EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
One creative way was to look at, for example, Gjoa Haven. Where was the biggest need, and it was at the elementary level in that case, to be able to do a phasing of the project – Phase I and Phase II - where the most need was and that was at the elementary level of the school and spend $17 million to be able to do that, and then look at Phase II, putting some money in the budget. So that is one creative way of doing it.
The second way is like on the Nunavut Arctic College buildings; to take the tender that we received last time, re-tender it, see what we come in with, and then you could also do an invitational tender, where you pick two or three companies and say, ‘It is what we have for $17 million. Can you give us A or B?’
So those are the options that are available to us and those are the options that we’ve been moving forward toward.
The member is correct that this is not unique just to the government or even to Nunavut. It’s happening across Canada, and indeed, in the States.
The minister indicated he re-tendered that project.
The substantiation sheet indicates that this project has been tendered twice and that both times the submissions were deemed excessive by CGS staff.
After the first time, was there any thought, or when you look at increases; is our numbers still reflective of what we think would be required for that type of a tender? Did they look at increasing amounts, if not after the first one, after the second one?
Hon. Ed. Picco: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.The CGS, as the member rightfully suggested, is the coordinator for all capital within the government, including the Department of Education. We have a capital planner, honestly, within the department like other departments. The majority of the tendering, the packaging, and so on go through CGS; they have that expertise.
When CGS project staff looked at the amount that came in from the package, they deemed them excessive and that’s why we’re saying we’re looking at opportunities within that framework to re-tender the project and to see if we can determine if the scope of work can be adjusted, but at the same time not ruining or changing the integrity of the program that we would like to have in place.
According to the substantiation sheet for this project, and I think, I don’t know maybe the minister or his officials can correct me if I’m wrong, that we’ve spent approximately $725,000 for the planning and design for this project.
I’m just wondering, where they talked about where they’re determining the scope of work to see if it could be adjusted to reduce costs of the project, is that on top of $725,000 that we paid for the planning and design so far, or would that be included in that amount?
That would be inclusive; that would include that amount.
We’ve paid for design, and I would assume an architect to come up with the design, and hours of time of people looking at it try and determine if it could be done cheaper on there.
I guess I’m just looking at the last line in the substantiation sheet here under the Explanation of Basis for Liability of Estimated Capital Acquisition Costs, it’s a nice little heading, it says here that they’re now evaluating the concept of a design-build approach to the next tender call.
Would that mean that $725,000 is being thrown out the window and having to pay for someone else to come up with a different design for that facility?
What we’re trying to do for the government is get the best value.
If I’m using a design, I’ve tendered it twice, and the contractors come back and say, ‘Well, if we want to do that project, then we’re going to charge you $10 million, or $12 million, or $15 million more than what you budgeted for,’ then as a government, we have to look at the design and say, ‘Is that the design we want to go for if it’s going to cost us that much money?’ No different from you designing a house or the members, or what have you. So the short answer would be yes.
We want to be able to look at all options to bring that cost down.  So given the amount of money that we’ve spent and the amounts that we have available for the project, we want to be able to look at other options to us.
That’s no different than any other department or business would do, and that’s what we’re attempting.
We haven’t said we’re going to do that. We’re saying, ‘Is there an opportunity if we rent…’ let’s say, for example, on an invite tender which we just talked about, that we went to an invite tender and say, ‘We have $13 million to spend. Can you give us the following?’
And, that’s the idea there when you look an invitational tender or a design-build.
They might actually take the design that we have right now, which we’ve paid for, and be able to modify that and say, ‘Within the design that you have, we can do the following.’
So that’s the type of questions that will be going out there in November when we do the re-tendering, looking at, ‘Is there an opportunity for an invitational tender to have the re-tendering process itself or a design-build?’
Chairman: Thank you, Minister. (interpretation) We are on page 6 and top of page 7. Mr. Kattuk.
On page 7, on the top, in Inuktitut it says Iqaluit and in the English it says Sanikiluaq.
Can the minister tell me for the record: which community or city are we talking about on this page?
I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the member and to the members.
There is a typographical error on page G-7.
It indicates in Inuktitut, in Syllabics, Iqaluit. Indeed, that should be Sanikiluaq.
Sanikiluaq is correct in English.
Mr. Kattuk: Is that for the record?
He asked me that a second time. I’m going to have to check because I want to make sure that if I say it’s on the record, it’s on the record. So if the member will give me just a second to confer with my colleague.
I’ll make my question short in view of the time.
Mr. Chairman, with respect to my colleague from Iqaluit Centre, I think he started to ask an appropriate question.
With respect to project management, including cost estimates and all of that, and the tenders, obviously, contained cost estimates that were prepared by the, I assume, government official, Mr. Chairman, can the minister help us out in explaining?
Obviously, somebody is wrong with estimates.
Either the government is underestimating huge projects that they have laid out as well, or the contractors that are submitting bids for the tenders are wrong. Who is it, Mr. Chairman, that is making those mistakes?
Again, I just want to confirm the dollar values for Sanikiluaq. There is a typographical error there with the Inuktitut in Sanikiluaq, so I just want to confirm the amount.
So while my officials are just reviewing that amount, I would just like to answer the member in his question. Again, the member is incorrect, he is wrong.
What’s happening here, as I tried to explain earlier, is that when we look at the total budgeted values that are available, given what’s happening in the world economy and so on, all the tenders seem to be coming in, in most cases, 90 percent of the time, 10, 20, or 30 percent more than what’s budgeted for. It’s not mistakes being made by departmental officials and so on.
We can see that in other jurisdictions, and I gave an example of Alberta and the Northwest Territories, where similar issues are occurring. That’s why we are seeing the slippage in the capital budgets.
No builder, no private sector; no builder who is going to be actually doing the work is going to bill you for anything less than the value of the costs of a project.
Simply, the government is underestimating those costs that they’re not giving out the true values of these projects, and therefore, someone is wrong. In the private sector, your estimates, or your project manager would be 100 percent replaced for not coming in on budget and whatnot and so on.
So, in view of time, Mr. Chairman, I would like to report progress at this time.
Is that a motion?
Thank you, Minister Picco, Mr. Horn, and Ms. Okpik.
I’ll see you again tomorrow.
Mr. Arreak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bill 16 and the Capital Estimates, and would like to report progress.
Is there a seconder? Thank you, Mr. Netser.
A reminder of a meeting of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Accountability for tomorrow morning at nine o’clock in the Tuktu Boardroom.
Orders of the Day for October 24:
This House stands adjourned until Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
Appendix – October 23, 2007
Return to Written Question 006 – 2(4): Administration and Enforcement of the Liquor Act
Asked of: Hon. David Simailak, Minister responsible for the Liquor Act
Date: May 31, 2007
The Nunavut Liquor Licensing Board is responsible for the imposition of fines and suspensions if the holder of a liquor license commits certain offences.
All other offences are prosecuted through charges brought by the RCMP and sentences (generally fines) imposed by the Nunavut Court of Justice after conviction.
As of April 1, 2007, the Honourable Paul Okalik is the Minister responsible for the Liquor Licensing Board.
The Department of Justice has provided us with the following information regarding fines imposed under the Liquor Act between November 1, 2005 and March 31, 2007.
Fines imposed on liquor offences
November 1, 2005 to March 31, 2007
(broken down by community)
# of fines
Total fines
$575.00
$1,150.00
$690.00
$2,990.00
$460.00
$4,975.00
$1,840.00
$1,610.00
$1,092.50
$2,908.00
$275.00
(broken down by category of offence)
Category of offence
s. 85 – Supplying to a minor
$4,600.00
s. 87 – Supply to an interdicted person
s. 88 – Unlawful possession of liquor
$6,805.00
s. 92, 94, 95 – Unlawful consumption
$6,010.50
s. 98(3) – Person under 19 on premises
Return to Written Question 007 – 2(4): Victims of Violence in Nunavut
Kugluktuk  Cape Dorset
The GN requires monthly reports on the operating expenses and the occupancy, as well as an annual audited financial statement.
The department’s recently approved Grants and Contributions Policy describes the financial reporting requirements and the Family Violence Shelter Minimum Standards policy sets out the nature of the occupancy reporting requirements.
Social Services case workers keep files and deal with clients on an individual basis for those who are referred to shelters through social services.
Likewise, patient files at health centres have a record of referrals from the health centres.
HSS receives occupancy reports from the shelters describing the following:
Number of new clients
Number of returning clients
Type of referral
RCMP
Health Centre
Nunavut Arctic College
Victim Services
Reason for admission
Where clients are referred to from the shelter; and
Departure plans.
Not all shelters have been able to provide regular occupancy reports and so the information we have is not complete.
This could be due to a lack of capacity at the shelters or a lack of adequate training for producing reports.
As mentioned, not all shelters have been able to produce monthly or yearly occupancy reports on a regular basis.
Occupancy reporting is a requirement of the Family Violence Shelter Minimum Standards, a policy document bound to the contribution agreements allowing the department to exercise different options if shelters are unable to comply:
Require that the shelter re-establish compliance upon negotiated terms and conditions within a specific time frame;
Initiate a regional contract review;
Suspend or withdraw department funding;
Suspend or terminate an existing contribution agreement; or
Refuse to enter into a new contribution agreement with the shelter
Although many of the shelters have not complied with the minimum occupancy reporting requirements, HSS is working to address this issue by encouraging the use of reporting templates and guidelines that we’ve developed, helping to reduce the reporting burden so that shelters are more able to focus on counselling services and other priorities.
Travel has not been consistently tracked to the level where we can differentiate travel for crisis shelters versus other social services travel, although we expect to be able to provide this type of information in the future as we become more sophisticated in our accounting procedures and our new Client Travel Policy will ensure that this level of detail is noted when the travel is booked.
However, not all travel for crisis shelters is arranged by the Department of Health and Social Services since the RCMP and the Department of Justice also make referrals and their information would need to be coupled with our statistics.
This information is not available for the same reasons stated in the answer to the previous question (5).
Namely, that travel has not been consistently tracked to the level where we can differentiate travel for crisis shelters versus other social services travel.
This information is not available yet, but we will be able to track this information in the future as we work with the shelters to improve their ability to produce appropriate occupancy reports.
Crisis shelters are an important component of a series of services designed to help victims of violence.
These are our objectives:
Make sure there are crisis shelters available to house people in need;
This is being accomplished.
Although not every community has a crisis shelter funded by the GN, there are regional facilities and out-of-territory facilities that provide this service.
Also, for many Nunavummiut, going to a crisis shelter within their community is not the best option.
For the sake of privacy and safety, leaving the community is often a good choice.
Make sure the funds that we distribute on behalf of the GN are accounted for with proper expense reports and an annual audited financial statement;
The shelters that receive contributions from the GN provide the required financial reports according to the GN standards.
Collect information on the use of shelter services so that we can make informed decisions on programs that we offer.
We are working to enhance the level of information we receive from the shelters.
Minister of Finance; Minister of Economic Development and Transportation; Chair of the Financial Management Board
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Pages 1825 – 1886
Opening Prayer 1825
Point of Order 1825
Ministers’ Statements 1826
Members’ Statements 1827
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 1831
Oral Questions 1831  Point of Order 1836
Tabling of Documents 1851
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 1852
Report of the Committee of the Whole 1885
Orders of the Day 1885
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 1825
084 – 2(4): Community Skills Inventory System Wins National Award (Picco) 1826
085 – 2(4): Environmental Rules Relaxed for Arctic Operations (Netser) 1827
187 – 2(4): Congratulations to Graduates from Repulse Bay (Mapsalak) 1828
188 – 2(4): World-Class Gold Producer (Peterson) 1829
189 – 2(4): Courage of Constituent (Kattuk) 1830
190 – 2(4): Special Olympian Terry Kuliktana (Evyagotailak) 1830
236 – 2(4): Passage of Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2007-2008 (Barnabas) 1831
237 – 2(4): Clarification of Minister’s Comments on Funding for Nunavut Nurses (Tootoo) 1833
238 – 2(4): Air Quality Sanikiluaq School (Kattuk) 1837
239 – 2(4): Status of Dispute between Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation and Qulliq Energy Corporation (Curley) 1838
240 – 2(4): Status of Devolution and Federal Investments in North (Peterson) 1841
241 – 2(4): Photo Identification Problems (Arvaluk) 1843
242 – 2(4): Problems with Generators (Mapsalak) 1845
243 – 2(4): Photo ID Delay Problems (Arreak) 1847
244 – 2(4): Contract to Provide GN Informatics (Tootoo) 1849
119 – 2(4): Letters to the Member for Uqqummiut from Students of Inuksuit School in Qikiqtarjuaq re. Renovation to School and New Playground (Arreak) 1851
120 – 2(4): Arctic Bay Inuujaq School – Photographs of Deteriorating Condition (Barnabas) 1851
Bill 16 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee – Education 1852
Bill 16 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee – Culture, Language, Elders and Youth 1873
Speaker (Hon. Peter Kilabuk)(interpretation): I would like to ask Mr. Evyagotailak to lead us in prayer.
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) In accordance with Rules of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, I rise on a Point of Order.
As you know, Mr. Speaker, Rule 23 (h) prohibits a member from making allegations against another member.
Rule 23 (i) prohibits members from imputing false or hidden motives to another member.
Mr. Speaker, a review of the October 23, 2007 unedited Blues of Question Period will show that the Member for Rankin Inlet North made a false allegation, or imputed a hidden motive to me when, in a question regarding the former CEO of Nunavut Development Corporation, he stated, “Ignore the Premier’s personality difference between him and that; I believe that plays into effect because I believe there’s some disagreement on that.”
Given that there’s no truth or substance to this allegation, I am confident that you will agree that there is Point of Order and that the Rules of this House have been violated.
I would request that you review this matter, and if you concur with my Point of Order, you direct the Member for Rankin Inlet North to withdraw his comments.
Thank you, for your consideration, and I look forward to your ruling. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To the Point of Order. Mr. Curley.
With your permission, I need to review my comments in the Blues, and ask that I be allowed to do that and that I’ll deal with it tomorrow morning.
I will give you the time to review the unedited Hansard and we will deal with it first thing tomorrow afternoon.
Minister’s Statement 084 – 2(4): Community Skills Inventory System Wins National Award (Picco)
I would like to take this opportunity to inform the Members of the House about a prestigious honour recently awarded to the Department of Education.
Mr. Speaker, last month the Government of Nunavut received the 2007 Silver Award for Innovative Management by the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. The theme of this year’s award was New Service Breakthroughs with Technology.
Mr. Speaker, the award was given for Education’s creation of the Nunavut’s Community Skills Inventory System (NCSIS). The department’s program was selected from 55 submissions from across Canada and has been recognized for innovations in the public service for 2007.
This system is an online employment and training system that uses essential skills to match employers and potential employees in Nunavut. It gathers detailed information about the skills needed for available jobs and compares that to the skills held by Nunavummiut.
It is fully operational in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English and French, with a voice-over component for lower literacy clients.
NCSIS is a collaborative project with 30 community partners and has been piloted with great success in Baker Lake, Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay, Arctic Bay, Iqaluit and Cape Dorset.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education is committed to developing programs and services which meet the needs of Nunavummiut and reflect our expanding economic potential.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners and supporters for helping to make this project such a success.
Minister’s Statement 085 – 2(4): Environmental Rules Relaxed for Arctic Operations (Netser)
Hon. Patterk Netser: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am upset to hear that the Canadian Navy is considering relaxing its environmental regulations when it comes to its vessels operating in our arctic waters. The navy’s proposed changes will allow them to dump garbage, oily waste, raw sewage and other effluents in waters next to the arctic shoreline.
It would be a terrible mistake for the Canadian Navy to adopt this policy. If the Canadian Government does not lead by example, other governments might consider it acceptable to relax their own pollutions prevention measures. How can the government expect to have any credibility when criticizing other nations for not doing more in protecting our arctic waters when their navy dumps waste into the same ocean?
Mr. Speaker, this decision is especially frustrating since we know some vessels, such as the new Victoria class submarines, are reportedly equipped to treat oily wastes before they are discharged. We know that the technology exists to manage waste on-board ships. Rather than taking the easy way out and relaxing the pollution control measures at sea, the Canadian Navy should concentrate on measures to treat wastes before they are discharged.
There are ballooning environmental issues and concerns over the movement of various pollutants into our arctic environment. These pollutants are adversely affecting our people from the North, and indeed, our wildlife.
That makes it all the more disappointing that our own Canadian Government is considering revising its laws that will result in additional pollution to the arctic.
Mr. Speaker, I have written a formal letter of protest to the Honourable John Baird, Federal Minister of Environment, and cc’d it to the Honourable Peter Mackay, Minister of National Defence, conveying our deepest concerns about this proposed plan.
I have asked him to consider tightening, rather than relaxing, our federal government’s position on pollution prevention in Canadian Arctic Waters. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member’s Statement 187 – 2(4): Congratulations to Graduates from Repulse Bay (Mapsalak)
I rise today to congratulate a number of students from Repulse Bay who recently graduated from high school.
As their Member of the Legislative Assembly, I was pleased to be able to attend their graduation ceremony a few weeks ago.
Education and life-long learning are the keys to success, and I know that the entire community is proud of their achievement.
Seven students graduated at the ceremony. This is the highest number of graduates we have ever had, and the entire community is proud.
As their MLA, I believe that support for education and life-long learning must be a key priority to our government.
We all want our young people to succeed in life and to take on the responsibilities of leadership.
In today’s world, education and training are the keys to success, and I am committed to supporting efforts to strengthen our education system, and to help our youth achieve their full potential.
I encourage all of our graduates to continue their studies.
Learning does not stop when you leave high school --- it has only just begun.
I also want to take a moment to recognize the commitment of our parents, teachers and principals.
Our hard-working educators truly make the difference in the success of our children.
I ask all members to join me in congratulating:
Maylain Bruce;
Jennnifer Kadjuk;
Trevor Kringayark;
Denise Malliki;
Michael Putulik;
Rebecca Siusagnark; and
Jessica Siutinuar;
We are all behind you.
Member’s Statement 188 – 2(4): World-Class Gold Producer (Peterson)
I rise today to tell the House about an exciting event that occurred two weeks ago in the Kitikmeot.
Mr. Speaker, it has long been known that the Kitikmeot is home to some of the world’s largest deposits of base metals and precious minerals.
Indeed, since 1993, Kitikmeot leaders have been travelling around Canada and the world to tell investors and mining companies that “We’re Open for Business.”
Mr. Speaker, on October 9, Newmont Mining, a world-class gold producer with operations on five continents, entered into an agreement with Miramar Mining to acquire their company, which includes the Hope Bay Project and a greenstone belt that has the potential to host several tens of millions of ounces of gold.
Mr. Speaker, although the deal isn’t concluded yet, the fact that a company of Newmont’s global stature is prepared to invest $1.5 billion in Nunavut is significant.
Nunavut is attracting considerable interest from some of the world’s largest mineral companies, including Agnico-Eagle and Zinifex.
This bodes well for Nunavut’s future.
Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to meet with a Newmont executive in Cambridge Bay for over an hour last week.