EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It states that this will be a matter under discussion in our upcoming fiscal year.
If that indeed were the case, how will these departments cooperate to ensure that these students can get their certificates that will enable them to apply for employment down the road?
What is their vision or goal for accomplishing this?
Perhaps this Budget Address was made without any vision as to how they will be utilizing this new funding.
As the Minister of Finance has indicated before, a review of the government structure is being looked at. That’s an area that’s being looked at, as the member states.
That is not complete yet, but it’s being considered and looked at.
As far as what type of education is attained at the cultural school, any education attained at any level, I think, enhances anybody for any type of employment that may occur in Nunavut.
So I would say yes, it would help anybody attending that school to attain employment.
Question 256 – 3(3): Hiring and Dismissal of Senior Civil Servants (Curley)
Nunavutmiut are aware of the fact that employment within the public service can be enjoyable and quite a few people are in those positions. We are always glad to see the numbers of Nunavutmiut rise within the public service.
Some people have been long-term employees of the government.
Mr. Speaker, my question will be directed to the Minister of Human Resources, which I will ask in English for his convenience.
(interpretation ends) It appears, Mr. Speaker, that the government practises inconsistencies in hiring and dismissing employees, long-term employees in some occasions, throughout the public service.
So I would like to ask the Minister responsible for HR what exactly is the policy and procedure for dismissing senior employees of the government. Are there guidelines for applying practices, if any, prior to dismissing an employee?
First of all, we deal with most of the Nunavut employees, but of course, we don’t deal with Qulliq Energy employees and some who are from the health centre and some from Education.
Generally, before an employee is dismissed, it goes through a process.
We have a certain board that it goes to and they have a chance to appeal it once it happens, and then the final say comes back to the Minister of HR. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister indicated to the House and stated that these are the procedures that should be followed. I understand these involve performance reviews.
If that is the case, can the minister clearly explain to the House whether or not an employee participates in the performance evaluations, and can the minister confirm that it is an absolute requirement if the performance of an employee is an issue?
Yes, the employee is involved in that.
Mr. Curley: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my preamble, the GN has applied and some senior officials of the government have just had practiced that just by signing a letter to an employee. One long-term employee was released by this government.
Is that allowed through the public service employee agreement?
That being said, Mr. Speaker, the senior officials have no right to just hand over a letter to dismiss a long-term employee.
Can the minister confirm that he will investigate this dismissal of a former director of petroleum products in Rankin Inlet?
Minister of the Department of Human Resources, Minister Schell.
I’ll look into it.
Question 257 – 3(3): Child and Youth Representative (Elliott)
My questions are directed towards the Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Hon. Eva Aariak.
I am pleased with her Minister’s Statement of this morning in terms of the good work that the social advocate’s office has been doing on the child and youth representative. I just wanted to follow up with a few questions.
The minister had mentioned that Nunavummiut were consulted and asked various questions based around the child and youth representative.
For some clarity, have those questions been put out to the Nunavut communities and her department has received answers or are you still collecting information on that?
The questions that were raised within the survey are available online via the web or if you prefer, hard copies are available at the Social Advocacy Office and the member can request further information at that office.
Again, I think, since a lot of communities haven’t been consulted, there’s definitely no doubt that there will be a lot of Inuit societal values that will be reflected and incorporated in the new Child and Youth Representative Act.
The minister said that a draft will actually be brought into the House in June.  One of the questions that I noted that is being asked, and I guess I’ll have to visit the website, is the idea of it being an independent office of the Legislative Assembly.
When the legislation comes through, could she confirm that it will actually be an independent body of the Legislative Assembly?
With respect to the member’s question of agency independence, this matter has been raised in this House previously and it is currently being dealt with through our strategic planning.
Again, I think I’m going to have to ask if it’s going to be an independent office outside of the Legislative Assembly. I don’t know if it was the translation, but I didn’t quite hear whether it’s actually an independent office.
I’m asking if it will be like our Languages Commissioner, which is a separate entity and at arm’s length from the Government of Nunavut, so an independent body.
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I will repeat my answer in English.
It is one of the questions that are posed to the community members as well and, more than likely, that will be a recommendation that will be made. Again, the question of whether it should be an independent body is asked to the people of Nunavut. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Okay, thank you for that response and that helps me with the first question I asked because, obviously, I didn’t quite understand what the Premier was saying.
With the questions that you’re putting out there, you had told me to go to the website.
I was assuming that when I went to the website, I would get the answers to those questions, but what you’re saying is that these questions are still live and you want responses from people across Nunavut to answer these specific questions.
In your Minister’s Statement, the questions are:
How can Inuit societal values be best reflected and incorporated into the new Child and Youth Representative Act and in the work of the new child and youth representative?
What I would like to know is: are these questions live and you want responses from us and from our constituents, or are the answers already done and the consultations finished?
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) The Social Advocacy Office is currently scheduling additional consultations with a wide range of stakeholder groups, including Nunavut youth, religious leaders, foster parent applications, community social workers, community health committees, community wellness workers, community justice committees, community justice outreach workers, youth retained at the young offenders facility, IQK members, school counsellors, Nunavut Sivuniksavut students, community wellness workers, Nunavut-wide public consultation via CBC radio and advertisements, and daycare directors. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As members will note, our clock has indicated that the allotted time for question period has expired.
Written Question 012 – 3(3): Correctional Facilities, Recidivism Rates, and Rehabilitation Programs (Elliott)
I’m looking forward to accompanying the Minister of Justice and my colleagues on a tour of the Baffin Correctional Centre later today.
This is actually the second such visit for me, as the member from Cambridge Bay will recall.
In light of such issues as the impact of new federal crime legislation on our correctional system, I am confident that all members will wish to review the response to my written question to the minister concerning the issue of correctional facilities, recidivism rates, and rehabilitation programs in Nunavut.
The questions are very detailed, so I ask that they be entered into the record as read.
As of February 24, 2012, how many adult and young offenders are serving sentences in territorial custody at the Baffin Correctional Centre, the Ilavut Healing Centre, and the Iqaluit Young Offenders’ Centre?
As of February 24, 2012, how many individuals are incarcerated in territorial correctional facilities awaiting trial?
As of February 24, 2012, what is the average period of time before an individual on remand in territorial custody goes to trial?
As of February 24, 2012, what is the rate of recidivism for male adult offenders in territorial custody?
As of February 24, 2012, what is the rate of recidivism for male young offenders in territorial custody?
As of February 24, 2012, what is the rate of recidivism for female adult offenders in territorial custody?
As of February 24, 2012, what is the rate of recidivism for female young offenders in territorial custody?
As of February 24, 2012, what rehabilitation, counselling, and education programs are offered to adult offenders in territorial custody?
As of February 24, 2012, what rehabilitation, counselling, and education programs are offered to young offenders in territorial custody?
As of February 24, 2012, how does the Department of Justice measure the effectiveness of its rehabilitation, counselling, and education programs for adult offenders?
As of February 24, 2012, how does the Department of Justice measure the effectiveness of its rehabilitation, counselling, and education programs for young offenders?
From March 2, 2010 to February 24, 2012, what percentage of adult offenders in territorial custody participated in rehabilitation, counselling, and education programs?
From March 2, 2010 to February 24, 2012, what percentage of young offenders in territorial custody participated in rehabilitation, counselling, and education programs?
As of February 24, 2012, what rehabilitation, counselling, and education programs are offered to former adult offenders who have completed sentences in territorial correctional facilities?
As of February 24, 2012, what rehabilitation, counselling, and education programs are offered to former young offenders who have completed sentences in territorial correctional facilities?
Speaker: It has been agreed to, so it shall be entered into the record as read.
Tabled Document 150 – 3(3): Correspondence Dated February 20, 2012 from the Department of Community and Government Services to the NNI Contracting Appeals Board (Curley)
I wish to table a copy of the February 20, 2012 correspondence from the Department of Community and Government Services to the NNI Contracting Appeals Board that I referred to earlier this week in the House. I strongly encourage all members to review this document with care.
Tabled Document 151 – 3(3): The Makimaniq Plan: A Shared Approach to Poverty Reduction, Poverty Summit held in November 2011 in Iqaluit, Nunavut (Taptuna)
I am pleased to table The Makimaniq Plan: A Shared Approach to Poverty Reduction, Poverty Summit held in November 2011 in Iqaluit, Nunavut.
Bill 34 – An Act to Amend the Integrity Act – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Rankin Inlet South and Whale Cove, that Bill 34, An Act to Amend the Integrity Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, Bill 34 amends the Integrity Act to provide for certain requirements in relation to members’ annual meetings with the Integrity Commissioner.
As Bill 34 is a House Bill, it is referred directly to Committee of the Whole.
Bill 21, Bill 24, and Bill 34 with Mr. Tapardjuk in the Chair.
I would ask all members to remain in their seats so that we can proceed directly into Committee of the Whole.
We were dealing with the Department of Education and we weren’t finished with our review.
Minister Aariak, do you have witnesses that you would like to bring to the table?
My colleagues, do you agree to bring in the witnesses at this time?
Minister Aariak, for the record, please introduce your witnesses.
To my left is my Deputy Minister, Kathy Okpik, and to my right is our Controller, Ms. Fanjoy.
Welcome to the Committee of the Whole, Deputy Minister Okpik and Ms. Fanjoy.
We’re on page G-10. We finished G-9 yesterday and it was agreed to.
We have moved on to page G-10. Adult Education and Post-Secondary Services.
The first name on my list is Mr. Enook.
Good morning to my colleagues and Madam Minister.
At the appropriate time, I’ll ask a question on page G-10.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Enook. We’re on page G-10 now.
We were done with page G-9 yesterday. Go to page G-10. Adult Education and Post-Secondary Services.
If you have a question on that page, you may proceed. Mr. Enook.
It may be much clearer if I provide a preamble so that my questions are absolutely clear when I ask them. Let me recollect the matter myself in order to speak to the matter. Mr. Chairman, I also want to thank my colleague who is sitting beside me for allowing me to use part of her table occasionally.
If I can be allowed to read a passage from the minister’s opening comments the other day, Mr. Chairman, because I want my questions to be absolutely clear, I will be trying to translate the English version into Inuktitut.
To my understanding, they seem to be saying this message in the opening comments of the Minister of Education: “I believe education is the foundation for a healthy, strong, and flourishing Nunavut.”
Further down, there is another passage, “The Department of Education, guided by Qanuqtuurunnarniq, the value of innovation and resourcefulness, aims to provide quality lifelong learning opportunities to help improve learning outcomes...”
With respect to adult education, actually, Mr. Chairman, Nunavut Arctic College, as per the Minister’s Statement this morning, the funds that have just been announced are specifically for adult education and will increase the opportunities for adults to further their education by every means possible.
Additionally, in the press release, there is a statement on these funds that have just been announced. Now, I’m not referring to any specific wording as this is the English version. It says that these funds will enable Nunavummiut to take advantage of any emerging employment opportunities in Nunavut.
The last reference I want to speak to is directly related to my question. If I’m allowed to speak to a written statement, I will be talking specifically about assistance provided to students who are taking advanced courses and not upgrading.
If I have to use English, I suppose it is called FANS. I will be referring to it as that in Inuktitut, Mr. Chairman, just for your information.
In the business plan for their operational appropriation documents, I’m referring specifically to the department’s application forms for students who need to complete these forms in order to qualify for funding assistance. The first question I want to ask is: what is the amount of funding assistance for students taking post-secondary courses?
In the opening comments, Mr. Chairman, it states that the student assistance program was established to provide funding assistance to students and to ensure that students who want to further their education don’t have the obstacle of the lack of funding assistance when taking their courses.
These statements will be my foundation for my questions that I will be asking.
In reading the opening comments, I want to first ask about complaints that have been raised about problems experienced by students taking courses in the smaller communities and I personally have had students relay their experiences in applying for the funding. Mr. Chairman, that is why I want to ask my questions on what I believe are some of the barriers or problems students experience, and what students have relayed personally so that the public in Nunavut will hear about the issues faced by students.
Firstly, I would like to get some background from the officials whether or not these barriers are known, some which seem historic, yet the system has never been vetted to make it more efficient.
All we hear is that it will be reviewed, that it will be resolved, and that revisions will be made.
Be that as it may, our long suffering students are the ones affected and they are not receiving any kind of assistance whatsoever.
That is what I have been told by students experiencing this firsthand.
Let me reiterate this question first: does our government really have conviction in their professed goals of supporting higher education for our residents?
I want to reminder you that a specific allotted time for general comments is set aside shortly after the minister’s opening comments. When the Chair opens the floor, you have time for comments then.
I would ask that you confine your questions to shorter, more concise ones to keep it understandable and to ensure we can continue.
So I’m just reminding you so that all members can follow that procedure.
Minister Aariak, if you want to answer this question, an answer would help.
In order to ensure I understand the question, I will try to paraphrase the question as it was a fairly long one.
The last part, I believe, he referred to was that the student financial assistance program designed to assist residents in their education has been problematic over the years.
At this time, with respect to any particular problems or issues, I’m not aware of any complaints that have been lodged with the Department of Education.
We haven’t heard about any problems from students about the process. However, we are always open to suggestions for improvement, especially when it relates to process-related issues.
Furthermore, I want to refer to this part. If we look at Canada as a whole, the FANS program Nunavut provides to post-secondary students is apparently the largest one within the country.
I wonder if you can rephrase your question to make it clearer, Mr. Enook.
This was exactly why I had the long preamble, to be very clear, apparently to no avail.
I want to refer back to the minister’s response that the department hasn’t been made aware of any issues related to the application process. I have been apprised about these problems firsthand in written format just from my community.
The question I started with is this: do we, as a government, have conviction in our stated position that further education is necessary, that students require financial assistance to pursue their goals, and that we have to ensure their completion of their courses?
I’m specifically referring to post-secondary courses offered to students who have already graduated grade 12.
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate Mr. Enook’s question.
If the member is willing to share his list outlining the complaints, our department would appreciate a copy to try to resolve the issues faced by his constituents.
On behalf of government, I say that yes, this government believes in this principle so adamantly that we have just started an initiative that will assist high school students to prepare for an education past grade 12 specifically for post-secondary courses.
Additionally, we are aware that the funding set aside for the program is insufficient and may continue. However, the funding that we now allot to it in our budgets was initially increased to $5 million per annum, but it was currently raised to $8 million and this is in the past two years.
Although the fund has been increased in this period, the other positive part is seeing the number of students who want to pursue post-secondary education past grade 12 increase and it seems that the numbers correspond with the funding.
This government totally believes in the principle as it can lead to good careers for our residents once they have an education.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the minister.
Young people get bewildered, as I have also become recently, whether or not this government actually wants them to succeed in post-secondary courses, especially with the complex application process for the funding assistance, which seems to be the barrier.
It seems to me that no matter how much we increase the funding for students, the funding increases are absolutely irrelevant as long as we don’t bring down the barriers or resolve the obstacles within the process faced by our students.
Mr. Chairman, if I could cite some of the problems faced by our students within my questions, I would like to ask a few questions.
First of all, I want to ask the minister a question with respect to prospective students and students currently attending courses so that everyone will be on the same page with respect to these issues. At this time, if anyone is currently attending courses and is eligible for funding assistance for that course but has not completed the course, what type of rules apply in this case?
If I understand the member’s question, I believe he is referring to students who haven’t graduated from high school and if there is a policy. No, there is no policy for that area. Just for my own understanding, I would ask that the member clarify what the student has not completed in his question.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize to the minister for not making it absolutely clear.
I agree that I wasn’t entirely clear in my question.
When a student who is trying to get a certificate for any kind of course that is available in the adult learning centre, for instance, when they are attending a certificate course for a year, two or even three years, and they didn’t complete that course and they have already received funding assistance for the course… .
If the student does not pass his course, does this mean that the student is now in arrears?
I hope that clarifies my question.
I also thank our colleague for clarifying his question as it is now understandable.
Yes, there is a policy in place for students who have not passed their course requirements or who have quit the course. They end up with arrears and they have to pay back a specified amount of what they were provided.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Madam Minister.
That is my question. When we speak about issues faced by students, that particular problem is one of the ones listed, as there are a myriad of problems listed here. This is one of the biggest barriers for residents who want to continue their education that I also want further information on.
I will use the term “student,” even though these are adults attending post-secondary courses available after grade 12. When I refer to a student, I’m specifically talking about adults attending courses at NAC, just so we are on the same page.
When a student is receiving FANS funding and if their spouse has a part-time job that month for three hours over a couple of days, does this impact the amount of funding that this student is supposed to receive?
There are several categories of funding. For example, a student with a spouse who is working would receive a different amount as opposed to a single student. The funds are specific to each situation.
I wonder if the minister understands what my question was or maybe I was not listening intently to the answer.
What I was trying to ask about was a student currently receiving financial assistance has a spouse who is a part-time worker or perhaps the spouse has worked a few hours a week or a few days a week. Now, according to the policy, I believe the student has to report this income based on the requirements. How much would be deducted from the student’s monthly financial assistance if their spouse worked temporarily that month?
I certainly hope that the question is now clear.
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The member’s question is understandable and seemingly has been experienced by his constituents. I also want this completely understood, but at this time, we will have to look into that issue.
There are different types of categories in which students can qualify for funding. In order to be clear, I will be stating them in English.
The acronyms are LMDA, LMA, and FANS. These are different types of funding available through the student financial assistance program.