EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
So, that is the reason why we wanted to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
There always has to be an estimate done.
Even though there is an estimate done we want to be able to have some numbers more accurate.
There was someone in a community that said that if we are going to be doing any counting of polar bears that they would like to see accurate numbers as well.
Just before the biologists had started their study, what we advised them was to talk to the people in the nearest community where they are going to do their work because the Inuit people in the nearby community know the approximate number of polar bears surrounding their community, not just for polar bears but other wildlife as well.
In that amount of Travel and Transportation for $1,131,000, I just wondered why the minister stated that they would be having a hard time.
Financial Management Board can transfer money from one program to another.
I wonder if that $1,131,000 could be used for better stuff?
We estimated this amount of money for Travel and Transportation from the previous year’s estimates, that we have used this amount because transportation is very expensive.
We have put it to good use at the department.
If we didn’t travel to various places then our work would not be totally complete.
Perhaps, Mr. Awa can elaborate further on that.
I can’t really elaborate on it but just to say that we have to be able to go to the communities because we are representing all the people of Nunavut and all the communities.
Some of the staff is in decentralized communities as well and we have to be able to go to those communities.
And then they have to come to the headquarters as well.
For instance, in Pond Inlet and Arviat, Rankin Inlet has to be assisted by the government.
The job that they are supposed to do, whether it be to do with finances or whatever else.
It is very expensive to travel to those communities and we have to be able to travel to those communities.
We heard that whenever we started using computers that everything would be a lot cheaper and communication would be better but it seems like the Government of Nunavut has a large travel budget.
It is over $1 million on just Program Development.
What is your travel policy?
My question is with new technology, such as computers and the internet, are you going to be using that huge amount for Travel and Transportation.
We have to go to the FPT sometimes and we have to be able to go to the provinces and other places in order to promote what we are trying to do.
We have to make estimates based on the funding we used in the previous year and to determine what we will require in the coming fiscal year.
Some of the programs don’t have very much money allotted to them such as Aboriginal Skills Employment Program, which is $150,000, and the government’s Travel and Transportation is very high.
Travel is not an investment but the investment program such as Hunters and Trappers and the Hunters Assistance Programs don’t have as much money as Travel and Transportation for the government’s department.
How many people work in this section, Program Development?
Can you give me an estimate?
I will let Mr. Awa respond to that.
The number of staff for the Department of Environment is about 105 and there are about 35 Wildlife Officers.
With Parks and Fisheries and Environmental Protection, and the people who deliver the programs, I believe about half of them, there are about 108 in total.
The actual number for Program Development is about 30 employees.
If there is 30 employees and for 30 people the travel budget is $1,131,000, this money can be utilized in a wiser way.
There is even less than $100,000 for third prize programs, probably for seal skins or fox furs.
Can’t you look at these closely because you are asking us to support you because you are requesting our assistance?
We are trying to.
You can ask your deputy and your staff to reflect the money to what is needed.
I wonder if you can start doing that.
The member stated that there are 30 program development staff, but I would like to point out that there are in fact 79. (interpretation ends) For the record, the PYs are 79. (interpretation) What the member was talking about is in regards to furs; $70,000 for a fur price program is for the freight that we have to pay from up here down to Southern Canada and it’s usually that much.
Where if we had to increase it, we would, but it’s in the average of that figure and the other ones that he referred to for Hunters and Trappers Organizations, yes, it’s always inadequate and the regional wildlife boards is usually the same.
Yes, maybe we will have to look at them closely for the next new budget, especially when the Wildlife Act is in effect and that responsibilities of Hunters and Trappers Organizations will be broadened and how the Wildlife Act will have an affect on these organizations.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Yes, I would like to thank the minister.
Now there are 70 from 30 to 50.
How many employees use $1,131,000 in travel and transportation?
You requested us to give you support of $150,000.
If we wanted that $150,000, would you be able to make improvements on the program guideline, but the hunters, maybe just in order to live on the 25 percent, maybe you can change it to livelihood instead of income for the fact that they lose their hunting gear and
We hear that the Hunters’ Support Program from Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated is not for the equipment that is lost.
It’s for the people who apply and they can reapply after four years.
It’s not geared towards compensating the people and there’s no conflict there, and our Nunavut Government has to assist.
So for that reason, can you reconsider because you constantly want our support through there?
Yes, they will probably come out with a recommendation and then we can see from there.
You constantly say that if you support this budget there will definitely be a recommendation.
If we don’t come up with a recommendation, it will be kind of difficult where we wish to spend it.
If we do agree, maybe you can make amendments to the program policy and how would you amend it.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes, if that is your request, I would.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): I would like to thank the Minister.
It is evident that there will have to be an amendment.
I don’t have anything else.
Under page I-9, we have tried this in Sanikiluaq.
Maybe because the amount is so small we haven’t heard anything else about it.
The previous wildlife officer we had is no longer in our community because we thought about organizing a hunt even though there is caribou but even if we didn’t go for a caribou hunt and if we encounter caribou and kill them, but we have been told it would cost too much.
In my constituency, we know an area but it is outside of Nunavut boundaries and it is not too far from our community.
I wonder if we’re going to access that funding does it have to be only within Nunavut boundaries.
If the Nunavik Government agreed to the Sanikiluaq hunters hunting there or even if Arviat people wanted to go Manitoba, as long as their governments agree then I wouldn’t see any problem with that.
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): Are there guidelines that we have to follow if we’re going to organize a hunt?
The Hunters and Trappers Organization requests to us and then we can take a look at it.
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman and the Minister.
We had made a request, but it was going to cost too much so that was one of the obstacles.
Is this geared towards the 27 communities in Nunavut?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): This is available to anybody and it has been used here in Nunavut.
If they put in an application and estimating how much they would need for organized hunts, such as for caribou, a lot of people utilize this fund so if you apply not too late, then you might be lucky.
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): I don’t have any other questions, but then I will think about his answers that he just gave me.
Under I-9, Commercial Fisheries Program, $190,000 for those who have licenses is licensed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
I would like to ask him: in Chesterfield Inlet, the Iqaluvviq Fish Plant, are they licensed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans?
At this time, we don’t know if they do, but it’s usually the responsibility of Department of Fisheries and Oceans to issue licenses and if they didn’t, then they can apply; it’s available as long as they have Department of Fisheries and Oceans licenses.
Mr. Netser (interpretation): I feel that maybe you should have known.
They probably have a license; so they sell fish to Rankin Inlet.
They always go over their quota because the quota is about 10,000 to 15,000 pounds.
I wonder if your department can assist in using up their limit in Rankin Inlet and if they were to find a market to sell fish, would your department be able to assist them? Thank you.
This $525,000, it should be approved or if it was not decreased, it would be used for the development and diversification of Nunavut’s fishing industry.
They would access these monies because they have already got an established quota and it’s for the emerging fishing industry, and they would access it from this pot of the money.
They would make a proposal and give us a plan of what they are going to be doing.
We read about the Nunavut Development Corporation.
If you are looking at this amount, it’s only about 10,000 pounds for Chesterfield Inlet, but we need a larger quota because there’s a lot of fish around Chesterfield Inlet and we would like to get support.
We just did a market search last year in Winnipeg, but if you don’t have the required support and as you have said, as the minister, there are the regulations and the Fresh Water Fish Marketing Board and the DFO’s regulations have to be adhered to.
You say that we have to adhere to those rules but you don’t give us an alternative way of doing it.
What is your staff doing?
You tell us what we can’t do but you don’t give us the support that is required in order to get any of those developments going.
Can you ask your staff to help the communities that are looking for a market to sell their fish?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes I would. Yes.
I am very glad to hear that you would give us the support because there is a lot of support needed by the smaller communities to do their marketing.
When you keep just getting the negative or you can’t do this, or you can’t do that, then you kind of lose hope in getting anything going.
We are now looking forward to your department to help us look for a market niche either in Winnipeg or in Yellowknife.
So I can tell the Ikalutit HTO in Chesterfield Inlet that the government will give us the support to go marketing.
We would like to see these develop because we are looking into the gateway provinces for market niches.
We are looking at what we can do as the department to look for more market areas in the southern provinces.
We can do so much with the money that we do have.
We will have to look at options and we will try and adhere to the Nunavut Fishing Strategy.
We will be looking at other funding sources, either by way of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
I am very glad to hear that.
The Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organizations usually get discouraged when they are told that they have to follow this regulation and that regulation and then they end up going anywhere.
There is usually no support when there is a lot of potential out there for emerging fishing industry.
I am very glad to hear that Chesterfield Inlet will be getting the support that they need.
I will keep my question very brief because I want to go home very much.
Going back to the comment that was made by one of my colleagues about the community organized hunts.
Which community is eligible to get contributions for community organized hunts?
Which community is it geared for?
This is for all Nunavut communities and the Hunters’ and Trappers Associations can access these funds through proposals.
This is the system which Transportation costs when the required destination is too far.
I apologize for calling you Mr. Speaker.
My next question, the Nunavut communities usually want the various organizations to use cost cutting measures and to use their money conservatively.
In regards to the wildlife officers, how much money do they make for equipment like canoes, snowmobiles and other modes of transportation?
What is their budget for transportation equipment?
They vary.
For the Baffin, it’s $100 thousand.
For the Kitikmeot Region and Kivalliq Region it’s $60 thousand annually.
Are they told to use their money conservatively for the purpose of transportation equipment?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): It’s part of their training programs.
When they are in training, they are given workshops on how they can use their money conservatively.
They are required to have insurance coverage.
They’re capital purchases if they require transportation vehicles.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. Mapsalak.
I have a question on Page I-6, contract services.
It’s $742 thousand.
What kind of contractors do you hire to provide what services?
For example, if we’re talking about fisheries for the drafting of the bylaws for the wildlife act, it covers a variety of services that are required by our department.
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): This money would be used if the wildlife regulations are not going to be implemented by this summer, you would have a surplus then in this line item and you can’t quite seem to pinpoint what kind of contract services go under this line item.
I’m sure that you have advisors and lawyers and so on who are involved in the drafting of the regulations and helping on other services.
If there should be contractors at the community level, approximately how many people do you employ under this line item?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. Minister
It would be very hard to get anything going if we didn’t have a line item and we would not be able to do any of the programs or services that we were directed to do by the Members of the Legislative Assembly.
There are also the other pieces of legislation that are required under the Department of Environment.
We need to have contractors to provide those types of services and I can’t tell you exactly how many contractors are under this line item.
There are various sets of services that are provided under this line item and I don’t have the number of people that are contracted by the Department of Environment.
On I-9, Fisheries’ Development and Diversification Program, $525,000, this program is also intended to assist with the attraction of this third party funding for this important emerging industry.
I am just wondering if this money is for the whole of Nunavut?
Yes, it is available for every community in Nunavut to leverage more money. As I said, the best way to do it is to leverage more money from other organizations that have funding available to assist in fisheries department.
So it’s for every community in Nunavut.
So in other words you are saying that this money can be for anybody who is to learn how to dive and to look for sea shells and mussels, sea urchins, and stuff like that, if a person wanted to learn?
I will get Mr. Jarett to answer that question.
Chairman: Go ahead, Mr. Jarett.
Mr. Jarett: The money can be used within any community so long as the program meets a guideline to go by fisheries for it if it’s going to be diversified or if there’s going to be a future development if the diving project is for all of that.
It would be judged on fairness as well as to the other applications that are given in any year and if it lines up ahead of that, then it probably would not be tried.
Thank you, Mr. Jarett.
In the north of Kugluktuk, in the Kitikmeot region there’s a lot of seafood, more like mussels, sea urchins and clams.
I know in one area that we go and harvest caribou in the summertime and at the bottom of the sea, you can see very clearly and so deep; you could see a lot of sea urchins at the bottom of the sea.
Sometimes we would stop when the tide would go down, but it doesn’t go down in the Kitikmeot, so it’s the only way you could get to them is by diving with an outfitter.
I’m just wondering if this money could be used to give a workshop on how to use diving equipment and that for young people who are interested in our region.
I’m just wondering if this money could be used for that too.
We are using this as a fisheries development and if you think that there is potential in that type of market, Broughton Island also clam fishes.
We could treat it as such and if we did a study and if there was a proper proposal done, our department is very likely to develop it.
Chairman (interpretation): Mr. Evyagotailak, do you have any more questions.
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): I’ll make my question brief.
Ground fisheries, in order to sell the ground fisheries, we need approval from the federal government to sell the ground fisheries and they have to be inspected.
Can we market any kind of ground fish down south?
Yes, as long as they’ve done a study on that and as long they follow the Canadian Food Agency’s guidelines, then you can go ahead and sell ground fish.
I know it’s difficult to market ground fish because you have to work very hard and as I was stating in the Fisheries Strategy, if it’s stated in there, then we would work harder to lobby the federal government to make sure that we can sell our ground fish.
Chairman (interpretation): Are finished.
I just want to talk a bit about the Program Development and talk about the policy in regards to Hunters’ and Trappers’ Disaster Compensation Schedule A-2.
I would like to tell the Minister that we need to update the eligibility requirement.
The residents of Nunavut who hold a general hunting license or beneficiaries, the qualification states that they can be compensated if they are related to forest fires first of all; it’s 25 percent of their income.
As I had told the Minister, perhaps you can review this and amend the eligibility requirement.
If I could get the approval, we would like to re-allocate the $150,000 there into that line item.
We don’t have a forest here.
It’s evident that it’s not going to be used up here in Nunavut and put it under the line item to a livelihood from harvesting to make sure that they can be eligible.
It seems like this is outdated from Government of the Northwest Territories days before the division.
If the Minister could review it, I would appreciate it.
They can provide support of $4,000 per individual.
It seems so outdated, so therefore, I’m making a comment to that affect.
I’m sure in our next April session we can deal with it.
This is just a comment ahead of time.
Environment Branch Summary.
Total operations and maintenance, $12,422,000.
Page I-11 is an information item.
Operations and Maintenance, revised total of $16,128,000.
Chairman: Are we agreed that environment as amended is concluded?
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, I would like to read ahead of time that I am sure regular members would like to make a motion.
This motion has to be translated.
During Committee of the Whole I will be moving this motion;
(Interpretation ends) That this committee recommends that the Government of Nunavut bring forward a Supplementary Appropriation Act during the spring sitting of the House to reallocate the $150,000 that has been deleted from the 2005/06 Main Estimates of the Department of Environment and that the funding be used for disaster compensation grants to hunters and trappers to replacing equipment loss as a result of natural disaster.
(Interpretation) Mr. Chairman, I just read it for the record.
So, tomorrow we’ll be able to deal with it after it’s been translated into Inuktitut.
I’m requesting the support of all the members, including Cabinet members.
Mr. Akesuk, do you have any closing remarks.
I would like to thank my officials, Trevor Jarett and Simon Awa and all of you Members of the Legislature.
We take your concerns well and I, as the minister, we do want to give support and it shows that you want to make the lives of Nunavummiut much better.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Akesuk and your officials.
Minister of the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, do you have any opening remarks?
You may make your opening comments, Mr. Tapardjuk.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth 2005/06 Business Plan and Main Estimates.
This department preserves and enhances Nunavut culture, heritage and languages and provides healthy active living opportunities for all Nunavummiut.
The department has the ability and capacity to forge ahead with the implementation of strategies and services that will enable the department to meet its mission.
To show your commitment to our lead role in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, the department has increased resources in the 2005/2006 fiscal year by one PY that will be filled by an Elder Advisor.
The Elder Advisor will coordinate the additional resource of $200,000 which will be used for contribution funding for community based projects focused on incorporating Inuit Societal Values.
Language is a vital element in the incorporation of Inuit Societal Values.
The Official Languages Branch is working hard towards the development and consultation of the important made-in-Nunavut language legislation and it is progressing according to the timeline I stated during the May Session.
An additional $200,000 has been dedicated this year to the development of the two legislations – Official Languages Act and the Inuktitut Protection Act.
The Branch regularly holds terminology workshops and in the 2005-06 with additional $22,000 dedicated to language research and development, we hope to increase our development of the language capacity.
The Department of Culture and Heritage Branch is working towards the establishment of a full-service Territorial Heritage Centre that will house Nunavut’s Heritage collections which are presently stored elsewhere.
A Trilateral Working Group – made up of Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Inuit Heritage Trust – are collaborating on identifying sources of external capital funds Nunavut Heritage Centre.
This work will allow us to make a decision on which avenue to take.
It requires all parties to be involved.
The Community Programs Branch continues to provide a human face by being very accessible through its toll free number and by continuing to have a well established presence in the communities through community presentations and workshops on the Grants and Contribution programs.
The Sport Nunavut Branch coordinates multi-sport games.
This fiscal year additional funding of $500,000 will be dedicated towards the participation in the Arctic Winter Games (AWG) and the Canada Summer Games.
The Recreation and Leisure Branch is working on developing a Nunavut Physical Activity Guide and continues to work towards the development of the Nunavut Volunteer Network.
The Branch has an additional $75,000 dedicated to the promotion of active living.
I would be pleased to answer any questions that you might have.
Chairman (interpretation): I am sure that there will be some questions from the members.
Does the Chair of the Ajauqtiit have any opening remarks?
I am pleased to be able to give the committee’s opening remarks as we begin consideration of the 2005/06 Main Estimates for the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
The minister was able to give an update on his department’s proposed expenditures for the coming fiscal year.
Members were pleased to see an increase in this department’s budget as it deals with matters that are deeply valued by Inuit, our culture, our language, our elders, and our youth.
(interpretation ends) Members noted that all departmental business plans now includes a section of detail of the each department language service for a language initiatives.
Members are pleased that the government is making efforts to comply with new language guidelines developed by this department.