EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
At the time, it was decided that it still remained within fire code compliance and the costs that were associated with having that part of the design were quite high.
Making some of these design changes has dramatically increased the ability for the Nunavut Housing Corporation to build more units with the dollars that were allocated.
It is something that I will commit to the member that I will take another look at now that I’m the Minister of the Nunavut Housing Corporation and I’ll get back to the member on what my findings are.
Can the minister describe how the housing corporation works with emergency services providers to ensure that the design of public and staff housing units provides easy access for first responders?
With regard to discussing with emergency responders on our design, I am not aware of any discussions that occur with those professionals.
That being said, the design is still worked on by professionals who take into consideration as many of these factors and to make sure that these buildings are done in compliance with current building codes and fire codes.
Yesterday, questions were asked in the House concerning the housing corporation’s removal of country food storage and preparation areas from the design of multiplex public housing units. Earlier today, the government issued a public service announcement concerning the health benefits of eating country foods during Nutrition Month.
Does the minister see any contradiction between what the government says and what the government actually does?
With regard to the section of the units or the previous design that was used to prepare country food, again, I don’t want to belabour the point, but the cost of adding that into units decreases the amount of units that we’re able to build in the territory.
I, myself, when I have game that I bring home, what I can’t cut up outside I do it at the kitchen counter. I’m sure that a lot of our members here do the same thing.
As Inuit people, we didn’t have specific parts of our domicile that was used for cutting up meat or country food.
I think we are very adaptable people and we use whatever resources are available to us.
My goal as the minister is to put as many units on the ground as I can, to assist and do whatever I can to help alleviate the housing shortage. If decreasing costs is the best way of doing it… .
Like I mentioned yesterday, not every resident used that service or that infrastructure that was part of the design. It was felt that it was underutilized in a lot of cases for the amount of the expense on the design.
Question 199 – 4(3): Kugaaruk Air Terminal Building Replacement (Qirngnuq)
First of all, I would like to apologize for making mistakes yesterday in my oral question.
I also apologize to the Minister of Transportation.
My questions are again for the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation.
Third time’s the charm, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, in her responses to my questions yesterday, the minister confirmed that Kugaaruk’s airport terminal building is 40 years old.
It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, airport terminals in the territory.
Can the minister also confirm that the replacement of Kugaaruk’s airport terminal building will be a priority for her department in its 2017-18 capital estimates?
As per my previous response yesterday, I can only offer the same response.
The airport terminals are generally not a priority, as there are many other aspects of airport operations, such as airstrips, graders, or other infrastructure required for maintenance, that are prioritized and they tend to outnumber them as they are safety related.
As to the actual status or where the process is at, we are aware that the terminal requires replacement, so we have included that in the (interpretation ends) 20-year infrastructure needs plan, (interpretation) as it is called.
It will be completed shortly and it will be our primary planning document for prioritizing needs to move forward.
There are other areas requiring further review, but to ensure that they are included, they have to be identified as a priority so that it can be included in this review.
In her responses to my questions yesterday, the minister stated that her department, and I quote, “has a plan to upgrade the mechanical and electrical systems.”
Can the minister confirm when this work will start?
I don’t have this information in front of me, but I’ll let my colleague know shortly and I will explain it to him at a later time.
The 2016-17 Capital Estimates of the Department of Economic Development and Transportation include $2.0 million in funding for the construction of a new airport terminal building in the community of Taloyoak.
Can the minister indicate what local training and apprenticeship opportunities will be available for residents of Taloyoak during the construction phase of the new airport terminal building?
With respect to the matter he brought up, it will be dealt with by the Department of CG&S as they are the lead department on all government tenders.
This would be for proposals that are part of their mandate.
Even though I make that statement, I know for a fact that the NNI Policy would be applicable and the language used identifies the need for Inuit workers.
It also speaks about including Inuit owned businesses as integral parts of their contracts.
We are currently reviewing this policy to update it.
However, related to the requirement to have Inuit workers, we want to further encourage companies to undertake that, but it’s obvious that if they tried, they wouldn’t comply with the requirements currently, as the Taloyoak project just started.
I do know for a fact that one of the requirements of the NNI Policy, if it were to be followed, would result in more Inuit workers, as that is the criterion.
Members, the time for question period has expired. Moving on.
The Hon. Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Ms. Ell-Kanayuk.
Item 14: Tabling of Documents*
Tabled Document 081 – 4(3): FPT Meeting of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women in Dettah, NWT on June 19 and 20, 2014 (Ell-Kanayuk)
Tabled Document 082 – 4(3): FPT Meeting of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women on June 18, 2015 in Winnipeg Manitoba (Ell-Kanayuk)
I am pleased to table the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women in Dettah, NWT, on June 19 and 20, 2014.
Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to table the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women on June 18, 2015 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Hon. Minister of Economic Development and Transportation, Ms. Ell-Kanayuk.
Tabled Document 083 – 4(3): Government of Nunavut’s Response to the Standing Committee on Oversight of Government Operations and Public Accounts’ 2015 Report on the Review of the 2013-2014 Annual Report, 2015-2016 Business Plan, and 2012-2017 Strategic Plan of Nunavut Tourism (Ell-Kanayuk)
I am pleased to table the Government of Nunavut’s Response to the Report on the Review of the 2013-14 Annual Report, 2015-16 Business Plan, and 2012-17 Strategic Plan of Nunavut Tourism.
The Hon. Minister of Culture and Heritage, Mr. Mike.
Tabled Document 084 – 4(3): Government of Nunavut’s Response to the Standing Committee on Oversight of Government Operations and Public Accounts’ November 3, 2015 Report on the Review of the 2009-2012 and 2013-2015 Summary Reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit (Mike)
*See Appendix for full text of Tabled Documents 83 – 4(3) and 84 – 4(3).
I am pleased to table the Government of Nunavut’s Response to the Standing Committee on Oversight of Government Operations and Public Accounts’ November 3, 2015 Report on the Review of the 2009-2012 and 2013-15 Summary Reports of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
Tabling of Documents. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Member for Rankin Inlet North and Chesterfield Inlet, Mr. Tom Sammurtok.
Tabled Document 085 – 4(3): Correspondence to the Members of the Legislative Assembly from the Aqigiq Hunters and Trappers Organization (Sammurtok, T)
Mr. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I wish to table today a letter that has been sent from the Aqigiq Hunters and Trappers Organization in Chesterfield Inlet to the Members of the Legislative Assembly.
The HTO’s correspondence concerns caribou habitat.
Mr. Speaker, I will have detailed questions on this issue for the Minister of Environment before the end of our winter sitting. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Item 14. Tabling of Documents.
I have no more names. (interpretation) Moving on. (interpretation ends) Item 15.
Bill 15 – An Act to Amend the Land Titles Act – First Reading
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I move, seconded by the Hon. Minister for Arviat South, that Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Land Titles Act, be read for the first time. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Bills 10, 11, 12, and 13 and Tabled Documents 73 – 4(2), 116 – 4(2), 140 – 4(2), 149 – 4(2), and 70 – 4(3) with Mr. Akoak in the Chair.
Before we proceed to the Committee of Whole, we will take a 20-minute break.
Chairman (Mr. Akoak): Good afternoon, colleagues. Nunavummiut and people watching TV, welcome.
Mr. Chairman, we wish to continue with the review of the 2016-17 Main Estimates of the Department of Community and Government Services, followed by the Department of Education.
Are we in agreement that we continue with the main estimates for the Department of Community and Government Services?
Chairman: Is the committee agreed that minister’s staff go to the witness table?
Iqsuqtii, please assist the staff to go to the witness table.
To my right, I have the DM, Lori Kimball, and to my left, the ADM of Community Services, Mr. Darren Flynn.
Yesterday, we were on J-4. Community and Government Services. Branch Summary.
Directorate. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $12,078,000.
$12,078,000.
Perhaps I’ll return to a question raised yesterday by my colleague, Mr. Mikkungwak. If the minister already responded to that question, I apologize first before I ask the question.
The department has stated that in the near future, it would introduce amendments to the Consumer Protection Act.
If my reference was understandable, I am reiterating the question and again I apologize if I am submitting a question that was already answered.
When are your expectations of introducing the amendments or have you identified a timeframe of when you would table this information?
I believe the bill that the MLA is talking about is the consumer bill and it is completed, but being reviewed because there are certain things that were put in there that were outside our jurisdiction.
For example, we wanted to limit the amount that retailers could charge for cashing a cheque.
Right now, we can’t do that and we’re trying to figure out exactly how we can do it, if we can do it.
The bill has gone to the Department of Justice and that’s where it’s still at.
We’re working on it, but we can’t do what we want it to do at the moment.
Currently, do you have no idea when we can expect this information?
Is there nothing stated about the timeframe from the justice department’s lawyers about how long this process would play out?
The member is right. We don’t know. It’s out of our control.
It’s with the Department of Justice and they have to check out the legalities of the stuff too and I don’t speak for them, but we are waiting on Justice. Until we get it back from the Department of Justice, we can’t go any further on it.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): I’m done.
Mr. Mikkungwak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for recognizing me.
We’re on J-4 under Directorate. I have a question on his openers on page 3, which is MTO.
Can the minister elaborate a little bit more in detail in regard to, I guess you could say, the third paragraph in his openers, “The training provided by MTO allows municipal employees to gain skills and assist them in delivering services to residents with training costs that are low and affordable to municipalities.”?
MTO stands for “Municipal Training Organization” and it’s a tool that municipalities use to train their staff on many different courses that are needed.
It could be driver training; it could be office procedures training.
They put in proposals and if it’s approved, then the training course goes through MTO and CGS is one of the funding partners of it.
It’s a cost-effective way for municipalities to get training for their employees.
In 2014-15, there were a total of 744 participants and the number of courses that were offered was 96.
Just to show that it was very cost effective, it came out to $674 per training day.
I guess my follow-up question to that is: when you look at 744 trainees that did partake in the Municipal Training Organization, were these all full-time employees or were some casuals?
I don’t have that level of detail as there were so many courses offered and so many people took it.
If the member wants, I can get back to him, but right now, I don’t have that kind of detail available to me.
I’ll be glad to wait for that information.
On that same particular subject matter again, were these courses that were delivered all in Nunavut?
Yes, they were all in Nunavut.
MTO is a Nunavut organization that puts on their courses in Nunavut.
Mr. Mikkungwak: In reference to this Municipal Training Organization training course as it applies in Nunavut and it’s delivered within Nunavut, are municipalities submitting or notified at the beginning of the fiscal year or midway, or how are all the municipalities across Nunavut notified regarding this MTO training that’s available within Nunavut?
There are certain courses that are offered that are needed annually and there would be a calendar put out for all the municipalities to put in if they’re interested or it could be that a municipality might want a certain course in their town or a certain course that is needed in several towns.
If there are enough participants and there are instructors available, then the course is put on.
It’s not a rigid training organization and that’s what’s good about it. It’s not set in stone, “Here are the courses. Take it or leave it.”
There will be certain courses that are offered, but there can also be different courses that are put on that are needed if the participation level is high enough.
If I’m hearing correctly, with the minister’s response, it could be made available to municipal individuals who are not employed by the municipality or hamlet, in my case, the Hamlet of Baker Lake, or do they all have to be employees of the municipality?
When the MTO puts on courses, it’s generally only for municipal employees, but if there’s space available and someone is interested and they’re sponsored, because there is a cost to putting on the training courses, exceptions could be made.
It’s on an individual and needs basis, but if someone wanted to partake in a particular course and they weren’t a municipal employee, then someone would have to fund them.
Chairman: Thank you. The next name on the list, Mr. T. Sammurtok.
I probably only have one question at this point.
Your department’s draft 2016-19 business plan, I’m referring to page 168, indicates that one of your priorities for the 2016-19 fiscal year is to, and I quote, “Optimize the procurement function, through gradual migration of regional infrastructure procurement to a centralized procurement function in the department.”
Can you describe what these changes will involve and if any positions will be transferred from other communities to Iqaluit?
Chairman: Thank you. Minister Savikataaq.
We did talk at length about this yesterday and I did answer it, but I will answer it again.
It’s just streamlining the process and moving some of the process and authorities to a centralized place so that everyone can be on the same page when it comes to procurement and purchases.
Right now, the three regions may have a little bit of a different way of doing stuff and we would like to streamline it so that the process is the same throughout Nunavut.
That just makes it more efficient and there’s less chance of someone who is not successful in getting a bid or getting their purchase to be unhappy. There are no PYs being moved.
It’s just that the process is being streamlined.
Chairman: Thank you. Your third line of questions, Mr. Enook.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity.
Just for further clarity, I think I would like to ask the minister a question regarding MTO that provides training for the hamlet.
There are usually students, for example, heavy equipment operator trainees who go down to Morrisburg for that type of training.
Can you explain to the House and to the people of Nunavut of what the difference is with the Municipal Training Organization or is it a government program?
That’s just for my information.
MTO has nothing to do with people going to heavy equipment training in Morrisburg.
I know that that goes on and I believe the candidates who go down there are sponsored through the Department of Education.
It’s a separate training program. MTO is not involved.
Chairman (interpretation): Mr. Enook, are you done?
Do I understand that even though it’s not under your department, it is sponsored by another department, possibly the Department of Education or Arctic College, but the students who go down to Morrisburg are still being sponsored by the government?
The member is correct. Yes, they are sponsored by the Government of Nunavut when they go to Morrisburg and there can be other funding sources.
For example, if the Inuit organizations wanted to sponsor people to go down there too, they may do that, but generally the people who go to Morrisburg for heavy equipment training are sponsored by the GN. Thank you.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $12,078,000.
Next, Branch Summary.
Page J-5.
My line of questions is going to be around the emergency measures.
I’ll start with your department currently has two policies under which contribution funds may be provided to support community search and rescue organizations.
According to your department’s website, its Community Based Search and Rescue Contribution Policy expired on May 31 of 2008, and the Community Search and Rescue Organization Support Contribution Policy expired on May 31, 2010.
When will your department be updating these policies?
These policies were under review and they are being updated now.
Once they are updated, we will give everyone the new policies, but they’re in the process of being updated right now.
Also, as I stated in my opening comments, your department is proposing to allocate $500,000 in contribution funding to community search and rescue organizations.
This amount has not changed in over ten years.
Will you commit to undertaking a review of the costs associated with operating a community search and rescue organization to ensure that your department’s contribution funding is adequate?
The amount that the member is talking about, $500,000 per year, is adequate right now.
Part of that has to do with the SPOT devices because, when someone sends off a SPOT, they know exactly where they are and they go to the location, so the searches are not prolonged.
At the current time, the budget for the searches is adequate.
My next line of questions was going to be on the SPOT devices.
You stated in your opening comments that “In 2015, there were 251 searches, 82 of which were triggered by SPOT devices.”
For the record and an update for most of us is: how many SPOT devices are issued to each community?
I don’t have the exact figures right now how much each community has, but it’s very close to 500 that are out there for Nunavut.
If you divide that by 25, that’s roughly 20 per community, which probably isn’t averaged out because a smaller community would need less SPOTs than a bigger community, but there are almost 500 SPOT units out there.
There’s no problem with the numbers. They’re underused, I think. We make it known public where they’re available and we’ve never had a problem where someone said, “Well, I went to go pick up a SPOT and there were none available.”
As far as we are aware, every time a hunter or someone going out on the land goes to pick up a SPOT, there is one available for them.
Again still on the SPOT devices, how does your department keep track of the SPOT devices to ensure that all the units are accounted for at the end of the day in each community?
The hamlets give us an inventory number every year and if there are any missing or don’t work, then there’s a process to replace them.
The hamlets are responsible to account for the number of SPOTs in each community.
The minister stated that it’s done annually.
I’m just wondering if he can give me precisely what time of year that they are accounted for, what month of the year. Is it January or is it year-end? Exactly when are they accounted for?
We don’t have that information, but it’s generally the end of the fiscal year. We don’t know the exact date, but it’s supposed to be done annually. We can pick any date you want, I guess, and that date would be just fine as long as they are accounted for.
Why I’m doing this line of questioning, as you will see in this next question, maybe is that I attended an interagency meeting in my community while I was home between the committee meeting and now and we got talking about SPOT devices. I asked that question to municipal workers on the number of SPOT devices that they have. I won’t say the exact number, but there are a significant number of SPOT devices in the community that are not accounted for.
That’s why I’m wondering how often your department keeps track of these and maybe an annual basis is not enough. Maybe on a monthly basis, we need to keep track of where these are or have a better signing-out policy and return policy on these devices.
It is my understanding that there’s a significant number that is not accounted for in my community, which makes me wonder if other communities are in the same situation.
I would just like to get the minister’s comment on that, please.
I guess what I’ll say is that the municipalities should take some initiative and take control.
If they know they are short, then they don’t have to wait ‘til the end of the year to report that they are short. At any time, if there are SPOT units that are missing or not working, they can contact CGS and we will make sure that they have the appropriate number of SPOTs.
These SPOT units are very useful and effective and they really do cut down the cost of a search. They can save lives. The municipalities don’t have to wait ‘til year-end.
If they know they’re short, then on any given day, they can inform CGS that they are short and maybe give an explanation on why they’re short.
Chairman: Yes, Minister Savikataaq, the SPOT devices are very important.
Next name, Mr. Enook.
I would like to use your opening comments as the foundation for my question. It is on page 5. Firstly, let me ask a question about the written statement about search and rescue first responders.
It states, “…in assisting the RCMP and military in responding to searches.” I want clarification on that part. What is the meaning of this statement?
Is it that the RCMP is the instigator of the search mission or is it the searchers?
Who is the lead in the initiation?
The language as written speaks to the RCMP as well as the military, who are the main players.
Based on what I know, the local search and rescue organizations do the actual searches, but I may be missing the key here.
Can you please clarify that for my information?
In all the communities, the RCMP is in charge of the search, but the RCMP knows and we know that they can’t do the searches. They rely on the local search and rescue units to go and do the searches, but they coordinate the searches.
They’re the ones who would contact Trenton if the airplane would be needed and they’re in charge of land searches.
When or if there are any water searches, it’s generally the Coast Guard that is in charge, but the RCMP coordinates. They don’t go out on the actual searches.
That is relied on the local search and rescue because they’re the experts. They know what they’re doing.