EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I am very pleased that we’re monitoring their process and we will determine if we too can have that wellness court in Nunavut.
Branch Summary. Registries and Court Services. E-5.
The courthouse is a fairly new building.
I’m wondering: to date, what kinds of renovations have you had to do on that building since you have opened it?
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): To date, there have not been too many renovations that we had to do, but it’s becoming evident that the windows need to be worked on.
Also, as I stated earlier, the judges don’t have offices, especially the two.
They will require office space. That means extra spending will be required, so that is why there is proposed funding for that.
Branch Summary. (interpretation ends) Corrections.
E-7.
Total Capital Expenditures. $900,000.
With the new relief facility that is going to be opening up fairly soon, the question that I’ve got is we’ve got a number of inmates that are in out-of-territory facilities in the Northwest Territories and southern Canada.
With this new relief facility, when it’s operational, will any of those inmates be repatriated to Nunavut?
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, some will be repatriated, but some inmates are considered high risk, so some inmates won’t be moved.
It’s quite hard to respond to your question. Sometimes the inmates complete their sentence.
I cannot provide a detailed response because we have to deal with the inmates on a case-by-case basis.
I haven’t had the pleasure of taking the tour of the overcrowding relief structure that was offered by the minister, so he will have to forgive my ignorance on the layout of it.
With the response to a written question provided last year in the last Assembly, some of the information in there is showing that three out of four adult males return into the correctional justice system.
The program is a question to me.
I have recently spoken to an elder who works in the south with some of our inmates that are in southern institutions and he explained to me some of the programming that he and some of his partners provide in southern jurisdiction correction facilities.
I’m just wondering: is there space allocated in either BCC or the overcrowding relief structure for program services to assist our inmates to making healthier choices upon their release?
Yes, Makigiarvik, the relief structure, will have more programs available for those inmates who require that kind of program services.
With that same topic in mind, one of the other statistics that came from that response to a written question last year was that only 61 percent of adult males take advantage of the programming that’s in BCC.
Is there a way that your department can encourage inmates to participate in greater numbers so that we can alleviate some of that three out of four inmates returning back to the corrections system?
Makigiarvik, the relief structure, has more space and we will provide more programs to help the inmates to have healthy choices in life. Also, we know that the majority of the inmates usually have addiction issues and some usually have mental health issues.
We will provide more programs for them at the Makigiarvik Centre.
Mr. Hickes: I think this may be my final question.
The department has indicated that there is the Nunavut Correctional Facility Strategy that has been completed by a consultant.
Is that strategy going to be tabled in this House?
I believe that it was tabled previously, but I’ll look into that and provide a response to the member.
Mr. Hickes: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Forgive me if it was tabled already, Minister Okalik; I just don’t recall seeing it.
If the Chairman will indulge me, I just have a comment to make. I realize that it’s more to do with one of the previous line items that we already approved.
It’s an issue that I have brought up in the past with some the minor renovations that are going on with the small capital projects and minor capital.
I would really like to encourage the minister and his department to work with inmates within all the correctional facilities, youth, adults, and women, to take advantage of learning opportunities for those inmates so that they can do some of those minor projects that don’t take professional skill certification or specific trades to not only reduce some of their costs, but to provide some of these inmates with transferable skills outside of the correctional facility.
Following my list of names, Ms. Angnakak.
My question is about outpost camps. I think, at some time, you had indicated that there are five outpost camps operating in Nunavut.
Have you had any new ones open up since?
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have not seen new ones. I, too, would like to see new ones.
If somebody was interested in the community, how do they go about letting your department know that they’re interested and what kind of support can you provide them?
We have staff working at the local level that assist with people going to trial and they also help with getting paperwork done.
Just to remind members to please keep your questions to the page under review.
Ms. Angnakak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) Can you provide funding support to them?
Yes, we provide capital support to purchase things like snowmobiles.
We provide that kind of support. We pay for the costs using the number of inmates per day.
As you have stated that you are looking, which communities are you looking into?
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): We welcome any one of the communities if they want to request and I know that it’s very beneficial. If any one of you can provide any support, we would like to see any outpost camp established in either community of Nunavut.
Chairman: Thank you. (interpretation) Go back to page E-2. (interpretation ends) Department Summary.
Total Capital Expenditures. $2,265,000.
Do members agree that we have concluded the Department of Justice?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Minister Okalik, closing comments.
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I also thank my colleagues for their comments and questions.
It provides further direction for our department to address the concerns that were voiced.
For that, I am very appreciative of the members who voice their concerns, as this helps us to address them in our future plans. We are always moving forward.
I thank you all immensely.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the officials out of the witness table.
I will now report progress. (interpretation) Thank you very much.
Mr. Mikkungwak (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 8 and the capital estimates, and would like to report progress.
Mr. Joanasie. (interpretation ends) The motion is in order.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) This House stands adjourned until Friday, October 31, at 9:00 a.m.
>>House adjourned at 17:07 Appendix – October 30, 2014
Report on the Review of the  2012-2013 Annual Report and 2014-2018 Corporate Plan of the Qulliq Energy Corporation
2nd Session of the 4th Legislative Assembly of Nunavut  Fall 2014 Sitting
Subsection 35(3) and section 36 of the Qulliq Energy Corporation Act provide that:
35. (3) The Corporation shall, within three months after the end of each fiscal year, prepare a report on the preceding fiscal year in accordance with the Financial Administration Act.
Tabling of report
The Minister shall table before the Legislative Assembly a copy of the report referred to in subsection 35(3) at the first session of the Legislative Assembly following the receipt of the report by the Minister.
The Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2012-2013 annual report was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on March 19, 2014.
The Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014-2018 corporate plan was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on June 12, 2014.
The Qulliq Energy Corporation’s current corporate plan anticipates that it will raise approximately $135 million in revenue during the 2014-2015 fiscal year and spend approximately $113 million on fuel and other operating expenses.
The Qulliq Energy Corporation’s primary source of revenue is the sale of power to residential customers, businesses and other entities.
This process, which is undertaken through the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly’s Committee of the Whole, provides elected Members of the Legislative Assembly with the opportunity to directly question witnesses, in detail, on planned expenditures and initiatives, prior to voting on the requested appropriation.
Consequently, in the interest of transparency and accountability, the Standing Committee undertook to hold a hearing on the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s most recently-tabled annual report and current corporate plan.
The September 23, 2014, hearing on the 2012-2013 annual report and 2014-2018 corporate plan of the Qulliq Energy Corporation took place in the Chamber of the Legislative Assembly.
The Standing Committee’s hearing was televised live across the territory and was open to the public and news media to observe from the Visitors’ Gallery.
The transcript from the Standing Committee’s hearing is available on the Legislative Assembly’s website.
Chronology of Recent Events
On October 30, 2007, Ikummatiit: the Government of Nunavut’s Energy Strategy, was tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
On February 24, 2011, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2009-2010 report on contracting, procurement and leasing activities was tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
As of October 20, 2014, annual reports for the 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 fiscal years have not yet been tabled.
On July 1, 2012, responsibility for the Government of Nunavut’s Energy Secretariat was transferred from the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs to the Department of Economic Development and Transportation.
On October 23, 2012, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Action Plan in Response to the Auditor General of Canada’s 2012 Report on Procurement of Goods and Services was tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
On September 17, 2013, the 2013-2014 Ministerial Letter of Expectation to the Chairperson of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Board of Directors and the Chairperson’s response to the Letter of Expectation were tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the Minister responsible for the Public Agencies Council.
On November 1, 2013, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014 General Rate Application (GRA) was submitted to the Utility Rates Review Council (URRC).
On November 7, 2013, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014 General Rate Application (GRA) was withdrawn.
On November 28, 2013, the Premier announced the departure of the former President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation, Mr. Peter Mackey, and the appointment of the new President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation, Mr. Peter Ma. The formal notice of the appointment of the new President was published in Part I of the March 2014 edition of the Nunavut Gazette.
On December 20, 2013, the Qulliq Energy Corporation re-submitted its 2014 General Rate Application (GRA) to the Utility Rates Review Council.
On December 31, 2013, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s collective agreement with Nunavut Employees Union expired.
On January 6, 2014, the former Chairperson of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Board of Directors issued a news release concerning his resignation and those of a majority of the members of the Board of Directors.
On January 6, 2014, and May 9, 2014, new appointments to the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Board of Directors were made.
As of September 1, 2014, the members of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Board of Directors are:
David Omilgoetok, Chairperson (Cambridge Bay)
Julie-Anne Elizabeth Miller, Vice-Chairperson (Iqaluit)
Joshua Arreak (Pond Inlet)
Philip Clark (Mississauga, Ontario)
Elijah Evaluardjuk (Igloolik)
George Hickes (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Roy Mullins (Chesterfield Inlet)
Nelson Pisco (Iqaluit)
T. Bert Rose (Iqaluit)
Allysha Sateana (Rankin Inlet)
On January 29, 2014, the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation formally advised the Utility Rates Review Council by way of correspondence that the Minister had issued instructions to the QEC that would:
To retract the instruction to move towards a territorial rate that was issued to  QEC by a letter of instruction on February 20, 2012 from a former Minister
responsible for QEC.
To remove Phase II of QEC's 2014/15 General Rate Application, currently  under review by the Utility Rates Review Council, and seek only implementation
of Phase I component of the Application by way of an equal percentage across-the board increase to current rates. All customers would see the same percentage increase in their current rates.
To file a Phase II General Rate Application that provides several Cost of  Service study options for consideration in its next General Rate Application, that
is expected to be submitted by 2018.”
On February 14, 2014, the Qulliq Energy Corporation filed amendments to its General Rate Application.
On March 19, 2014, the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation announced in the Legislative Assembly that the corporation’s 2014 General Rate Application (GRA) had been modified to “retract the move to a territorial rate.”
Additional amendments to the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s General Rate Application were filed with the Utility Rates Review Council on this date.
On March 19, 2014, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2012-2013 annual report was tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
On April 28, 2014, the Utility Rates Review Council’s Report to the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation on the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014 General Rate Application (GRA) was submitted.
On May 16, 2014, the Utility Rates Review Council’s Final Report to the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation on the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014 General Rate Application (GRA) was submitted.
On May 30, 2014, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s revised Terms and Conditions of Service came into effect.
On June 3, 2014, the Qulliq Energy Corporation publicly announced that it had been authorized to impose an increase in base rates of 7.1%, effective May 1, 2014, to all customer classes and communities.
On June 12, 2014, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014-2018 corporate plan was tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
Issue: Corporate Governance
During the Standing Committee’s September 23, 2014, hearing on the 2012-2013 annual report and 2014-2018 corporate plan of the Qulliq Energy Corporation, Members raised a number of questions concerning the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s governance framework.
It is important to note that the following observations concern matters distinct from the regulatory processes that are prescribed by the Utility Rates Review Council Act.
Members noted that there are a number of entities and individuals that have roles within the corporation’s governance framework, including:
The Chairperson and members of the Board of Directors of the Qulliq Energy Corporation;
The Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation;
The President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation;
The Financial Management Board;
The Executive Council; and
The Public Agencies Council.
However, there has been a lack of public clarity as to where the final decision-making authority rests with respect to such matters as the:
Approval of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s multi-year corporate plans;
Approval of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s strategic plans;
Approval of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s annual reports;
Approval of the annual Ministerial Letter of Expectation to the Chairperson of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Board of Directors;
Approval of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s annual operations and maintenance budget;
Approval of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s annual and multi-year capital plans and budgets;
Approval of tentative collective agreements with the Nunavut Employees Union;
Appointment of the President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation; and
Appointment of the Chairperson and members of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Board of Directors.
To illustrate this ambiguity, section 12 of the Qulliq Energy Corporation Act provides that:
12. (1) There shall be a president of the Corporation appointed by the Minister, on the recommendation of the Board.
(2) The Minister shall, on the recommendation of the Board, fix the remuneration  and other terms and conditions of employment of the president.
On November 28, 2013, the Premier of Nunavut formally announced the departure of the former President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation and the appointment of a new President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
The formal notice of the appointment of the new President was published in Part I of the March 2014 edition of the Nunavut Gazette.
On September 26, 2014, the Premier of Nunavut formally announced the appointment of a new President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
The extent to which these appointments were made in conformity with section 12 of the Qulliq Energy Corporation Act is not entirely clear.
In 2011, the Nunavut Housing Corporation Act was amended by the Legislative Assembly to require the establishment of an audit committee of the corporation’s board of directors.
The legislation provides that:
Audit committee
(3) The Board shall establish an audit committee to ensure the critical and objective oversight of the Corporation's
(a) standards of integrity and behaviour;
(b) reporting of financial information; and
(c) practices of strategic management and financial control.
The Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014-2018 corporate plan indicates that the role of the Board Governance and Policy Committee of the Board of Directors is to “update Board governance and operating policies.”
The Standing Committee recommends that the Qulliq Energy Corporation Act be amended to require the establishment of an audit committee of the corporation’s board of directors.
These amendments should parallel, to the greatest practicable extent, the 2011 amendments to the Nunavut Housing Corporation Act.
The Standing Committee further recommends that all approved governance and operating policies of the Board of Directors of the Qulliq Energy Corporation be tabled in the Legislative Assembly as soon as practicable.
The Standing Committee further recommends that the Government of Nunavut’s response to this report clarify, in detail, the respective authorities of the Chairperson and members of the Board of Directors of the Qulliq Energy Corporation, the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation, the President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation, the Financial Management Board, the Executive Council and the Public Agencies Council with respect to the:
Approval of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s multi-year corporate plans;  Approval of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s strategic plans;
Issue: Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Contracting, Procurement and Leasing
On February 24, 2011, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2009-2010 annual report on contracting, procurement and leasing activities was tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
On October 21, 2014, the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 annual reports on contracting, procurement and leasing activities were tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
It is noteworthy that the 2013-2014 Ministerial Letter of Expectation to the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Qulliq Energy Corporation instructed the corporation to prepare for tabling in the Legislative Assembly a “comprehensive report on all procurement, contracting and leasing activities undertaken by the Qulliq Energy Corporation.”
An ongoing issue that has not been resolved is the extent to which the Government of Nunavut’s NNI Policy applies to the contracting, procurement and leasing activities of the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
Although the corporation’s 2009-2010 report on contracting, procurement and leasing activities indicates that the NNI Policy was applied by the corporation during that fiscal year, testimony provided by the corporation’s former President on the occasion of the consideration of the Auditor General of Canada’s 2012 Report on Procurement of Goods and Services indicated that the corporation considered itself to be exempt from the NNI Policy on the grounds that “following the NNI Policy increases the cost of operating the utility.
This cost is passed on to customers in the electricity rates.”
In response to Members’ questions on this issue during the Standing Committee’s September 23, 2014, hearing, the President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation stated that:
“Right now, part of the Government of Nunavut’s NNI review committee that was struck by the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs and the Department of Economic Development and Transportation.
So we have been part of that whole review process.
I think it’s the view of the Minister and certainly the board to see somehow that we implement NNI within the corporation.
At this point, I can’t tell you when, but we’ve been very actively engaged with that review process.”
The Standing Committee recommends that the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s annual contracting, procurement and leasing reports for the 2010-2011 and 2013-2014 fiscal years be tabled in the Legislative Assembly as soon as practicable.
The Standing Committee further recommends that the Government of Nunavut’s response to this report provide a detailed update on the status of the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s implementation of its Action Plan in Response to the Auditor General of Canada’s 2012 Report on Procurement of Goods and Services.
The Standing Committee further recommends that the Government of Nunavut’s response to this report clarify the extent to which the NNI Policy applies to the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s contracting, procurement and leasing activities.
Issue: Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Organizational Design and Inuit
Employment Initiatives
The Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014-2018 corporate plan indicates that the corporation has a total of 194 positions, 174 of which were filled as of March 31, 2014.
Although the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s “headquarters” is located in Baker Lake, its “directorate” is located in Iqaluit.
The majority of the corporation’s executive and senior management positions are located in Iqaluit.
This situation is analogous to that of the Nunavut Housing Corporation, which has a “headquarters” located in Arviat and a “directorate” located in Iqaluit.
The Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014-2018 corporate plan indicates that it had a total of 7 senior management positions as of March 31, 2014. 6 of these positions were filled and one was vacant.
No senior management positions were filled by beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
The Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014-2018 corporate plan indicates that it had a total of 24 middle management positions as of March 31, 2014. 21 of these positions were filled and three were vacant.
Three middle management positions were filled by beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
During the Standing Committee’s September 23, 2014, hearing, a number of questions were asked by Members concerning the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s organizational design and Inuit employment initiatives.
With respect to the issue of relocating the corporation’s executive and senior management positions to its headquarters in Baker Lake, testimony from the President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation indicated that:
“… that’s a decision for Executive Council to make.
I think, in all honesty, we’re maybe a bit early in our development as a government.
Certainly it’s always been the intention and the dream when Nunavut was created to decentralize as many positions to the communities as well so they can gain the economic opportunities and employment and training opportunities.
At this point in time, my honest answer to you is I don’t know when but hopefully someday in the near future that would happen.”