EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, I wonder if he was saying that they have funds in the Department of Environment to clean up such garbage in old sites.
Did I understand that that is what he is saying?
No, that’s not what I am saying. We do not have money to clean up old sites. What I am saying, though, is the Department of Environment is willing to work with hamlets and HTOs in identifying these sites and assisting them in finding out who is responsible for having the garbage or those sites in place for how they are, where they are, and we will assist and try to get the responsible parties to clean up those sites.
Question 096 – 3(3): Polar Bear Co-Management Issues in Hudson Bay (Rumbolt)
I would like to direct my questions to the Minister of Environment also.
Mr. Speaker, recent news media stories indicate that environment officials from Quebec, Ontario, and Nunavut will be meeting to discuss the co-management of the southern Hudson Bay polar bear population. Can the minister indicate when this meeting is scheduled and what the minister expects to accomplish from this meeting?
I would like to thank the member for a very important question.
As we all know, it has been highlighted in the media recently and also through recent NWMB hearings on the Davis Strait polar bear population. It has been identified that there’s a lack of polar bear management initiatives by other jurisdictions that we share polar bear populations with.
So because of this, there is a meeting scheduled at the end of June happening in Montreal with all interested parties that are concerned with the southern Hudson Bay polar populations, that being Nunavut, Ontario, Environment Canada, Quebec, the government, agencies of those organizations, and also the Inuit and aboriginal interests, and leaders of those jurisdictions will be involved.
I would like to say at this time that obviously a problem has been identified in polar bear management systems by other jurisdictions.
However, in Nunavut, we are absolutely the lead. We’re very proud of the system that we have in place and other jurisdictions are recognizing this. Through this meeting, we will come up with a co-management system that they hopefully will adopt from our system that will be the best management system for all southern Hudson Bay polar bears.
Mr. Speaker, as the minister is aware, any discussions or decisions made at these co-management meetings will directly affect the residents of Sanikiluaq. What role will the people of Sanikiluaq play in any decisions or discussions on the co-management of the Hudson Bay polar bear populations?
At this initial meeting, as I said, the government will be heavily involved, and also NTI will be involved. However, this is just an initial meeting. I have been instructed and given information that absolutely, the community of Sanikiluaq will be involved when this proceeds further into the management system, that the HTO and the community of Sanikiluaq will be heavily involved.
In a recent news article dated April 6 in CBC, it was stated that “it could be a long process to work out a shared polar bear management agreement in southern Hudson Bay, depending on what attitudes each party brings to the table…”
As we all are aware, a ban on the export of polar bear products is in place for the Baffin Bay population. If the southern Hudson Bay polar bear population is not dealt with quickly and correctly, a similar situation may occur. Can the minister explain how his officials will ensure that this does not happen?
The member brings up a very good point.
We will work at the table with our partners and with other jurisdictions to try and ensure this happens. I think he stated a very important thing that we absolutely hope and work with them together to put a management system in place as soon as we can.
He does bring up a possibility that people would look at this population as being mismanaged. However, our point and our view in Nunavut is we manage it very well and that we would oppose any listing of export bans in the southern Hudson Bay.
Moving on to Oral Questions.
Question 097 – 3(3): Bedbugs in Boarding Homes (Ningark)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services, my friend. I also appreciate his work.
Last year, the Member for Hudson Bay spoke about the issue of bedbugs. I have recently been made aware that bedbugs are once again making their presence felt in these medical boarding homes.
To make matters worse, it seems that these bugs are now being linked to resistance to antibiotics which are used to fight infection.
Additionally, as we have no choice here in Nunavut, patients will continue to be sent out to hospitals. In the case of my region, Mr. Speaker, in the Kitikmeot, we go to the hospitals in the Northwest Territories for medical treatment and diagnosis.
Can the Minister of Health inform this House as to whether he is aware of the latest threat of bedbugs? We first heard of this last year and based on what people are telling us, they seem to be coming back now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know of the issue the member just raised and he is entirely correct about that. The Member for Hudson Bay expressed his concerns about the bedbugs infesting the boarding home in Winnipeg.
When they started to notice the bugs, the contractors of the boarding home resolved that problem in compliance with the Manitoba provincial health regulations and policies.
I was made aware that the infestation was dealt with, but I cannot ascertain whether or not the problem is spreading or if it is under control. I haven’t had a recent update on this matter and I don’t have that information handy. I will check into this matter with the officials in our department.
Further, in reading the national newspaper articles about health issues in Canada, all of the provincial governments will be working with the federal government on a strategy to combat this problem.
Some of your comments are truthful; bedbugs have become resistant to the application used to get rid of them. Once I have received more information, I will be able to submit a report to the House.
To date, I haven’t received any updates on this matter.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister Curley. Your first supplementary, Mr. Ningark.
I wish I could recognize if there is an exterminator in this House, but, Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. minister for his response to my question.
My supplementary question, Mr. Speaker, is with the amount of travel between Nunavut and other jurisdictions, it is only a matter of time before a bedbug or two catches a free ride north. Can the minister describe what kinds of pest control measures are currently in place to deal with any such migration and infestation?
I can say first of all that in Nunavut, we haven’t developed any strategies in regard to this. The bedbug infestations we hear of didn’t occur in Nunavut, but more so in Manitoba. I imagine that patient boarding homes in other provinces have bedbugs and we do hear of hotels having bedbugs in the south and in the United States, but we haven’t heard any reports of bedbug infestations in Nunavut.
When Nunavut residents go out of the territory, they see bedbugs, but we’ve had no reports of bedbugs in Nunavut as of yet.
When we work towards the strategy, we will keep that in consideration. We don’t have a strategy geared just for Nunavut.
As I stated earlier, the Canadian government and the provinces will have to work on their strategy on this issue when they meet again.
As health ministers, we also meet and this item will most likely be put up for discussion, but it would depend on the problem.
I’m sure that the bedbugs have made it to Nunavut, but we currently don’t have any information about communities that may be experiencing this problem and I don’t have any information to indicate otherwise.
Mr. Ningark, your second supplementary question.
On the second supplementary, (interpretation) with that being the case where we still don’t have concrete information on this issue, I believe we have to inform the people who travel outside of Nunavut.
For the benefit of the listening public, Mr. Speaker, if any infestations were discovered in any public facility or hotels used by people, who can these people contact? What can they do when they discover these bedbugs, especially in places where people have to sleep? When they return to Nunavut, who do they report to if they have seen any bedbugs?
Wherever anyone discovers an infestation here in Nunavut, I would prefer that they inform health department officials. They can contact you or my offices directly.
I would need to speak with public health officials and the chief medical health officer if we discovered a bedbug infestation. We also need to be informed if more bedbugs are seen at the patient boarding homes.
We informed our former Deputy Minister, Alex Campbell, when he was the Deputy Minister of Health, that this is a major issue in the Kivalliq, but we followed the provincial regulations and policies in cleaning up and treating bedbugs.
We also had to check what kind of regulations we had to follow. We had to consider these factors.
However, if patients discover more infestations, I can look into that and write a letter to the health minister at the provincial level. I would be able to work with them at that level. We have to work together and strategize because the patients that are going out of the territory for medical services, especially in Manitoba, have been reporting bedbug infestations.
I can state that perhaps by way of correspondence with my provincial colleagues, I can discover how they deal with this problem in their jurisdictions. Once I get further information, I will provide that to the House at that time.
Mr. Ningark, your third and final supplementary.
Final supplementary, (interpretation) I thank the minister for stating that he will discuss this matter with his provincial counterparts outside of Nunavut on this matter, perhaps via correspondence.
We thank you for that.
The medical boarding homes where patients stay are contracted out to private companies by the Nunavut government. Can the minister also contact them about this bedbug issue? The bugs are repulsive and can cause potential health problems with all of their parasites.
Will the minister commit to following up with these private contractors and ensuring that they are aware of and prepared to eradicate bedbugs in medical boarding homes?
Yes, I will commit to trying that. As I stated before, the former Deputy Minister, Alex Campbell, worked to get further information on the bedbugs and we have that information. We will try to finalize that.
We have large hotels and boarding homes. If infestation is becoming a problem, we need to know that and we have to inform the Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Osborne. We need a tracking system to deal with bedbugs that may migrate to Nunavut from outside the territory on people’s belongings.
We need to provide that information to the health minister in the province if infestation becomes an issue and we will try to follow that process.
Question 098 – 3(3): Government Restructuring (Elliott)
In his Budget Address earlier this year, the minister announced that the government will undertake a review of its own structure and that this review will “take a thoughtful look at the number of departments and agencies, their mandates and organizational designs.” As the minister knows, he has received many thoughtful suggestions from a number of my colleagues on this issue. Can the minister update the House today on what work has been accomplished since he made this announcement?
Mr. Speaker, yes, I made that statement in the Budget Address. We do feel that restructuring or reorganizing the government to some degree is important to find efficiencies and effectiveness in our departments and programs.
We’ve had several discussions at the cabinet level and at FMB, and our deputy ministers and the Central Accountability Committee have also talked about some of the ways to restructure or reorganize.
We have received many good suggestions from many people, ministers, MLAs, and people out in the communities. We are proceeding.
In fact, in the last couple days, a decision has been made to engage an individual who can help us as a government and as the Department of Finance to proceed. I’m sure that over the next few months, ministers, deputy ministers, and MLAs will be receiving some contact from people to talk about some of the ideas that MLAs have suggested to us.
When does your department expect to have the final report from this?
Minister of Finance, Minister Peterson.
I thank Mr. Elliott for that question again.
The timeline that we have set is hopefully to have at least an interim report and recommendations by early October.
I’m just wondering in terms of the report is done in October. When will the actual restructuring occur?
I guess I’m thinking more towards October would be when we sit down to do capital funding. Will it interrupt those committee meetings that will be happening?
Mr. Speaker, the intention is to receive the report. We will discuss that at FMB and cabinet. The intention is not to destabilize government.
We don’t want to make a lot of wide-sweeping changes that will do that. The intention is to receive the report, make some thoughtful, common sense decisions, and we will likely be discussing them with our colleagues. The intention for the following fiscal year would be, if there are any changes, to try and implement it in 2012-13.
You final supplementary, Mr. Elliott.
I was wondering if the minister could tell us who is doing the work for the Government of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, we have talked to two firms and gave them an outline of what we would like to do. We received two very good proposals. The individual we selected, who has had vast experience as a deputy minister of the Government of the Northwest Territories and has done a lot of work for the Government of Nunavut in the past, since 1998, the individual is Ken Lovely.
Question 099 – 3(3): Dental Care Issues (Aupaluktuq)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Curley.
Mr. Speaker, I have been recently called upon by my constituents to help resolve an issue relating to access to health services, specifically in the area of dental care. Neither they nor I have been able to get an answer from regional health authorities as to why urgently needed dental services are not being approved.
Can the minister clearly describe what level of authority and accountability should be expected from the regional headquarters of his department?
With respect to the question raised, this is a concern shared by most Nunavutmiut. It seems fairly straightforward and if we were the only department involved, it would be much easier to handle.
However, the schedules of the dental professionals are set not just by our Nunavut government but in conjunction with the federal government.
The federal government is also involved as to how many times the dentists are to arrive to a community. For that reason, the funding for dental services has to be covered by the Non-Insured Health Benefits and because of this funding, those schedules are already set.
The federal government determines how often dentists travel to Nunavut. Also, NTI made a four-year schedule agreement and complaints are handled by the committee, which include all of our partners. Our government is involved, along with NTI.
Therefore, I can’t elaborate as to who is the primary authority in this situation.
We administer the funding that is transferred to our department and we utilize it for the Non-Insured Health Benefits program, which has certain requirements for accountability for expenditures that we have to follow. That is one of the reasons why this process is not easy to try and improve.
In the past, I have also acknowledged the department is restrained in terms of finances and being able to deliver the best quality service, and we have shown empathy and sympathy for the department.
The lack of responsiveness from the Department of Health and Social Services regional headquarters does not only affect clients, Mr. Speaker, it also affects those providing the care.
Can the minister update this House on where health centre and social services staff can turn to with questions regarding pay and benefits that are not being addressed by the regional office?
I’m not sure exactly whether or not my advice to the Assembly would be helpful or not. If it’s in regard to pay and benefits packages, each employee normally has a way of contacting… . Did I understand you to say pay and benefits, or what?
I would think, in my reply, each employer or worker has the ability to contact the finance department anywhere to do the groundwork to get any grievances, if that is the case, or if any factual information is missing.
Most of the departments, including Health, have resource officers that would do the groundwork. Personally I don’t get involved in these kinds of things because these are standard, administrative, routine practices.
I recognize that capital planning requests take a long time to filter through the planning process.
It is my understanding that individual health centres forward their capital planning needs to the regional offices, who then submit them to headquarters.
Again, it seems as though requests from my constituency of Baker Lake have fallen on deaf ears. Can the minister confirm whether or not his department officials have received and considered the request for a new and larger health centre for the community of Baker Lake?
Mr. Aupaluktuq, I would just like to ask you if you can clarify if you’re tying this in to… . Your first question was on dental care and this is on a capital health centre replacement, so if you can clarify whether you’re tying this in to dental care.
Mr. Aupaluktuq: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for clarifying that.
It is very sensitive and I am tying into all of those in terms of overall service delivery, Mr. Speaker, and these are in regard to accountability from requests from constituent as well as health care providers. So these are tied in together as the same question, Mr. Speaker. If I may, the question was: can the minister confirm whether department officials have received and considered the request for a new and larger health centre for the community of Baker Lake?
I believe you’re asking if the new health centre will include dental services or space in there.
Minister Curley, if you wish to answer that, you can. I’ll leave that up to you. Minister Curley.
It’s important that we stick with the Rules of the House. Questions should be related to the first question if they qualify for second or third supplementary. So, in my opinion, the question is out of order.
Mr. Curley, you can’t rule on a question, I can but that’s why I left it to your discretion if you wish to answer it or not. Based on your response, you wish not to answer and that’s fine with me.
Members will notice that question period is over. We will move on to the orders of the day.
Item 7. Mr. Peterson.
I request unanimous consent to go back to Item 5 in the Orders of the Day.
Mr. Peterson is requesting to go back to Item 5 in the Orders of the Day, Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery.
Are there any nays? There are none. Please proceed, Mr. Peterson.
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleagues for not “naying” me.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a friend and constituent from Cambridge Bay. She came to the Gallery a few minutes ago and her name is Brenda Jancke. She is the director of the education department in Cambridge Bay.
Mr. Speaker, Ms. Jancke is also a former hamlet councillor and deputy mayor.
Among the other things she does in Cambridge Bay, she’s soon to be a first-time grandmother. I don’t know if she wants anyone to know that, but she’s here. Welcome to the Gallery.
Committee Report 003 – 3(3): Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Scientists Act (Ningeongan)
I wish to report that the Standing Committee on Legislation has reviewed Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Scientists Act.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 68(6) and have Bill 2 immediately moved into Committee of the Whole.
The member is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 68(6) and have Bill 2 immediately moved into Committee of the Whole.
There being none and Bill 2 is referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Tabled Document 045 – 3(3): Nunavut Business Credit Corporation Annual Report 2009-2010 (Taptuna)
I am pleased to table the annual report of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation for the year 2009-2010.
Tabled Document 046 – 3(3): Correspondence from Sheila Fraser on the Audit of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation ending March 31, 2010 (Aariak)
I am very pleased to table the letter that I received from Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General of Canada, on the completion of her audit on the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation for the year ending March 31, 2010.
Tabled Document 047 – 3(3): Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment Meeting, October 21, 2010 (Shewchuk)
I am pleased to table the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment Meeting, October 21, 2010.
Bills 2, 6, 7, and 8, and Tabled Documents 248 – 3(2), 249 – 3(2), 251 – 3(2), 274 – 3(2), and 275 – 3(2) with Mr. Tapardjuk in the Chair.
Before we go into Committee of the Whole, we will take a 10-minute break.
>>House recessed at 10:59 and Committee resumed at 11:20
Chairman (Mr. Tapardjuk) (interpretation): Good morning.
Thank you for coming back. I would like to call the committee meeting to order.
In Committee of the Whole, we have the following items to deal with: Bills 2, 6, 7, and 8, and Tabled Documents 248 – 3(2), 249 – 3(2), 251 – 3(2), 274 – 3(2), and 275 – 3(2).
We wish to commence the review of Bill 2 and when we have concluded the review, we will report progress.
Are we in agreement that we will now deal with Bill 2?
Bill 02 – An Act to Amend the Scientists Act – Consideration in Committee
Before we start with the review, does Minister Shewchuk, responsible for Arctic College, have opening comments?
Chairman (interpretation): Please proceed with your opening comments.
I am pleased to be here today to present and discuss An Act to Amend the Scientists Act.
The Scientists Act is broad in scope.
Licences issued under the Act are required for a wide variety of scientific studies in the health, social and natural science disciplines across the entire Nunavut settlement area, excluding only scientific research on wildlife and archaeology.
As such, the specific consultation and review requirements for a specific project must reflect the discipline, scope, and location of the proposed research, taking into consideration factors such as other authorizations a project may require beyond the scientific research licences.
It is also important to note that comparable legislation exists only in the other two territories.
The provinces do not have comparable legislation.
Research is an important activity in Nunavut.
Each summer, Nunavut hosts dozens of researchers.
In Nunavut and the other two territories, researchers need to be licensed.
If they are doing wildlife research, they need a licence from the Department of Environment.
If they’re doing archaeological research, they need a licence from the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
For all else, they come to the Nunavut Research Institute.
NRI licensing is done under the Scientists Act.
The licensing process ensures that communities know who is coming into their community to conduct research and what, why, and how they will be conducting their research.
Notification of a research application is sent to hamlet councils.
In the case of research that will impact land and water, notification is also sent to hunters and trappers organizations and the Nunavut Impact Review Board.
The councils, HTOs, and NIRB are given an opportunity to respond prior to a licence being issued.
The licensing process also ensures appropriate reporting of the research.
An annual research report must be filed in NRI’s research library.
These reports are open for public scrutiny.
Reports are also sent to all project reviewers.