EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Chairperson (interpretation): You want to continue Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Chairman, I realize that there is a tabling of how they come up with this number but is it Nunavut Tourism that puts forward their proposal to the department for funding and that's what they get.
Or is it the department that determines what the Nunavut Tourism Association receives.
The money that is distributed we are able to distribute it and divide it for the groups.
Mr. Tootoo: Mr. Chairman, I heard that the money that is out there you are able to distribute it and divide it, I am just wondering how.
Who comes up with that number.
Is this a number that Nunavut Tourism comes up with and says that this is the amount that we want to be able to deliver our programs and services, or is it the department that says this is what you are going to get to deliver your programs and services.
The Department of Sustainable Development requested proposals and they state how that money would be spent in their proposal.
Mr. Chairman, then the amount here is that what the minister is saying this is what the association put forward in their proposal.
We give them that amount and they are able to provide us with information on how the money will be spent.
We give them that amount and tell them that is the amount that they will be receiving.
So I believe then that the minister is indicating that it is the department that determines how much the association receives in funding.
In determining the amount of funding that the association receives, where did the initial numbers, where did the initial budget come from and how was it developed to figure out that this is what you need in order to be able to operate.
The money, when it was the GNWT days, we just inherited that from the GNWT and we are still using the same system.
They are given funding as well from outside of our department from other sources, but we inherited the system from the GNWT when we took on that responsibility as the Nunavut Government.
Mr. Chairman, I guess unfortunately there are a lot of programs and services that we inherited from the GNWT that were not necessarily in the best interests of Nunavut.
A lot of programs I think that were operated over here may have been more geared to a more diverse territory.
Now with Nunavut we are very specific.
I am just wondering if and when, if this has been something that we have had handed off and it isn’t working according to some of the media releases and stuff, over the last week, the stories that you hear out there.
When will the department review and amend or change the way that this association is funded.
Nunavut Tourism funding was increased perhaps by 179 thousand dollars and there was an increase.
The agreement with the federal government, as I have stated earlier, we are now in negotiations.
Once the negotiations are complete, it will be easier to get additional funding from the federal government.
I know that we would like to complete the negotiations as soon as possible.
We were able to get additional funding which we are happy about.
But according to the best of our abilities, tourism is very important to Nunavut as a new government.
Since we're recognized as a territory we will be dealing with tourism for it is very important to us in the future.
Mr. Chairman, I recognize and appreciate the fact that the minister is trying to negotiate with other jurisdictions and other levels of government to try and get additional funding for tourism.
If you look at, will, when they're reviewing the funding that this government gave, which is this 1.3 million dollars, will they take a look and say okay, this is what we inherited.
What are the other jurisdictions, like the Yukon and the NWT, what are those governments contributing to tourism.
I know, I believe, I've heard numbers like 3.5 million dollars in the Yukon and just over 5 million dollars in the NWT.
I'm just wondering if those numbers are substantially different than the 1.3 that we have and we all know that the cost of doing business and things in Nunavut is higher here than it is in those other two jurisdictions.
So is that something that the department is going to be taking into consideration.
My predecessor prior to me becoming a minister to this department has reviewed this issue and I have reviewed this work.
I know that our funding is a lot smaller than the other two territories, which we're fully aware of.
The Nunavut government, NWT government and Yukon government are looking at how they can be supporting each other and we're going to benefit from that.
We know that we do receive a small amount of money compared to the other two territories.
That's what we know.
Mr. Chairman, I know and I'm sure that the minister does as well as most people out there that right now at this point in our history of a new territory about all the attention globally that's been paid to Nunavut right now. Is the department looking at ways and means in which to capitalize on that interest in Nunavut right now.
An example, like we had the President of France this year, last year and we've had a number of fairly well known and high ranking officials and people come to Nunavut because the whole world is watching us right now.
This is the first time in a long time that they've had something like this happen within a nation, in the creation of a new territory and a new government.
Is the department along with Nunavut Tourism, looking at new ways in which to be able to capitalize on this interest that is being paid globally to us since the new territory.
Yes, I know that the world has finally started to find about Nunavut and many of the countries of the world know that we are a new territory.
As a government with the assistance of Nunavut Tourism, we will look at ways to capitalize ourselves to world and we will continue to work on that recognition part with the world.
We also say that we will work very closely on this and we know that many countries are interested in our territory so we are looking at how we can promote tourism.
So, we will be working on promoting tourism.
I know it is a challenging task to get the tourism recognized worldwide but we will do it to the best of our abilities.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
Here I go again.
How was the amount of funding set to fund Nunavut Tourism.
Did Nunavut Tourism get you a set budget or was it just something that was plugged like grabbed out of the air.
I also realize that we are always looking for more because MLAs are always saying okay put more money into this, put more money into that, sort of things.
I know the ministers get tired of it.
How was the initial budget set for Nunavut Tourism.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): As I have stated before, it was GNWT days, as I have stated before we have inherited the amount of funding that was given during the NWT days, 179 thousand.
The figure was derived from the GNWT figure and we still have not changed that figure from GNWT days.
Mr. McLean: I was involved briefly in tourism a long time ago, as an outfitting company and I got out of it really quick because it was not very profitable.
You have to operate over a four-week window and you really have to make 100% of your business in four weeks. It was not very profitable for me so I got out of it.
Going back, you say you inherited that from the GNWT. We really inherited a lot of nightmares from them that we are trying to clean up now but I remember when we were with the GNWT that they had things like regional tourism officers that were under payroll. They worked out of the local offices of, it was called Economic Development and Tourism at the time.
When this budget was set, do we have any people in our Government of Nunavut working for Sustainable Development that work directly with tourism related issues.
Whereas before I know that they did, they had regional tourism operators, they had product development officers, what do we have in the Government of Nunavut now to work with the Nunavut tourism operators.
I will ask my deputy minister to respond to that.
Ms. Trumper: Mr. Chairman, the regional tourism officers that existed some years ago no longer exist in regional offices.
On page 11 of the Nunavut Tourism Business Plan, you will see an organizational chart for them and they have a training division, a product development division and a marketing division.
So those functions are now absorbed into Nunavut Tourism and in each region Nunavut Tourism has a representative for product development.
Mr. McLean: Yes, I'm looking at that page I just had it open that's why I have been asking.
But I don't want to go the way that I want to go here right yet in regards to how it's run.
It seems, the organizational chart is great, you've got the board of directors and then you've got the executive director and administrative assistant, obviously the executive director, you've got the marketing director, co-ordination executive members services, director of tourism development and training and then you have your regional tourism development coordinators.
It's a nice system, I think it's set up right.
Does it cost 949 thousand 500 dollars a year to run that organization, for that part of it.
Ms. Trumper: Mr. Chairman, that's the budget that Nunavut Tourism has submitted to us, yes.
Mr. McLean: So, out of a budget of 1 million 360 odd thousand dollars almost a million dollars of it goes to the staff. That's correct. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The salary money is 586 thousand 450 dollars and the other 900 thousand dollars is used to maintain and operate the offices.
Mr. McLean: So, I'm correct in assuming that the 949 thousand includes salaries and office rentals and administration we call it.
So, I'm correct that of that 1 million 364 thousand almost a million of it goes to administration.
Mr. McLean: Nunavut Tourism says that they bring in over 50 to 60 million dollars a year in tourism which is outside dollars coming in so, I think it's money well spent.
But looking at the budgets on page 42 tourism development initiatives 179 thousand, development and training 17 thousand.
So, we're going to have a meeting with Nunavut Tourism and I wanted to talk to them about how they operate.
So, we've got an association set up, it costs us a million dollars a year for wages, benefits, office stuff like that.
So, I take it that if this organization was somehow able to find more money that money would go into product development and where it should go in the tourism development, product development they just wouldn't increase their staffing.
Is that the way that it's supposed to operate.
Or would they just beef up with more wages.
They have found some other funding under the 650 thousand dollars from other sources.
Those are also used for other programs that they have in their budget.
Does the federal government kick anything in into the Nunavut Tourism budget because I know there's a few, I should know there's one, two, three national parks, we got a couple of heritage rivers.
Do we work in conjunction with the federal government in promoting tourism or is it or they're doing one thing and we do the other.
And is Nunavut Tourism out there hustling for outside dollars like in kind contributions and various other agencies like I say the federal government, EDA to beef up their budget to maybe be more effective in the delivering of tourism programs.
Under the Federal Government grant we have contributions that have programs that are allotted to them, and the 650 thousand dollars is allocated to the tourism funding.
They don't just give funding out right but it has to be reported towards their funding.
We heard from Nunavut Tourism that they're under funded by about half. Like I said earlier, we're always as MLAs looking at the ministers, the poor Minister of Finance there with the deficit budget and asking for more money and you know, we seem to think as MLAs that there's lots of money out there, but we actually know now that there isn't.
But what I'm getting to here is if Nunavut Tourism can't provide the mandate that we expect of them as people that fund them, it's kind of sad, what opportunities have we lost by this organization being under funded.
Tourism is like I said earlier outside dollars coming in.
How can we help, you know as a government help Nunavut Tourism access more funding, to be able to do their mandate properly.
We're always talking about the Economic Development Agreement with the Federal Government, as that continues to move forward, our funding has expired. So the next agreement that we're going to have, the previous one was signed in 1996 and has expired, it was not renewed since then but we're going to be introducing the proposal to get this funding back within the near future.
I'm hoping the new agreement will be signed in the near future and once the negotiations are completed then we will be able to sign the agreement, to get more funding for this particular program.
I believe we will be able to assign some more funding towards the Tourism industry.
I wish you luck, because if Mr. Martin was here, he didn't say too much about additional funding, and I'm sure that you and the Finance Minister can come up and be a little bit more creative on finding something.
But my last question on Nunavut Tourism before I beat one to death. How do we find out how accountable they are. You know the existing money we give them, the 1.3 million and they are looking for more money.
So if we do in fact find more money for them and we happen to give them more funding, how do we know that they are delivering what we expect of them like other than me sit here beat you to death and to say that, are they delivering.
What mechanism is out there for them or for us to know what tourism dollars are being brought in. Because we can increase their funding by double and they can say, well we brought in 100 million dollars to tourism, which is hallelujah, I'll be the happiest MLA in Nunavut but how do we make them accountable to if we do give them more funding.
That's my final question.
They have an annual report that they give to us, and they make a report on their previous budget.
We'll be getting annual reports from them regularly and table them. It's called an operational review after their budget has been given to us, reported to us.
Chairperson (interpretation): You said that was your last question.
Mr. McLean: This is my final answer.
When will you be tabling the final results of how successful they have been in attracting business.
Last year, the report was submitted to us but from the previous year, it has not been completed yet.
When it is completed, I'll table it.
We have 10 minutes and 31 seconds.
I have a short question.
Following the line of questioning under the 1 million 364 thousand dollars, Nunavut Tourism, funding is quite different from other jurisdictions, and the fact that we have a different lifestyle in Nunavut. Is there under the funding, using our culture, under this funding are there tourist attraction projects under this program.
Chairperson (interpretation): Mr. Olayuk.
For the capital projects, there's funding allotted for local tourism committees.
There is some funding available for them and also if there are going to be tourism development programs, there are also funds available through that area.
I want to make my question clear.
Under the tourism, is there any program that's been used as an Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit program under this project.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman, yes, of course I believe that Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is used.
That's exactly the reason why the tourism industry is surviving for that reason.
Some people would go and visit the Tamartirvik and Tuniit archaeological sites.
Those are the heritage areas that we promote in our tourism promotional items.
Chairperson (interpretation): I'd like you to know that when the food comes in, we'll be having a 30 minute break in the Tuktu Committee room.
Within 30 minutes, so you have to eat fast.
In the line of questioning, the answer was very good.
Using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, promoting tourism in our region, using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
We have used this 19 for tourism promotion. For instance, his constituents in Clyde River, using the local people and using the knowledge of the local people and perhaps myself too in my region, using the local people, we do promote the tourism in their community.
In their communities we do try and promote the tourism aspect of their community.
What attractions do they have in their community, only the local people would know for sure exactly what type of tourism promotion or areas that they can use for this promotion using the local people and have their help in promoting the tourism industry in their region.
Chairperson (interpretation): We're under 11-12.
This information is good to hear.
Do the administrative people know how to use Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit for tourism promotion.
I know that my staff knows how to work with the local people very well.
Our staff has lived in Nunavut for quite a long time and people who do work for us like David Monteith have worked for a long time in promoting the tourism industry in our region and he has done excellent work for us.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Do you treat all the people in the tourism industry the same as everybody else in each community.
Chairperson (interpretation): We are under 11-12.
Any more comments on 11-12, 11-13.
Under Canadian Co-operative Wildlife Centre. (interpretation ends) I think last year, in fact a year and a half ago, Coral Harbour requested a lab because they have a trained lab technician who was trained in Northern Quebec, specifically at Kuujjuaq.
I understand through the news media that there has been some reported mammal diseases that were not known before but were more commonly known under land animals like bison or things like that.
Will there be some consideration given to you know, I mean this 10 thousand dollars is not much to speak about. Will there be consideration for Igloolik, Hall Beach, Coral Harbour, Cape Dorset who eat a large amount of their diets as walrus meat, if there'll be consideration given to setting up some kind of a lab so that a quick test can be done randomly every time there is a community hunt.
Yes, we will have to look at how much it's going to cost us to do that research of animal tissues or sea mammal tissues.
We can look into it Mr. Chairman.
Whenever there is a diseased animal we shouldn't even think about the price of how much it's going to cost if we have to send them down to Edmonton or to Ottawa.
This could be very dangerous for the people of the Nunavut communities, whenever there is somebody that eats a diseased animal people might get sick.
We know that people of Coral Harbour if some diseased animal were eaten they have to go on medication for that, we should not think about how much it's going to cost but we should think about how dangerous it might be for the people who are eating those diseased animals.
Will your department be doing more research on those diseased animals.
The 10 thousand we are using right now, we are trying to use it effectively as possible in regards to diagnosing tissue samples from the diseased animals and we send them out to the labs down south, and we are concerned about this, about animals that might be diseased in our communities.
So I know that the amount is very small but we are using that as best we can, at the moment.
In regards to the same question, under the Bathurst Caribou Management plan, did they just get established.
It's just the same as the Kivalliq and Qamanittuaq Barren Ground Caribou Management Boards and we need an agreement with GNWT and DIAND to do a management study on those herds.
So we can look at managing the Bathurst caribou along with them.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Was it just run by the federal government or DIAND or is that the first time that you have some money in there so we can be in the management together.  Chairperson (interpretation): Minister.
The agreement for the co-management that we have in place is being reviewed at all times.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): That 35 thousand dollars in 2000-2001, there was no money budgeted but now in 2001-2002, there is a budget in place.
That's why I asked whether this is the first time it has, this is being done, is this the first time that the Government of Nunavut is involved.
Chairperson: Olayuk.
Under 11 dash, it used to be 11-7, under O&M, under service contracts but we transferred it to the grants and contributions area.
Chairperson (interpretation): Yes, thank you for that response.
11-13.
The question that I have is the amount of 80 thousand, I just wondered if it's part of the next page.
It's talking about Nunavut Economic Developers Association and the money given to the hamlets for economic development officers or is that for training purposes.
That 80 thousand dollars is what we use annually to be able to have economic development officers to attend their AGM.
At this time, this week, they had a meeting here in Iqaluit and they are using money budgeted for that purpose from this and this is for their annual meeting.
The money compared to last year is a lot more, so do they have more employees now.
Last year, the amount of money that they were given was not adequate so we have increased it because they requested it.
Under Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Centre, contribution for disease of tissue samples, in the amount of 10 thousand dollars.
When I was out hunting, I had sent some samples down south when I thought the game that I got was diseased.
I have not had any results from the ones I sent out.
I just wondered, maybe if I ask this question, if we could have somebody in Nunavut that could diagnose animal samples that might be diseased and the people from Nunavut can send samples to that individual that's located right in Nunavut.
That 10 thousand dollars is going to be used effectively, as much as possible, in Nunavut.
I know it's not much but we feel that it's adequate at this time.
We have a shortage of money as the Nunavut Government, we feel that the 10 thousand dollars is adequate for Nunavut communities or the government because we send out samples down to a lab, so we feel that this amount is adequate.
I used to be a member of NIRB.
We feel that this is a very important thing that we are doing.
Even though we're making good use of this money, when we don't get any results back from the lab, the people that send samples should get their results back from the southern labs.
That's why I was asking that question.
Yes, perhaps the individual who sends out animal samples to the lab, whether it be Mr. Iqaqrialu or Mr. Kilabuk, perhaps, they could get some assistance through the Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organizations or Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.
Maybe they can use those groups to find out what happened to the samples.
Our wildlife officers could probably help Nunavut individuals who might be sending those diseased tissues to the labs and maybe they can get a better result from the southern labs.
That's probably the way to go.
Yes, we could probably do that but we have a Nunavut Government now and we want to be more self-reliant.
I think there should be a lab situated in Nunavut so that we don't have to send our samples down south.
I've sent out samples years ago, but I can't really remember exactly what year that was but I have not had any results since.
I feel that it's, we don't get any results.
So, that's what I was wondering about.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 11-13.
I don't hear any questions.
I have just a couple of questions on one thing here or do you want to have a break or wait until after the break to finish the questions.
I'll leave it up to the committee.
Chairperson (interpretation): The food has been brought into the building so we'll be back at 6.35 p.m. We'll take a break now until 6.35 p.m. Thank you.
>>Committee recessed at 5.57 and resumed at 6.34 p.m.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you for coming back to the chambers.
We are on 11-13.
Welcome back, it was a good quick supper.
Sure was good.