EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
210 – 4(3): Net Metering Program for Residential Customers (Mike) 2868
211 – 4(3): Nunavut Teacher Education Program – Independent Review (Quassa) 2868
212 – 4(3): Hivuliqtikhanut – Emerging Managers’ Series (Taptuna) 2869
386 – 4(3): Gjoa Haven’s Literacy Action Plan (Akoak) 2870
387 – 4(3): Qajaq Building Program (Joanasie) 2871
388 – 4(3): Investigating Sounds from Fury and Hecla Strait (Quassa) 2871
Return to Oral Question 467 – 4(3): Assessing Services at Long-term Care Facilities (Mike) 2873
530 – 4(3): Hivuliqtikhanut – Senior Management Program (Okalik) 2874
531 – 4(3): Enforcement of Anti-smoking Legislation (Angnakak) 2876
532 – 4(3): Staffing within Nunavut’s Corrections Division (Rumbolt) 2879
533 – 4(3): Supporting the G.R.E.A.T. Program (Joanasie) 2880
534 – 4(3): 2016 Cruise Ship Visits (Enook) 2882
535 – 4(3): Gjoa Haven’s Literacy Action Plan (Akoak) 2884
536 – 4(3): Adequate Office Space for Baker Lake Program (Mikkungwak) 2886
537 – 4(3): Visiting Specialist (Sammurtok, A) 2887
538 – 4(3): Hivuliqtikhanut – Senior Management Program (Okalik) 2889
211 – 4(3): 2015-2016 Annual Report for Nunavut Arctic College (Quassa) 2891
212 – 4(3): FPT Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference (Ell-Kanayuk) 2891
213 – 4(3): Interim Financial Report (Unaudited) March 31, 2016 (Peterson) 2891
214 – 4(3): 2015-2016 Grants and Contributions Report (Peterson) 2891
215 – 4(3): 2015-2016 Nunavut Liquor Commission’s Annual Report (Peterson) 2892
216 – 4(3): 2015-2016 Annual Report for the Nunavut Liquor Licensing Board (Peterson) 2892
037 – 4(3): Extension of Review Period for Bill 19, Unlawful Property Forfeiture Act – Notice (Sammurtok, T) 2892
038 – 4(3): Extended Adjournment – Notice (Mikkungwak) 2892
011 – 4(3): Motion to Extend Committee of the Whole to Conclude Bill 22 (Rumbolt) 2925
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2017-2018 – Nunavut Housing Corporation – Consideration in Committee 2893
Bill 20 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2015-2016 – Consideration in Committee 2918
Bill 22 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2016-2017 – Consideration in Committee 2920
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2017-2018 – Third Reading 2928
Bill 20 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2015-2016 – Third Reading 2928
Bill 22 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2016-2017 – Third Reading 2928
Members, ministers, (interpretation ends) Premier, (interpretation) as well as visitors and staff, welcome to the House.
Prior to commencing our sitting, I want to announce that today my wife and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. We have been married for 37 years.
To my wife, I love you and thank you for reaching this day with me.
(interpretation ends) Item 2. (interpretation) Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister of Economic Development and Transportation, Ms. Monica Ell-Kanayuk.
Minister’s Statement 209 – 4(3): Community Tourism and Cultural Industries Program (Ell-Kanayuk)
The department is committed to increasing support for tourism, culture, and the arts.
The Community Tourism and Cultural Industries Program provides funding to artists, arts organizations, communities, Nunavut businesses, licensed tourism operators, and hamlets that need financial assistance with projects that will benefit their region.
(interpretation ends) This program supports projects that have an objective of promoting community tourism initiatives as well as cultural industry projects.
Last fiscal year over a dozen projects benefited from this program.
These projects include the Qaggiavut Performing Arts Summit, the creation of the Arctic Bay Adventures Inc., the Anchoring Tourism in Qikiqtarjuaq project, and support for a community tourism project in Gjoa Haven led by the Nattilik Heritage Society.
We encourage artists, tourism operators, communities, and organizations to use the funding in this program to grow the sector and attract more tourists to our communities and to realize more benefits for the tourists who are already visiting us. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Hon. Minister of the Qulliq Energy Corporation, Mr. Johnny Mike.
Minister’s Statement 210 – 4(3): Net Metering Program for Residential Customers (Mike)
Thank you, Nunavummiut and my fellow residents of Pangnirtung, as well as my relatives.
In September during the Arctic Energy Summit in Iqaluit, I announced the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s plan to launch a net metering program for residential customers across Nunavut in the spring of 2017.
(interpretation ends) The program will enable residential customers to generate their own electricity supply with renewable energy systems producing up to 10 kilowatts of power.
Customers will receive credit for any excess power that they produce and feed back into the electricity grid.
(interpretation) Mr. Speaker, the Net Metering Program is an important enabler to promote the use of renewable energy technologies in our territory, and it is a significant step towards the fulfillment of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s vision to supply Nunavummiut with a clean and sustainable source of energy.
(interpretation ends) As Minister responsible for QEC, our commitment is to provide the territory with an electricity supply that is reliable and affordable.
However, we recognize the importance of exploring all opportunities to reduce our reliance on diesel fuel and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
(interpretation) Mr. Speaker, renewable energy offers a path towards energy independence for our territory, and the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s milestone initiative is the start of a clean and sustainable energy future for Nunavut.
Minister’s Statement 211 – 4(3): Nunavut Teacher Education Program – Independent Review (Quassa)
Nunavut Arctic College, the Department of Education, and indeed our present government are continually exploring options to enhance learning opportunities for our fellow Nunavummiut.
I rise in the House today to share important information with my colleagues and the public regarding the Nunavut Teacher Education Program.
The Nunavut Teacher Education Program, as it is today, is the result of lessons learned and program elements have been modified over the years to address our unique and evolving needs in Nunavut.
Because of programs such as the Nunavut Teacher Education Program, we now have a number of Inuit and other Nunavummiut working as the frontline educators for our children and youth.
To date there have been over 500 graduates of the Nunavut Teacher Education Program. This is encouraging.
However, we will not stop here as there are opportunities through program enhancement to continue making positive steps towards meeting our shared goals and objectives related to education.
Mr. Speaker, I want my colleagues and fellow Nunavummiut to be aware that Nunavut Arctic College and the Department of Education are working together and with other partners to conduct a comprehensive program review of the Nunavut Teacher Education Program. (interpretation ends) This process will involve an independent third party conducting the review and will identify opportunities to further enhance the program and provide additional support for producing graduates that are qualified to teach Inuktitut in a bilingual education system.
This program review will also look at building on our recruitment and retention of students and ensure the program is more closely aligned with Education’s practices ranging from inclusive education to literacy instruction and assessment practices, as well as professional standards and expectations.
This review will also look at alternate delivery models, such as blended and distance learning, as well as many other elements which we can build on to guide the ongoing evolution of this vital education program.
I will be happy to share the results of the program review once it has been completed.
To conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker, I wish to encourage Nunavummiut to seriously consider applying to this great program which is offered across the territory.
We need more Nunavummiut to step up and join the growing number of home-grown teachers in this challenging, exciting, and highly rewarding profession. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister’s Statement 212 – 4(3): Hivuliqtikhanut – Emerging Managers’ Series (Taptuna)
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, the Public Service Training Division of the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs is starting the third series in the Hivuliqtikhanut Program.
The Hivuliqtikhanut Program consists of three streams: senior manager, supervisor, and emerging manager.
So far, the supervisors’ series has been fully delivered and participants graduated earlier this year.
The senior managers’ series is currently being delivered in Iqaluit.
The emerging managers’ series is the third series of the program and it consists of seven three-day modules.
This series is being held in Rankin Inlet and one module will be delivered in a decentralized community which has yet to be determined.
The first module runs from November 15 to 17 of this year.
Participants are from 10 Government of Nunavut departments and nine Nunavut communities. 79 percent of the participants are beneficiaries and 79 percent are female.
Mr. Speaker, the eligibility criteria for participants in the emerging managers’ series include program or project managers with less than two years of experience.
Participants are motivated employees with the potential to become managers or supervisors within two years. Participants may have team leadership responsibilities but do not yet supervise others.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to reporting on the completion of the series and I’m very proud of all the participants and their hard work.
Member’s Statement 386 – 4(3): Gjoa Haven’s Literacy Action Plan (Akoak)
Good afternoon, members, ministers, Premier, Nunavummiut, (interpretation) and people of Gjoa Haven.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address one of the most important aspects of our government’s mandate: the promotion of education.
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the Gjoa Haven High School Literacy Team. The members of this team have a passion to see Gjoa Haven students become the best citizens possible through a comprehensive literacy program that encourages them to be the best readers and writers that they can be.
Mr. Speaker, the goal of Gjoa Haven’s Qiqirtaq High School Literacy Action Plan is to create a functioning library in each classroom that contains 1,000 books of high interest while at the same time serving the reading levels of the students.
Through improved literacy, it is hoped that students will thrive and be successful in education, in business, and in the community.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the current literacy budget does not provide sufficient funds for this project.
However, the team is working hard to get support for this investment.
It is not just an investment in books, but in transforming the lives of students, families, and the greater community.
I will quote from Nunavut Arctic Colleges’ Minister’s Statement, “…producing graduates that are qualified to teach Inuktitut in a bilingual education system.”
Member’s Statement 387 – 4(3): Qajaq Building Program (Joanasie)
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, my colleagues and all Nunavummiut listening to the proceedings.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to this momentous occasion which I feel is very newsworthy and will take place in Iqaluit.
There is a project called Qajaqtuaq, which will consist of a five-week pilot project teaching a cultural revitalization program.
It will be specific to Inuit from ages 19 to 100 years, consisting of interested Inuit from Cape Dorset, Iqaluit, and Kimmirut residents who can apply for this program. Furthermore, it will have three phases where they will learn how to build a traditional qajaq.
The first classes will begin in a short while, as the announcement stated a start date of November 21 and ending on December 2.
This will be a two-week course with the introduction of the basics of building a qajaq, including the frame and the traditional technique of stitching it together. They will start in the classroom.
Eventually for the second phase, they will then start covering their frames with canvas, sealskin, or fake leather, with this phase scheduled to take place in March of next year.
The second phase will involve learning how to make the covering for the qajaq. This course is going to be about a week and a half.
The third phase will involve the students taking their qajaq out to familiarize themselves with it and to learn different methods starting in July.
This phase is expected to last two weeks in the summer.
The project instructors will be Emilayou Arnaquq and Moosa Akavak.
I want to extend my thanks to them for taking the time to teach others, as well as the coordinator, Maxine Carroll, for reintroducing this traditional skills training course.
I also thank the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, Nunavut Arctic College, Piqqusilirivvik, the Nunavut Research Institute, the Department of Culture and Heritage, the Inuit Heritage Trust, as well as the body called NRS.
Member’s Statement 388 – 4(3): Investigating Sounds from Fury and Hecla Strait (Quassa)
I want to take this opportunity to provide an update to my colleagues regarding my Member’s Statement on the pinging that was being heard in the waters close to Igloolik at a place called Aukkarnirjuaq (Fury and Hecla Strait) as well as near the island of Salliit.
Mr. Speaker, as you may be aware, fellow resident hunters in Igloolik, as well as our Speaker and other vessels that have sailed in that marine area all reported the lack of seals and other marine mammals in Fury and Hecla Strait.
Our hunters spend quite a lot of time in that vicinity hunting marine mammals in both summer and winter seasons.
The sound that was heard was thought to be coming from the seafloor.
Mr. Speaker, we requested information first from our regulators here in Nunavut, such as the (interpretation ends) Nunavut Research Institute, (interpretation) that stated that no approvals were given for projects involving any sound-emitting technology as they must first approve projects beforehand.
After I made my statement, we sent a request through our Premier’s Office to the Department of National Defence and the closest base is in Hall Beach with personnel administering the early warning system in Hall Beach.
Although it is situated close to this area, when the request was sent to DND, they investigated the concern and they followed their protocol when investigating such security matters.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Armed Forces dispatched a CP-140 Aurora aircraft under the mandate of Operation LIMPID to investigate the sounds.
Various multi-sensor searches as well as acoustic search were employed by the crew and no contact surface or subsurface was made.
Mr. Speaker, if I can extend my statement, if the members agree. (interpretation) Thank you.
There are no nays. Mr. Quassa, please proceed.
(interpretation ends) Operation LIMPID is the routine domestic surveillance of the Canadian air, marine, land, space and cyber domains as well as presence in Canada’s aerial, maritime and land approaches.
(interpretation) We want to thank the Department of National Defence for doing an investigation on this immediately after we informed them. I know they will keep investigating this. They will be kept informed by the hunters as well and they will inform the hunters as to what they find.
I encourage hunters to keep telling the Department of National Defence what they hear.
After the Department of National Defence investigated, the noise apparently stopped.
Perhaps they saw whales and belugas while they were investigating.
Mr. Speaker, sometimes there are mysterious things happening and there are people out there that report when they see or hear mysterious things.
We thank the people of Igloolik for informing us when they noticed this happening.
Return to Oral Question 467 – 4(3): Assessing Services at Long-term Care Facilities (Mike)
This question was asked by MLA Angnakak to me and the question was regarding the assessment of services at long-term care facilities for elders or youth.
(interpretation ends) Question:
“There are a number of facilities across Nunavut which provide care services for elders, adults, children, and other vulnerable individuals with long-term care needs.
Can the minister provide an update on how often the level of care and services at these facilities is monitored and assessed and indicate whether he would be prepared to make these assessment reports available to members?”
(interpretation) Response:
The Department of Family Services currently has responsibility for the long-term residential care needs of children and adults, including the funding of three elders’ homes and a facility for children with significant disabilities.
(interpretation ends) The Department of Family Services completes a comprehensive review of all long-term care facilitates under the department’s mandate on an annual basis.
The most recent facility reviews took place on the following dates:
Iqaluit Elders Facility, September 15, 2016
Baker Lake Elders Facility, August 31 to September 1, 2016
Arviat Elders Facility, August 27 to 30, 2016
Naja Isabella Home, October 29 to 30, 2015.
The next facility review is scheduled for the week of November 14, 2016.
(interpretation) The levels of care for the three elders facilities are reviewed quarterly and the most recent assessments for the clients of those three facilities occurred concurrently with the facility reviews mentioned above.
Assessments for the levels of care for clients at the Naja Isabella Home are completed regularly and the clients are seen by staff at the local health centre.
Clients of the Naja Isabella Home have annual checkups in Winnipeg or as required by the specialist/medical personnel in Winnipeg.
(interpretation ends) The current facility reviews are being finalized and will be reviewed by the Department of Family Services.
Once a review is complete, the department can provide an overview on the content of the reports that respects the confidentiality of the clients residing in the facilities.
The levels of care assessments cannot be shared because they contain personal and confidential medical information regarding the clients. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Please note that members will be provided with the Inuktitut version once the table receives it from the minister.
Question 530 – 4(3): Hivuliqtikhanut – Senior Management Program (Okalik)
My question is for the Premier regarding his statement earlier.
This program does have an Inuktitut name that he referenced. It is called Hivuliqtikhanut (management training program), which he stated is a beneficial program training upper management skills for government employees.
We all know that the numbers of Inuit employees is much lower in our government than was planned as a goal.
Further, I anticipate a response that this program is for all residents of Nunavut as the government representing the public.
Nonetheless, the Charter of Rights speaks to any group of people who have faced discrimination or haven’t been included in past initiatives by other groups and that groups facing barriers can receive additional support from the government.
Why is our own government not using this legislation to increase the training numbers of Inuit employed within our public service?
It seems again that Inuit are being placed on the second tier, although they face systemic barriers within education, especially if we state we are representing Inuit in Nunavut.
Why are we still trying out this process?
Mr. Speaker, there have been many programs that are available for beneficiaries and we created more, and one of them is in my Minister’s Statement.
We want to ensure that we are able to have beneficiaries move up and get positions that are senior, senior managers, managers, and supervisors. There are many other programs that we have made throughout this government.
Yes, it’s very difficult to get the 85 percent representative of our beneficiary employment within the government.
It has been stalled practically at 50 percent or 51 percent. Mr. Speaker, at times it’s very difficult to increase these numbers when the number of positions in the government increases year by year unlike in the past where there were only a few positions that were available.
Mr. Speaker, we continue to try to increase those beneficiary numbers. Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated is a partner in this to try to train Inuit beneficiaries to get employment not just in the Nunavut government but with other governments, including the Government of Canada.
If we are to follow our own documented goals and to be taken at face value for our commitment, then it should be specific to Inuit beneficiaries, especially if our stated goals are to increase the numbers of Inuit in senior management positions.
We should specify this is geared towards Inuit beneficiaries and try our utmost to increase the numbers of our fellow Inuit in these upper management positions. Our Inuit haven’t caught up to the representative level in many areas.
This should be for Inuit, especially with that Inuktitut name for the program. Will this program be specific to Inuit in the future?
We seem to be abusing our representation of Inuit, even with this erroneous name for the program, as the numbers of beneficiaries are lower than our target.
There are many attempts that have been tried in the past and we continue to do that. We provide programming where we enable beneficiaries to come into these positions.
Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we tackle on a daily basis is to try to increase our graduation rates. That is one of things we face every day. Our labour pool in Nunavut is very small.
Once you take a 15-year-old out of that pool, it becomes a very small pool of employable people.
That doesn’t mean the Government of Nunavut is going to stop and blame it on something else.
With our partners, the federal government and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, we have “strategized” to come up with more Inuit employment within the Government of Nunavut, within the Government of Canada, and overall employment in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, we will continue to do that. We will continue to look for opportunities to create beneficiary employment.
First of all, with the help of the Minister of Education, we’re trying to increase our graduation rates.
Without that it is very difficult for some of these positions.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, most of the employees are outside of Iqaluit and we want to pay attention to the smaller communities and we want to increase the level of employment in these smaller communities also.
Mr. Speaker, with the MLAs’ support and with the support of the NTI, we do have opportunities here now for Article 23, where in the past we had only $10,000 to train Inuit.
As I mentioned the other day, now we have $40 million compared to $10,000 a year. We do have $40 million where we can actually make long-term plans to gain more beneficiary employment within our government through training.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That answer didn’t include a response to my question.
Within the Minister’s Statement, it speaks to a 79 percent figure in this program.
If we are going to fully represent all of Nunavut, then that number should be at 85 percent or even higher than that number.
Our Inuit employees at the senior management levels are far below our stated goals.
In my estimation, the focus should be on Inuit specifically in this program.
If our stated goal is to provide more training for Inuit to allow placement in upper management levels of our government, especially since the program has an Inuktitut name, it would seem specific to Inuit, but again, the reality is that Inuit comprise a much smaller portion of the program in light of our representation of Inuit in the territory.
When will the changes be implemented to improve this program?
Mr. Speaker, as a public government we try to assist all of our employees, beneficiaries and other employees that are within our workforce.