EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to welcome to the gallery today three individuals Mr. Speaker.
Two are Iqaluit residents with Salvation Army.
Mr. Speaker, first I want to start off by saying that Gary and Joyce Jones are doing yeoman service for the people of Iqaluit and Nunavut and they work and volunteer their time at the soup kitchen.
They’re involved in other projects around town to make life a little bit better in our community.
Mr. Speaker, Gary is well known.
He goes to church every Sunday.
I see him there.
Rebecca Williams could tell you he has a strong and a fine voice.
You know that I’m quite a singer myself Mr. Speaker.
It’s very difficult for me to keep up with Gary.
Mr. Speaker, with Gary and Joyce today, thank you, Mr. Akesuk. Mr. Akesuk is quite a character.
He’s got quite a voice too.
You can always over hear him when other people are talking.
With Mr. and Mrs. Jones today is the Divisional Commander from Edmonton, Alberta, Major Bob Ratcliff.
Mr. Ratcliff is in charge of Salvation Army for Alberta and the Northern Territories Division, including Nunavut.
I want to make sure I had this opportunity to welcome them to the Assembly.
I was supposed to meet with them earlier this morning Mr. Speaker, but because the session time was changed, I wasn’t able to do that.
I’m hoping at some time this morning to be able to step out and have a meeting with the Major and Bob and Gary and Joyce, so Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome them to the gallery and to Nunavut.
Speaker: Welcome to the gallery and welcome to Nunavut.
My good friend is here to visit us, represented by Ed Picco, I would like to recognise Danny Eegeesiak, a good friend of mine.
Mr. Speaker, Even when we don’t see any visitors here we feel like visitors here.
We’re like a big family in Nunavut.
There are those who I have never met whosay that I’m quite famous and so I used to not know how to react to that but I’m quite pleased with the attention I get.
Those who are named after my father, Iqaqrialu, I thank them and I send my regards to my grandchildren and my children.
Just be patient a little bit longer.
I will be heading home on the 17th.
This message is to my children to wait patiently, as they always wait patiently.
And a big smile to all of Nunavummiut and my colleagues.
Although we go through some challenging and stressful times, it’s all for the good and Mr. Speaker; you’re becoming friendlier by the day.
Perhaps, next month, you’ll be even nicer next month during our session.
Before I recognize visitors, just recently I was trying to be an interpreter in a booth.
I was trying what those people in the booths were doing, and I want to recognize all the interpreters in the booths, that speak Inuinnaqtun.
Because they have worked very hard and they can speak the language very well, I want you to recognize them as they speak the language very well.
It looks like it is a really easy job but these people have to work.
The first person is John Komak, Joe Otokiak, James Panioyak, and Henry Ohokanoak.
I want to recognize those Inuinnaqtun interpreters here.
I want to thank them for being here.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Kugluktuk has beaten me to the punch, but I would also like to recognize the Inuinnaqtun interpreter/translators.
The three who are in the booth as he has mentioned is Joe Otokiak, John Komak, and James Panioyak, and also Henry Ohokanoak who I believe is in the back. Mr. Speaker, all of these highly capable individuals are from Cambridge Bay.
Last evening in our long Session, some of us got hungry earlier than others.
So I would like to recognize a guy who fed me, Mr. Sergeant-at-Arms, Jayko Ishulutak from Pangnirtung.
So we went to bed not hungry, thanks to him.
Thank the interpreters as well from the Baffin region, Ooleepeka Ikkidluak, and Mary.
Mr. Speaker, if you have never seen them, and you heard their voices, you can recognize them.
For the record, Kelvin, Joe Otokiak lives in my constituency of Rankin Inlet.
We will now move onto Item 6.
Question 696 – 1(6): Assistance for Workers Laid Off from the Lupin Mine
I will be speaking in Inuinnaqtun.
I know that it is Inuinnaqtun Day today.
(interpretation ends) I want to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Sustainable Development. (interpretation) I want you to realize what I said earlier today.
Those people who have been laid off at the mine site in Lupin, they will be requiring some assistance to find other employment after they have been laid off in the Lupin mine site.
I would like the Sustainable Development Minister to assist these people to find other jobs in the mining sector who have been laid off from the Lupin Mine.
I am wondering if the Minister has prepared for finding employment for these former employees.
I know that we will have to review how we can provide more assistance to the employees who have been laid off.
Employment opportunities are not always readily available in Nunavut, but we will provide assistance by working together with them, by cooperating with the community and I am sure that there are CEDOs at the community level.
And if there are any employment opportunities in the other mining sectors, perhaps we can do the same thing when Nanisivik mine close down, we have been making plans for the workers who have been laid off and the Member for the High Arctic keeps asking me questions in regards to this.
We will be able to review this and work on it.
Thank you, Minister for providing me with a good answer.
Some of the Lupin employees were laid off; when will you be seeking jobs for them or maybe get some other training programs for the individuals who have been laid off?
When can you start preparing to find jobs for the employees who have been laid off?
I myself, I do not know when I could create job opportunities, but I am sure that the staff who are laid off will, I am sure they can go and find work.
But as a Minister for Sustainable Development, I do not even know when I can create employment opportunities for them, but for the training program for the laid off employees, I am sure we can work together with the Department of Education to review to see what kind of training programs they require, especially for those employees who have been laid off.
Thank you, Minister for you’re your answer. It is good to hear.
I am just wondering, I am not asking to create jobs for these people, what I am saying is if you can find counselling for these individuals who have been laid off.
Maybe find other employment for them.
Have you talked to the employment officer in that community so that they have an opportunity to find jobs for themselves so they can get counselling to find employment in other mining sector?
Have you talked to the hamlet employment officers regarding these job opportunities that might be available in other mining sectors?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): I apologize, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, we can work with them and we will work with the employment officers as to how we can work with the training program.
Although I am a Minister for the Mining, we can look instead at trying to create other opportunities from the Department of Sustainable Development.
I am willing to help and give you support and review how we can counsel these workers who have been laid off.
As I have stated before, the High Arctic Member was quite concerned about employment losses when the Nanisivik Mine closed.
Yes, we have to be quite concerned about this Lupin Mine closure.
But there are more mining opportunities in Kitikmeot and Baffin Region.
Yes, I am willing to look into this further to find out how we can work with the employees who have been laid off.
Question 697 – 1(6): Martha Taleruk Centre in Need of Renovations
I am not going to smile at you today like my other Colleagues have been for the last couple of days here.
I am going home today and that is the only thing I am happy about this week.
Anyhow, Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of Health and I have not been asking questions to him for the last five days because I made him a promise.
I was over to his house visiting, and I asked Pakak, who is the bad guy in the Legislative Assembly in Nunavut, and he points right over at me.
And I say why, and he says because you ask my dad questions all the time and you’re mad at him.
And I said well I’d give him a break.
Since this is the last day and I have to ask the Minister of Health a question.
Mr. Speaker, I really want to thank the Minister for setting up the Martha Taleruk Centre for gentle care in Baker Lake.
Our elders now have a place where they have 24-hour care and I commend the Minister for doing that because it was a much needed facility.
But the facility that we’re currently using was used as a youth facility and currently the building is over capacity now and it needs some minor renovations.
Can the Minister tell me when he expects to put that on the capital plan?
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to be able to go to Baker Lake and open up the facility with the Member.
And indeed it is an excellent facility to be able to provide the 24 hours, 7 day a week care to our elders, which is very important.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services, as the Member knows has been under tremendous pressure because of the financial situation within the department.
However, Mr. Speaker, on minor capital, like the Member has talked about, there may be an opportunity to look at some funds to make some renovations, especially Mr. Speaker, in light of the situation, the facility is over capacity.
When I was in the facility there was a letter from Mr. Angmalik, who was a member of the board, for us to review that.
We did do a review on it and Mr. Speaker, I would hope to be able to be in the position during the coming weeks where we could actually find some funds and allocate them towards making some of the renovation changes in the new year.
Question 698 – 1(6): Target Date for Opening of Correctional Healing Facility
Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister Responsible for Justice.
In his Minister’s Statement, he talked about a healing facility in Kugluktuk and that it would be completed some time.
This correctional healing facility, first of all, I would like to get clarification on whether you have estimates or a target date as to when that facility could be used.
Perhaps in the next year during the summer, that’s our plan to open the facility.
They are now trying to complete some minor things and we’ll have to find staff that will work at the correctional facility in Kugluktuk.
Mr. Speaker, in his Minister’s Statement, he stated that the facility would house up to 20 low risk offenders, I’m sorry, there would be 12 new positions and they would be recruiting these employees.
Mr. Speaker, can you ask for order in the House because it’s very difficult to make a statement or ask questions when other Members are talking.
Mr. Speaker, in his statement he said there would be 12 new positions and as Kitikmeot residents, I’m looking forward to these 12 new positions.
We don’t have probation officers in the Kitikmeot Region.
These 12 new positions, will they be travelling to other communities such as Taloyoak as probation officers to work with inmates or people who are on parole or probation.
Speaker: I would caution Members to try to keep their side bar chatter down while the other Members are asking questions.
Thank you. Premier.
These 12 new positions are going to be guards and they won’t be able to visit other communities because they will be working in the facility just like the guards here at BCC.
They have to be guards.
These 12 new positions will be guard positions for the new facility in Kugluktuk.
Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, I had asked questions in regards to the communities that don’t have probation officers.
We’ve only got 12 probation officers within Nunavut communities.
The correctional healing facility in Kugluktuk, once it’s completed, the communities that don’t have probation officers and this correctional facility will need probation officers.
After the correctional facility in Kugluktuk has been completed, can we expect to see probation officers put in place in the communities?
The correctional healing facility in Kugluktuk is for inmates.
That’s a correctional facility, and I’m sure it’s going to benefit the inmates because the majority of inmates are sent to Yellowknife and some of them are sent to BCC and the rest of them are sent down to the facilities outside of our jurisdiction.
This facility will be geared towards inmates so that they could go through the healing program so as not to become repeat offenders.
But in regards to probation officers, yes we’ve only got a few probation officers and for the communities that don’t have probation officers, the social workers do provide probation services.
In the future, yes, we would like to see probation officers in place in all the communities but we lack funding.
We are trying to work with the Federal Government to obtain additional funding.
And I thank the Minister.
Those 12 positions that are slated to go to Kugluktuk for the correctional healing facility, will the community of Kugluktuk get the training only or will those 12 positions be open to the Kitikmeot communities or just Kugluktuk.
The Government of Nunavut will run the correctional healing facility.
The jobs that are going to be given to the community of Kugluktuk and it will be open to anybody from the Kitikmeot Region, those twelve positions, whoever wants to apply for those positions.
It does not matter where they come from and we want to have Inuit employment.
It will be open to Inuit living in Nunavut.
Question 699 – 1(6): Views of Nunavummiut on Breast Feeding Week
I appreciate the two Members who are beside me because they always treat me well.
I would like to direct this question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
The Minister made some Statement about breastfed babies.
What were the thoughts of Nunavummiut when they had a week on that breastfeeding from the mothers?
Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to first of all compliment the Member on these attire today, it is very nice vest.
Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of different vests that I have not been able to wear.
I hope I get a chance in the next several weeks.
Mr. Speaker, I attended the breastfeeding contest, which was held across Canada to see which communities and which regions could have the largest number of people competing in breastfeeding.
I was with Thomasie Alikatuktuk, who is the President of QIA and first I thought we were there to judge the contest, but actually we were there to observe.
Mr. Speaker, the contest itself was to raise awareness for breastfeeding and the contest itself was.
Some Member: It’s not funny is it?
Hon. Ed. Picco: No.
The contest was there, Mr. Speaker, to raise the awareness of breastfeeding and as the Department has done, the Department of Health and Social Services, as well as many medical professionals have indicated that breastfeeding is the best for our children.
Mr. Speaker, indeed, we are trying to make sure that where possible breastfeeding is done and that we do not use, for example, Infalac or those types of baby formulas when not needed.
However, there are instances where those need to be used.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that the majority, we are one of the highest, I think it is the highest rate of breastfeeding in the country and Mr. Speaker, that is something to be proud of for our children and for the nursing mothers.
Breastfeeding, breastfeeding is the best as far as everybody is concerned.
My question is if a person goes for medical treatment in Ottawa and they have to bring the baby because they are breastfeeding, but there was an occurrence where an individual was told that she was not allowed to bring her baby to that boarding home.
Is there a rule in place whereby you are not allowed to bring your babies that you are breastfeeding and are you not allowed to bring your baby who you are breastfeeding into the medical centre down south?
I just wanted to find out if there is a policy in place that says that you are not allowed to bring your baby who you are breastfeeding to a medical centre down south.
Mr. Speaker, the Member had raised in the House, I believe about a week and half or two weeks ago, a concern where indeed, a mother had been carrying a child and was charged for that child to be staying at the boarding home and indeed, when the Member provided me with the receipt, we paid the mother because that was not acceptable.
Mr. Speaker, this Government has no policy in place that does that, a child that is being breastfed is not allowed to be at a boarding home or indeed be with the ascendant mother.
There are no policies in this Government in sight stating that.
The Minister said that there is no policy in place for the Department of Health and Social Services.
I wonder if the boarding home does not want the child there, who would be able to look after the child, because there should be something in place where the breastfeeding mother should be told that they are allowed to bring their children.
Mr. Speaker, in the case where a mother has to travel for a medical appointment, and is nursing a child under the age of one, where they are carrying them on their back then Mr. Speaker, I would expect that that mother would be able to take her child with her.
Mr. Speaker, the boarding home should not, and they are not in the position to turn away a child who is nursing just because they do not want the child there.
The mother has the right to have the child with her.
If there is an instance that has arisen, that the Member is aware of, then we could deal with it.
Like he did with the receipt, when he was able to give me the receipt, then we got the money for the lady.
And if there is case where the mother has been turned away or if there was a concern with a child, and if we were aware of that, then we would be able to deal with.
I appreciate the Member bringing the issue up.
I am talking about little babies, less than a year old.
The ones that are breastfed from their mother, they usually have to have diapers on and sometimes there are some single mothers that bring babies and they have to stay in those medical boarding homes.
What about the provision of pampers?
Is there any way that there is a rule whereby, like the one that they have here in Iqaluit, for pampers.
Mr. Speaker, in Inuktitut, Jobie said, kutarvik, so if I understand his Inuktitut, I think that he is talking about diapers, pampers.
Is that what you said, kutarvik?
Pamper right? Kutarvik, quingilitaq.
I would say kutarvik, ajjinga.
I just want to make sure that it is the right word.
Mr. Speaker, depending on the situation of the parent, in the boarding homes, we do have available different types of disposable diapers.
Mr. Speaker, and there is different sizes, depending on the child.
There is newborn, there is size 5 to 12, and so on and so forth.
Mr. Speaker, those are usually available for the parent.
I am aware where people have had to be medivaced out on medical travel, and they did not have any money when they left, because they did not have money.
And when they got to Ottawa, were not able to have those types of things available.
They could not afford to buy them.
In those cases, Mr. Speaker, we cover those costs and they should be available at the boarding homes for the parents.
Question 700 – 1(6): Public Information on the Human Rights Bill
Mr. Speaker, we end this Session when I still have a lot of questions to ask.
I just want to get some clarification because I think that today is our last day.
We agreed to Bill 12 yesterday.
I would like to ask the Premier whether the people out there in the communities of Nunavut, who are not familiar with the Act, how they are going to be informed on the Act.
Because the Bill was passed in the House yesterday and it will not be in effect for another year, and we would like to have the people informed of the Act, and we will be bringing out some informational items and some information to the public out there but I’m not really sure when that information will be distributed to the communities.
As soon as we have them available, we will be sending them to the communities.
And I appreciate the Premier’s response.
Who will be going to the communities from his department or is it going to be just pamphlets and other information?
We have not really thought about that at this time because we didn’t really know if the Bill would pass yesterday so we haven’t had any ideas or any ways of giving out; we don’t know how we’re going to do it right now but we will make sure we do our best in trying to provide information.
Or, I would like to hear from the Members or the public about how they would like the information distributed.
My committee gave the Bill back to the House and urged the government to give out some information on Bill 12.
Now that the Bill has passed, do you have any idea who would be giving out information to the public and communities in Nunavut?
There will be someone or some committee and we would be able to give out some press releases to let them know that there would be some information about Bill 12 that they should know.
We will do our best to give out the information on the intent of the Bill and we will do our best.
If the communities wish, they can give me some ideas and we’ll do our best to give out information on Bill 12.
Question 701 – 1(6): Youth Coordinator Position in Arctic Bay
My question, I think he or she already expects the question.
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Sustainable Development on the good news regarding Arctic Bay activities.
I have three main questions just asking him to elaborate on the bullets listed.
One of them is the youth employment strategy, which will be worked on including the establishment of a youth employment coordinator. Can you tell me when this position will be filled?
We cannot say exactly when this position will be filled, but we would like to fill it as soon as possible to ensure the community benefits as much as possible as they have lost many positions.
I cannot say exactly when it will be filled, but we will start working on it immediately so we can be ahead of the cleanup projects of the mine.
Just below that, I would also like to ask, yes, I understand where he is coming from because it has to say when the cleanup will start.
And just below that bullet regarding mentorship and coaching for local employees using CESO. Who are you talking about?
Who will be mentoring and coaching?
Perhaps anybody can be a mentor and that is the wording in English.
We will try and get best mentors possible.
Those who have long-term experience are the best mentors and we try to get the most experienced and when I was learning on the job, I had a choice of who I wanted to mentor me.
Perhaps these students enrolled in the mentorship and coaching program can have a selection of whom they would like to be mentored by.
And just below that as well, in his Ministers’ Statement, one of the most important would be if the projects related to the provision of housing because we have a major housing shortage in Arctic Bay and there will be three new houses built through housing.
So, I am just wondering what (interpretation ends) projects relating to the provision of housing means. (interpretation) Can you please elaborate what that means so that I can inform residents of Arctic Bay?
Excuse me. I cannot elaborate on the issue of housing too much, but we have just made a commitment to the working group that we would work together to ensure that this project would be provided adequate housing.
There are the Departments from Sustainable Development, Community Government and Transportation, Education, Health and Social Services, Housing Corporation and Hamlet of Arctic Bay.
This working group will look at how we will try to ensure the availability of housing for any jobs that are created in that community through this process.
And as well, another question that Minister is aware of is some of the residents of Arctic Bay lived in Nanisivik before the closure.
Have those families been considered whether they would be provided housing in Arctic Bay because some of them had had to live with relatives in Arctic Bay due to the lack of housing.
Yes, that is what it is for.