EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I thought Maliganik Tukisiniarvik meant that there are lawyers that provide legal aid and there are criminal defence lawyers who or lawyers who can help with civil cases.
I thought Maliganik Tukisiniarvik means where you get legal aid or assistance on legal matters.
I don’t think that we have that outreach program available to our communities, so can you clarify that?
The Operation and Maintenance, there has not been any change in that regard.
We have had the same form of services, regular services available for the communities.
I cannot answer to you at this time how many Lawyers that we have in the offices.
We would like to see many more Legal Aide Services available at the community level, although there is regional Legal Aide Services available for the communities.
Chairperson (interpretation): 9-9 and 9-10 are in the same format.
On 9-10, Legal Aide Training. $890 thousand.
It seems as though although there is funding available there is not much Legal Aide for the communities, because I as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, there have been some people in my community who have asked me to get support in obtaining legal aide, to get legal information.
It is very hard to get legal counsel when you do not know where they are.
Chairperson (interpretation): Sorry, I said 9-10, it is 5-9 and 5-10.
Just to correct my mistake.
I reversed the numbers.
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): Anyone seeking Legal Aide, or legal assistance, there are Regional Offices, Legal Clinics.
They can call the Iqaluit Maliganik Tukisiniarvik legal office toll free.
They can make a collect call as well.
If they wanted to get a lawyer, or are seeking out a lawyer, they can call this toll free number, even if they need legal assistance before their case goes to court.
I need clarification because I have someone who really needs legal aide assistance.
If that unilingual person cannot get anywhere on the phones, or the toll free number, where would they go to get legal assistance?
There are staff who speak Inuktitut.
If there are unilingual people seeking legal assistance, they can call the Office and there is an Inuk there.
Maliganik Tukisinairvik.
Where is Maliganik Tukisiniarvik?
It is in Iqaluit.
We have the largest Office in the region.
There is also an office in the High Arctic.
Can you give me the address and telephone numbers and all the information that I need.
We do not have it at the present time but we will bring it down for you.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you for making your questions brief.
If I’m wrong, please let me know and I don’t know if it’s within this branch summary but what do you call those, I can’t remember those probation officers, and there are case workers, court workers or probation officers, if that was in this department.
These probation officers within the communities, there are cases where they have been on probation, is that what you’re talking about?
For example, there are elders justice committees, and I don’t think they have anybody working for them to help them with their work so they don’t have anybody to help them.
So that’s what I’m trying to ask.
I think it’s under section 5-13, Corrections and Community Justice; perhaps we can raise that during that summary.
5-9, Justice Branch Summary.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $3 million, 357 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): 5-11, Justice Branch Summary.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $2 million, 146 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): 5-12, Justice Branch Summary.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $5 million, 270 thousand dollars.
Under the description on page 13, it states there’s $800 thousand dollars for court services and they’re going to be using that funding for inmates and court services.
Mr. Chairman, I’d like to know if that $800 thousand dollars is on this page.
That $800 thousand is not with Registries and Court Services.
We had to supplement our funding of $800 thousand because we went over our budget; also because of the court circuit that had to go to the communities.
We went over budget a little and we had to approve a supplementary appropriation to that effect.
Chairperson (interpretation): First of all, every time I say your name, there is a little button there that you have to turn off if you don’t want to listen to what you’re saying.
I apologize that this question isn’t specific to the branch summary, but I want to raise a question.
How did you allot this money?
How much money did you go over for corrections for inmate services and the other service that you just mentioned?
I apologize I wasn’t available to respond to your question but this 399 thousand dollars is for the court circuit travel increase and this 219 thousand dollars increase is for the inmates.
I’m just identifying the large over budget items.
I could give you a written response to your question.
Any further questions? Branch Summary.
Registries and Court Services. We’re on page 5-12. Total Operations and Maintenance. $5 million, 270 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Moving onto 5-13, Justice Branch Summary, Corrections and Community Justice.
These funds where you went over budget and in respect to the people sent away from Nunavut, I think that’s going to go over that limit again because we have to pay for those people who are going out of Nunavut.
Where is that going to be covered?
Are you going to use part of the funds this year, would it be taken off from next year’s budget once you’ve gone over this budget or are you going to use part of next year’s budget to cover that?
Once we’ve completed 5-12, and now this is on page 5-13.
There is a 300 thousand dollar increase in our Operations and Maintenance that will be used for inmates.
It’s already here.
We don’t want to see an increase, especially the number of inmates and we don’t want to go over budget again.
It would be good if we went under budget, but you never know how many inmates we’re going to house in one year.
So we are just basing it on the actual figures.
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): Yes I understand that, Mr. Chairman.
I know that it is hard to see people who are incarcerated but we cannot help that.
Sometimes there are more people incarcerated and sometimes less, depending on the time of the year.
Regarding that $234 thousand that would be used next year, I think that that is fine so that Finance will not be looking at us if we go over budget again for next year.
Finance would be having problems verifying that over budget for next year.
If it is okay with the Chairman, I want to ask another question.
Last year you had mentioned that they are going to make another correctional facility somewhere else other than Iqaluit.
The Correctional Facility that was planned a couple of years ago; is that still in the planning stages?
What is the situation on it right now?
We went through this during the Capital Budget exercise and I said at that time that I plan to find one for this coming fiscal year.
So I would like to get it done so that we do not have to deal with it.
I know that the Chairman is very interested on this as well.
So we are working on it, and we hope to finalize it before the next election.
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): Yes we understand that.
We have heard that it was brought up.
Maybe you remember it was brought up.
It has been three months now that they have not heard about it at this time.
Perhaps you can inform the communities what the situation you are in right now.
I understand your answer but my colleagues are looking forward to working with our colleagues here so that we have an idea when this facility will be built, and when its budget will be finalized, so that our communities will understand where the situation is at this time.
This 2003-2004 year.
It has been a few years now that it has been discussed.
The budget gets eaten up because we keep postponing it year after year.
I know that Kugluktuk has been waiting on this facility for quite some time and they would like to hear what the status on this facility that was discussed is. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairperson (interpretation): I did not hear a question. Ms. Williams.
I was waiting for another question to come from this side, but while we’re on page 5-13, corrections and community justice.
This is one question that I’ve been asking repeatedly during my tenure as an MLA.
In the business plan on page 5-19, it speaks to probation officers.
How many probation officers do we have in Nunavut?
At this time, we have 11 probation officers and once this budget is approved, we’ll have 13.5 PYs for all of Nunavut.
In the business plans, on page 5-21, it shows you where the positions are located.
The probation officers are not identified in the organizational structure, where do they fit in here?
Where do the probation officers fit here?
If they are included, which communities are proposed for these new probation officers?
We have the communities listed here.
We’ll enter the additional probation officers once we’ve identified where they are going.
Cambridge Bay has three probation officers and Pond Inlet has two officers while Rankin Inlet has two as well.
Are these all probation officers and why are three in Cambridge Bay when the other communities don’t have any?
They’re not just probation officers.
We also include the court workers and the aides who work at the community level.
Some of them only have one probation officer but they also include other positions in there.
I’m just wondering why there are other positions under corrections and community justice if they do not work in corrections or community justice initiatives.
I’m just wondering why they’re under that title?
Some of them are justice specialists who are located in the communities.
Perhaps we can identify them further next year, exactly what they do so that it’s clearer, so it doesn’t look like they’re all bunched up in one community and just doing one thing.
We’ll take that note for next year so that it’s clearer for everyone what they actually do.
So, in Cambridge Bay there is one community justice specialist and two probation officers in one community?
A lot of these are dependent on the cases per community.
Some communities have a lot higher case loads than others so, we do it on a case load basis as it applies to those positions.
In Cambridge Bay, for examples, there are two positions identified right now but one is vacant.
We’ll have to see how that works, how the case load is depending on what type of case load is required.
My last question on that page is, some of the communities don’t even have probation officers and one community has two when one is vacant.
When you have a probation and parole office in the community, there are less people going to jail because they can get help from that person.
So, can they consider putting these 2.5 positions into other smaller communities?
I’ve been asking for one in my community for a long time and I have yet to see this position created in the high arctic, Grise Fiord, Resolute and Arctic Bay.
We understand the Member’s concerns on that and we have identified a half position in one of the communities that the Member represents.
We are trying to find additional ways of funding more probation workers.
We agree with the Member but at the same time, we want them to do a good job.
They’re overworked and can’t take care of cases when there’s too much, than it wears them out.
At the same time it doesn’t do any service for those people who are on probation so we have to be conscious of that.
We’re currently in discussions with parole services of the Federal Government to see if we can combine some of their work with some of the probation work that we do
They don’t have a lot of parolees, and we can probably utilise their resources and contract with us in delivering those services and providing more PYs throughout Nunavut.
I said that it was going to be my last question but another function that the Minister just mentioned is parole services.
Again, our inmates are serving full terms in penitentiaries in the south because we don’t have parole services.
So, that’s another function that we need to have so that the people are coming back on parole.
The rest of the country is doing that.
And we should be the same.
We should have parole services that are adequate so they take them to jail as much as they take people from Ottawa to the jails.
We should not be treated differently.
So, can the department and the Minister put extra effort to put positions in place?
Let’s face it; we’re putting so much money into inmates, and if we had parole services, some of these people could be back at home.
Yes, I totally agree with the Member.
That is why we’re trying to work with the Federal Government.
Parole services are a federal jurisdiction but we’re trying to find a way to contract with them so we can offer both services to federal and territorial inmates, so we can utilize the resources to the utmost.
Corrections and Community Justice, I asked this question before.
The people who have either gone through the courts or people who are waiting for their court date, I informed you about the problem that we have when an individual goes to another community when they are no longer wanted in another community.
I just wondered if that is in the works now about taking care of those people who go to another community when they are on probation.
I appreciate the Member informing me of that.
I was not really aware about it so I did not respond to the Member right away.
Apparently, this problem has been happening in the Members’ community.
We do not want something like this to happen again.
What we have said is that the Community Justice Committees had been informed that when this kind of case comes up, that they should deal with it.
For example, I am from Hall Beach and nobody wants me in Hall Beach anymore, and I go to Igloolik, the people who I am staying with, if they were my family, or if they were strangers to me, do those people who I am boarding in, the family that I am boarding with, would they get paid?
If they go to the family members, they do not get paid.
If they were asked to go to another community into a certain household, we have to pay for the expenses that they incur.
If they end up with family members, we do not pay the expenses.
You are a good Chairman.
Under Corrections and Community Justice, say for instance, the referral that come from the RCMP to the Elders Committee, and these Elders Committee are very happy to help out with the referrals.
They talk to or counsel the individuals; do those people who provide counselling that are referred to by the RCMP get paid?
Apparently their secretary has a heavy workload and does not get enough money for doing their role.
I just wondered if there is anything under the Grants and Contributions that could be used to help out.
We increased the funding as soon as I became the Minister.
I know that they need more money for their operations and we’re able to fund them and we’re trying to get some more funding.
We may hear, this summer from the Federal Government, how much more we can access from them.
For the people who we’re talking about, people who are banished from the community, has there been any thing dangerous that came about because of a banishment?
The only one that I know is the individual who my colleague talked about from Amittuq.
If there were any other offenders who went through something like that that people know of in the communities, we would like to hear from them.
The elders could help a lot in each community to counsel those individuals.
If there was banishment into another community, I just worry if something might happen to the community.
That’s a good comment but I didn’t hear a question.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Branch Summary.
Department of Justice. Corrections and Community Justice. 5-13.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $13 million, 928 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Information.
Going back to 5-4. 5-4.
Department of Justice. Department’s summaries.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $46 million, 58 thousand dollars.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, under Contract Services, $22 million 565 thousand dollars, I wonder if you could use that for the Department of Education.
Perhaps we can pull an RCMP from the Member’s community because that’s for police contract services.
I can’t agree to that.
On 5-4, on the third party funding, I know it’s in here somewhere in this number, I noticed that some of the programs are not funding.
Why is there nothing in the third party funding?
Maybe I will use an example, Youth Justice Renewal, the Community Counsellor Agreement, those types of things.
I am just giving you an example on that.
Some of the third party funding is not there anymore.
There are a number of things that were one time costs that were in third party funding.
And there were some that were typed by the Federal Government, like in community policing, the Federal Government hopefully, will renew, but it does not look like they will; a lot of that we used for providing police services where we did not have any police officers.
So we will have police in every community after this year.
So that sort of offsets that cost.
There are other things like the Young Offenders Act, the Youth Justice Renewal; there is one-time money available from the Federal Government to implement the Young Offenders and training to prepare for that.
Yes, it has reduced some of the Third Party Funding, but a lot of it was one time funding.
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): Perhaps we can continue to try to convince the Government to ask for more funding in this area?
I concur with the Member, and I appreciate the good pressure that I am getting, so I can tell the Federal Government and say look I am getting pressure from the Members and we have to keep going on it.
Chairperson (interpretation): Is that it? Is that it?
Total Operations and Maintenance, $46 million, 58 thousand. Agreed?
Chairperson (interpretation): Does the Committee agree that we concluded the Department of Justice?
I would like to thank the Minister and his Officials, Nora Saunders, Mr. Chartrand, thank you.
Mr. Minister, do you have any last comments?
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): I would like to thank my officials assisting me and I thank the Members for their questions.
We will consider the comments and questions received from the Members.
The Department of Justice is completed.
I will now ask to take a break and we will be deal with Bill 22 after the break.
A twenty minute break.
There are also some snacks in the Members’ Lounge.
>>Committee recessed at 17:44 and resumed at 18:12.
We would like to go onto Bill 22 and to have the Minister of Justice as our witness.
As soon as we finish Bill 22, we would like to continue on to Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
We would like to at least get their opening comments and start with the opening comments of the chairperson of the committee.
Chairperson (interpretation): We will go through Bill 22 and I would like to ask the Minister to join us at the table.
He’s right here with us.
Chairperson (interpretation): I would now like to ask the Minister responsible for Justice to make his/her opening comments.
This Bill amends the law to adopt the language used in other jurisdictions in Canada for those who want to sell shares of public companies and bonds in Nunavut.
Most of these sellers are based outside of Nunavut and they may be soliciting Nunavummiut by telephone or other means from elsewhere in Canada with suggested investment opportunities.
It is important for the protection of Nunavummiut, that these sellers be required to register their company or business in Nunavut to do business and communicate with the same standards as the rest of the country.
This registration program is to protect potential investors from fraudulent dealers who do not disclose full information about the stocks or investments they offer.
The amendments to the law will make it possible for Nunavut to become part of the national registration database for sellers of public companies to apply for and receive confirmation of their registration status through the computer system.
The amendments also address potential conflicts between certain provisions of the securities act and the access to information and protection of privacy act.
Once the access of information act comes fully into force, it is important that Nunavut have legislation that will provide legal infrastructure to support economic activities and commercial development with the same protection for Nunavummiut as for the rest of the country.
This Legislation is an important step in that direction.
Mr. Chairman, I will be pleased to answer any questions that the Members may have in relation to this legislation.
Do you have any witnesses?
You can ask your witnesses to go the guest table.
Does the Committee agree to bring the witnesses?
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you for going to the witness table before I asked that question.
Mr. Minister, could you please introduce your witnesses?
On my right is Nora Sanders, my Deputy Minister.
To my left is the Registries Director at the Registries Division.
He is Registrar for the department, Jerry Crowe.
Welcome again to Ms. Sanders, Premier Okalik, and to the Registrar.
Any comments from the Chair of the Committee?
The Standing Committee Ajauqtiit reviewed Bill 22, an Act to Amend the Securities Act, with Minister Okalik on March 6th, 2003.  Mr. Chairman, the Standing Committee understands that this Bill amends the Securities Act to maintain consistency with the securities legislations of other jurisdictions.
Mr. Chairman, the Standing Committees afforded the Bill at the Clause by Clause stage of the Standing Committee Review.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my Opening Remarks.
The Committee recommends the passage of the Bill to all Members.
We will now go forward with the proceedings.
According to 77(1), I will give everyone ten minutes to make their general comments.
According to Rule 77(2), subject to the discretion of the Chairman, a Member may speak more than once to a matter under discussion but not until every Member wishing to speak has spoken.
We are in general comments.
Would you like to go Clause by Clause?
Chairperson (interpretation): I think everybody has a copy of the proposed bill.
Bill 22, An Act to Amend the Securities Act.
Chairperson (interpretation): Does the Committee agree that Bill 22 is now ready for third reading?
Chairperson (interpretation): I would like to thank the Minister and his officials for coming here.
As we stated earlier, we would like to go into opening comments of the Minister responsible for the department or those of the chairperson.
Chairperson (interpretation): Do you agree that we deal with Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs?
Chairperson (interpretation): Are there opening comments from the Minister?
As the Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs I’m pleased to be making my comments and discussing what we’ve been doing in our department.
I will be summarizing the activities that are underneath this department and we deal with what the government stance will be on certain matters and we also direct policy on issues before the Legislature.
We also work with the Members to draft legislation for Nunavut.
We also try to consult with all affected parties when we are drafting legislation that affects Nunavummiut and we also provide direction to our employees on certain issues.
Chairperson (interpretation): Mr. Minister, do you have a copy of your opening comments because of course we have to have the copies in front of us also.
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): I apologize, Mr. Chairman. I thought everyone had a copy.
There are some available, that are being brought in. I assumed that everyone had copies. Perhaps they are being brought in at this moment.
Chairperson (interpretation): We need copies of the opening comments.
We’ll take a five minute break while we make copies of the opening comments.
>>Committee recessed at 18:28 p.m. and resumed at 18:40 p.m.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. We will go back to the opening comments by the Minister.
The copies weren’t available.
Mr. Premier, you can begin.