EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
There are always ongoing issues with staffing, especially at the college, when you look at the number of programs they run. Maybe they’re part time and so on; they’re third-party funded, and therefore you end up contracting instructors. Therefore, if you contract in, then there is change; I would not necessarily say it is a result of the report.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Second supplementary, Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Tootoo: Second or last?
Speaker (interpretation): I’m just going by my notes.
Sorry, your final supplementary.
Mr. Tootoo: I shouldn’t have questioned you, Mr. Speaker.
Shame on me, I could have had one more.
I would like to ask the minister if he could clarify or verify the fact that one of the senior managers of the college, the former director of the campus here in Iqaluit, was either terminated, or if his contract was done.
It was pretty much, from words I’ve heard, that he was given a golden handshake and after he was let go, that he was given a contract by the college to act as a liaison for the college, through the Baffin Fisheries Coalition and a marine institute in Newfoundland.
Those tell you that you cannot believe everything you hear.
I don’t want to be in a position to comment on an individual who may be still employed with the government, who still is employed with the college, and then besmirch a reputation.
I don’t want to address the issue in that way.
I would suggest to you that any process within the government itself, they are not political, they are administrative.
They have to follow administrative processes, which include closely working with the Department of Human Resources.
Then there is the legality of the issues that are involved.
I can say that categorically that the golden handshake kind of thing is absurd and is not worthy of a comment in the House.
Question 208 – 2(2): Current Status of Airport Terminal Building in Coral Harbour
Can the minister tell me what the current status of the construction of the Coral Harbour airport terminal building is.
I was advised that for the new terminal building, as I was given on November 24 by Community and Government Services, there is still a little bit of work to be done and that the pipes have to be worked on.
For the communications part of it, the wiring still has to be worked on this summer, but it was handed over to Nunavut airports last November 24.
Mr. Netser: (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Do I understand correctly that it has been handed over to the hamlet of Coral Harbour?
Is that so, Mr. Simailak?
Hon. David Simailak. (interpretatin) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It has been handed over to Nunavut airports, to my department, so it was given to us. But the operation and maintenance is contracted to the hamlet.
It is the Government of Nunavut who owns the building.
That is very nice to hear.
(Interpretation ends) Last month’s federal budget address indicated that there is another infrastructure program that will be continued after the current one lapses.
Has the Government of Nunavut begun negotiations for further funding for other airport development in Nunavut?
We have communicated with the federal government, but we have not come to a conclusion, because there are still three terminals that have yet to be completed.
Once that is done, then we will draw up another agreement.
Member for Rankin North, Mr. Curley.
Question 209 – 2(2): Members for Elder Care Task Force
I would like to ask a question in regard to tabled document 87-2(2) to the Minister of Health and Social Services.  With the document that she tabled, she said that in Rankin Inlet they are not able to provide funding for the elders.
Also in the document, that a task force has been formed.
I wonder if the minister can inform the House who the members of that task force are.
On the task force, who will be working on the elders’ facility, I can’t give you the names yet. I can only tell you who they represent.
There will be one from Health and Social Services, one from the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, one from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., one from the Housing Corporation, and one from the Department of Education.
I am sorry that I don’t have the individuals’ names at this time.
This is a big concern for her constituents because elders have to be looked after.
It seems like the minister is stating that they can’t do any work because they’re doing a feasibility study.
Can the minister tell this House that that they can’t build such a facility in Rankin Inlet at this time?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Ms. Brown.
Yes, I know and am aware that this is a concern in Rankin Inlet.
At this time, I can’t respond to his question.
I can only say at this time that in the Baffin and Kivalliq regions, they have independent facilities, but they don’t have one in the Kitikmeot region, so they will have to be advised too.
As you responded earlier, you tabled the document.
You tabled that the task force will be continuing It states that the report was to be completed in January, I presume it’s completed, which was two months ago.
I wonder if you can table the report.
Hon. Levinia Brown (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The report will be completed shortly, and if there are no obstacles with access to information I will be able to talk about it.
The report and the recommendations have to be dealt with. I believe they are just recommendations because that committee is not the decision maker.
If they are just recommendations, I feel we have to see them, because I don’t think there would be any privacy information problem with seeing the recommendations.
Would you go through that route before we deal with your department’s budget?
Question 210 – 2(2): Community Visit to Address Concerns
I have asked this before in regards to escorts and I didn’t get a proper response for my question.
I wonder if her staff can come to my constituency, because they need clear understanding and they are continuously asking the same questions.
I wonder if the minister could send one of her officials to my constituency to answer those questions.
I tried to respond adequately and I apologize if I didn’t.
We have to treat all of the Nunavut communities the same. If they have to get responses, there are pamphlets or written material that is available in Repulse Bay or Kugaaruk, and they can be picked up from the health centres. And the nurses can even give adequate answers through the radio.
They hear different answers, and people wonder who makes the decisions.
I don’t think it’s nurses who make those decisions themselves.
There are a lot of people providing different responses and it would be a lot easier if they could hear those answers from just one person.
Yes, I don’t blame them, because all Nunavummiut have to get a clear understanding.
We hear that some nurses who have been in the community for a long time seem to know what is what; it’s the new nurses that don’t seem to have a clear understanding of the procedure.
So, we have to let those new nurses know of our policy, because this has been an ongoing issue. And I will let it be known through CBC or local radio stations.
She didn’t give me an adequate answer.
My question was: can she check into this and direct one of her staff to go to the community?
So, all I am asking is for a yes or no answer.
Will that be impossible?
Hon. Levinia Brown (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, it will be possible, because everyone has to understand.
Question 211 – 2(2): Trade School Update
Nunavummiut, and my constituents, are still waiting for the trades school in Rankin Inlet.
Can he give us an update on that?
Following the caucus retreat we had in Arviat, where the caucus, that means all the members brought forward their concerns and, again, their issue that we should have a prevocational training school, physical facility as such, in Nunavut.
In the budget that we’re looking at over the next couple of days with Education, the members have noted in Committee of the Whole that indeed, the next process is to look at what are the needs for a pre-vocational training school in Nunavut, and from there, being able plan such a facility.
So, I think it’s safe to say that we are on target to look at those options.
Mr. Speaker, we have not identified yet if that physical facility would be located in a given community; however, there have been some comments by members that Rankin Inlet would be one of those communities that should be looked at because it’s centrally located and has some opportunity for infrastructure growth.
Usually the students who come to Iqaluit have student accommodations.
Are you going to have student residences built?
Earlier this fall, when we had the capital budget debate, we discussed the issues around capital planning, which included the student accommodations.
There are monies within the budget to look at the alleviation of some of the pressure we’re facing.
I’ve said in the House before that right now, we’re leasing over 30 family housing units right here in Iqaluit, at considerable cost to the college.
We’d like to be able to get out of those leases and have dedicated accommodations ourselves.
At the same time, for example, right now we’re using the old Ukiivik Residence and that’s not cost conducive to the college, so we need to be able to look at those options.
At the same time, Mr. Speaker, when we’re looking at going forward with a dedicated pre-vocational training school, there will have to be issues around staff housing.
But, because we haven’t completed the first phase, I wouldn’t be able to say what those needs would be based on, until we ascertain what the scope of the pre-vocational training school will be.
I think it’s safe to say that before the end of this term, there will be a pre-vocational training school in Nunavut.
The size and so on and location, we’ll determine what we need for other infrastructure, like student housing.
The people of Nunavut are looking forward to seeing this trade school become a reality.
There are going to be some students coming from my riding.
When do you expect the trades school to be completed and functioning?
As the members knows, we just finished the capital budget and there are no capital dollars right now for a pre-vocational training school.
As I explained earlier to the member in the answer, we need to ascertain first of all, what type of facility, what type of infrastructure that the prevocational training school would take, and then from that, we’ll be able to look at location, infrastructure needs and so on.
I also just said, Mr. Speaker, that we would hope to be in a position before the end of this term to have the prevocational training school on site, in place, and open for the member’s constituents as well as for everyone in Nunavut.
Question 212 – 2(2): Reducing Red Tape and Bureaucracy
This is a follow-up to my member’s statement two weeks ago when I mentioned the Premier’s keynote address in Cambridge Bay during the trade show.
He mentioned in his keynote address something about cleaning up the red tape in government.
My question to the Premier is, what specific initiatives is the Government of Nunavut considering to reduce red tape in the government?
We went as broad as possible so that we can remove as many barriers as possible.
I have asked Minister Simailak to start looking at this potential review, and hopefully we can get it done sooner than we think.
It has yet to start, but we remain open as to the parameters of this review.
I appreciate the Premier’s answer to the first question, but could the Premier tell us if he has given any specific instructions to his ministers to reduce red tape and bureaucracy within their respective departments?
I have had good discussions with Minister Simailak on some ideas, but there were some issues that were raised during our election campaigns and I am sure that there are more that will be raised as we go forward.
So, I don’t want to close any barriers and want to remain open to any suggestions from the business community.
I thank the Premier for that comment.
I have been talking to many individuals and organizations and businesses in my riding and across Nunavut, here in Iqaluit, and they all tell me the same thing, that there are too many obstacles getting in the way of efficiency and effective development and delivery of government programs and services.
As a member of the Legislative Assembly, I have been learning this first-hand in the last 12 months, the KPMG Report is a prime example.
My question for the Premier: can he give us a more concrete date when he expects his directive to take effect and start delivering results to the government?
Our commitment is to get it done before our term is up.
I would like to get it done sooner, but it will require some resources and some more work to actually initiate it. So, I would like to carry it out, hopefully, within the next year.
But as I said, when you start reviews, you want to remain open and give opportunity for our constituents to come forward with their concerns.
From there, once we look at them, we will have to respond and start actually producing results.
I am hopeful that we can get it done within the next two to three years.
Again, I appreciate the Premier’s response.
It seems like he understands and recognizes that there is a serious issue of red tape and bureaucracy within the government.
I guess that is probably normal for any government, but we are only five or six years in.
I would like to start correcting some of the problems that have developed already.
My question for the Premier and this has to do with institutions of public government, which the Government of Nunavut is a part of. They sit on the boards, the committees, but when you look at the decision making process of the institutions of public governments, their review diagrams look like circuit boards.
So, I am wondering: when the minister of DIAND comes up later this month, I think he is coming, I’m not 100 percent sure, but I am wondering if the Premier will sit down with the Minister of DIAND and say, “Listen, these circuit boards are too complicated, time consuming, and it will probably take three or four years to wind our way through it.”
If he could sit down and talk with the minister of DIAND on how they can streamline the process and maybe have a line that goes just straight up and down, instead of all over the place.
Unfortunately, a lot of those institutions were created by the land claims agreement and the mandate requires three parties: Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the federal government, and ourselves. But hopefully with devolution we could do a bit more work in making sure that the process is a lot more streamlined and meets the expectations of Nunavummiut.
Any discussions in amending the agreement will require a joint agreement with all parties involved.
Question 213 – 2(2): Plans for More Staff Housing
My question is for the Minister Responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
I know a concern of mine over the years has been staff housing, and I am sure that the minister is very happy to have it under his portfolio now.
Given the mushrooming of the bureaucracy over the years, I am just wondering… . This year is no different than any other, where we are seeing more PYs in the departments than there were in previous years, and I use Education as an example, with 156 new PYs.
What is the corporation’s plan to deal with increased staff housing requirements as a result of the increased PYs and therefore more people eligible for staff housing within the government?
In trying to get a better picture of the housing needs in Nunavut, we have been working with the GN departments to get a better picture or snapshot of the housing needs across Nunavut.
The findings from those fact finding missions will be forwarded to me in the next little while for review.
From there, I will be able to have better discussions with my cabinet members in regards to the initial needs for housing units across Nunavut.
I used the Department of Education as an example, and like I said, there’s a significant increase in Pys. Granted, as the Minister of Education indicated, that a lot of those people are just transfers, someone would assume that they are in housing, they are already housed already, but in a lot of cases they will become eligible for staff housing, and he had indicated, I think, there were 12 or 13 new teaching positions that were coming.
Say, in a case like that, where there is a significant number of new positions that potentially require housing, has the minister of the housing corporation received any requests for housing from the Department of Education leading into this budget cycle?
I can assure the member and my colleagues that in our consultations with the department, we have discussed the housing shortages not only for the Department of Education but also the other departments where housing shortages are identified.
To give a little bit of a picture, right now we have a need for about 300 units across the territory to reach the housing shortages.
So, my colleagues continue to discuss with us and identify their plans for the coming year, and the discussions have taken place with my colleagues.
I know the government initiated a program a couple of years ago with the condominiums here in Iqaluit and throughout some of the other decentralized communities in Nunavut.
I’m wondering if the government is planning on coming up with any other type of staff housing plan to deal with the extreme shortage of staff housing as faced throughout the territory.
Yes, that is also something that we are looking at in wanting to meet the staff housing shortages.
But also, the Nunavut Housing Corporation is also looking at new offers made to the communities, where units have become vacant, and we’re also looking at possible leases and trying to determine a better understanding of how much money we need to be able to lease some of these units.
That is ongoing and continuing work.
It’s good to hear. I had indicated earlier, and during the last session, I had asked some questions around the condominiums here specifically in Iqaluit, and there were some issues with them. I understand that they had been taken care of, and I’m sure that the minister is going to provide us with a nice report on that at some future point.
Are they looking at any other specific programs, especially here in Iqaluit where, right now, there are 467 leased units? There are 483 all together and only nine of those are vacant, five, because they are under repair.
I’m getting this information from the return to a written question asked by my colleague from Cambridge Bay.
But, given those numbers and the zero vacancies that are out there, are there any specific plans that they’re looking at, dealing with the extreme shortage here in Iqaluit?
Specifically, the Iqaluit shortages for staff housing units, yes, that is something that the Nunavut Housing Corporation is looking at.
Also, the condominium units, that is also something that we had wrinkles in, and as my colleague said, we’ve been able to iron out most of the issues.
However, having said that, the whole issue of staff housing shortages in Nunavut is one that has been very challenging.
I can assure the member that the ongoing work will, over the next couple of months, be something that I’ll be raising with the members themselves also, not only to keep them better informed but also to seek their input on this matter.
Question 214 – 2(2): Implementation for Proper Changes to Nunavut Arctic College
Mr. Curley (interpretation): I would also like to address the Minister of Education in regards to the Nunavut Arctic College.
The report states that it’s time to move forward.
In the report, it says (interpretation ends) the problem with the college, identified in this report, it’s origins go back many years.
It also says, in short, the college must be held accountable, including the board of governors, the president, and senior managers including the minister, I would say.
How does the minister feel that he’s going to be able to make proper changes that are acceptable for Nunavummiut if the current management and the board of governors have not performed changes that are required.
As I said earlier, when I became the Minister of Education, one of the things that I wanted to bring forward, of course, is looking at logistically, administratively, and financially how the college was operating, because of the concerns that I had also heard.
That’s why I commissioned the report with the board of governors; that’s why I said it was our report. As the member can see on the report, it is called A Time to Move Forward and it’s to the Minister of Education.
There are 75 recommendations in that report.
We are not hiding from anything; I think, as the member is pointing out, we need to be proactive.
The board of governors has endorsed the 75 recommendations, has given direction to the college and the senior staff to begin implementation of the recommendations within the report, and as I said earlier, I think almost half of the recommendations, 48 percent, are either being worked on right now or have been completed.
So, I think that shows some proactive responsibility on behalf of not only the minister, but the board of governors of the college itself.
Mr. Curley: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I think the independent consultant reported quite clearly that the management, senior managers, and the team, including the minister, were not qualified or have no vision to make the appropriate changes needed.
What assurance will the minister provide to the House that there will be changes made, because the previous managers and some boards of governors have failed.
If they have failed, what confidence does the minister have in the current management that they will make the appropriate changes needed?
Nunavummiut are looking for answers.
Will the minister respond positively that he will make restructuring a priority with the Nunavut Arctic College?
The member is rephrasing things in the report in a context that I don’t think the report is saying.
The report is not saying that the college has failed Nunavummiut.
If the college has failed Nunavummiut, then they wouldn’t see people graduating from a nursing program with degrees, from the NTEP program with degrees, from all of the other programs, including the Akitsiraq law program that’s going forward, Mr. Speaker.
So, that’s not a fair statement to the over 100 employees of the college at the community level, at the local level, that are delivering services on behalf and for Nunavummiut.
What the report does say, and the members have seen the recommendations, is that there are issues around the college that need to be addressed.
The first and fundamental issue was to deal with the issue around the fiscal imbalance of the college.
Last year, the college took a cut of over $1 million, and that had to be restored.
Mr. Robert Leonard and the board of governors of the college are working very proactively with the senior management to address the recommendations within the report.
The report doesn’t say that the college has wasted people’s time, that it’s not delivering good academic as well as vocational, pre-vocational programs for the people of Nunavut.
What they said in the report is there are issues with the way the college has been directed in the past, and it’s time, Mr. Speaker, to move forward.
So, with that, the people of Nunavut can feel assured that the recommendations made in the report, which was commissioned, again, by myself with the board of governors to address some of these issues… .
So, I think that’s a very positive thing.
Mr. Curley: Mr. Speaker, I am not making up what’s stated in the report; the report clearly states in part, “Critical issues that challenge the college’s phasing have not been met.
There was a strong perception by staff and by the directors that the college does not have a vision or plan to achieve one.
As well, the college has not effectively promoted or demonstrated commitment to Inuit employment, which has resulted in the college failing to meet the legal obligation under Article 23.
The college has failed to comply with the direction to integrate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.”
I believe, lastly, “The college has failed to communicate with Inuit members of the programs.”