked to do those duties.
I wanted to voice my concerns to the Department of Justice about that.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was going to talk about this too, but my colleague already voiced my concerns, but I’ll talk about something else.
On the third page of the minister’s opening remarks, I would like to say something. (interpretation ends) “The department continues to strive to have the delivery of all of its programs and service be guided by Inuit societal values.”
This is a very good statement.
I hope it’s not just mouthpiece information.
Because we know in our own community that outpost camp programs for young offenders is very, very helpful for both the young people and adults.
They are able to get together without any hindrance or interference from the rest of society.
That has to be very helpful.
Another comment; I would like to congratulate the minister. In this middle of this paragraph here is say that: “...we will continue efforts to recruit and retain more Inuit by customizing our hiring practices.”
I’ve got to clap on that one.
I was asking social service staff during her presentation that isn’t there any way you can find a way to customize the social service workers so that Inuit who are unilingual, who know Inuit societal values, etcetera, etcetera, can be hired and be useful for the community.
I think this is a very good step for the Inulirijiit, whether it’s in justice, social services, or correctional services, any kind of Inulirijiit can benefit from customizing hiring practices.
I think this is the key that should be adopted by the Department of Human Resources.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Welcome Minister. What we’re about to say is not just for your department but for the government as a whole.
I feel that the government could do a little bit better.
I would also like to thank the Minister and the Deputy Minister for coming to my community to talk about the facility that is going to be opened. (interpretation ends)
That is a good way to introduce the government minister as well as his team into the community consultation process. That was very much appreciated.
My opening statements will share similar points that were raised by the Member for High Arctic. I have now concluded in my life that there are regular hours for enforcing law enforcement in communities.
It generally is eight to five.
That really is very much of a concern to many of our constituencies and I have said to the Superintendent of the “G” Division that I think those people that are interested in smuggling alcohol and drugs know exactly when to do business with that trade - after hours.
They have figured out the trade routes of drug smuggling and everything else and there is really no strategy in my mind.
I will be asking the minister again because I believe the strategy should be an overall government strategy for dealing with substance abuse, as well as the drug trade, illicit drug and alcohol trade, and as well as in finding ways for the community to be involved.
It’s not just the law enforcement completely per se. I think the RCMP; the law enforcement officials are doing really quite a good job at apprehending some of those that are more … individuals that are causing trouble in communities.
I think we need a much broader strategy so that it’s not just in the hands of the RCMP, that the officials as well in the Justice Department establish programs and whatnot so that communities, in particular our elders as well, can learn from the street because many of our elderly people are not aware of exactly what impact the use of drugs cause with our young people.
(interpretation) Mr. Chairman, I wanted to say that the RCMP station is closed at night and we see a lot of criminal activity in the middle of the night, especially.
Last week there was an elder who went to get his son, and I realized what a hardship he went through because he phoned the RCMP and he was trying to phone the RCMP at five in the morning.
So he went over to get his son himself.
There was a lot of blood in this shed that he went to and somehow he happened to get into a shack or a storage place and happened to find his son full of blood.
The hospital was closed, so he took him home but almost didn’t want to take him home.
Those kinds of concerns are very serious. I could say I think we could improve those services.
If it can’t be the responsibility of the RCMP, I think there should be a person in the community that’s answering those telephones.
(interpretation ends) It’s not just a technical thing anymore. We need to do more than just complying with the technical job interpretation requirements.
Sure, these are complex issues but are they impossible to improve?
Some individuals in the government will take it personal - this is not a personal issue. These are actually the kinds of things that are happening, and they have no venue to express their feelings. So I saw the victim that was brutally beaten.
You wouldn’t recognize the individual if you were to see him but he recovered since then.
That’s one example I’m using.
So I would like to see some community initiative. I know that the superintendent said he has a group of priorities that are passed down to him from the government but I also believe that the Justice Department has certain roles to establish programs and education.
The other area that I am really quite concerned with, many of our community constituents are complaining about the lack of relationship with the community based lawyers or the legal services board appointed lawyers.
Really, there is no pre-consultation.
In many places, smaller communities, the lawyers come in at the same time the court party is happening, even in places like Rankin where there is supposedly a lawyer based in the community.
One person went in for his case, and he said when he walked inside, his case was already dealt with.
What happened? He lost his property, he lost his house.
I really truly believe that Legal Services Board should be instructed that they not allow those kinds of things, because who foots the bill on those things? Who pays for that service? I think Nunavummiut pay for that service and it’s not acceptable.
I believe the Minister of Justice is fully able to write a friendly letter to the Legal Services Board to make sure there is a client and professional relationship properly established for all cases.
If the relationship is not established, they do not proceed with the court case because a judge probably normally assumes that all the work required has been done.
I am just raising these two main points because I think we need to get the mentality that there is an only eight to five kind of an office for the RCMP in the communities and we need to tighten up in the communities.
When the incidents happen, our people should have an opportunity to call a number, which in spite of what has been promised by the RCMP that there is a triggering mechanism for the local telephone to proceed, it doesn’t always work. Even in a place like Rankin, that happened about three weeks ago.
I just wanted to raise these two areas and I am sure the minister will find a way to correct those kinds of things that are not working as they should. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We will now proceed to page-by-page review of the main estimates starting on page E-5, 2007-08 Main Estimates. Justice.
This page also includes Page E-6.
I wonder if I can ask the minister, I know it’s going to be in the enforcement, but under the policy of the Department of Justice, if they can have another long term strategy. The Territorial Policing Agreement is the priority.
I just want to find out how they deal with people who deal drugs?
We work with the RCMP and we also want to encourage more Inuit to take police training.
I know that the RCMP work very well here in the north because a lot of the good work does not get heard, only the bad news gets heard in the communities when it’s regarding the RCMP.
They try to tell you about more bad news but there is some good work that goes along with it too, and we would like to be able to protect the communities from criminal activities and for them to report to us, to work with the government, and the RCMP.
We were told that there should be something forthcoming.
Yes, I agree with the minister but we only have ten minutes to ask questions.
There are a lot of things that could be done better in your department.