EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
If this is approved, the school would be built in the year 2001.
Mr. Speaker, if I had full capacity in my department in November, February and December, yes we wanted to do everything so that things would come in the summer.
We kept the elected member informed of the process and kept him up to date.
We have approximately half of our capacity and just three weeks ago we finally got a capital analyst.
We are now up to 65% capacity.
We do want to work 100% but because of our lack of capacity we cannot keep up with things that we want to do.
The elected member knows that this is not intentional.
It is just that we did not have the time and we did not want to rush through the architectural drawings, which take a long time, and we were under budget when we approved the numbers that were slotted for this project.
It has not been deleted, we still have it slotted for next year.
That was an excellent response and I appreciate that.
However, I want to supplement my question.
If we agree to the funding, will the drawings also be included in the approval.
This was a pre-authorized amount that we have not spent yet except that we have a shortage of 150 thousand dollars and we will be putting that forth under an appropriation request because of the contract changes.
Also, I understand that there has been some discussion by the Broughton Island Education Board in support of their requests.
I have that correspondence too.
Speaker: Final supplementary, Mr. Iqaqrialu.
At this time we are on the main estimates.
As you can see from this book for the year 2000, for Baffin, Kulluaq School, 1 million 547 thousand dollars.
Is that going to go ahead for the preliminary studies.
If that is the case I will help to support the other main estimates and in conjunction with the Education Authority in my community, who has indicated that as long as the drawings are approved for the current fiscal year then I would agree.
So, thank you for detailing my question and that the drawings would be included for the current year.
Speaker: Just a reminder that the capital budget for Education has been deferred until such time we should wait until it resurfaces.
If the minister cares to answer the question or comment, or not that is fine.
Question 480 - 1(3): Review of Airline Schedules
My questions will be to the Minister of Transportation who indicated he would do a review of the aircraft schedules.
I am wondering what sort of review he had undertaken whether it would be about airfares or air routes.
That review was done for all of Nunavut and it was begun in October.
However, according to the member’s statement and the member from Baker Lake's statement, we are aware of your concerns as to how we can work more closely with the airlines.
The member said that the government is paying huge amounts of dollars for patient and medical travel and at the same time he explained the costs involved for communities for community residents wishing to travel to other places to visit relatives.
Another issue that was raised was having patients travelling without escorts to cut costs.
Further to his comments I am sensitive to those issues but at this time I can not really tell him how well the study or the review is going because it is currently being undertaken.
Question 481 - 1(3): Depletion of Ozone Layer
I want to raise my questions regarding the ozone layer because as we know it is getting smaller each time and we heard this over the radio and through the newspapers that I read.
We are very concerned over this in regards our lifestyle and the ozone layer because we live outdoors this time of the year.
Can the minister indicate to me information as to how the ozone layer is affecting our people over the short course of the summer.
Speaker: (interpretation): Minister Kilabuk.
In response to the member’s question, the ozone layer which is our protection from ultraviolet rays remains much the same.
Concerning the pollutants that come from the south to the high arctic areas affecting our atmosphere and our waters, these are continuing to be a concern.
As for the future and how they affect us, before we distribute any information we have researchers that will be coming up to our communities along with meeting with the members and give an explanation as to what kind of effects we can expect.
However, before we do that we want to give out factual information.
Thank you for your response but I also want to say it is almost summer time and because this is our where we spend most of our time, I want to know exactly how much development has been in place.
Yesterday I had a meeting with my staff concerning the timing of the researchers that will be coming up to do a briefing for the members.
As far as we could schedule, we are looking at early May during the time all members are in Iqaluit.
We are going to time it in conjunction with the session so they can receive a briefing.
Then we can distribute the information directly after the briefing just in time for the spring and summer session.
We can work with them towards that.
Thank you minister.
During the summer we will be working towards this.
I want to thank you for your response.
We want to work towards this because we as Inuit are very concerned about the weather changes.
This worries our people who go out on the land and if we do a review on this before the summer I would much appreciate it very much.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What we want to do is time it so that all the members and the cabinet ministers will be available because this ozone layer depletion is a concern to everyone and for everyone’s future.
For the first time under the Department of Sustainable Development we plan to do a briefing and we want to give every opportunity to each of the members to be given information.
It is obvious that if we try and do this on an Ad Hoc basis, people will be asking further questions and we might possibly cause confusion, if we try to do this in an ad hoc manner.
I want to be well prepared when we deal with that Mr. Speaker.
Question 482 - 1(3): Timing and Secrecy of Budget Process
The minister has been recently attacking members on this side of the House for not raising concerns regarding budget matters during the Rankin Inlet session.
My question is, given that the budget had not yet been introduced at that time and given the number of times that ministers have refused to answer questions on the budget items until it came up during committee of the whole review of the estimates, does the minister now believe that members should have violated budget secrecy and raised specific concerns on specific budget items in advance of the introduction of the main estimates into the House.
Speaker: Minister responsible for Finance. Mr. Ng.
Mr. Speaker, the members know that they have ample opportunity outside of the House to raise issues.
Whether it is in the Standing Committee review or a direct correspondence or if it is a verbal meeting with different ministers or the Premier or the Finance Minister.
So those are the avenues to address those issues if they feel they were not discussed.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, then is the Minister of Finance saying that there were no concerns or he is not aware of concerns that were raised in regards to that project that seems to be a hot debate going on in the House.
Mr. Speaker, I know there were concerns raised.
There was a request for additional information and that is why the Minister of Education provided in great detail the costing for the project and the tabled document that I referred to earlier in my statement.
So that all members will have the opportunity to see exactly what that project entails.
Mr. Speaker, just maybe on process.
Mr. Speaker, I know the role the standing committees play and the regular members play that the departments bring forward their budgets and their business plans to these standing committees.
Concerns are raised at that time and then it goes back and those concerns are taken by whatever department it is.
One would hope that in this type of a consensus government that we have that these concerns are taken into consideration.
Mr. Speaker, so is the minister saying that they did take into consideration some of the concerns that were raised by the standing committee and regular members during that process that did happen.
Mr. Speaker, yes it is the responsibility of the sponsoring minister if there were specific concerns to address those issues.
Whether or not every issue that is raised is addressed is another matter.
Certainly you have to take it into consideration and then ultimately have to make a decision on going forward.
What the recommendations are for amendments as originally put forth.
Speaker: Thank you Minister. Supplementary.
Question 483 - 1(3): Condition of Baker Lake Airstrip
Uqaqti, today my question is directed to the Minister of Community Government and Transportation who at this time I would thank for his speedy response on the conditions of all airstrips in Nunavut.
Reviewing it, I was a little disturbed to see the condition of the airstrip of my home community of Baker Lake that I use as frequently as anybody.
One of the items in there is the condition of the gravel of the strip in Qamanittuaq, that it is loose and that could create problems.
Does the minister have any plans for the immediate future to rectify this problem.
Hon. Jack Anawak: Mr. Speaker, I am somewhat lost but I will take the question as notice and also I will assure him that whatever problems there are in terms of the gravel we will do what we can to rectify the situation.
Question 484 - 1(3): Back Lake Lodge
The question that I have is to the Minister of Sustainable Development.
Mr. Speaker, in the minister’s statement it was very good to hear about tourism.
I really appreciate his statement this morning.
I am sure the people in my community appreciate his statements as well.
Mr. Speaker, my question is, when the Americans started coming to the Nunavut region and the American outfitters to Back River, they had a place in the north of the Nunavut area.
But after they closed down their lodge one of my constituents was unable to acquire that lodge because they do not have enough money to start.
Representing my people that deal with tourism, I feel that lodge is very nice and I wonder how we as Kitikmeot people can acquire funding to start up that lodge. I am asking the Minister of Sustainable Development.
In response to his question, you will have to try to get some funding perhaps to start the business.
You can get request funding from the department.
Perhaps go to that tourism organization and they could deal with the request from the Kitikmeot.
It could be either from my department or tourism outfits that could help with the funding.
Speaker: Supplementary. Mr. Puqiqnak.
Yes thanks very much to the minister for that response.
Nunavut is very different and each region is very different I know the requests for funding are usually very different.
We have to make Nunavut very attractive for the tourist.
Funding for the organizations he is talking about, if I remember correctly last year the minister spoke about that organization in the Rankin Inlet session and I received a letter written by the minister’s department.
It was very good to be expecting something to happen in tourism.
There is already some equipment in that area that I am talking about.
However, the only thing that we have a problem with is we have to get some funding.
The funding that they will be requesting would be directed to my department and we will find out what the requests are, whether they want start up funds or whether they want operations & maintenance.
There are also some people that deal with this in the Kitikmeot region.
They have economic development officers in the Kitikmeot region and they can ask economic development officers and I will notify my staff in the Kitikmeot region as to the request of the member.
Just before we proceed, I would like to welcome to the gallery the Reverend Daniel Aupaluk and his wife from the Anglican Church in Iqaluit.
Question 485 - 1(3): Hall Beach School Addition
I know that we are going to be dealing with the Department of Education in a little bit today in the committee of the whole.
However, the questions that I have asked previously I would like to ask again in regards to the Hall Beach school addition.
Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education.
Mr. Speaker, there was some money allotted for the Hall Beach School in 1998-1999.
There was 175 thousand spent in the designing of that school, 2 million 132 thousand were spent for the design and the addition of that school.
We have not heard up to today whether there is any funding in the capital budget of the department.
Mr. Speaker, my question is what happened to the money that was going to be used in 1998-1999 for the addition of our school.
Is there still going to be a building addition for that school.
Speaker: The Minister of Education, Mr. Arvaluk.
Last year the government and the Office of the Interim Commissioner had some discussions in regards to the capital projects.
They said the projects would keep going if the contracts were awarded.
They went ahead also if there was a safety issue involved and it would be inspected by the Health Inspector or Safety Officer.
We followed three criteria when we were going ahead with projects.
The Members of the Legislative Assembly know very well that even though it is in the five year capital plans if there is no agreement to go ahead with the project there has to be another review done by the Nunavut Government to see if they fit in any one of those three criteria.
We did make some mistakes.
For example in Pond Inlet because there was no contract awarded for that project by the Government of the Northwest Territories, there was a review and an inspection of the school and it was closed.
The school in Baker Lake was not closed but it is a health and safety issue.
The member knows that even if they are in the five-year plans they do not necessarily go ahead.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister again because we have actually spent 175 thousand dollars on the architectural drawings.
One of the reasons why they did not go ahead with this project is because they said that they had to consult with the people of Hall Beach in regards to the design of the project. The people of Hall Beach have been consulted already that is why the architectural drawings are 75 percent complete.
My question to the minister is, in the year 2000-2001 plan are you going to be able to find some funding so that we can complete the drawings 100 percent.
My colleague has mentioned this issue quite a number of times.
I was concerned and I told my staff if we are going to but a 20-year plan, I told my staff to look at the Hall Beach School right away.
We heard last week that the government will be putting together a 5-year plan and that we would be able to include the 5-year plan to the 20-year long term plan. While we are making those plans we will include the Hall Beach project and we will decide whether it would be placed as a priority issue.
On April 12, Jobie Nutarak asked a question regarding the Pond Inlet gym extension.
In your response Mr. Minister, you stated that there is 1.5 million dollars available.
This 1.5 million dollars is in the contingency funds.
I understand your answer in regards to include the Hall Beach project into the 20-year plan. Which year would you put the Hall Beach project in the first year, second year, or third year.
Because I never get an adequate response and I keep bringing up this question.
I wanted to respond so much to the question Mr. Speaker.
We have 41 schools in Nunavut.
We have a good idea which ones should be placed as a priority, for example Hall Beach, which is overcrowded, and there are other schools that are placed as a priority because they are getting very old.
We will want to look at all the schools maybe we will look at the overall figure we will look at 10 that are too old, 10 that are overcrowded and so on.
We will put them in categories and then decide over this process which will be placed as a priority.
I would like to tell the member that we will start the capital planning as soon as possible and we will take into consideration the issues that were brought up in the House.
Since there are quite a number of schools, I can not say at this time whether we are going to be setting aside money for the Hall Beach project this year or next year or any other projects in any other community.
We have to look at all the schools on an equal basis and it will be factored in the 20-year plans so that even if we are not members anymore they will be considered at the appropriate time.
I have been asking the same question from day 1 or day 2.
I forget which day I started asking about this particular subject.
The Minister of Education started out answering my questions but he has kept saying that we will review it or take it as notice.
That is the only response that I get.
I asked him that same question and asked him whether he is going to put it in one or two.
My colleague and hunters know very well that when I am preparing to go on a caribou hunt I can not say I will catch one right away.
But I will try.
I can use that as an example of where we are.
I understand exactly where he is coming from and yes we will review it closely.
I cannot respond at this time because we haven’t made any preliminary budgets for next year, so I can’t tell him whether it is going to be number one or number two.
Question 486 - 1(3): Proposed Power Grid to Kivalliq from Manitoba
Uqaqti, my question today is for the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Power Corporation.
I wonder if the minister responsible could update me on his talks with the Manitoba Power Corporation on the power grid going into the Kivalliq Region.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Speaker and I would thank the member for his question.
As the member knows, there is no power grid going into the Keewatin region.
There was a pre-feasibility study Mr. Speaker, which was brought forward by Manitoba Hydro in conjunction with the NWT Power Corporation and partly funded through the Federal Government.
As I committed to in Rankin Inlet Mr. Speaker, we have tasked the Ikuma Working Group with doing a comprehensive review of the Manitoba pre-feasibility study.
Once that review is complete, I committed in Rankin Inlet to bring that forward to the members of this House.
Mr. McLean: Ma’na Uqaqti. Uqaqti, could the minister be a little bit more concise in when he expects to have that report.
Because as of this date WMC Corporation, the mining interest in Rankin Inlet and Powell Arctic are about to sign an agreement to provide power to the mine site out there.
This would probably be a good opportunity to get involved and look at maybe providing line power to that mine.
Could the minister be more concise on when he is going to have that report and bring it forward.
Mr. Speaker, I can’t comment on the agreement or proposed agreements, or if there is an agreement between WCM and Powell Arctic.
What I can say, Mr. Speaker, is that when that report is complete, which is a comprehensive review by the Nunavut Government on another government’s proposal, which was the Manitoba Government proposal through Manitoba Hydro.
As the member knows I met with the Minister of Finance, also the member who is responsible for Manitoba Hydro in Rankin, and we had some good discussions surrounding the pre-feasibility study.
As we said there several times in Rankin during the meeting, the pre-feasibility study is broad in its implications, there are major dollars attached, and I would hope, Mr. Speaker, to be able to bring forward to this House in the coming weeks.
I don’t have a deadline or date, hopefully over the next four to six weeks, that comprehensive report or review should be ready and then that would bring us up into the middle of May.
I don’t believe that we will be sitting then.
I would have to send copies out to the members and then have a review of it probably some time in the fall.
Again, we have to review the comprehensive pre-feasibility study done by Manitoba Hydro and take it from the Nunavut perspective.
The next step after that, if there was funding available and so on, would be a feasibility study of the project.
I would like to thank the honourable minister for his lengthy answer, which I think I understood.
Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the minister, seeing now that he took great strides and vision and leadership in establishing a Nunavut Power Corporation, and I have to commend the honourable minister for that, can the honourable minister commit to me that he will take up discussions with WMC about maybe providing power for that mine site.
I am sorry Mr. Speaker, I have to apologize to the House, I did say to the members that I would try to keep my answers short.
Question 487 - 1(3): Construction of Public Housing Units
Mr. Speaker, my question will be directed to the Minister of the Housing Corporation, Ms. Thompson.
Mr. Speaker, we have seen requests for proposals for the construction of a number of units in Nunavut.
I appreciate that these units are to be built and they have been decentralized properly throughout Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, my question is, has the minister met with here federal counterparts with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation about the units up here.
Concerning the units, I appreciate that we only had the 100 units and I realize that there is a much higher demand and I wish that we could have all the funding provided for that purpose.
Being that as it is, Mr. Speaker, I went to meet with my federal counterparts along with Mr. Picco and you came along to Ottawa at the time.
We went over to lobby the federal members especially regarding homelessness in Nunavut and the urgency of our need for houses up here.
We met with Nunavut Tunngavik and Pauktuutit and we thought that if we could make up our minds together and put our lobbying together, we thought we would have a greater effect.
I still have to do that in the future.
I have been down to Ottawa to lobby on behalf of Nunavut in regards to the homelessness issue here.
Written Question 15 - 1(3): Income Support and P-3 Projects
Mr. Speaker, I have a written question to the Government Leader.
There are six itemised questions.
I will speak in English. (interpretation ends).
Who has lead responsibility for income support issues.
Which other ministers have any other responsibility pertaining to income support issues.
Is there one minister who should answer all the questions pertaining to income support issues.
Which minister has the lead responsibility for P-3 projects.
Which other ministers have any responsibility pertaining to P-3 projects.
Is there one minister who should answer all the questions pertaining to P-3 projects.
Speaker: Orders of the Day.
Tabled Document 86 - 1(3): The Arctic Traveller
At this time I would like to table documents, “The Arctic Traveller”, which is a promotional guide to Nunavut Tourism.
Notices of Motions. Notices of Motions.
Item 15. Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills. Item 15.
Bill 13, Tabled Documents 41 - 1(3), Tabled Documents 51 - 1(3), Tabled Documents 60 - 1(3), Tabled Documents 61 - 1(3), Tabled Documents 77 - 1(3), Tabled Documents 84 - 1(3), Tabled Documents 85 - 1(3).
According to the authority vested in me by motion 3 - 1(3) the committee of the whole will stay in session until it reports itself out with Mr. Irqittuq as the Chairperson.
Prior to the commencement of the committee of the whole we will break for 45 minutes.
I ask that members remain to witness the swearing in of the new member of the executive council by the Commissioner of Nunavut.
Then members can proceed to lunch, which is being served in the Tuktu room.
Staff and guests are also welcome to attend.
>>House recessed at 12.12 and resumed at 1.08 p.m.
Chairperson (Mr. Irqittuq) (interpretation): Welcome back to the Committee of the Whole.
We are on Bill 13 and tabled documents 41 – 1(3), 51 – 1(3), 60 – 1(3), 61 – 1(3), 71 – 1(3), 84 – 1(3) and 85 – 1(3).
Yesterday we were on Bill 13 and tabled document 71 – 1(3).
Public Works Main Estimates.