EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I am very proud that Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit was used in decision making on the management of our polar bears.
I am concerned about recent news reports indicating that new scientific evidence has been presented.
There are no nays, please proceed Mr. Barnabas.
I apologize for going over my two-minute limit.
(interpretation ends) I am concerned that recent news reports indicating that new scientific evidence have been presented showing that the polar bear population is in fact decreasing in Nunavut, while Nunavumiut indicate that the population is increasing.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking the appropriate Minister some questions.
Members’ Statements. Mr. Arreak.
Member's Statement 095 – 2(2): Funding for Ilisaqsivik Society
It is very good to be back in the house today, and I look forward to working hard with my collegues in the coming weeks.
(Interpretation ends) For the past few months I spent time meeting and speaking with my constituents.
As Members may recall from our full caucus retreat in Arviat, we reached consensus on supporting a new emphasis on community development, cultural strength and bring government closer to home.
Today I would like to share with you an example of the kind of community organization that works hard to support community, wellness and fulfill many of those our community has to strive for.
The Ilisaqsivik Society in the community of Clyde River provides community programs relating to health and wellness to mothers and children, community literacy, community access to computers and training in counselling.
The society offers support in a number of community groups, including the men’s healing group, the women’s sewing circle, the elders’ group, youth council and Sukkakut, the women’s support group.
The Ilisaqsivik Society gets program funding from a number of sources, including government and Inuit organizations.
The society provides a community based support and counselling network, as well as providing employment and training to at least 50 full and part-time workers.
It is one of the largest employees in an non-decentralized community with 72% unemployment.
Sadly, after ten years of operation, the lack of stable core funding means that Ilisaqsivik Society faces risk of closing down.
I urge the government to give full consideration to providing core funding for the Clyde River Ilisaqsivik Society and I encourage business organizations and individuals to make donations to help keep the Ilisaqsivik family resource centre stay open.
At the appropriate time I will be tabling a package of information material relating to the good work performed by the Ilisaqrsivik Society.
Speaker (interpretation): I must remind you that you have 2 and half minutes to make your member’s statement.
Mr. Simailak
Member's Statement 096 – 2(2): Thank Mother from Parka
My colleagues and especially the people of Baker Lake, and my mother is always sewing, so they just gave me this outfit, what I am wearing today and first of all I would like to thank my mother at this time, thank you.
Netser.
Member's Statement 097 – 2(2): Crime in Communities
Even though my wife is younger, she can sew a lot better than me and she just made this and I too would like to thank her.
(Interpretation ends) All eyes today again the issue of crime that is so prevalent in our communities theses days.
The RCMP’s 2004 Annual Report for Nunavut’s V-Division reveals some shocking facts about the situation facing our communities in Nunavut.
I think that other Members of this house should read the RCMP’s Annual Report very carefully.
In 2003, the RCMP recorded over 2,400 assaults, including sexual assault.
By the end of today, February 22, an average of seven assaults will have taken place across Nunavut and this is unacceptable.
The RCMP’s report makes for disturbing reading.
There are over 1,000 liquor offences in 2003 alone.
Over 1,000 break-in and enters, and just recently I have been receiving calls that there has been yet another murder in one of our communities and alcohol was involved.
In my communities of Coral Harbour and Chesterfield Inlet, there are less than half a dozen of police officers.
In Coral Harbour, there is only one officer for every 411 residents.
We need to do everything we can to work with the RCMP to secure adequate resources.
Our communities and constituents have a right to be safe.
However, when this territory registers a total of 11,000 or so criminal code offences in one year alone, it’s hard to say that we are doing well.
That figure works out to be over 32 crimes per day every single day of the year.
We all have our responsibilities to protect our society and I will continue to promote and support measures to make sure that Nunavut is a safer place.
Member's Statement 098 – 2(2): Gasoline Problems in Rankin Inlet
I rise today to recognize Nunavumiut and my constituents in Rankin Inlet.
As we heard from the Minister of Petroleum Products, the gasoline that we are using is okay and all of the appropriate additives are added there, but this has to be looked at more closely, especially gasoline, it is not suitable.
The Minister has to listen to the people who are spending lots of money on spark plugs.
The Government of Nunavut has bought bad gas, which is below standards.
So, for that reason, the gasoline that was supplied to Rankin Inlet was substandard.
If it was Grade A, there wouldn’t be any problems and it’s called MMT, why it’s not added to that, then how can they say that it’s up to standard?
So, I am going to invite Shell Canada to come up if they can agree.
Our fuel in the north, especially in the extreme cold, we have the right to know exactly what kind we have and not do the work after the fact.
We know in the Northwest Territories that the fuel is tested 22 times from where it originates to the time they are delivered to the community.
Lastly, the customers who buy the fuel are in danger because they have to get the Grade A fuel.
Member's Statement 099 – 2(2): Iqaluit Community Initiatives
I rise today to welcome back all members to our fair capital city of Iqaluit.
I look forward to the next few weeks of productive debate.
I would also like to welcome, as the Minister of Education did, all the teachers that are here in Iqaluit for their annual gathering this week.
Although members may not notice the difference over the few months that you have all been away in your home communities, your capital city has been taking some major new steps towards growth and maturity.
The Iqaluit community is coming together and solidarity.
A home owners’ association has been formed and active and have held meetings with City Council.
A grassroots greenhouse society is looking to build a community greenhouse which will contribute to the environmental health of our community.
The city itself is looking at options to build a new aquatic centre with a swimming pool to meet the needs of our growing population.
As all Members know, kids from all across Nunavut have the opportunity to use the pool when they come here.
The maturing of our city is a mature sign of our territory.
As with capital cities from across the country, people from across Nunavut come here for conferences, for training, to visit friends and family and take part in the upcoming snow challenge, or Nunavut’s first ever film gala, to sing in a karaoke contest against the Minister of Education.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing support from the government to ensure that our capital city can meet the infrastructure demand of its steadily and rapidly growing population.
I look forward to supporting the community in its efforts, and I ask Members to support me in saluting the efforts in the community and the council to work towards a capital city that all Nunavumiut can be proud of.
Member’s Statement 100 – 2(2): Kivalliq – Churchill Dog Race
First of all, I would like to welcome the teachers of Arviat and welcome them.
I am sure that you will be helping, and to what Mr. Picco stated that we depend on education to help each other.
First of all, my wife and daughter are watching us over television and we pray for you.
Other members are praying for you.
At this time, I would like to announce that there will be a major event in the Kivalliq.
It will be in Easter that the Kivalliq will be holding a snowmobile race to Churchill.
I faxed you all the details because the Arviat residents are asking for donations or any financial donations that you might have and who to contact.
This dog team race will be getting people from all across the north and the dog team organizers are trying to gain global attention because this is a major event.
I just wanted to inform you about this.
Member’s Statement 101 – 2(2): 20 Year Anniversary with the Government
I would like to welcome each and everyone of my colleagues for coming back to the house.
On February 4th I was very pleased that for approximately 20 years, I’ve been working for the Inuit.
On that same day, I received even better event with a new arrive and got a daughter.
Her name is Beatrice Makibi.
I’m sure that my peers are becoming grandparents and here I am just starting to have children, so I felt a little bit younger than my peers when I got a brand new daughter.
Her mother Isabelle and the baby were both healthy.
Back to the orders of the day, Item 4.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my older brother Paul Irngaut and also my niece whom I’ve seen for the first time, I would like to recognize Katherine Sarah Irngaut.
She is a student at Carleton University, but she’s on her way to Iglulik to work for Isuma Productions, the film company.
I would like to recognize people from Kugluktuk, first of all, the teachers, my partner and wife Susie Evyagotailak, and besides Rosie Hinangnak is my constituency assistant Lucy Nivingalok from Kugluktuk.
Also, Lucy Taipana, Jimmy Hikok School principal.
Also in Kugluktuk, Peggy Autut with KSO.
I would like to also recognize Helen Laroque from Kugluktuk, she is the manager for the men’s healing facility in Kugluktuk.
The pages, Colleen Panuyak is here, and also, Cathy Anablak.
They will be here for one week helping us out.
I would like to recognize the teacher from Repulse Bay, Stan Meredyk.
I apologize for mispronouncing your name.
I would like to welcome you to the Legislative Assembly while I stay in Iqaluit.
I would like to recognize one of my constituents, although they live in Chesterfield Inlet, Andre Tautu.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity first to welcome to the gallery some various former colleagues of mine when we were first members appointed to the Nunavut Arbitration Board many, many moons ago.
This quasi-judicial board was set up under the land claim agreement.
First of all, my former colleague, one of the first Inuk lawyers ever, from Makkovik, Labrador, Ms. Violet Ford.
Just over from Violet, the very distinguished grey-haired gentlemen, well-known across Nunavut and the North, a former deputy mayor of Yellowknife, now a councillor on the Yellowknife city council: Mr. David McCann.
He is also a very well-known businessman and owns the largest collection of Ed Picco memorabilia in the world, valued at over $20.
Another former colleague of ours, he was on the arbitration board, the honourable Robert Stanbury, who all the members know.
Mr. Stanbury, myself, Mr. McCann, Andrew Tagak, Anne Crawford, and Ms. Violet Ford were the first members of the Nunavut arbitration board appointed by the federal government, must be 10 or 12 years ago now.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome them to the gallery.
Again, I would like to take the pleasure in recognizing someone here in the gallery that shows an interest while we are here in session and throughout the year and that’s Ms. Eva Onalik with Canadian North.
I forgot to recognize my cousin, whom I have not seen for many years: Violet Ford, I recognize her.
Also, André Tautu.
We grew up in Chesterfield Inlet, and also Lucy and the other individuals such as Susie. I would like to welcome you here because you were very receptive in Kugluktuk.
I would like to welcome everyone to the Legislative Assembly’s gallery.
Question 131 – 2(2): Gasoline Additive – MMT
I would like to direct my question to the minister, in regards to his minister’s statement, because in Rankin Inlet, they are having a lot of problems with their gasoline and the dangers they’re being subjected to as a result.
Last summer, I received correspondence from my constituency asking how they are going to be using their engines, they use their engines for business.
The minister is aware that the gasoline is below standard because the federal government took out lead and replaced it with MMT.
Why did you purchase gasoline without the new additive?
Perhaps you can start thinking about compensating the owners of the gasoline engines because they need them to run their businesses.
Speaker (interpretation): Minister responsible for Community and Government Services.
In regards to the affected communities with concerns about gasoline, we wanted to investigate those spark plugs.
The research is ongoing to this day, and we want to find out why this gasoline isn’t good for spark plugs.
My staff is dealing with this issue in an urgent manner, and Shell Canada has been very receptive in assisting us while we are looking for the problem.
To date, we have not discussed compensation because we want to find out what the real reason is for the concerns.
So, by the end of this week the research should be done.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Kilabuk. Mr. Curley.
I want the minister to know that the department bought unleaded gasoline.
According to the federal standards back in 1991, they stopped using the lead and replaced it with MMT.
Apparently, Shell provided the fuel without MMT.
Why did the government purchase the fuel without that additive?
Perhaps you can look for compensation from Shell Canada to compensate the owners.
There are over 10 individuals whose snowmobiles and outboard motors broke down.
Can the minister discuss this matter with Shell Canada?
I am sure that they have liability insurance.
As I have stated, Shell Canada have been very co-operative in our research and investigation on this.
We are working very hard to figure out what the cause of the problem is.
I just want to elaborate further about the gasoline that was purchased this summer that Shell Canada took that additive out of it because southern vehicle owners were concerned about it.
That additive was not originally designed so that engines could operate better in cold weather.
I would like to let my colleagues know that we are not considering as of yet whether we should be providing compensation until this research have been completed.
I want to thank the minister.
I want to give the minister more support.
We had previous experiences in 2001 with bad gasoline and those samples were sent overseas to Great Britian.
Why can’t we send our samples over there?
I believe we need independent investigators.
Perhaps you can send it overseas to see what the problem is.
Just to go back further on the bad gas issue, we experienced it in the past.
The Alberta Research Council determined the cause of the problems and when they sent it overseas, the European investigators arrived at the same conclusions.
These findings validated your claims.
The fuels that were distributed this summer and the bad gasoline which was distributed back then are totally different.
Researchers are continually providing their findings as they come out.
We have not identified what conclusions to draw from the findings.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Your last supplementary, Mr. Curley.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): As I stated earlier, I would like to ask the minister to send out a sample to an independent entity.
You stated that you sent it to the Canadian Research Council, but there is always a question.
He is also a member of the Alberta Research Council and I believe that the only way that we can resolve this issue is by sending it to an independent research council.
I could talk to Shell Canada, to consider this.
I will also have my staff look into the matter.
Question 132 – 2(2): Utility Rates Review Council Secret Report
First, I would like to commend the minister on the timing of things.
I noticed that the last major press release that was relating to the Qulliq Energy Corporation was put out at 5:07 p.m. yesterday.
And, Mr. Speaker, yesterday it improved: it came out at 4:53 p.m. from the minister’s office.
The minister, in that press release that came out yesterday, announced that the report of the Utility Rates Review Council would not be released until next Monday, when the minister announced what his rate hikes were going to be.
My question to the minister is why he is keeping the Utility Rates Review Council’s report a secret.
My father used to tell me that three could keep a secret if two were dead.
There aren’t many secrets, Mr. Speaker, in a small jurisdiction like Nunavut.
There is leakage at every level.
There is no secret; there is no trying to hide things.
The federal Minister of Finance is bringing down their budget on Wednesday.
The Minister of Finance will be bringing down our budget on Thursday, and on Monday we will be releasing the Utility Rate Review Council recommendations, tabling the report and bringing forward the recommendations of the Utility Rate Review Council at that time. There is no secret.
If there is no secret, why won’t the minister table it today or tomorrow or whenever?
I’m just wondering why they’ve chosen that members of the Legislative Assembly in here have not been given the opportunity to review the report and the recommendations of the Utility Rates Review Council until after the announcement on the decision that the government has taken, to act on those, has been done.
The process is very clear: the Utility Rates Review Council responded, and I should say and compliment Mr. Mercer and his group for the good work they did.
It’s actually before time, before the schedule, that they were supposed to bring it forward to me.
Mr. Speaker, we have had the opportunity to review it, and as I said earlier there are issues in the budget that the finance minister will be revealing on Thursday in her speech, and on Friday, and therefore the Utility Rates Review Council recommendations will be made the following Monday.
Mr. Speaker, the process is that the government receives it and it’s been accountable, it’s been transparent.
We’ve continued to say the same things over and over again: we would receive them, make the recommendations, and then table them.
So, there is no delay here.
The only delay is that the federal budget is on Wednesday, ours is on Thursday, and we’ll table the Utility Rates Review Council recommendations and the response to it on Monday.
Again, I would like to report the ministers received the report as he has indicated and the process that he has outlined requires the government to act on those recommendations and make a decision.
So, the government, the Executive Council, and the ministers have the final say on what’s going to come out of those recommendations.
The report is a different matter.
Why is the minister not giving us that report if he had it earlier than he had anticipated?
From his press release, I assume that they have already come to their conclusion as to what they want to do with the recommendations.
Why won’t he release the report?
How many times, how many different ways, or how many times do I keep repeating that same answer?
The report has been received.
There is work around the translation of the report: it’s a technical document.
There are issues around this, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance’s budget, which is not coming down until Thursday.
Originally we were going to try to do the budget on Wednesday, and I would have tabled the report on Friday.
The federal budget is on Wednesday, our budget is on Thursday, and we will table the report on Monday.
Again, we always seem to hear that around budget time: “I don’t know, we can’t release that information because it’s budget related; we can’t release that information because it’s not translated.”
Is the minister saying that he got the report from the Utility Rates Review Council just in one language and they had to translate it themselves?
Is that the delay that he is talking about, that there are budget secrets in this report and that is the reason why he can’t let us have this information now?
I know myself, and all Nunavummiut are waiting to see, what the Utility Rates Review Council has had to say in reviewing the General Rate Application of the Power Corporation.
We are anxious to see it and would love to see it, again, prior to an announcement of what the rates are going to be.
The final report of the Utility Rates Review Council is over 100 pages long; there is a lot of technical detail there.
As I said earlier, I would be in the position to table the report on Monday.
Before the report is tabled and made public, I will meet with the members of the caucus, with all of the members, to go through the recommendations with them, and we will do a briefing of what increases are proposed and what the findings of the Utility Rates Review Council were, and then that information would be made known to the public on Monday.
The members will be briefed.
I would hope to be able to do that some time in the next couple of days, probably after Thursday when the Finance minister releases her budgets and move forward from that position.
So, there is no delay or delaying or whatever.
There are some logistics, as well as administrative and financial issues, around the Utility Rates Review Council report.
It will be in the hands of the public by Monday and the information will be given to the members and embargoed, as is usually the case in these matters, some time in the next 48- to 72 hours.
Question 133 – 2(2): Core Funding for Ilisaqsivik Society
Mr. Arreak: Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Earlier today, I spoke about important work being done by the Ilisaqsivik Society of Clyde River.
Although its programs are well funded, the society is struggling to cover its core administrative and operating costs.
As we all know, the cost of electricity may soon go up nearly 30 percent in Clyde River.
Will the minister commit to providing core funding for the Ilisaqsivik Society, yes or no?
That is an excellent question and I would like to thank you for bringing it up.
Again, the contribution agreements are different from community to community.
Some come from the hamlet councils and some come from the Government of Nunavut.
At this time, I can’t respond to whether we can give you core funding or not.
Speaker (interpretation): The minister will not be responding at this time, and I’m sure that she’ll take it as notice.
Question 134 – 2(2): Polar Bear Population
My question is directed to the Minister of Environment.
Earlier in my statement, I talked about polar bear populations and quotas.
My question is this: has the minister been provided with new evidence that the population is indeed shrinking and not increasing?
In regard to the polar bear population, we are working closely with the wildlife divisions in the Nunavut communities and also the departments.
At this time there have been increases in the polar bear population, but not in all communities.
The quota increases have happened in some communities and some are status quo in others.
As you probably know, the studies were mostly done by southern institutions, and now we’re starting to implement Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Very likely, and because of this change, the studies will probably take longer to complete.
But again, if there was a decrease we will have to do something about it, because very likely there will have to be further studies done to validate the numbers.
But it seems that there has been an increase in the polar bear population.
The minister has been quoted in the news reports saying that he will not back down on the recent increases to the total allowable harvest for polar bears.
Can the minister confirm this to all the members, that the department will continue to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit to collect population data?