EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, we have heard about local radio announcers being required to take a training program under the auspices of the MTO, the Municipal Training Organization.
I thank the minister and totally support and approve this initiative.
I certainly encourage the department to provide this training, as the radio airwaves are subject to regulations, especially for announcers who will be broadcasting any public radio shows.
This includes subjects as well as specific language not suitable for broadcast in the community radio stations. There are certain things that can’t be said on the air, whether it is on CBC, Igalaaq, Northbeat, and our national radio and TV.
Certain issues can’t be spoken about on the local radio stations, so I want to ask the minister this question: will this radio announcer training program be made available within Nunavut?
If his response is yes, I thank him in advance and when it would become available.
I ask if he could please provide a short response. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Good morning to the people of Nunavut.
In regard to your question, yes, we are going to have a training program made available to the radio announcers through the municipal training organization.
All of the Nunavut communities have local radios and announcers. Some of the individuals have been there for a long time.
There is a need for a training program to be made available regarding what should not be said on the airwaves.
There were some questions about whether there would be a training program, and yes, we are planning to set up a training program for local radio announcers regarding that issue.
When is that training program going to be made available?
I am sure that you are going to be going through the hamlet councils to make that date available.
There are quite a lot of individuals who work for the hamlet councils and we are going to set up this training program through the computer; we will give you an update once we have dates set.
Question 577 – 3(3): Physician Recruitment and Retention (Curley)
Mr. Speaker, considerable attention is being paid by Nunavutmiut to the issue of physician recruitment and retention.
Recent information has come to light which indicates that the government spent close to $12 million on short-term contracts for doctors over a 20-month period.
We know that the government recruits many of its nurses through formal arrangements with nursing agencies. This allows for some predictability in costs.
Can the minister explain exactly how physicians are hired for short-term work and who makes the decisions about which doctors to hire?
I thank Mr. Curley for the question. I appreciate the question.
Mr. Curley knows full well the challenges that I have as the Minister of Health and Social Services to ensure that we keep our hospitals and health centres staffed with health practitioners who can provide a high degree and level of health care to all of our communities.
Mr. Speaker, we have a group of individuals at the Qikiqtani General Hospital.
I think they’re relocated right now because they’re doing renovations. They contact physicians and go under recruiting programs across Canada. We do have to compete with other jurisdictions for physicians and for nurses.
I know it’s a challenging job in that department, particularly when trying to recruit physicians and so on.
Mr. Speaker, my first supplementary is this: it appears that the terms and conditions for short-term physician contracts can vary dramatically. In some cases, doctors may work only for a few days, and it is not at all clear whether remuneration for physicians is consistent, from what we have read.
What is the minister doing to bring greater consistency to the terms and conditions for short-term physician contracts?
Mr. Chairman, obviously, on a longer term locum, you could get a better deal with a physician, but on shorter term contracts, we absolutely have to have physicians.
Although they may be short term, it’s important that we have them. I believe our team does a great job in negotiating with the physicians the fees and rates that they offer.
I don’t know what Mr. Curley is referring to. There’s information reported in the media and we know that that’s not always correct all the time.
Without the benefit of seeing specific contracts, I can’t tell if one doctor gets a better deal than the other doctor, if one doctor is there for two days and one is there for two weeks. The level of detail that I would have to get it down and to reviewing contracts, it would be very challenging.
In my previous question, I did try to help the minister that the contracts appeared to have been varied significantly.
We noted right in the paper that one exceeded over $2,000 a day whereas the other doctor, I do not know whether or not disqualified, but did receive over $1,500 a day.
My second supplementary is this: it is beyond dispute that communities in Nunavut benefited from the services of doctors who make long-term commitments to live among the population whom they serve.
What incentives does the government provide to physicians who demonstrate a willingness to live in Nunavut?
Obviously, we would appreciate and welcome physicians who make it their career in Nunavut.
We do have several physicians who have made that decision.
I cannot give Mr. Curley or the House specific details about what incentives we offer doctors to make a career in Nunavut.
I do know, through an initiative that began when Mr. Curley was the minister, NunaFam. We are working with Memorial University to train or work with them on the six year program to have interns from Memorial University to work at the Qikiqtani General Hospital to gain experience.
Perhaps, when they become full-fledged doctors, they can make Nunavut a choice where to begin their career.
We are also supporting a number of medical students from Nunavut during their studies in the south and we are very encouraged that they will return to work in Nunavut.
I think it is well known that in BC, the government offers $100,000 to work in rural communities.
I believe there are examples how the incentive can be developed.
It is essential that this government recognize that we are competing with larger jurisdictions for the services of physicians.
For example, it has been reported that the Government of BC has introduced programs to attract doctors to live and work in rural areas.
What is this government doing to convince doctors to give Nunavut a shot?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. Curley, again, for the question.
It is no secret that Nunavut is a very challenging territory in Canada.
We have to ensure that our facilities have the equipment that doctors would need to support them in their career up here.
Mr. Speaker, again, our team goes to all the career fairs where all provinces and territories meet to encourage doctors to come work for them.
Our package for the doctors is what we use to encourage them to come and work in Nunavut; it is very competitive with the other provinces and territories.
Question 578 – 3(3): Government of Nunavut’s Intervention Respecting Senate Reform Reference Questions (Elliott)
I would like to thank the Minister for providing a return to my earlier question concerning the Government of Nunavut’s intervention respecting the federal government’s Senate reform reference questions that it has submitted to the Supreme Court.
Can the minister outline the timeline for this process?
No, at this point in time, I cannot outline any timelines involved in this process.
One of the reference questions that the Government of Canada has asked the Supreme Court to respond to concerns the issue of Senate appointment consultations.
The wording of the reference questions asks if it is within the legislative authority of the Parliament of Canada to establish a framework setting out a basis for provincial and territorial legislatures to enact legislation to consult their population as to their preference for potential nominees for appointment to the Senate.
What is the Government of Nunavut’s position on the issue of introducing such legislation in our House?
Minister responsible for Department of Justice, Minister Shewchuk.
I would like to thank Mr. Elliott for keen interest in Senate review.
As you all know and he well know this is a very new initiative that has gone to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Our main view on this whole initiative is that Nunavut be involved when questions and situations arise so that we could put input into any Senate reform that may happen in the future.
Another one of the reference questions that the Government of Canada has asked the Supreme Court to respond to concerns the issue of Senate term limits.
What is the Government of Nunavut’s position on the issue of Senate term limits?
Again, this is a very new initiative; we will wait and see what responses come from the Supreme Court of Canada and other jurisdictions and review them case by case and we will have a better understanding and position at that time.
Mr. Elliott: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although I thought that the Government of Nunavut had already put in its position on these types of issues. Another one of the reference questions that the Government of Canada has asked the Supreme Court to respond to concerns the issue of Senate abolition.
What is the Government of Nunavut’s position on the issue of whether or not to abolish the Senate?
Again, this is a very new initiative. The Government of Nunavut has no position on abolishment to reform the Senate at this point in time. However, we do want to hear what the Supreme Court has to say and other jurisdictions across this country before we review this.
Question 579 – 3(3): Cancer Prevention and Early Detection (Aupaluktuq)
Mr. Aupaluktuq: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Keith Peterson.
Mr. Speaker, I am confident that everyone in this House has experienced loss and despair as a result of a blight that is cancer.
Mr. Speaker, the most effective way to address this serious is to identify its most critical aspects.
In order to address the prevalence of cancer across Nunavut, we need to know with certainty exactly what types of cancers are most common.
It is my understanding that medical practitioners are required to report on the types of cancers that are diagnosed.
Can the minister update this House on when accurate, detailed, and up-to-date information on the prevalence and types of cancer across Nunavut will be published and made available?
We all know folks in our communities and many of our relatives who have succumb to cancer or are fighting cancer.
It is a nasty illness. I guess that would be the best description of it.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell Mr. Aupaluktuq that our department has undertaken a review of the cancer registry, and I’m hopeful that we would be able to provide an update on that later this spring.
I respectfully would like to thank the hon. minister for that.
Mr. Speaker, while having information on the types of cancer that are most prevalent in Nunavut should help to focus our resources, ideally we would want to prevent the disease from taking root in the first place.
Can the minister clarify what cancer prevention activities and programs are currently being offered by his department and how much money is spent on those initiatives?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. Aupaluktuq for the question. Mr. Speaker, there’s no doubt that cancer is a real challenge for all of our provinces and territories.
In Nunavut, the number one cancer that doesn’t get a whole lot of notice and attention is certainly lung cancer.
Our tobacco reduction and cessation team is actively encouraging Nunavummiut to quit smoking or not to start smoking, but it’s a type of cancer that’s very difficult to detect and treat.
By the time it’s detected, it could be very advanced.
Mr. Speaker, we also have programs underway for colon cancer. We do have the breast cancer screening program.
I can’t give the member a number of how much funding we spend on cancer treatment, but I can assure the member that we encourage people to go to the health centres and get into the hospital. Early detection is critical. Our health practitioners will put individuals on a program, which will likely include a lot of travel north/south, stays at hospitals, treatment down south.
It’s very difficult to put a number on that because it’s spread throughout the department, medical travel, client escort travel, out-of-territory physician costs, out-of-territorial hospital costs, so it’s usually very expensive, but we do work very hard to help people who are diagnosed with cancer.
Mr. Aupaluktuq: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I very much appreciate the hon. minister’s response. I’m glad to hear that there are programs currently in place, as well as the resources and additional assessments can be provided with improvements by bridging services.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard from my constituents and many of my colleagues have raised similar concerns that far too many cancers are being detected for the first time when they are already in the late stages of the disease.
Can the minister indicate what efforts are being made to conduct cancer screening clinics on a regular basis across all of Nunavut’s communities?
Mr. Speaker, again, early detection is critical. Through our health centres and hospital, we have nurses and doctors who deliver the Well Men clinics and the Well Women clinics on an annual basis.
I always encourage my constituents, if they’re not feeling well, that they should go into the health centre; don’t wait for your annual checkup. Go to the health centres and talk to your nurses and talk to your doctors.
I don’t believe we have a specific program, but we encourage, through our public health, that people look at early detection.
It’s helpful if the individuals, if they’re feeling unwell, call the health centres, and then the doctors and nurses will work with the patients to treat and diagnose them.
With many constituents going to health centres, a lot of their assessments, no doubt, are very difficult to pinpoint as to what the actual issue is, but in some cases, detection and awareness, no doubt, is being practised by the frontline workers such as the nurses in the health centres.
Mr. Speaker, in order to address this very serious issue I believe that we need a comprehensive cancer strategy to prevent, screen for, and detect the disease as early as possible.
Will the minister commit to creating a Nunavut cancer care strategy at the earliest possible opportunity and, if not, with respects, why not?
I can’t make that commitment. I’m very confident that my Health and Social Services staff, all the doctors and nurses, and other health practitioners are working with people throughout Nunavut.
If people will go to the health centres when they’re not feeling well and they explain to the doctors and nurses why they’re not feeling well, our doctors and nurses can screen them or send them for screening or diagnosis to a health facility down south where they have the sophisticated equipment to make those kinds of determinations.
I will assure my colleague that, again, cancer is a very high priority issue in Nunavut and we will continue to make it a high priority issue to ensure that Nunavummiut get the best care and attention that we can provide them early on in their treatment and as they go forward.
Question 580 – 3(3): Status of Mary River Project (Enook)
Good morning to the people of Pond Inlet and people of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation.
Mr. Speaker, last fall in our October session, I raised several questions and I want to return to this line of questioning to the minister.
Last fall, I asked the minister whether this government had entered into negotiations with the Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation related to their Mary River proposal.
My own personal translation into Inuktitut of the title in English is “For development purposes partnership agreement.” (interpretation ends) The English title is “Development Partnership Agreement.”
(interpretation) Furthermore, although in January, the project proposal was approved by NIRB, Baffinland requested changes in their proposed development of the mine at Mary River, as they wanted to amend the permit and to change certain sections of the original approval for the project.
With respect to the development partnership agreement, let me first ask whether this has commenced or what the status is at this time.
I thank the Member for Tununiq for that question.
Mr. Speaker, there is no development partnership agreement at this time with the proponent of Baffinland.
The project certificate that was issued in December, NIRB has reviewed that the project scope has changed, and the Nunavut Impact Review Board is calling for reconsideration of the permits.
Therefore, at this time, there is no DPA, development partnership agreement, with the resource development company.
Mr. Speaker, once the IIBA is completed with the proponent; the company will then forward a letter of intent to negotiate a DPA.
That is forthcoming. That will not happen until they complete their Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) When I raised the issue with the minister last fall, I noted that NIRB’s final hearing report on the Mary River Project indicated that a development partnership agreement between Baffinland and the Government of Nunavut could result in a number of benefits, including “Organizational infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and communications infrastructure.”
Can the minister tell me what this means?
I thank the Member for Tununiq for the question.
Mr. Speaker, again, at this time, there are negotiations that are taking place, but the intent of a development partnership agreement is to benefit Nunavummiut, and through this, I mean there has to be benefits for both sides, the territory, the Government of Nunavut, and the communities that are affected.
Mr. Speaker, once the negotiations start, these recommendations that come from the Nunavut Impact Review Board will be considered.
Just recently, I believe it was the week prior, there were questions posed in the House about this committee.
The term in English is: “sustainable development committee” and apparently this committee is involved in reviewing proposals or whenever a hearing is held to review mining development proposals, when NIRB conducts development review hearings and they are able to speak to the issues.
Can the minister inform me as well as this House, whether or not this committee has come up with a position on the proposed amendment if there is going to be a supplemental hearing to review the changes Baffinland wants to undertake?
Mr. Speaker, when the sustainable development advisory group participates in these types of hearings it involves other departments from the Government of Nunavut.
Of course, Mr. Speaker, as mandated through our Nunavut Mining Strategy and uranium policies, we abide by our mandate. Throughout this process, we participate as unofficial interveners for any kind of resource development taking place within the territory.
Mr. Speaker, I will note that most of the development that is happening right now is on Inuit-owned lands and under Article 12 we do play a key role in reviewing, commenting, and participating fully on the proposed development that has taken place out there.
Can the minister provide information to me and this House, how does this sustainable development committee consult those who are impacted, such as from the residents of Pond Inlet? How do they collect concerns prior to making their position known on the proposed amendments? In particular, how do they know about community concerns with respect to the proposed development at Mary River?
The committee, the advisory group, determines, examines, evaluates, and assesses the project scope with its partners.
We do have a lot of departments within the Government of Nunavut that participates through the Department of Environment, Health and Social Services, ED&T, Finance, there are a couple of other departments that do participate and examine the impacts that are being presented by the proponent.
All of these comments and evaluations are posted on the Nunavut Impact Review Board’s website.
Throughout the process, it is determined how the proponent can improve their impact mitigation, environmental impact, whether it is people safety.
It comes to all these impacts that are discussed throughout the scope of the project.
We do have experts that help us in this field, and at the end of the day, as I have indicated before in the past sittings that we do have a socio-economic monitoring committee that evaluates the developer’s production once the proponent established a project environmental impact statement.
We do have regional committees in all three regions that also monitor what is happening within the communities, and they are the ones that help us with negotiation of development partnership agreements.
Question 581 – 3(3): Why is the Nutrition North Program Not Working?
(Schell)
As per my Member’s Statement, my questions are for the Premier.
As per my Member’s Statement, recent articles in the media as well as concerns raised across Nunavut and the north demonstrate and show that the Nutrition North Canada Program is broken and worse, the actual subsidy provided by the federal government is not being applied fairly to the food prices.
Can the Premier advise this House and Nunavummiut if her government will be addressing the concerns raised?
Minister responsible for Economic Development and Transportation, Madam Premier.
I thank the people of Nunavut and the member for his question.
During our meeting, the Nunavut government has started a review on 10 communities in regard to the prices in the stores and the Co-ops, and how expensive it is to live in Nunavut. (interpretation ends) The food price survey that will be launched this month in 10 communities will allow us to monitor the cost of many food and household items. This includes subsidized Nutrition North Canada Program, as well as the cost of living in Nunavut more broadly.
We all know that the Nutrition North Canada Program is a federal program. Will the Premier and this government support a motion to ask the Auditor General of Canada to investigate the program and include interviewing the retailers, airlines and indeed our constituents who are being ripped off by this program?
After the review is done, I am sure that we will be able to find out what we are going to do once the review is done on Nutrition North Canada Program.
Mr. Schell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Has the Premier directed any of her staff or any of our GN departments to monitor and to follow up concerns raised across Nunavut with this program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Schell. Minister responsible for Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, Madam Premier.
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In speaking about food prices, discussions have been ongoing here in Nunavut over months and years, because the price of food is exorbitant up here in the North.
I believe that progress has been made on the Makimaniq Plan, and this includes the employees of our government, specifically our researchers in the Anti-Poverty Secretariat as well as Statistics Nunavut, which are their titles in English.
They are working towards completing this, and I have good expectations that this work once completed will provide us with the type of information we require to address these challenges.
Mr. Schell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Premier write the Prime Minister and our MP and table that letter in this House and make it public so all Nunavummiut know what our government is doing with an issue that affects every family and every person in Nunavut.
This issue is vital especially our dissemination of the information based on our knowledge and beliefs about the extremely high costs of living in Canada’s north, here in Nunavut especially.