EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, it makes it pretty clear that it is a municipal tax and it is up to the local education body and the municipal council to come up with that rate.
I would like to ask the minister: if that were to happen, and the district education authority requested that of the city council of Iqaluit, would the minister not allow them to put that in place by setting a zero mill rate, is what she’s indicated by regulation. Would she not allow to take the authority away from the district education authority and take that authority from the city and not allow them to do that?
Speaker (interpretation): Minister of Finance, Hon. Leona Aglukkaq.
Just a point I wanted to raise as well in terms of the document that he is reading, I think that should be tabled in the House so that I could also have access to what he is reading.
To answer his question, the education component of the property tax appears to be designed to allow the district education authority access to that funding within Iqaluit, and it goes directly from ratepayers to education.
However, under the Education Act, not all district education authorities have been given the authority to receive any revenue.
Would I allow the district education authority to request that mill rate be increased; the district education authority can approach the city and ask the city to set a rate, but that will have to through the process of setting property tax through the city.
It is totally up to the district education authority to approach the city to impose a property tax, or the education component of the property tax to be increased.
However, we set it at zero to promote home ownership in this community and it would be up to the city to put forth a recommendation and weigh the pros and cons.
Having said that, the Department of Education provides funding to all district education authorities, including the one in Iqaluit.
If they are short on funding, then they should approaching the Department of Education to seek additional funding.
Perhaps going through the property assessment component is not the best avenue to address the district education authority.
But there are other district education authorities as well in Iqaluit, the French Association being another committee, so what happens to them?
Those types of issues are concerns that the district education authority here has to consider when approaching the city to again increase the mill rate from zero.
But the intent of that increase is to promote home ownership across Nunavut.
Speaker (interpretation): The document that Mr. Tootoo was referring to has already been tabled in the House and there is no requirement to table it.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for clarifying that.
I’m just quoting legislation approved by this Assembly.
The Education Act that the Minister of Finance is referring to does clearly indicate that the education body has the authority to do that.
So, again, I’m asking the minister if the education body has the authority to do that; it’s already established in legislation, and they’re saying no, you can’t do it. Are they taking that authority away from the city, away from the district education authorities and arbitrarily setting a zero rate forever?
I’m questioning the reason or the rationale or for whatever reason it’s being done, but the fact is that it was a decision that affects the tax payers in this community, the schools in this community.
Was the community consulted and asked if that was something that they wanted to have happen, or would they have preferred to keep that tax of 2.5 mills on the education tax in place to go toward to the eroding education funding that’s been going on in this territory over the last few years?
Removing the tax, yes, affects everyone.
I would think that’s a good news story for property payers in Nunavut and nobody’s authority is taken away.
The city has that choice.
If they want to increase the tax for education components, they have to go through the consultation process of rate payers and present that for approval.
They still have that as an option.
They have that power to do that as a government.
As minister responsible for finance, we put a mill rate of zero to promote home ownership.
Were we consulting the communities? It’s within our mandate.
I’m not saying it’s not a good news story.
I’m talking process here.
Why I ask, is it that the government arbitrarily decided that the tax was no longer needed.
The property tax, the property class of the mill rates is considerably higher, anywhere from 19.39 to 9.76, and it’s up there.
The education component here in Iqaluit is 2.5 mills.
If they were serious in wanting to make a dent in property taxes to make things easier for home owners and tax payers, why didn’t they look at the property tax component of it and leave the money that could have gone towards education alone.
In terms of process, I believe the process was followed in setting the priorities of this government to the budget address through the main estimates.
The Department of Education’s budget this year has increased.
It didn’t decrease.
So, that’s something that when the minister appears before the Committee of the Whole, you can address that.
DEAs in the past have asked that it be removed as well, but I think the message here is whether it passes or not, it is a break for home owners in Nunavut.
It is a good new story.
If regular members want us to increase taxes throughout Nunavut, I mean of course I don’t believe that is good news towards Nunavut. It is a break for people that are homeowners who have to pay high costs of leases, mortgages, and what-have-you.
So, in terms of practice, I think we follow the process of trying to meet some of those demands of Nunavummiut.
Speaker (interpretation): Your last supplementary, Mr. Tootoo.
It is shameful that someone asks questions and then they just get turned around and twisted on members. I like to be the thorn in the side of some people because I know that the tax payers, parents of children that do go to school in this community, would have loved to have been given the opportunity to have been asked if they would prefer to have that 2.5 million in place to go towards the schools here in Iqaluit, as opposed to it not going, and not that decision made arbitrarily by the Department of Finance or the Government of Nunavut on their behalf.
Can the minister indicate that they went in and just changed it without even consulting with the tax payers, without even consulting with the city of Iqaluit that collects that tax?
I don’t believe in twisting or turning the issue around.
We reduced to zero for Iqaluit to address the issue around home ownership.
As the Minister of Finance, I have the authority under that Nunavut Property Assessment and Taxation Act to set the rates.
In Nunavut, Iqaluit has the responsibility for debts, rates or property owners in the city.
The Minister of Finance, however, sets the education component of the city property tax.
Question 068 – 2(1): Consultation Process on Reform of Education System (Curley)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education in regard to the tabled statement he made.
It states that, and I’m very pleased, they are going to do a study on K–12 and Arctic College programs. It’s trying to do that, but it states here that we will use the consultation process.
Who will you be consulting with?
Who will be going through this consultation process?
Will there be independent consultations or will they be your senior executives at the government and senior level?
We would like to know what the consultation process is going to be, and I’m sure they will want to know who is going to be coming.
So, who is going to do the consultation?
This fall I’ll be tabling the education process for the strategic involvement of people in Nunavut on the Education Act.
Mr. Speaker, the review of consultation will be led by the Department of Education.
I would hope that the members of the Standing Committee on Education would also play a part right at the beginning, so members of this House would be involved.
As well, there is an education advisory report appointed by the minister that I just recently set up.
Members of that Education Advisory Committee, which includes people, educators, from across Nunavut would also have an opportunity.
And then, in the strategic process that we will have tabled this fall, each community in Nunavut will be visited and each district education authority will be asked.
A lot of good work has gone into the act already.
There has been quite a bit of consultation.
The reason why I am waiting until the fall is to go through what has already occurred, review that documentation.
I had an opportunity to see it.
It is thicker than four binders.
Take the good out of that, Mr. Speaker, and move forward with the made-in-Nunavut Education Act.
Speaker (interpretation): Supplementary, Mr. Curley.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Different question?
Thank you. Mr. Peterson.
Question 069 – 2(1): Mining Projects (Peterson)
My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation.
I was very encouraged by the reply to my oral questions about the Nunavut Mining Strategy.
I noted that he made a reference to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.
Last night many of us had the honour of attending a get-together with nine mining companies that came here to Iqaluit to meet with us. We had some good discussions.
Everybody knows that mining contributes a lot to our gross domestic product in Nunavut, creates a lot of jobs.
I think this year they probably are going to invest $80 million to $90 million in exploration.
But the Tahera folks were there last night and they mentioned to some of us that they are waiting for the minister of DIAND, to get his approval for the project.
The Nunavut Impact Review Board made a recommendation to approve the project in February of 2004.
The key deadline is to get DIAND approval for this project and keep it moving forward in the next 7-8 months without setting the project back a year.
So, my question, Mr. Speaker: what is the Government of Nunavut doing to urge DIAND to approve the Tahera project this week to avoid missing deadlines, or cancelling projects altogether?
Speaker (interpretation): Minister of Economic Development and Transportation, Mr. Simailak.
The Premier and I have just written a letter to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans urging them and DIAND to speed up their process.
Speaker (interpretation): Supplementary question, Mr. Peterson.
There is the small matter of the federal election coming up, rumoured it would be soon.
But we would hope that the deal is made before then.
Could the minister tell me, or tell the House, if the Premier has asked the ministers of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and of DIAND to make the decision this week or, at the very least, early next week?
Speaker: Simailak.
The Premier tells me he will table the letter in the House tomorrow.
“Koana, Uqaqti.”
Just commenting on a related note, we just recently went through a lengthy review process on the Bathurst Inlet road and port.
We have regulatory regimes here in Nunavut that make recommendations on major resource development projects here in Nunavut.
When the recommendations go to Ottawa, they delay us and it takes as long as 18 months for approval as a result.
I am wondering if the minister could tell me what the government is doing to encourage the federal government to make timely decisions on recommendations on resource projects for Nunavut.
I could tell the member that I will be holding discussions with the various ministers in Ottawa and will try to encourage them to find ways to speed up the process.
“Ma’na, Uqaqti.”
Speaker (interpretation): Your last supplementary, Mr. Peterson.
I am wondering if the minister is aware of how many jobs, how much investment, how many contracts and subcontracts, how many training opportunities would be lost if the Tahera project does not proceed on the timelines that they have set for developments.
Hon. David Simailak: I do not have actual numbers right now.
I have not seen the Tahera proposal, but I can just imagine how many it will be: way too much. It would be way too much of a loss for Nunavut. “Ma’na, Uqaqti.”
Question 070 – 2(1): Amount Collected from Education Taxes (Tootoo)
Earlier she indicated that the education budget is increased this year, and we know that after looking at it there is actually less direct funding going to the schools and the Department of Education; it is much more than just schools.
And we know that the school enrolments are going up.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister about that education component of the tax that the city collected from its tax payers.
Is the minister aware of how much was collected here in Iqaluit? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker: Ms. Aglukkaq.
Yes, I am aware of the amounts.
In total for all of Nunavut, because this act applies to all of Nunavut and not just Iqaluit, the dollars collected was about half a million.
Speaker (interpretation): Supplementary question.
I know, as I had indicated, that tax is collected by the city of Iqaluit from its tax payers.
Could the minister indicate if it is paid to the city of Iqaluit, and under what agreement or whatever does it fall under in order to end up in the government’s general revenue account?
The city collects the taxes and remits the education components of those taxes to the Government of Nunavut, and that funding goes in the general revenue.
I would just like to ask the minister why it follows that process when that seems to be contrary to what the legislation with the Education Act and the Property Taxation Act indicates, that that is where most dollars are to be collected by the municipal taxing agencies and be provided to the education body.
In this particular case, here in Iqaluit, it would be the district education authorities, specifically for the purposes of education in that community.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Mr. Speaker, the process of filing and collecting taxes is no different than any other jurisdiction.
Iqaluit is not treated any differently than that.
Why doesn’t he go to the district education authority; the district education authority receives funding through the Department of Education.
When we collect taxes for the district education authority, it comes, not district education authority from rate payers in Iqaluit or anywhere else for the education component, it goes to the general revenue.
Speaker (interpretation): Your last supplementary.
In my interpretation of the Property and Taxation Act and the Education Act, it clearly identifies where those dollars are supposed to go and to whom.
Again, I’d like to ask the minister: doesn’t the process that is in place seem… . Does it contradict and contravene the act, where it is supposed to be applied within the legislation?
Like I said earlier, this a good news story for rate payers in this community.
In Iqaluit, the last few years, we know that there have been a number of peoples’ homes being sold by the city.
That is your riding, your community, I would think that this would be a good news story for members from Iqaluit before we do the cost…
We encourage home ownership and we have been dealing with the situations of buying and selling off peoples’ homes.
We have to weigh the pros and cons of what we are doing, have people homeless; we sold people’s homes.
By reducing this portion of the property tax, the education portion, it would go a long way to homeowners across Nunavut.
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Curley.
Question 071 – 2(1): Tax Savings (Curley)
I would like to ask the Minister of Finance about the property tax issue and I would like to thank you for the information on taxes. It is a lot better when we do not see too many taxes; there will be more money available to buy groceries for our children.
The question that I have for the Minister of Finance: there are $2 million that will be collected through general revenue and after that they will be going to the communities for home ownership?
Yesterday in my budget address I announced that there would be about 160 new units built in Nunavut.
In terms of the $2 million, I’m not sure what $2 million you are referring to.
Earlier in the questions I had mentioned that the education component of taxes that we collect is a little over half a million across the territory so I don’t know the $2 million through that.  However, when the funding is collected through taxes, it goes to a general revenue, and through budget on development and exercise, the funding is divided up by departments and presented to this House for consideration.
Yes, it is $500,000 that you are talking about. It was my mistake.
Yes, we do understand the savings that we get from Ottawa.
If they are directed to health and we have this through the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the question that I have is: under your authority, the tax savings will definitely go to the home ownership; it will not go to the local housing organization who will maybe allocate it to home ownership?
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: The tax saving items are eliminating the education tax; that funding goes back into the general revenue.
When we make tax cuts it’s not specific to one particular project or not.
You can collect taxes, it goes back into general revenue, and is distributed based on required needs of departments, and we try and balance across the border.
Will it go into home ownership?
It will benefit homeowners’ reduction in taxes; it will benefit the homeowners but it will not… I can’t say that it will go strictly to the home ownership program.
Question 072 – 2(1): Other Decentralized Communities (Barnabas)
I am representing non-decentralized communities, and some of the other members represent non-decentralized communities.
Can the Premier direct me whether, apart from the Government of Nunavut, the decentralized government, are there any other Canadian cities or regions that have governments such as this?
Speaker (interpretation): Premier Okalik.
Yes, well we are the most decentralized.
The federal government does have offices in place for that.
The Canadian government started decentralizing when they started building hospitals in the provinces, but they had to start closing hospitals because of the lack of funding.
Right now we are using a lot of funding and we are not finished decentralizing yet.
The question that I have is: are we going to be decentralizing forever, or what is happening?
It was very important when we first became a government, and now it continues to be very important to the communities.
And also for Inuit employment; we have more Inuit employed within the government. This is starting to run a lot more smoothly, and we’ll be going into the smaller communities next.
Speaker (interpretation): Second supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.
Yes, I know that the smaller communities are mentioned many times by the Premier, but some of the communities are not… . Even though some of the decentralized communities are in place now, we have to get more employment for the communities.
Yes, a lot of Inuit are staring to finish their education and this is falling into place when people are finishing school.
It is not just the decentralized communities, and we still have a lot of places to fill.
This is being used by all the government.
Speaker (interpretation): Final supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.
For the non-decentralized communities, especially when you are an elder, it is very difficult. Where to go to? Especially since Iqaluit is the capital of Nunavut.
For the decentralized communities transportation is Baker Lake, and finance is in Igloolik, and it gets very difficult to know which direction to go to.
We will be getting a toll-free number to one of our headquarters offices that we phone. Toll-free will be available shortly.
Speaker (interpretation): Question period is now over.
Item 14. Tabling of documents.
Tabled Document 012 – 2(1): Nunavut Arctic College Annual Report 2002-2003 (Picco)
It’s a great pleasure to be able to table today the 2002-03 annual report of Nunavut Arctic College.
In accordance with section 18 of Public College Act, the board of governors of Nunavut Arctic College is required to publish an annual report describing the activities of our college each year.
This report supplies a snapshot, a snapshot of programs provided by the college in each region and of the activities of the Nunavut Arctic College and the NRI during the academic year of 2002-03.
It also includes financial statements for 2002-03.
I am very pleased to present the annual report of the college to the members for their information Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker (interpretation): Orders of the day, Item 15.
Mr. Evyagotailak will take the chair after we take a short break.
>>House recessed at 15:15 and resumed at 15:43
Chairman (Mr. Evyagotailak)(interpretation): I would like to call the committee meeting to order.
In Committee of the Whole, we have the following item to deal with: Bill 2.
Does the committee agree to deal with Bill 2?
Chairman: Are we in agreement first of all with the Department of Health and Social Services?
Chairman: I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services to make her opening remarks.
Minister Brown.
Hon. Levinia Brown (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Chairman (interpretation): You are not required to stand while making your opening comments.
Hon. Levinia Brown: I apologize, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you for the opportunity to present the 2004-05 main estimates and business plan for the Department of Health and Social Services.
Before I begin, I would like to introduce Deputy Minister Bernie Blais and Assistant Deputy Minister for Corporate Services, Victor Tootoo.
(interpretation.) Mr. Chairman, the Department of Health and Social Services is responsible for the development and delivery of services and programs addressing the physical, mental, and social health of Nunavummiut.
(Interpretation ends.) Our vision of bringing care closer to home is a holistic Northern-based approach to meeting those responsibilities.
It means strengthening our primary healthcare. It means training Inuit, such as our recent two Inuit nursing graduates, to deliver culturally sensitive healthcare and social services in Inuktitut.
It means the development of a plan to increase the number of birthing centres.
And it means changing our status from an economic drain to an economic driver.
These efforts reinforce our continued commitment to “Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.”
For 2004-05, the Department of Health and Social Services has been allocated a budget of $210,879,000, of which $182,244,000 is dedicated to operations and maintenance and includes funding for six months of operations and maintenance for the new healthcare facilities in Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay.
An additional $28,635,000 of the department’s budget is for capital projects.
Mr. Chairman, a number of factors contribute to the continued operational deficit of the Department of Health and Social Services.
Cost drivers like agency nurses, medical travel, and out-of-territory care continue to influence our already burdened budget.
A newly negotiated lower hourly rate for nurses contracted through private recruitment agencies is a short term success in addressing our care delivery costs.
With a projected nursing shortage in 2006 that will put Nunavut in direct competition for nurses with the rest of North America, we are focusing on retention initiatives.
Retention, combined with the training of nurses in Nunavut is hoped to significantly decrease our dependency on agency nurses.
A retention and recruitment steering committee with the partnership of the Department of Health and Social Services, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the Department of Human Resources, the Department of Education, and the Nunavut Employees’ Union has met to discuss what is working and what we need to change.
Short-term goals include continuing education and training through the use of telehealth.
The Department of Health and Social Services has repatriated a number Nunavummiut living in long-term southern care facilities.
Reuniting patients with the families and their communities has become a reality with the care-closer-to-home vision.
Money once channelled to southern facilities can now be used to train Nunavummiut.