EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
By not increasing it, I don’t see the point in having it grow at this point or at least until there’s a devolution negotiator named by the federal government. I can’t see how we can move forward on the file until one is actually named.
For that reason, I was putting forward this motion.
Again I want to stress the fact that I’m not saying devolution is not a good idea. Again, we’ve had other ministers make comments.
At this time, I don’t think it is worthwhile expanding the entire division. At the same time, I don’t think it is worth decreasing it. For that reason, I’m putting forward the motion.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Elliott. Are there any comments to the motion?
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you, Iksivautaaq. (interpretation) Thank you.
This is very important and this is a recommendation from the Regular Members’ Caucus. I would suggest that the cabinet meet and have their caucus. We need to take a 10-minute break to deal with this issue because we were not informed ahead of time about this motion.
There is a motion on the floor and the Chair has the authority to take a break, so we will take a 10-minute break. For your information, there are some snacks out there. We will now take a 10-minute break.
We will ring the bells to call you back.
>>Committee recessed at 17:46 and resumed at 18:01
We will now resume our committee meeting.
There is a motion on the floor moved by Mr. Elliott.
I would like to remind the members that every member has the right to speak once to the motion for a total of 20 minutes. The mover of the motion has the right to the last reply.
When I talked about the opening comments of the Hon. Premier, I noticed $297,000 in new funding and I spoke about it and I asked her: when do you expect the federal government’s chief negotiator will be appointed?
I wish that money was put under poverty reduction. I wish that money was put into social housing. Mr. Chairman, I wish that money was put into the breakfast program.
I wish that money was put into search and rescue.
I realized that while we have all of the resources within Nunavut under the surface, while big companies are taking advantage of the renewable resources, and we are getting very little to help the people that we represent, I wish we could use that money to put money into the breakfast program and reduce poverty in Nunavut, and perhaps put some of that money into social housing and build shelters for women and children.
The only way that I feel, and perhaps I stand alone on this side, we can start to take advantage of renewable resources is by having province-like power up here.
The only way we can attain that is to start negotiating devolution with the federal government.
We have to send a strong message to the federal government that we are ready and we are willing to take on the business of dealing with what we have up here.
I hate to tell my colleagues here that I will not support that motion because every day we talk about now this is what we need at home; we need to reduce the poverty; we need more social housing; we need more money for breakfast programs.
Let’s get serious.
Although I do not agree with everything the Hon. Premier is trying to do here, this is the right direction. We have to show the federal government that we are prepared and we are ready to take on business.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Ningark. (interpretation ends) To the motion, please. (interpretation) There are no more comments to the motion.
Again, in terms of putting forward the motion, I’m saying that I believe in devolution. I believe that we are moving forward.
I believe that from what the Premier has been saying, we have gone from a budget of $461,000 to looking for $1.5 million to run the Devolution Division, which is working towards devolution.
But whether we’re seeing any results, I realize, to what Mr. Ningark was saying, we have a lot of potential in terms of mineral rights.
When you have a federal government that is not naming a chief negotiator for two years, then how do negotiations continue to move forward when you have no one to speak to?
To me, the fiscally responsible thing to do is continue to work with the number of people you have and the resources you already have, just like every other department within the Government of Nunavut having to work with the resources that they have and not continuing to grow and being cut back in certain areas to run programs.
To me, this division can work with the number of people that they already have.
In the questions that we have been asking to the Premier about what would happen when this division expanded, it doesn’t seem like the division will be doing anything more than it already has.
So what’s the point in increasing it and having it grow?
To me, the division is there, so we are showing the federal government that we are serious. We’re showing them that we’re willing to spend $1.2 million at the end of this fiscal year. Out of our budget, $1.2 million is going and that $1.2 million could go to feed people in the communities, it could go to provide jobs, but we’re setting that aside to work at a division that is looking at working towards devolution that isn’t really going anywhere because there’s no one within the federal government who is listening.
Until they name that chief negotiator, that division is not going to go anywhere other than to continue to work to partnership and develop those networks that need to be in place once that chief negotiator is named.
I’m sure we all realize as regular members on this side that at this point in the game, the Government of Nunavut and cabinet can actually outvote us because of the number of votes that they have. To me, I’m hoping this will send a message out to the Government of Nunavut and also to the federal government that we’re serious that we want to move forward on devolution.
When are you actually going to show up to start negotiations?
From what the Premier is telling us, it seems like the federal government is dragging its feet. It needs to name a negotiator and we don’t have the dollars to continue.
To me, again, we’re showing the federal government that we’re fiscally responsible in saying that we won’t expand this department, we will continue to work with the resources we have, we will continue to negotiate, and hopefully the federal government will come and work with us.
That’s the message I want to send and that’s the reason why I would like to have support in this motion to, like Mr. Ningark said, put $300,000 into search and rescue efforts or what other efforts the department is willing to place it in.
With that being said, Mr. Chairman, I will just ask for a recorded vote, please.
There is a motion on the floor and he requested a recorded vote. We are going to ask you to stand.
Mr. Elliott moved to delete $297,000 from the main estimates of the Devolution Branch of the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
All those opposed to the motion, please stand.
I would like to ask the Premier to go back to the witness table.
Sergeant-at-Arms, could you please escort the Premier and witnesses to the table.
Devolution. B-11. $1,516,000. Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): We will go back to page B-3. Detail of Expenditures. Total Department. $20,020,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Does the committee agree that the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs is concluded?
Thank you, Madam Premier, for being at the witness table. Do you have any closing remarks?
I also thank you for the process that we just went through by introducing a motion to support us.
The issue of devolution is very important to us. We are looking ahead into the future to improve the quality of life of Nunavummiut to sustain ourselves and be able to stand on our own feet economically and this is going to be very important for our children and our children’s children. We have to think about devolution as a tool for our next generations.
Thank you for your support. I know that the funds or programs and services for social issues and other programs are very important for Nunavummiut.
Devolution is important, and we have to prepare and plan ahead for the negotiation process. We have to look into the future.
You had some very good questions. Thank you for asking those questions.
We will keep your suggestions and recommendations in mind. We will listen to you.
Also last but not least, I would like to thank my staff for being here for us.
They work very hard on behalf of the department so that Intergovernmental Affairs and the operations of the government can run smoothly.
I am very grateful to the staff for that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Madam Premier and your staff.
Sergeant-at-Arms, can you please escort the Premier and her staff from the table.
I would like to ask the Speaker to go to the witness table.
You can now make your opening comments.
Bill 01 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2011-2012 – Consideration in Committee –Legislative Assembly
Speaker (interpretation): Good evening.
It is a pleasure for me to appear before you today to present the 2011-12 main estimates and 2011-14 business plan for the Office of the Legislative Assembly.
The proposed 2011-12 operations and maintenance budget for the Office of the Legislative Assembly is $16,935,000, which represents less than 1.5 percent of the government’s total proposed operations and maintenance expenditures for the next fiscal year.
Members will note that the Assembly’s size and budget remain relatively stable.
The total number of positions in our organization has not increased in a number of years.
Members will also note that the budget before you today has benefited from adjustments to ensure that recent enhancements to the constituency assistants’ program and other initiatives, including the Page Program and activities related to the Order of Nunavut, are fully and transparently funded.
In addition to highlighting our operational priorities for the coming fiscal year, I would like to update members on the status of a number of our ongoing initiatives.
As members are aware, The Order of Nunavut Act is now in force. The legislation establishes the Order of Nunavut Advisory Council, which I chair in my capacity as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
The council’s other members are the senior judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice and the president of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. Support to the council is being provided by the Office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.
In January of this year, I had the honour of announcing that nominations to the order are now open.
Nomination forms and other information have been sent to all members’ constituency offices and we are looking at providing information directly to Nunavummiut in coming weeks through such means as household mailings and notices on community radio and television.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on the advisory council as we work towards holding the first investiture ceremony for recipients later this year.
The Electoral Boundaries Commission is scheduled to submit its final report to the Legislative Assembly in July of this year.
The Office of the Legislative Assembly and Elections Nunavut will work collaboratively to implement the decisions that the Members of the Legislative Assembly ultimately make concerning the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly.
The third biennial Speaker’s Youth Parliament was successfully held last fall.
Later this year, I look forward to launching the Bringing our House to your Home: Speaker’s Parliamentary Outreach Program and Community Mace Tour.
It is my intention to visit schools and elders’ facilities in a number of communities across the territory over the coming years and I would welcome invitations from my colleagues to visit their communities.
I believe that these visits will help to improve awareness of our Assembly’s procedures and activities and contribute to a greater understanding of our distinctive style of consensus government.
Under the direction of the Management and Services Board, the Office of the Legislative Assembly continues to undertake improvements to the services and infrastructure supporting the work of members.
These include upgrades to audiovisual and interpretation equipment, as well as a redesign of the Assembly’s website, which was recently launched.
I am pleased to report that the Office of the Legislative Assembly continues to successfully meet our statutory deadlines for the tabling of annual reports and other documents that are produced under the authority of the Speaker and the Management and Services Board.
As members are aware, the budgets for the operations of our independent officers are funded through the appropriation of the Legislative Assembly itself.
In recognition of the significant budget and staffing increases that have been provided to the Office of the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut as a consequence of the passage of the new Official Languages Act and the new Inuit Language Protection Act, the Management and Services Board recently took the initiative to invite the Languages Commissioner to appear before the board to present her proposed work plan for the coming year prior to my appearing before you today.
This provided members with an important opportunity to contribute to the process of ensuring that the Office of the Languages Commissioner’s proposed expenditures and activities conform to her statutory mandate and reflect our commitment to the wise use of financial and human resources.
That concludes my opening comments. I would like to thank my colleagues for their support and I welcome their comments, suggestions, and questions.
That is all, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Speaker (interpretation): Please do so if that is possible.
Chairman (interpretation): I will ask my committee members for their permission.
Mr. Speaker, for the record, please introduce your witnesses.
You’re quite familiar with my staff, but I would like to welcome them here. They have been of tremendous assistance.
Our Clerk, John Quirke, is to my right and to my left is our Director of Corporate Services, Michael Rafter.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before we proceed to the page-by-page review, I would like to inform the ministers that they will also have the opportunity to ask questions to the witnesses in front of us.
If any member has any general comments towards the Speaker’s opening comments, you have the opportunity to do so prior to our page-by-page review. I don’t think there are any general comments.
Let us turn to page A-4. (interpretation ends) Assembly Operations. $7,058,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the fact that we have the opportunity here. In the second paragraph, you stated that improvements will be undertaken to “the services and infrastructure supporting the work of members.
These include upgrades to audiovisual and interpretation equipment, as well as a redesign of the Assembly’s website.” With respect to this line item, will these upgrades only be conducted at the headquarters level?
Yes, our main office of the Legislative Assembly is here and that is mainly what the line item is for.
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): This paragraph talks about improving the (interpretation ends) infrastructure supporting the work. (interpretation) In my opinion, I imagine that the audiovisual equipment will be upgraded, including the interpretive equipment.
Television broadcasts don’t always get transmitted to the communities as they cannot watch the televised sessions. We know that even now, some communities are not able to watch today’s proceedings. Will you also be considering the equipment used to broadcast our sessions?
With respect to that remark, we have been apprised of those problems and that is part of our attempts to resolve those problems in our near future.
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Thank you. That is music to my ears.
Furthermore, with respect to other means of communication, it seems that no one is paying attention to the facsimile machines. However, these machines are still in use by many of our constituents, especially when they are sending issues to my attention.
While electronic transfer of documents is worthwhile, we also experience problems with the Internet. In some constituency offices, it is sporadic.
If you’re going to be upgrading communication equipment, you should be considering updating the equipment in the communities so that we can have equality in our equipment and to ensure all constituency offices have all of the same kind of equipment.
We should look at all of our needs and not just the headquarters’ communication needs.
We would like to hear suggestions from anyone, especially members, on how we can improve the communication systems in the communities.
Some of your offices in the communities need to be upgraded.
I think that that’s a capital issue and when we get to our capital estimates, I’m sure we will bring this up again.
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): The infrastructure support is under O&M. We’re not talking capital infrastructure, we’re talking about O&M infrastructure.
Our constituency offices really need to have televisions to watch and listen to the proceedings. In a lot of the communities, the cable systems don’t work at times.
The homes in the communities have to use the satellite system to watch TV. When the cable goes down, they can’t watch the proceedings of this Legislative Assembly. So when we don’t have cable at home, we have no idea of what you are talking about.
That’s why I was wondering if you can make plans to include the outdated communication systems in constituency offices.
My Clerk really wants to respond to that if that’s okay with you, Mr. Chairman.
What the Speaker mentioned about infrastructure was more to do with the day-to-day operation of our offices here in Iqaluit, plus the constituency offices in terms of getting them up-to-date fax machines, for example.
However, since this budget was prepared by MSB and part of the main estimates here now, there has been an issue that has come up with the television.
Our biggest problem with the television I found out is that a lot of the receivers that we bought are breaking down.
One of the main reasons they’re breaking down is they get covered with dust, so we have to buy some new ones from time to time.
These units cost at least $3,000 each.
The other day I got a shocker from my staff. They told me that we only had these four or five years ago, but they’re obsolete.
So we’re now looking at 25 plus brand new units at about $3,000 each.
That’s about $75,000 to replace.
Although it’s not reflected in this plan and it’s not reflected in the present capital budget, we are committed to get that fixed internally.
At the same time, what has happened is that at our last training program for your CAs, they asked, “Well, why can’t you give us a TV if you want us to monitor the television?”
So now we’re looking at buying 19” flat screen TVs for all of you, and the other thing about that is now we’re looking at what is the cost to get you hooked up and what is the monthly charge.
So why it’s not in the plan is this is something that has happened very recently, but we’re addressing it and we do plan to get it resolved by the fall sitting.
If we can do it by the June sitting, we will do it by the June sitting.
Chairman: Qujannamiik, Mr. Clerk.
That’s really good to hear.
As I mentioned, when you don’t have communication, it’s almost impossible to do anything.
We don’t have any technicians in our ridings and it’s really hard to get anything done right away in a remote community because we have to get somebody in to do them.
When MLAs have a lot of work to do with emergency issues and privacy issues, as well as we don’t have very much protection with privacy issues when we use the computer, our computer system can be hacked.
Perhaps we could consider an Intranet system connected to the Legislative Assembly. Perhaps you can consider working on an Intranet system. Our Intranet system is very outdated, including the servers that continually lose their connection.
That’s my last question, Mr. Chairman.
I sincerely appreciate your suggestions on the problems faced by our members and we will look into this matter when we are deliberating our next set of upgrades in the future.
We are on (interpretation ends) Assembly Operations.
A-4. $7,058,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
We are now on page A-5.
Expenditures on Behalf of Members. $7,552,000.
Turn to the next page. Independent Officers of the Legislative Assembly. $2,325,000.
Go back to page A-3.
Detail of Expenditures. Office of the Legislative Assembly. Total Operations and Maintenance on A-3. $16,935,000.
Are we agreed that we have concluded with the Office of the Legislative Assembly?
Mr. Speaker, do you have any closing remarks before we leave?
I thank you for the fact that there was no motion on the floor to reduce our budget estimates.
I am quite relieved over that fact.
I wish to thank my officials from the bottom of my heart since they deal with a lot of the details that make my job easier to accomplish. I want to express my gratitude to all of our employees who work here in the Legislative Assembly.
The staff ensures that our work is more productive and I want to ensure that they know that their efforts are appreciated.
I wish them the best and hope that they are just as committed in the new fiscal year.
That is pretty well all I have to say.
Thank you ever so much, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 01 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2011-2012 – Consideration in Committee
We have concluded with our review.
Please refer to Bill 1 in your white legislation binder.
We will now go to Bill 1, as I believe we all have it in front of us now.
Appropriation (interpretation ends) (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2011-2012.
Chairman: Schedule on page 2.
Schedule. (interpretation) Amounts Appropriated for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2012. (interpretation ends) Vote 1: Operations and Maintenance. $1,194,397,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Total Appropriation. $1,194,397,000.
Chairman (interpretation): We will go back to page 1. (interpretation ends) Clause 4. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Do you agree to Bill 1 as a whole?
Chairman (interpretation): Pursuant to Rule 62(2), do you agree that Bill 1 can immediately be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
It will now be placed on the order paper.
Before we go to the next item, we will take a 20-minute break.
>>Committee recessed at 18:40 and resumed at 18:53
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you for coming back to the Committee of the Whole.
We still have Bills 3, 4, and 5.
We will now deal with Bill 3.
Our Law Clerk is here now.
Do members agree to bring in the Law Clerk?
Bill 03 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – Consideration in Committee
Minister of Finance, Mr. Peterson, do you have opening comments?
Bill 3 will amend the Nunavut Income Tax Act to improve consistency with the federal Income Tax Act.
This bill deals with several discrepancies between the wording in the Nunavut Income Tax Act and the federal Income Tax Act.
These amendments will not only improve the uniformity of tax treatment for Nunavummiut from the Government of Nunavut and the Government of Canada, but will also protect Nunavut’s taxation revenues.
The changes being made include updating payment thresholds to reflect changes being made by the federal government, adding anti-avoidance provisions, closing loopholes in the treatment of foreign tax credits, and updating Nunavut’s income tax brackets.
These amendments are generally administrative in nature and will not compromise the spirit or intent of the Act.
Welcome, Minister Peterson.
To my right is Peter Ma, Deputy Minister of Finance, and to my left is Thomas Druyan, Legislative Counsel for the Department of Justice.
As Chair of the Standing Committee on Legislation, I am pleased to make some very brief opening comments as we begin consideration of Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act.
The standing committee recognizes that Bill 3 amends the territorial Income Tax Act to reflect recent amendments made to the federal legislation.