EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Committee members urge the minister to continue working in close cooperation with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated to present a united position when lobbying the federal government on housing needs in Nunavut.
That concludes my comments on the 2005-06 capital estimates of the Nunavut Housing Corporation. (interpretation) Individual members may wish to raise questions or make comments as we proceed.
Before we proceed, I would like to remind members that according to Rule 77(1) you have ten minutes to speak, and according to Rule 77(2), subject to the discretion of the chair, a member may speak more than once to the matter under discussion, but not until every member wishing to speak has spoken.
General comments. Mr. Peterson.
I would like to thank the minister and his officials for coming.
I was keeping track of the department.
There are two departments that are running in my riding that are the hot spots, and that would be the Housing Corporation and the Department of Health.
I think they get as many issues, every week, concerned with the Housing Corporation as with health, and I think there is a link.
People come to my office, and in fact, earlier today I got a couple of e-mails from people in Cambridge Bay who are pleading for help from the mayor, myself, to get them moved up on the list.
I was just reading your statistics here, your rating sheets and that, and if I was to go by your statistics, by your criteria, you would think that Cambridge Bay didn’t have a housing problem.
I beg to disagree.
I would be interested, later in our question period, in asking how you guys allocate the housing in Nunavut.
You get four or five different ranking systems here, so I would be interested to know about that.
I want to assure the minister and his officials that in Cambridge Bay there is a big housing shortage.
People are desperate, elders are desperate, young families are desperate.
There is overcrowding.
People need help in housing, and I appreciate that the minister has a difficult job ahead of him to find all the housing.
I keep hearing the statistics; we can throw them out ourselves: 3,000 houses are needed immediately in Nunavut, and $1.5 billion over the next 20 years, and I’m very happy that the minister is working with NTI to lobby the federal government.
I think during our standing committee meetings earlier this fall that we also suggested that he use the mayors in the Nunavut Association of Municipalities to beef up the lobby efforts, because those guys and the ladies have a lot of influence in Ottawa.
They have the Federation of Municipalities who could bring a lot of support to our cause up here and it is going to be a daunting challenge, for people in Nunavut are depending on you being successful.
I can’t tell you how serious and desperate the people in Cambridge Bay are.
They’re pleading for help.
I’m sure it’s like that in every community.
So, if Cambridge Bay is listed as number 23, I can only imagine how serious and desperate the people are in Kugaaruk and Arviat.
I know in Arviat, this fall, I saw that there is a huge population explosion.
There are a lot of kids under the age of 15 there, so the kids move along, they all get older, they all have families, they have kids as well.
You better look out in one, five, ten years.
I appreciate that the minister is working on it; he’s got quite a challenge ahead of him.
I look forward to questioning him during the question session here.
Go to L-6.
Nunavut Housing Corporation branch summary.
Total, headquarters region, $1, 038,000.
Chairman: Opposed?
L-7, L-8, L-9, L-10.
All in the same page, on L10. Any questions on L-7, L-8, L-9, L-10?
I’d like to ask the minister how the corporation decided on allocation of NNI retro-fit funds by community?
If he can answer that question, please.
In most cases with this list, the priorities are identified to us by the communities.
Mr. Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Kilabuk.
Chairman: Any questions to L-7, L-8, L-9, L-10?
L-10.
Qitiktaaluk regional.
Total, Qikitaaluk region, $10,287,000.
Chairman: L-11, L-12.
I want to ask the minister how the various ranking systems were applied to rank their communities from 1–23.
If he could clarify that for me, please? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This was re-visited.
They were mainly going by the need from the community, but there was something missing, so we added on the ranking systems.
We are mainly going by the fastest growing aboriginal population, and if they have more than one person per room and people with the most children and people per dwelling.
So, those are the four that are used to rank the communities.
Not just going by one, but by those factors.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister Kilabuk.
When we talked to the minister’s officials in September during the standing committee we asked about the methodology that the Housing Corporation used in the past.
That was like three houses per community, or two houses, and at that time the minister commented that the community allocations had not been finalized as of date, and I’m wondering, Mr. Chairman, between then and now, how did you decide on the methodology to use the type that they have here?
If I understand your question correctly, I don’t remember too well what I said, I might have said that, but at this time we prioritize as if it is the fastest growing aboriginal population. We ranked it from one to twenty-three.
It is the same way.
If more than one person per room, we also rank it like that.
We rank it down by the communities.
We also consider most children, from the most from one to the least.
So, people-per-dwelling rank one, down to the last number.
We have to consider these factors in order to come up with a comprehensive ranking system without omitting any factors, so that is what we are presenting here today.
Minister, did your officials consult with the local housing organizations and hamlet councils in each community?
The way it is run, we didn’t consult with the communities, but we mainly went by the statistics that we had from the Housing Associations.
In 2001 there was a survey done throughout Canada and we used those stats too on that.
Mr. Curley. Sorry, I thought that you were done.
Go ahead, Mr. Peterson.
I am just kind of wondering if... . The minister seems to be telling us that there was a desktop calculation here in Iqaluit, but people didn’t actually go out into the communities and meet with the housing authorities and the hamlets to get some frontline, current information.
Is that correct, Mr. Minister?
I will let Mr. Scott explain further how they produced this, because he was one of the leading men in this.
President Scott.
Mr. Scott: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It is essentially us, Mr. Peterson, because it was essentially a desktop operation.
We looked at information and data that was available from two national surveys that were done: the 2001 Canada Census; and the National Aboriginal Housing Survey, I believe that was in 2003.
We looked at the various categories, statistical categories, in both of those surveys that would indicate the worst overcrowded situation in the communities in Nunavut.
The four categories were chosen from all that statistical data that was compiled from national surveys.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. President for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Scott.
Could the minister tell us if this is going to be the methodology that will be used in future years?
I guess that I can answer this in two parts.
First is that it is definitely the method that we are using at this time, in the last year of the assistance we are getting from the federal government to be able to build this many houses.
This is based on the critical situation that the top seven communities in Nunavut are facing.
Again, we will most definitely use this ranking with our future populations, but I will advise the members that the support that we’ve been getting from the federal government will be in its last year.
We will have less dollars to work with during the following year and may not be able to deliver the same number of houses, but again, not knowing what our current efforts will lead to, I can advise the member that the present ranking system that we’ve used now seems to be the most complete form that we’ve had available, as of yet.
Then, looking at this year and also future years, we’re also willing to listen to any suggestions that members or the public may have.
One more, Mr. Peterson.
Mr. Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and thank you, Minister for that answer.
I think I heard you say that the federal government might not be helping us in the future despite your lobbying efforts.
I think that this is a program, whose sun is setting in the near future, that contributes significantly to housing in Nunavut.
I think that’s something that we have to lobby on, but when these communities get houses in the next fiscal year, are they going to be taken out of the equation in future years so that these other communities that are ranked further down, go up.
Will that be something that will be factored into your methodology?
Maybe; however, I just want to be a little more specific to the assistance we’re getting as to from which department we’re getting the assistance right now.
The money that we’re getting from Infrastructure Canada is in its final year.
So, that same amount of money will not be available to us, while we have more than welcomed it, despite being a matching dollar amount.
Now, Mr. Chairman, this is not to say that we no longer have any efforts with the federal government.
As all members know, we have just submitted our Ten-Year Inuit Housing Strategy, and we have meetings set with the federal government on that action plan.
Like I said, I look forward to updating the members on both meetings which will happen over the next few weeks.
Mr. Peterson: I have no more questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Curley: Mr. Chairman, at this time I move that we report progress.
All those in favor of the motion?
Chairman: All those opposed.
Minister Kilabuk, I’m sorry.
I would like to thank you and your officials for coming here.
Orders of the Day for today, Item 20. Report of the Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 4 and the capital estimates and would like to report progress.
Also, Mr. Speaker, I moved that the report of the Committee of the Whole be agreed to.
Speaker (interpretation): There is a motion on the Floor.
Speaker (interpretation): Opposed?
Item 22. The Orders of the Day, Mr. Clerk.
Orders of the day for Tuesday, November 23:
Speaker (interpretation): This House stands adjourned until Tuesday, November 23, 2004, at 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday November 23, 2004
Pages 256 – 309
Ministers’ Statements 256
Members’ Statements 259
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 265
Tabled Documents 287
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 289
Report of the Committee of the Whole 308
Orders of the Day 308
Tuesday November 23, 2004 256
021 – 2(2): Minister Absent from the House (Aglukkaq) 256
022 – 2(2): Interdepartmental Continuing Care Task Force (Brown) 256
023 – 2(2): Present Status of Negotiations with Nav Canada on a Five-year Commercial Contract. (Simailak) 257
024 – 2(2): New Member of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit (Tapardjuk) 258
025 – 2(2): Fire Prevention Strategy (Kilabuk) 258
044 – 2(2): Gaining Employment in Nunavut (Curley). 259
045 – 2(2): Recognition of Mayors (Peterson) 260
046 – 2(2): Marine Infrastructure Needed (Barnabas) 261
047 – 2(2): Nunavut's Official Languages (Evyagotailak) 262
048 – 2(2): Nuiyak School Makes Use TeleHealth Radio Conferencing (Kattuk) 264
049 – 2(2): Habitat for Humanity (Picco) 264
050 – 2(2): Acknowledgement of Individuals Supporting Disabled Persons (Kilabuk) 265
062 – 2(2): Clarification – Good Money to Bad (Tootoo) 268
063 – 2(2): Made in Nunavut Power Rate Subsidy (Curley) 271
064 – 2(2): Tabling of KPMG Report (Peterson) 276
065 – 2(2): Update on the Departmental Process on the Official Languages Act (Evyagotailak) 277
066 – 2(2): Insufficient Garage in Resolute Bay (Barnabas) 279
067 – 2(2): Nursing Station Blood Samples (Kattuk) 279
068 – 2(2): Filling Vacant Nunavut Government Jobs (Curley) 280
069 – 2(2): Explanation of Mismanagement of Funds (Tootoo) 282
070 – 2(2): Justice System in Nunavut (Peterson) 285
071 – 2(2): Update on Condominium Units (Tootoo) 287
023 – 2(2): Cambridge Bay Elders’ and Youth Reports (Peterson) 287
024 – 2(2): Photos of Abandoned MOT structures in Chesterfield Inlet (Netser) 288
025 – 2(2): Nunavut Fire Protection Strategy Implementation Plan (Kilabuk) 288
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Mr. David Alagalak, Mr. James Arreak, Mr. Levi Barnabas, Honourable Levinia Brown, Mr. Tagak Curley, Mr. Joe Allan Evyagotailak, Mr. Peter Kattuk, Honourable Peter Kilabuk, Mr. Patterk Netser, Honourable Jobie Nutarak, Honourable Paul Okalik, Mr. Keith Peterson, Honourable Edward Picco, Honourable David Simailak, Hon. Louis Tapardjuk, Mr. Hunter Tootoo.
...Speaker (interpretation): I would like to ask Mr. Curley to say the opening prayer.
Orders of the day for today.
Minister’s Statement 021 – 2(2): Minister Absent from the House
I would like to inform the House that Minister Akesuk will be absent for the remainder of the week.
Minister’s Statement 022 – 2(2): Interdepartmental Continuing Care Task Force
Hon. Levinia Brown (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce that an interdepartmental continuing care task force has been established.
This task force was established in October of this year.
Mr. Speaker, the taskforce is meeting the need for a comprehensive integrated territorial plan to address population aging within Nunavut.
The Interdepartmental Continuing Care Task Force includes representation from the Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Nunavut Housing Corporation, Department of Education, and an elder representative from Cambridge Bay, Helen Mapsagak.
Mr. Speaker, the task force will provide a written report recommending options to address continuing care needs of Nunavummiut.
This report will address the possible establishment of 24-hour continuing care facilities, as well as independent and supportive living units within each region.
This report is expected to be complete by January of 2005.
The Department of Health and Social Services is committed to ensuring that all of Nunavummiut receive quality care in their lives.
Minister’s Statement 023 – 2(2): Present Status of Negotiations with Nav Canada on a Five-year Commercial Contract.
I send my regards the Baker Lake residents.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide the members with an update on my department’s contract negotiations with Nav Canada for our Community Aerodrome Radio Stations master contract.
The CARS contract with Nav Canada expired on March 31, 2004.
Since that time the department has been working on an interim agreement with Nav Canada that will terminate March 31, 2005.
The current negotiations are to establish a five-year agreement that is intended to be retroactive to this fiscal year April 1, 2004.
Nav Canada is presently reviewing my department’s final position for these negotiations.
The basis for this final offer is to increase our base year funding and to provide for incremental increases for the remaining four years.
In addition to monetary compensation, my department has lobbied for the establishment of the parameters on how this program can be better improved to recognize Nunavut’s unique operating environment.
As part of these negotiations, my department has been strongly advocating for an agreement for the establishment of an observer-communicator’s training facility within Nunavut, from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, where all the OC training is currently being held.
We want to see this transferred to Nunavut.
Given that, ultimately it is Nav Canada that is federally mandated to provide the Canadian Air Navigations System. Including CARS within Nunavut, we must ensure that the outcome of these negotiations provides the Government of Nunavut with sufficient financial resources to be able to carry out the legal and binding obligations and so we are able to deliver this program responsibly without any added cost to the Government of Nunavut.
I can say that the terms and conditions of these negotiations are, by and large, being received well, and I am hopeful that we will have successfully completed the negotiations before Christmas.
I met with the federal minister of transportation in Ottawa last month, and I brought to his attention the need for successful negotiations with Nav Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I will be reporting back to this House on the proceedings of these negotiations as the information becomes available to me.
Minister’s Statement 024 – 2(2): New Member of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit
Earlier this year, due to health problems, Metuq Nowdlaq resigned from her responsibilities as a member of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of Metuq during her time as a member of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
I would like to thank her for her valuable contribution.
Mr. Speaker, we have since appointed Josie Peter from Iqaluit to replace her.
Please join me in welcoming Josie Peter to the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit and in wishing all the members productive meetings as they work to provide the Government of Nunavut with guidance on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit issues.
The Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, an 11-member council, provides advice to the government on their efforts to deliver programs and services within the context of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. The Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajjit has a minimum of three meetings per year.
Ministers' statements .
Minister’s Statement 025 – 2(2): Fire Prevention Strategy
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to report on the progress in implementing the Nunavut Fire Prevention Strategy.
The Nunavut Fire Prevention Strategy was developed to provide a comprehensive approach to improving community fire prevention and response efforts.
It describes a plan for how the issues identified should be addressed.
Priorities include: increased training, upgrading of fire fighting equipment, improved facility maintenance practices, and better public information.
Mr. Speaker, additional training for community fire fighters is a priority and is being underetaken through the Municipal Training Organization in cooperation with the Office of the Fire Marshal.
During this year a 40-hour basic fire fighting course will be provided in up to eight communities with participants from across each region.
In addition, two regional loss control training seminars will be offered.
These are designed to enhance municipal staff knowledge and skills regarding risks and preventative measures related to their buildings.
There is a need for more fire fighting equipment in the communities.
My department will be replacing and upgrading equipment and basic fire fighter gear in each community.
We will also be providing 120 sets of the self-contained breathing apparatus used in fire fighting.
We are also completing three regional training facilities which will allow for live fire training of community fire fighters.
This greatly enhances the opportunities for skill development.
Mr. Speaker, the Fire Prevention Strategy Implementation Plan, which I will table later today, supports improved fire protection and will assist communities to better ensure the safety of residents and their buildings.
Before we go to item 3, I would like to recognize an individual who was a minister in the Government of Nunavut; Mr. Ng, welcome to the gallery.
Member's Statement 044 – 2(2): Gaining Employment in Nunavut.
I rise today to raise concerns expressed to me by the people of Rankin Inlet.
Mr. Speaker, every single member of this House is well aware of the employment situation in the communities.
Full-time jobs that pay a living wage and provide decent benefits are hard to come by.
Too many of our constituents live on the edge of poverty, one cheque away from not being able to put food on the table or gas into the snow machine.
We tell our young people that they need formal education and training to succeed in today’s skilled workforce.
It is a cause for celebration when our youth achieve such educational milestones as high school graduation or entry into a post secondary program.
However, Mr. Speaker, I believe that we can do better to support our youth in gaining employment within our own government.
I am sure that every member of this House has at one time or another experienced the disappointment of not getting a job for which one has applied.
That is part of life and it’s inevitable.
What I am hearing, however, is that there are cases in Rankin Inlet where young people who meet the advertised qualifications for a given position are not even granted an interview after they apply; this is a concern for the members of this House who have also raised this concern.
I am not convinced that these are isolated incidents.
When young territorial residents applied for positions for which they meet the stated criteria, we at least owe them the chance to come in for an interview.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): When young residents of our territory apply for positions for which they meet the stated criteria, we at least owe them the chance to come in for an interview.
If they don’t meet the criteria, we owe them an honest explanation of where they need to improve their skills.
One of my colleagues rose yesterday in this House to illustrate how statistics can tell some human truth.
I have a similar picture to paint today.
According to the Department of Human Resources’ own figures in December of 2000, there were 115 Inuit beneficiaries working for the Government of Nunavut in my community of Rankin Inlet; that was four years ago.
According to the department’s June 2004 figures, the number of Inuit beneficiaries working in the community remained at exactly 115.
Not a lot of progress in four years, Mr. Speaker.
I think we have to have more employment available to the people of Nunavut.
The Member for Cambridge Bay, Mr. Peterson.
Member's Statement 045 – 2(2): Recognition of Mayors
I rise today to recognize the dedication and hard work that the Kitikmeot mayors perform everyday on behalf of their communities.
Indeed, I would like to recognize every mayor of Nunavut.
The Kitikmeot mayors held their annual meeting last week in Cambridge Bay where they discussed a broad range of issues that are important to the lives of the people who elected them and to whom they are accountable.
Mayors are heads of the third tier of government: municipal government.
This level of government, which deals with many day-to-day issues, is often the most visible level of government in the eyes of our constituents.
Essential services such as water delivery and sewage pickup are the day-to-day responsibility of our municipalities.
If a meeting in Iqaluit gets canceled or a bureaucrat’s spreadsheet is being produced in the wrong spot, not too many people will necessarily notice or care.
However, if your home doesn’t have water or if your garbage has not been collected, you are going to notice it for certain.
Mayors of our municipalities are truly on the front lines. As you know, many members of this House have served with mayors or councillors or members of locally elected bodies in their home communities.
We understand and appreciate that our mayors need our support.
Many of the issues that we are debating here in this House were on the Kitikmeot mayors’ agenda.
Some of the issues included ongoing serious housing shortages in all Kitikmeot communities, the rising price of fuel, the quality of health care, inadequate levels of municipal funding, the need to stimulate economic growth and job creation, and the need to protect our communities from domestic violence and substance abuse.
Mayors of municipalities do not have the luxury of trying to find solutions to many of the issues I have mentioned.
They are looking for our help now.