EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Any bureaucratic meetings that have to take place between the federal government and our government, we do have an assistant deputy minister position there, so they assist us in meeting our commitments in intergovernmental forums.
Yes, we do currently have a lobby firm that assists us in tracking what is happening at the political level.
Can the minister indicate if any of the work that has to get done down there for lobbying, that it does flow through the EIA and that the lobbying firm and the staff that are down there are the people that do that work on behalf of the entire government.
The work that the lobbyists do on our behalf is through EIA, so it represents our government.
They are as-and-when, and they do a very good job in making sure that our interests are protected at the political level.
I’m not questioning the value of a good lobbyist.
I think it’s a great thing to have if it can be identified.
The Premier indicated that any of that stuff flows through EIA, and if that’s the case, then EIA would be the only department that could contract such services in Ottawa.
For our government purposes, we’ve been using a firm representing all of our interests as a government, and each minister and department has, also, contracts with various consultants to do specific work, so all I can say is that for our overall government needs, we’ve been using a firm in Ottawa.
The Premier just indicated that other ministers may have contracts similar to that in place.
Would he be willing to provide the members of this House which ministers and how many contracts they have with lobbyists in Ottawa?
I think there was a list of contractors already tabled last week, so it might be already in the member’s hands.
Question 276 – 2(2): KPMG Report Implementation of Recommendations
My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning the KPMG report.
The June 2002 report contained eight major recommendations and 24 sub-recommendations.
Most recommendations were scheduled for implementation within 12 months of the report, I think it was June 2002.
My question for the minister: it appears that many recommendations were not implemented within 12 months of the report being submitted.
Yes, the member’s statement is correct.
Some recommendations have been done and some are still being worked on.
This KPMG report is three years old now and it was initiated by the last government, but the department is still working on the recommendations.
Mr. Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister, for that answer.
The KPMG report cost the government $406,345 to complete.
I take it, it contains some good recommendations.
Did the Department of Health and Social Services complete a cost-benefit analysis of the major recommendations to determine what the future savings would be to the Government of Nunavut?
Yes, that KPMG report was commissioned by the last government and I believe it was paid for by them as well.
Remember, we just got elected last year, and we’re the same government, but we have a different mandate now.
But, if you need further information, I will check into it.
One of the recommendations is an integrated dispatch coordinated call centre.
Can the minister tell us what the status is of this recommendation?
At this time, we are currently doing a review and the RFPs will be given to cabinet shortly.
At that time I will give you an update on the issue.
The minister indicated that the report is almost three years old and that they’re still reviewing some recommendations.
As we’ve heard in the last year, a lot has changed in Health and Social Services since June 2002, including the opening of two new regional health facilities in 2005, and yet the annual costs for health and social services has continued to rise. I’m sure we’ll see that in the upcoming budget discussions with that department.
Does the minister believe that the KPMG report recommendations are still valid in 2005?
Yes, they are still valid and we’ll keep using them to date and later.
Question 277 – 2(2): Financial Help for Ladies’ Auxillaries
Mr. Arreak (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to direct my question to the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.
As I mentioned in my member’s statement, the ladies’ auxiliaries put a lot of time and effort into volunteer work.
Has the Government of Nunavut given any financial help to these volunteer groups?
Speaker (interpretation): Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Ms. Brown.
The ladies’ auxiliaries do a lot of work at the community level.
The government has recognized the ladies’ auxiliaries at the community level, but I can’t tell you which communities have had financial support from the territorial government.
I will have to look at the list and give you an update.
Your first supplementary, Mr. Arreak.
As I mentioned earlier in my member’s statement, the ladies’ auxiliaries that I am referring to are the ones from the Anglican Church.
They are the ones that don’t get any kind of financial support from the government, but they do raise funds in order to have those annual meetings, and they are here this week.
I believe that some of these women paid for their travel out of their own pockets because they wanted to make a contribution to their communities and to Nunavut.
Could the minister commit to giving financial support for these ladies’ auxiliaries?
I thank the member and I thank the ladies’ auxiliaries for their contributions. It seems like their organization is growing, but again, as you probably know, if we are going to make any kind of commitments financially, we have to go through the process, and there have to be proposals written in order to get some of the contributions.
Question 278 – 2(2): Update on Funding for Legal Fees
During our last sitting, the minister had agreed to table or provide the members in the House, here, a list, an amount, of how much the department spends on legal fees outside of the territory.
I would just like to follow up with the minister if he could update us as to where things are at with that, and when can we expect to see it?
Yes, I believe I tabled the information.
Is the minister referring to the procurement and contracting reports that the Minister of Community and Government Services tabled?
I believe I followed up right after the session and provided the information.
I will have to check my records and see if that list was provided to the member and if not, I will do so.
Question 279 – 2(2): Multi-culture Meeting
I will direct my question to the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism. (interpretation ends) Will that minister raise our issues in the context of federal fees?
Speaker (interpretation): Who did you direct that question to, Mr. Barnabas?
The Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, I believe it’s Mr. Picco.
The member is correct: there are a lot of different forums and tables that as a government we have an opportunity to sit at, and the member is correct, again, that that is one of the federal tables that we have an opportunity to participate in.
I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker, that the Government of Nunavut would be vociferous in its support in its advocacy on behalf and for Nunavuumiut at that federal table.
When will the minister meet with his federal colleagues concerning this issue?
It is my understanding that the provincial and territorial ministers of that portfolio would be meeting in the next several weeks.
I think it’s in the new year. So, that would be the next scheduled meeting to bring those issues forward.
Will the minister commit to announcing what has happened after their meeting?
If we’re able to make that meeting, depending on the other commitments that we have, I would be very willing, through debate in the House and through the open forum that we have, to prepare a minister’s statement or, indeed, an answer to a question from the members on the role that we played at that federal meeting.
Question 280 – 2(2): Update on Contract on Purchase and Supply Savings
My question is to the Minister Responsible for Petroleum Products.
Last week I had asked the minister to look into how much savings we’ve realized on this new format for the contract of purchase and supply of fuel.
I would just like to ask the minister if he could give us an update on that, if he has been able to ascertain how much of a savings we have realized with this new system?
I was going to look into this issue for the member.
I have been working with my officials, and although we’re nearing the end of our second year term, we couldn’t really figure out how much savings there was going to be.
So, therefore, once I have that information, I will provide it to my colleague.
Can the minister also look into the fact that the announcement made at the time, indicating the substantial, I think it was in the millions of dollars, savings that we were going to realize… . Was that for the exact same type of contract that we have in place right now? Or, was it in a purchase and supply contract versus just a supply contract?
Yes, we have looked at it two ways, on the cost savings of the the new system over the old system.
The minister has indicated that they have looked at it, but were the savings that were announced when the contract was awarded to the current suppliers who deliver the fuel, I think the minister had indicated that he thought it was around $20 million, my guess was $14 million… .
Was that savings based on the old contract style, which was to purchase and supply, or was it based on just the supply part of the contract, which it is now?
In regard to my colleague’s question, it has been a few days since I spoke to my officials and looked into this issue with my officials.
At this time, I am sorry, since we stated that there’s going to be savings on the delivery of fuel, after we found out this winter that the fuel cost had increased, after we realized that the fuel was going to increase… . It is mainly mainly for distribution and supply.
I know that there was a separate contract for the purchase of the fuel and a separate contract for the supply of the fuel, which is the new system that we are on.
One would think that the supply portion of it is a fixed amount, and that was part of the announcement, I think, that we would know how much it’s going to cost us to deliver the fuel, to be able to break it down and see what the difference was.
My question, again, to the minister: is that $14 or $20 million savings that they were projecting at the time, was that the combined contract versus the split contract?
I stand to be corrected, but to the best of my knowledge, the savings that had been integrated by the government in the first term was regarding transportation.
Like I said, Mr. Speaker, I stand to be corrected. I will have to confirm that response in discussion with my staff, and I will commit to providing that to my colleague and other members, upon request, of my findings.
Speaker (interpretation): Oral question period is now over.
Item 8. Item 9.
Motion 012 – 2(2): Standing Committee Hearing and Consultations on Nunavut Arctic College - Notice
I give notice that on Wednesday, March 16, 2005, I will move the following motion:
NOW THEREFORE I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Arviat, that the Standing Committee on Health and Education hold such hearings and consultations as it deems appropriate on the long-term role, operations and effectiveness of Nunavut Arctic College:
AND FURTHER I move that the Committee report its findings to the House at the earliest opportunity.
Item. 18.
Consideration in the Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters: Tabled Document 52-2(2); Bill 8; Bill 9; Bill 10; Bill 11; Bill 12; Bill 13 and Bill 14
In accordance with the authority vested in me by a motion, the Committee of the Whole will stay in session until it reports itself out.
>>House recessed at 15:18 and resumed at 15:51
Chairman (Mr. Netser)(interpretation): Thank you for coming back.
During Committee of the Whole, we’ll be dealing with the following items; Tabled document 52-2(2), Bill 8, Bill 9, Bill 10, Bill 11, Bill 12, Bill 13 and Bill 14.
We wish to continue with Bill 8 and commence with the review of the Main Estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services.
Minister Brown, do you have any opening comments.
If you have any opening comments, please proceed.
Thank you for the opportunity to present the 2005/06 Main Estimates and Business Plans for the Department of Health and Social Services.
With the largest budget within the Government of Nunavut, the Department of Health and Social Services is responsible for the development and delivery of services and programs addressing the physical, mental and social health of the Nunavummiut.
Our vision of bringing Care Closer to Home is reflective of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and it’s complicity, accessibility and responsiveness.
The Pinasuaqtavut identifies healthy communities as one of the government’s priorities.
Bringing care closer to home for Nunavummiut means strengthening healthier communities to community capacity building.
The total departmental budget for 2005/06 is $240,611,00.
This includes $215,219,000 for operations and maintenance and $25,392,000 in capital funding.
As you may already know the Department of Health and Social Services has in the past operated in a deficit.
This year I am pleased that he figures presented in the main estimates for the operations and maintenance more accurately reflects the budget requirements for the department.
Care Closer to Home
Nunavut’s health system is extremely fragile and is in need of significant reform.
The Care Closer to Home Strategy, recently approved by Cabinet is designed to improve health in Nunavut, creating a system that is sustainable and meets the needs of Nunavummiut for years to come.
Care Closer to Home includes three major initiatives; increase territorial health care capacity; reducing the need for medical travel; and, training Inuit.
The Care Closer to Home strategy will result in more health care money being spent in Nunavut, helping to create jobs for Nunavummiut and contribute to the territorial economy.
As an example, we now have all of our communities health centres equipped with a telehealth facility.
Health and Social Services has contracted an independent firm to help with the recruitment of nurses with their main focus on international nurses.
The contract is for the recruitment for up to 100 indeterminate nurses.
This effort will lessen our dependency on agency nurses and help the department to stabilize its nursing work force.
The demand for nurses for the new health facilities has also necessitated the hiring of this firm.
I am proud to say that the firm started the job offer process and that we anticipate the arrival of our first nurses by the end of April.
Out of Territory Hospitals
The 2005-2006 budget allocated for these services reflects an increase from the previous budgets for out of territory hospital costs to the actual 2003-2004 level of services for our southern providers.
Non Insured Health Benefits
The department has successfully negotiated a new contribution agreement for the delivery of Non Insured Health Benefits with Health Canada.
These negotiations have increased the cap on the agreement from $10.5 million to $13 million with the ability to request more funding should expenditure levels increase due to any unforeseen circumstances.
This budget is reflective of these negotiations and an adjustment has been made to our 2003-2004 expenditure level.
Physician Services
The department has included in the estimates an amount of $3 million for physician services.
This amount will give the department the dollars required to hire more doctors for all of Nunavut with specific focus on the New Health Facilities.
Midwifery/Maternity Care Services
The increase in the budget for this service will allow the department to hire 6 new PYs to deliver these services in other areas of Nunavut.
These funds will also allow the department to implement a training program in partnership with the Nunavut Arctic College for beneficiaries to be trained as maternity care workers.
This educational initiative will be supported and enhanced by partnering with the newly announced Aboriginal Midwifery Program in Manitoba, which will allow our graduates to further their education to the degree level.
Medical Travel Fund
The department has completed the negotiations with Health Canada in conjunction with the other two Territorial Governments on the Medical Travel Fund which was initiated by the First Ministers Meeting held in Ottawa in September 2004.
Starting in April 2005 this will give to the Government of Nunavut an extra $10.0 million per year for the next five years.
As we move towards building community capacity we are focusing our efforts on public health.
The Department has received special one time funding of $600,000 from Health Canada during this fiscal year to assist with the travel of children requiring special orthodontic procedures.
Public health prevents disease and promotes health.
Early dental care means children with less dental illnesses, less pain and less costs to our health care system.
Our goal at the Department of Health and Social Services is to promote and support Nunavuumiut in their growth to become healthy individuals.
We are in a position to make a change.
We believe that the health of Nunavut depends on the physical, social, economic and cultural health of each of its communities.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and the committee members for the opportunity to speak to you today.
I welcome any questions the committee may have regarding the Department of Health and Social Services’ Main Estimates and Business Plan.
Just before the opening comments I would like to let the members know that my wife and my granddaughter are here.
Perhaps if you can go to the witness table and have your officials along with you.
Welcome Ms. Brown, and if you could introduce your officials before the Chairman of the Health and Education Standing Committee gives his opening address.
Hon. Levinia Brown (interpretation): On my left is my Deputy Minister, Bernie Blais, on my left is Eric Whitworth, Executive Director from Corporate Services.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Does the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Health and Education have opening remarks?
Mr. Alagalak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members of the Standing Committee on Health and Education have reviewed the budget estimates and business plan of the Department of Health and Social Services for 2005/06 fiscal year and I am pleased to provide you with the opening comments.
The Standing Committee notes that the operation and maintenance budget for Health and Social Services for 2005/06 fiscal year of $215,219,000 represents nearly 26 percent, the largest departmental share of the government’s overall operation and maintenance budget.
To put this in perspective, the Government of Nunavut will spend close to $590,000 on Health and Social Services programs every single day of the next fiscal year.
Nunavut spends more than twice the national average per person on health.
Mr. Chairman, the Committee applauds the government’s success in getting additional health funding from the Federal Government.
Members believe that the Government of Nunavut must be accountable to our public for how these funds will be used to improve the health situation in Nunavut.
Members urge the government to be transparent as possible with respect to health spending.
Given the Department of Health and Social Services’ past record of overspending, the Committee remains concerned that the base funding for the department will not be adequate to address the many issues and responsibilities that fall under its mandate.
A significant portion of the department’s projected budget relates to accessing healthcare outside of the territory including medical travel, out-of-territory hospital costs, and long-term care for individuals with physical and mental disabilities.
Members continues to have questions about the quality of services provided in boarding homes.
With the opening of the new regional health facilities and the implementation of the department’s “Care Closer to Home” strategy, members expect to see a reduction in the department’s actual spending in the future as well as initiatives to improve the level of services provided.
Members of the Committee note that the department projects another increase in the number of employees for 2005/06, despite ongoing difficulties in filling existing positions such as nurses and doctors.
Members question the department’s steady increase in the number of management positions given that the Regional Health Boards were dissolved partly in an effort to reduce administrative expenses.
In the past, members have also noted the department’s over-reliance on casual and term staff hires.
The Committee supports the department’s long-term objective to train and hire more Nunavummiut to work in the healthcare field, and will be keeping a close eye on the department’s success in training and hiring beneficiaries.
Members hope to hear more positive reports for full-time employees filling vacant positions, especially as nurses, social workers, and other frontline staff.
Committee Members were pleased to note the department’s progress towards providing training for maternity care workers with a view to expanding midwifery services within Nunavut.
Committee Members encourage the department to make more efforts to address health issues at the community level, such as supporting the involvement of elders in counseling and family support, providing more services to people with disabilities, and making our Arviat Full Caucus Retreat commitment to establish 24-hour elders’ care facilities a community reality.
While the Minister has yet to provide a formal response to the Qulliit Status of Women Council’s 2004 report on abuse and violence against women in Nunavut, the Committee suggests that the department address family violence issues by focusing more at the family level, with dedicated support for the needs of men as well as the needs of women and by exploring opportunities for healing within an individual’s home community.
Mr. Chairman, every year, the high cost of medical travel receives a great deal of attention.
Members have consistently asked for meaningful information regarding the department’s arrangements for medical travel.
Members recognize that making specific contractual documents public in their entirety may not always be possible.
Nevertheless, members believe that more information about medical travel contracts negotiations and arrangements should be made public especially as the department is asking this Legislative Assembly to approve tens of millions of dollars in related funding.
The level of secrecy surrounding these contracts raises even more questions regarding the value for money that we are receiving.
To conclude Mr. Chairman, now that the Government of Nunavut has announced that the Telehealth network has been established in all Nunavut communities, members of the Standing Committee look forward to regular updates on use of these systems and it’s costs effectiveness.
According to Rule 77, you have ten minutes for general comments.
At this time I don’t have any names on my list.
H-5, in the Main Estimate and also there is a Business Plan.
If you have any questions, please specify which book you’re referring to.
If you have any questions please make reference to which book.
Page H-5, Health and Social Services Branch Summary.
H-6 and H-7, Mr. Curley.
There is one sentence under Directorate.
I could have said it under general comments but they are mainly for the directors including policy directions, whether they wish to, or not.
I just want to ask them if they know their in the process of making transportation policies regarding medical travel, and those are the main ones.
They’re being followed by the air carriers.
They’re dealing with policies on transportation. (interpretation ends) I’m going to switch to English.
Because of the amount of dollars that are spent for transportation, the Department of Health and Social Services drives the transportation policy.
I don’t know whether you accept that or view that or acknowledge that.