EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): I know that they receive very little funding and they do not have any other leeway to use this funding for other purposes.
Chairperson (interpretation): I think you are getting answers that are quite clear and this is not the responsibility of this particular department so can you make comments on this particular page and on this particular department.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): I am getting quite frustrated because of the fact that there is not funding, there is no funding that is adequate for that particular program.
Chairperson (interpretation): Do you have any further questions on this page or comments.
I am sorry, Mr. Tootoo, I thought I had your name written down.
On page 11-10 of the main estimates some questions on that.
I see last year, I will just start at the top.
There is initially 60 thousand dollars for the Arctic Energy Alliance and it was revised to 85 and now it is down to 60 again.
Can I just get an explanation as to why it is like that.
My assistant will answer this question.
My Deputy Minister.
Chairperson (interpretation): Ms. Trumper.
Ms. Trumper: Mr. Chairman, the Arctic Energy Alliance does work on behalf of the department on the climate change file and last year we asked them to do a specific analysis of greenhouse gas emissions in Nunavut which was additional work to what we had already contracted them for.
So we raised the amount mid-year by 25 thousand dollars.
We do not have to do that study again this year so the amount is reduced back to 60. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman I am glad to hear it is not less funding because there is less time for them to be out there now because of global warming to do some work so.
Also, under the Canadian Energy Research Institute, there were some dollars allocated last year and there is nothing there this year.
I was wondering has that been re-profiled and put somewhere else or is it just something that is no longer sponsored by this government.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Ms. Trumper.
Ms. Trumper: Mr. Chairman the contribution to the Energy Research Institute has been deleted this year because in reviewing what they were giving back to Nunavut in terms of information we determined that it was not particularly relevant to the needs of Nunavut so we deleted this contribution, it's been re-profiled.
I'm not sure if there's an exact transfer of 25 to another program, there's been a number of shifts in our contributions this year and that was deleted and added to another program area.
Some of the work that they were looking at, energy research, would this have been an area where they look at different sources of, alternative sources of energy.
Ms. Trumper: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We're getting that information from the Arctic Energy Alliance, they are doing some work for us on alternative energy as it applies to northern climates.
I'm glad that that work is still being done somewhere because I think we can't continually look to depend on fossil fuels for a source of energy and we have to try and find other ways and means to be able to provide energy to our communities.
Under the Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organizations, a very small increase over last year and this is providing core funding for the HTOs I understand.
Is the department looking at the HTOs taking on a more established role in working with the department in different aspects that they are looking at and is that why we have core funding there for them.
The changes in this organization for the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board support is because they're working on the Wildlife Act in partnership with Nunavut Tunngavik in co-operation with the Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organizations.
They give us advice as the Nunavut Government.
After this project has been completed then we will be looking to further research the Wildlife Act, especially geared towards the hunters and trappers of Nunavut after the research and review has been completed.
Mr. Tootoo: Mr. Chairman, I know that the department is after or is looking at working with the Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organizations in consultation for developing a new Wildlife Act and I think it's great to involve consultation at the local level because I believe that's where you get your best input from.
Is the department looking or has the department looked at working with the HTOs for the delivering of other programs or services that are being offered through this department.
You know, has there been a look at their role changing and being more enhanced through the delivery of other government programs and services.
I'm sorry, I'll start off from the Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organizations, the wildlife officers in our area are working in conjunction with the Nunavut HTOs.
We'll be using the organizations for the fuel subsidy in organizing the fuel subsidy using the local consultation process.
Chairperson (interpretation): I have no further names on the list.
Under page 10-11, 11-11, which one, 11-11.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Fur institute.
Grants and Contributions.
Maybe this institute is not well used.
Maybe that's the reason the funding has been reduced.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): The contribution to the institute supports efforts in the promotion of the fur industry.
To promote the fur industry throughout the world using this institute.
I understand his answer.
In addition to my question.
In my constituency in Broughton Island, there used to be a sealskin tannery.
If there were a request from the tannery, would we refer the request for this funding.
Not under this program.
But they can access funding from on the other page, we'll be coming to those items in the following pages.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 11-11, under page 11-11, are there any further questions.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): I was wondering whether there were any more questions on the fur institute.
Chairperson (interpretation): That is done, it's completed.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Under the 14, delivery, Qamanittuaq Barren Grounds, caribou management board, contribution to the co-management board for the Beverly and Qamanittuaq caribou herd between Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories.
Can you clarify this project further for the definition, the details on the, it's not clear.
Under the 14 thousand dollar contribution to the management board for the Qamanittuaq Barren Ground Caribou, the herd is between Manitoba, Saskatchewan and NWT.
The migration route is being researched in conjunction with the provincial government and also the Government of the Northwest Territories.
So part of our funding allocation is for the management board study.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, before we move onto 11-12, I'd like you to know, my colleague, Mr. Iqaqrialu, was talking about 14 dollars, the way they are written down or the way the Hansard is written, we should know this is 14 thousand and it's going to, all our discussion here in this House are going to be used as a reference, so I would like you to use proper language.
Chairperson (interpretation): Does Mr. Iqaqrialu understand what kind of proper language is to be used in this House.
This is for 14 thousand.
I'm sure you understand what your colleague is taking about.
Please refer to the page.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): I apologize, I have never attended school, I have never taken courses in accounting.
Chairperson (interpretation): This is not the subject that we are talking about, we are talking about this page, in reference to this page.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Maybe it would be better if you don't address me to speak.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 11-11.
If there are no further comments, 11-12.
I'd like the man to feel welcome.
One million 364 thousand under Nunavut Tourism core funding.
Looking at other jurisdictions and that funding that’s received by outfitters and also artists and it's used to promote tourism industries under the tourism industries associations. Looking at other jurisdictions Yukon and NWT, 1.3 million seems to be quite small.
So, in this kind of industry it's going to be raised in the future.
So can you show more funding for that particular program.
I know this funding is not adequate but we'll be able to make good use of this amount of funding.
We have made plans in the future to make agreements with the federal government for job creation programs under this project.
Not just necessarily on the tourism industry but also for other projects too.
The agreement with the federal government it's called the Economic Development Agreement.
If we make this agreement then we will get more funding from them for tourism.
We are looking forward to the agreement to be signed within the near future from the federal government and after the agreement has been reached, the tourism funding will be raised and we'll be able to give tourism more funding in turn.
So we have to deal with other parts of the department too outside of our government.
When we have reached the agreement then within this year we'll be able to get another 179 thousand, which is geared for the tourism industry.
We'll be able to let you know in the future as to how our agreement negotiations are coming along.
Just to get some clarification on the top of the page.
Under 11-12, prospector's assistance program.
Contributions to Nunavut residents holding a valid prospecting license who require financial assistance to carry out prospecting activities.
There's an amount of 150 thousand dollars.
Is it for the mining companies or is it for people or is it for soapstone purchasing.
I'm not sure exactly what that's for.
I just want to get some clarification on that.
Last year people used up the money to take training.
Those individuals who would like to take prospecting courses can acquire 5 thousand dollars from our department under this program to do whatever they want.
To do some prospecting outside the community.
It's also available to individuals in the amount of 5 thousand dollars each.
Chairperson (interpretation): I have no more names.
On the prospectors assistance program, my understanding is this program was geared to provide a grubstake for prospectors to be able to go out and prospect.
I just want to clarify if the minister indicated that if someone wanted to go out and take a course on prospecting was also able to apply for funding under this program.
People that would like to take a prospecting course and would like to go prospecting can use that funding of 5 thousand dollars.
These people that have already been trained in prospecting can acquire that 5 thousand dollars to do prospecting out on the land.
Mr. Chairman is it the department that issues the prospectors’ licences.
No, we don't provide licensing but the federal government gives out licenses.
Mr. Chairman, unless there's other guidelines on here, I would assume that all the people that receive funding under this program held valid prospecting licenses and I'm just wondering if that license wasn't something they got after they took a course.
It was indicated it was available for people to take training.
I'm just wondering if it was only individuals who held valid licences that received assistance under this program.
After we give them training and after they get their license from that, that's when we finally give them the 5 thousand dollars assistance.
Mr. Chairman, I know that last year, that amount was increased to 250 thousand dollars and I'm just wondering how successful the program was last year and if all those funds were utilized last year.
Yes, last year there were 50 that received funding from this program from nine communities.
If it is going to be the same as last year we will be looking for more funding for that program.
Then Mr. Chairman is the minister indicating, if anyone applies for prospector’s assistance program that if they have a valid license and they have not received funding already this year that they will able to receive funding.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes.
So this amount here is for less than the 50 people that, it does not really matter how much is allocated you won’t have anyone turned away because we do not have the money budgeted for it.
There are different kinds of assistance so what we do is if there is not enough in this program then we will get it from another program that is not being utilized as much as this one.
If there is some funding in other programs in this budget then we will put it into this program and give them more if there are more people that apply for that assistance.
Not the same question.
Community futures, do these community futures like say for instance in Kivalliq Region I think that 700 thousand dollars is divided four ways and it is not very much.
It is about 75 thousand dollars that those non-profit regional organizations can get.
Do they have their own committees these organizations in the regions.
Yes, there are three regional organizations.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Yes, Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Baffin is twice as big as Kivalliq and the Kivalliq is closer to Kitikmeot and they have three, don’t they use up that 700 thousand dollars for their committee or can you find out to see if there is already an existing organization that could do this kind of a job.
Like the money that they use for meetings might not be adequate.
I will get my deputy to respond to the question.
Ms. Trumper: Mr. Chairman, as the minister noted in his opening remarks, community futures will be delivered through the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation next year and this you see is found later on in the main estimates on 11-17.
Right now, the department is working with the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation on a plan that will deliver loan programs in all three regions.
Putting this money together with NBCC’s money to deliver in all three regions the programs for loans anywhere up to a million dollars.
Mr. Arvaluk: So what you are telling me then is that the board dedicated to this Community Futures Program will be eliminated and it will not cost you any more to deliver that meagre amount.
Ms. Trumper: Yes, Mr. Chairman, in two of the three regions, the boards are not in good standing.
In fact, they haven't met in over a year.
So the boards will not be reactivated, but the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation has a regional representative from all three regions on its board.
In the third region, there is an active board and it will continue to work with the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation in the delivery of loans.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): I am sorry it is not here.
I will ask about it later on.
Mr. Arvaluk already asked the question I wanted to ask.
Under the community futures, 700 thousand dollars, you just woke me up there that there are two regional organizations that are not in good standing.
Can you tell me which two organizations are not in good standing and why.
The ones in the Kivalliq and the Kitikmeot.
Why aren’t they in good standing.
Ms. Trumper: The two boards in question, the department has been reviewing their operations for the last year.
When we went in and checked how the organization was operating, we found that the board had in fact not been meeting for some time.
There had been a disintegration of interest at the board level.
So we have been handholding the two organizations through this review and at the point when we determined that two of the three organizations we not doing very well, we began looking at consolidation of the community futures program with the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
Mr. McLean: That’s good, if they can’t handle it they shouldn’t have it.
I will be the first one to say that.
But the issue here is if they weren’t operating properly, was it because loans were given out and not being repaid.
Or was it because they just weren’t administering the program properly or were incapable of administering the program properly.
Was it because of a combination of issues, like loans not being collected, maybe loans being given out that shouldn’t have been given out.
Was there sort of like the whole operation was sloppy and that was why it was hauled back.
Ms. Trumper: Yes, Mr. Chairman, circumstances are a bit different in the two regions.
But a combination of those circumstances existed in both regions.
So if you pulled those out of the Kitikmeot and the Kivalliq, because of those reasons, which are good, you are bringing that over to the BDC and you are making them deliver the programs, which I guess is okay.
Now is it going to be up to the BDC to and I am sure there are loans that are unrecoverable, are they going to be capable as the new organization being set and I think it is being moved to Cape Dorset, I think, are they going to be able to recover those loans.
Is there going to be a function left in the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot, where there's somebody.
If there is a bad loan there, negligent loans or something like that, is there a function there that they going to be able to recover those loans.
Ms. Trumper: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
The minister has asked for an operational plan from the Chairman of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
He's asked that there be a delivery mechanism in each of the three regions.
That there will be a person representing that portfolio in each of the regions to collect the loans and evaluate new loan submissions that come in.
Really interesting today.
So if one of my constituents in Baker Lake wants to put a proposal together, he wants to borrow some money, he wants to put some money in, things like that, where does he go now, so I can tell him that because I don't know if they know that anymore.
Ms. Trumper: The Nunavut Business Credit Corporation is in the process of establishing a point of contact in each region.
In the Kivalliq region for example there is someone administering the community futures portfolio, in all likelihood, the NBCC will establish that person as their point of contact for loan collections and new loans.
Those details are presently being worked out and it's hoped that in both Kivalliq and Kitikmeot, those services will be in place on April 1st.
Mr. McLean: I don't want to corner the minister here but how much in outstanding loans is there in the Kivalliq region.
Chairperson: Mr. Akesuk.  Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I will be able to give that information to the member, once we're out of this meeting.
Chairperson: Mr. McLean
Yes, I'll wait for that outside the meeting.
How does pulling community futures out of that organization that's set up there now, in Rankin Inlet going to effect that overall operation of that organization in Rankin Inlet at this point. Is it going to hamper it.
Is going to make it better, operate better, how is that going to impact the organization if at all.
Ms. Trumper: Mr. Chairman, right now Kivalliq Business Development Centre has only one employee, and no board.
So it's our expectation that service can only improve under an organization such as the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation which has a functioning board and systems and procedures in place already.
This is public money we are talking about that we as legislators have to watch when it's transferred over to an organization.
Is there going to be more accountability on this organization in the future because by the sounds of this coming out, there were serious problems there.
The Government doesn't do this on a whim, it's something that has to be studied and looked at, evaluated things like that.
So are you going to make sure as a minister that there is going to be more accountability in this organization that something like this doesn't happen again, and further deteriorate.
We were able to pick this up and in the future we will make sure that they are accountable and we'll be able to look into it and make sure that they are accountable.
We'll be reviewing to see if the money is being spent well, the money that is given by Sustainable Development.
We'll be expecting to see an audit report, a review on the financial statements.
This is my final question here and it's more a statement than a question.
It's no fault of yours minister, or it's no fault of the previous minister.
I think this nightmare was created a long time ago. I certainly have not been happy with the organization because it was sort of hit and miss.
I still like the philosophy of it but when you take public money, which is our money, the government's that's given to us in the public interest, then we have to watch what is happening to it.
Now, if the other organizations involved don't want to be as accountable as us, then I think it's time to maybe re-evaluate our partnerships with these organizations.
Because we're painted with the same brush.
It's not the other organizations that people come complaining to.
It's me, as an MLA in my community in Baker Lake and the Government of Nunavut.
I'm not lecturing you because I know you aren't the problem. I know where the problem is and where it was. But I'm just saying we're painted with that brush right now because services deteriorated because of history and we as the Government of Nunavut are the ones that are going to have to pay the price by trying to make services more readily available to the people that we just took it from.
You know this has been a bee in my bonnet for the last couple of years and I've brought it up in standing committee various times and Minister Kilabuk can attest to that.
But I'm hoping when we get into partnerships in the future, that when we sign these agreements or if they're verbal agreements that the other organizations involved are as accountable as we are.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman that's all I got in the way of that one.
The funds that we provide to these groups in the communities, we will in the future keep an eye on how the money is spent and how well the groups are spending the funds.
It is very important that we do this.
Chairperson (interpretation): I think that was Mr. McLean's last comment.
My question is regarding the third party program delivery.
I just realized that in 2001-2002, money is not allocated to that program.
Can the minister clarify or I'd like to know, it's states that this program has been incorporated into the community initiative program.
Where would that be.
The money that was put into that was put into the community initiative program.
We took some money out of the community initiative program to use for, well, we'll be able to explain it better when we get to that.
Some money was put into the CEDO fund.
This is just a question on those community futures loans that are put out there.
Those are public funds that are distributed out under those loans.
Are those loans going to be listed in the government public accounts under a brighter future clause, section.
Mr. Chairman, community futures are set up as a society so they are not part of the Government of Nunavut's accounts.
They have their own society status and their own portfolios.
I realize that Mr. Chairman, but since we are giving them public money, I'm just wondering how, maybe if you could just explain how or where it will show up in our public accounts because I believe that that money has to show up in there somewhere.
Ms. Trumper: Yes, the money that you see on 11-12 is the operational costs of 700 thousand for community futures, it is the operational costs of the three offices.
The loan portfolios are separate accounts with revolving funds under the societies.
The legal experts are now looking at how the loan portfolios of the three community futures will be absorbed into the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
Those details have not yet been worked out.
Chairperson (interpretation): Any other comments, questions. Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Chairman, on that page 11-12 there's also just over 1.3 million dollars of core funding listed there for Nunavut Tourism.
I'm just wondering how is that funded, is it just done through a contribution agreement with Nunavut Tourism to provide a service.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): It's done through a contribution agreement.
Mr. Chairman, I'm would like to ask the minister how the amount is determined.
The Nunavut Tourism, we have tabled the Nunavut Tourism core funding on how the money would be spent and how it's divided and you could see it as we have already tabled the document on that.