EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
211 – 2(3): Grise Fiord Community Hall (Barnabas) 1617
212 – 2(3): Social Work Week (Kilabuk) 1618
213 – 2(3): Minister of Energy – Picco (Tootoo) 1618
249 – 2(3): Power Corporation Collective Agreement (Tootoo) 1619
250 – 2(3): Medical Transportation Office in Pangnirtung – Cost (Barnabas) 1621
251 – 2(3): Update Cape Christian Site Clean-up (Arreak) 1623
252 – 2(3): Health and Welfare of Inmates (Peterson) 1625
253 – 2(3): Pilot Project Training Medical Escorts (Kilabuk) 1627
254 – 2(3): Health and Social Services Staff Concerns (Tootoo) 1629
255 – 2(3): Potential Mine Training Site (Barnabas) 1631
256 – 2(3): Health Specialist Visits (Tootoo) 1634
257 – 2(3): Lobbying in Nunavut (Peterson) 1636
258 – 2(3): Medical Transportation Office in Iqaluit (Arreak) 1637
006 – 2(3): Fair Allocation of New Deal for Cities and Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund to Non-Decentralized Communities (Barnabas) 1664
098 – 2(3): F/P/T Joint Ministers’ Meeting – Ministers Responsible for Forests, Wildlife, Endangered Species, Fisheries and Aquaculture – October 2005 (Akesuk) 1640
Bill 15 – An Act to Amend the Senior Citizens & Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act – First Reading 1641
Bill 15 – An Act to Amend the Senior Citizens & Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act – Second Reading 1641
Bill 12 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance), Act 2006-07 – Review in Committee – Community and Government Services 1643
Bill 12 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2006-07 – Review in Committee – Economic Development and Transportation 1667
Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Honourable Olayuk Akesuk, Mr. David Alagalak, Mr. James Arreak, Mr. Levi Barnabas, Honourable Levinia Brown, Mr. Peter Kattuk, Mr. Peter Kilabuk, Honourable Patterk Netser, Honourable Jobie Nutarak, Honourable Paul Okalik, Mr. Keith Peterson, Honourable Edward Picco, Honourable David Simailak, Mr. Hunter Tootoo.
Speaker (interpretation): Good morning. Premier, Cabinet Members, Members of the Legislature and the staff.
Minister’s Statement 083 – 2(3): Social Work Week 2006 (Aglukkaq)
Today, I want to speak about a helping profession that sometimes is overshadowed by stories about nurses and physicians. That profession is social work; one practised by people in all our communities.
We ask our social workers to work in sometimes very emotionally charged circumstances involving children, patients and families.
They respond on our behalf at any hour of the day when needed and sometimes are put at great personal risk.
Mr. Speaker, I know people often think that the job of a social worker is only child protection and corrections activities, but that is not true.
Social workers often support people in crisis, counsel new parents, and care for people in times when they are vulnerable and in need of support.
Social Work Week will be celebrated in Nunavut from March 19 to 25.
Mr. Speaker, as part of those celebrations, my department will personally recognize each of the 60 people who contribute to our society’s wellbeing and I invite the hamlet mayors and councillors to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I feel that we should not wait for a special week to come along once a year to take the time to reflect on the contributions that social workers, and in fact, all of our Social Services and Health staff make to the quality and safety of the lives of Nunavummiut; our community, regional and territorial staff are compassionate, caring, skilled and committed to their work to support people who need help.
In my work as minister, I have met many of the staff and have come to understand that they are prepared to be challenged about the quality of their work.
They challenge themselves each and every day to make sure they are practising to the best of their abilities, and to the standards demanded by their profession.
However, Mr. Speaker, it is also fair to say that they are hurt and demoralized when the papers or radio convey mean-spirited, broad attacks that feel aimed at each and every one of them.
Much of this criticism has more to do with the size of the budget that our staff work with, or the rules and policies they are obligated to uphold.
As minister I expect to be held to account for the Department of Health and Social Service’s budget, rules and policies. I in turn expect each and every one of our front line and professional staff to be held to account for the quality of their work.
Mr. Speaker, let me end my remarks by urging all Nunavummiut, to support and value the front line workers who contribute so much to our well-being.
Let us end the negativity and focus on the solutions that will make Nunavut and our people strong and well.
Minister’s Statement 084 – 2(3): 2006 Arctic Winter Games – Day Four (Netser)
Mr. Speaker, Team Nunavut has been winning on average nine medals per competitive day. Yesterday alone, Mr. Speaker, Team Nunavut won 22 medals.
They are starting to play like the Montreal Canadians.
Total medal standing is now at 50 with another day left at competitions. Our congratulations go to the following athletes: Manasie Kendall will be bringing home his third gold in the speed skating competition, while Andy Taqqataaq-Kattaluk of Coral Harbour in my community was the top wrestler in his category.
Adrian Angnaujimajuq won silver in open male finger pull. Team Nunavut also won silver in the hand games. Sam Nipisaq of Whale Cove won silver in the one-foot high kick, with a height of eight feet and 10 inches, even taller than me.
Philip Keenainak-Verrault won silver and David Calome and Isabel Martel won bronze in their categories at speed skating.
Wrestlers Aaron Tulugarjuk of Igloolik and Troy Aqaak-Netser, my nephew from Coral Harbour, won silver for their individual weight categories, and the bronze medal standing goes to Susie Pearce for her 6 foot 8 inch 1-foot high kick.
Andrew Atagatak for his knuckle jump competition, and Pia Tikivik and Tony Naulalaik for their table tennis singles, and last but certainly not least our six Team Nunavut wrestlers. Roxy Irniq, from Arviat, Odelia Imiqtaut, my little niece from Coral Harbour, Lynn Imiqtaut, my niece also from Coral Harbour, and Arsie Tootoo-Angutialuq, from Coral Harbour as well. Ryan Paunngaq and Cory Paniaq, from Whale Cove, who is my niece as well.
Member’s Statement 210 – 2(3): Wellness Treatment Program Graduates in Cambridge Bay (Peterson)
I am pleased to rise today to inform the House about a good news story in Cambridge Bay. Mr. Speaker, later today, eight men will be graduating from a three-week out-patient alcohol treatment program that the wellness centre is putting on for men in my community.
Mr. Speaker, the program started with ten participants.
The fact that 80 percent completed the program is impressive.
In residential treatment programs elsewhere, the completion rate is only 50 to 60 percent.
Mr. Speaker, this success of the out-patient treatment is due largely to the commitment of the men who have made the courageous decision to improve their lives. They are receiving tremendous support from their families, friends and counsellors.
Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the year, the wellness centre has delivered two successful three-week out-patient treatment programs. The first of the programs for women was held in January and February. The wellness centre is planning another three-week program for men in May, and a two-week program for women is beginning later this month.
Mr. Speaker, the wellness centre matches the Treatment Program into the needs of our clients and it appears that the men are really motivated this year. The wellness centre is responding quickly and positively to their client’s needs.
Mr. Speaker, I previously informed the House about the wellness centre’s successful treatment programs.
However, the wellness centre has run out of available human and financial resources. They can only do so much for their clients when they do not have all the program funds, staff, and work facilities needed to offer a full range of programs to their clients.
Mr. Speaker, the evidence from Cambridge Bay successfully highlights that we do not need to send people out of territory for treatment programs. We can help them and support them in our communities.
I urge the Government of Nunavut to work with the wellness centre and help them with the resources and facilities they require to continue to offer treatment program to clients from Cambridge Bay and the Kitikmeot.
Mr. Speaker, the men who are graduating today invited me to say a few words to them at the graduation ceremony. I am very honoured and privileged that they had asked me to do so.
Mr. Speaker, I would like the House to join me in congratulating the men who are graduating from the three-week out patient program later today in Cambridge Bay.
Furthermore, I would like the House to join me in wishing all the graduates from the wellness centre’s treatment program a happy life with their families and friends. They are role models and leaders for others in our communities.
Member’s Statement 211 – 2(3): Grise Fiord Community Hall (Barnabas)
I rise today to talk about one of my constituencies.
In one of the communities, the community hall is too small.
Last year, the Cabinet Members had a retreat in Resolute Bay and they were able to attend the NTI meeting in Grise Fiord where they were able to see the community hall up there.
The municipality had already stated that their community hall is too small.
They say in English, (interpretation ends) there’s no full size courts, except for badminton, no spectator room, the spectator room is extremely limited.
The hamlet has outgrown the facility and the hamlet needs a bigger community hall and gymnasium.
The hamlet is unable to host sports from other communities because of the size of it. It is used extensively by the youth in the evenings; it is used by the community extensively all year round. The hamlet needs a bigger gymnasium.
This will be assessed as one of the priorities in the capital plan this council will emphasize.
Member’s Statement 212 – 2(3): Social Work Week (Kilabuk)
I feel today is the right time that the Minister of Health and Social Services for Social Work Week, she made a minister’s statement on Social Work Week and I also rise, too, to state to them that I’m in support of social workers.
Many of us, as we are aware, if there weren’t any social workers, we would have had a lot more work to do because the social workers, they are the frontline workers. That’s why we have to rise up and give support to the social workers because they work with families, Inuit entities, and boards and agencies. Sometimes, their work impacts everybody, not just for the social workers, but also, it has an impact for the families.
I feel today is the right time, Mr. Speaker, to rise up and give support to the Social Work Week and I also would like to ask my colleagues to support this Social Work Week in Nunavut.
Member’s Statement 213 – 2(3): Minister of Energy – Picco (Tootoo)
I would like to just start off my member’s statement by saying hello to my daughter Oseanne who is in my office watching me on TV, I say hi to her.
I thank my constituency assistant, Amanda, for keeping an eye on her while I’m in here.
Mr. Speaker yesterday was a rather electrifying day as some members will know here in the Assembly.
I think Minister Picco, our Minister of Energy was sending around a sample of a new pen that he was looking to get as Minister of Energy.
It went over quite well with some members and it really electrified some of the members and they were excited to see Mr. Picco’s new energy pen.
Mr. Speaker, the minister also noted that he is the Minister of Energy, Mr. Picco, and as he had indicated that there were severe problems due to severe weather with the power over the last few weeks.
When the power went out in my area of town, it fried my DVD/VCR player.
If it costs too much to fix I will bring it down to Mr. Picco. Lo and behold, I took it down to Baffin Electronics to ask the man there who fixes things like that and as soon as I told him what happened he said, “I know what is wrong.”
And I said, “Oh, what is that?”
And he said, “Your Pico fuse is gone.”
Mr. Speaker, that is the actual name of the fuse in these machines and I think that it is rather appropriate given that it is a Pico fuse that we have a Picco as the minister responsible for blowing Pico fuses.
I thank the Premier for appropriately putting Mr. Picco in charge of energy.
Again, I would like to recognize my daughter Oceana watching and I never waved to her last time, so I will wave to her this time.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize in the Gallery a constituent of mine. She is a well-known individual here in Iqaluit and throughout the territory, Ms. Eva Onalik, she is the Manager for Canadian North here in Iqaluit.
Also sitting with her, Mr. Speaker, is Wanda Norwegian she is the Director of Human Resources for Norterra and also on the other side, we are continuing on down the line, we have Annie Stein, she is the Manager of Training and Development for NTCL.
Mr. Speaker, they are here in Iqaluit meeting with the federal government and Nunavut Community Economic Development Organization regarding Nunavut youth employment initiatives, seeking to increase Nunavut employment opportunities for Nunavut youth.
I would like to take this opportunity and ask all members to join me in welcoming them to the Gallery.
Question 249 – 2(3): Power Corporation Collective Agreement (Tootoo)
Along with my Member’s Statement, I guess I will have to ask the Minister of Energy, Mr. Picco, a question and also note that I forgot to mention that is the first time I have ever seen Mr. Picco blow a fuse.
Mr. Speaker, my question to the minister is this: ten months ago the employees of the Power Corporation ratified their collective agreement, I think it was June 16th and to this date they have still not been signed off.
I was just wondering if the minister could explain to the Members of this House what the delay in having it signed off by the government is.
First of all, I would like to thank the member for his very kind remarks during his Member’s Statement.
As we know, Mr. Tootoo is finding out some new things every day and if he went on to a Google search, he would find out about the Picco Engine, Picco’s Pizza in Boston, the wonderful Ed Picco, and so on. So I thank him for addressing that issue.
Mr. Speaker, quickly, there is really no mystery with the process that’s involved in the collective agreement negotiations and then the sign off. Once the package has been passed back and forth through the table process, it goes back to the members for ratification. The ratification process has gone forward, and once that approval has gone forward, then it comes back for final signing by the minister responsible.
In this case, we’re looking at the Minister of Energy.
In the last several days, that authorization has been given, and the minister now will be in a position with the right documentation to sign off on the agreement. Nothing has changed with the collective agreement. All the members have been paid based on what was negotiated, so on and so forth.
So the delay is an administrative one. It is not a financial one or a logistical one.
I wonder if I went on a Google search if I would find a Picco bobble head. I’m sure that would be quite popular.
Mr. Speaker, the minister indicated that it was an administrative delay in signing that. Is it the fact that he couldn’t find the appropriate pen to sign off on the paperwork for it? I’m just wondering if he could elaborate more.
Like I said, it’s been 10 months since it has been ratified.
Why is it taking 10 months to go through whatever administrative process it takes for him to sign off on it?
I get him. I didn’t understand him.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, very quickly, again, there is no real mystery here.
What has occurred on the file is that, again, as the ratification package went through, and so on, and so forth, it has come back to the Financial Management Board.
As I just explained, authorization has been given now, duly, for the Minister of Energy to sign off on behalf and for the government.
That documentation is being prepared. Again, this is just an administrative exercise. The main point here is what was negotiated at the bargaining table is being paid out to the employees.
There has been no delay in that process.
I never made any suggestions that the government wasn’t living up to its obligations under the new collective agreement that was ratified to the employees, but I’d like to thank the minister for clarifying that for everybody.
He’d indicated that the Financial Management Board has now given him the authority or the authorization to sign off on that. Can he be a little bit more specific as to when he plans on signing that off and delivering it to the Nunavut Employees Union?
In these types of processes, there are protocols in place and so on, and I’ve had an opportunity to have been in communication with the President of the Nunavut Employees Union concerning this issue.
I would hope to be in position in the next several days to be able to sign off officially on the collective agreement.
Question 250 – 2(3): Medical Transportation Office in Pangnirtung – Cost (Barnabas)
Mr. Speaker, I sometimes visit the Tammaativvik Boarding Home, and I talk to the boarders while they’re here in Iqaluit, and I have witnessed, I have seen that since transportation office was moved to Pangnirtung from here, that even though their travel arrangements have been made, they have been left behind.
For my constituents, the flight goes up four times, but there are only eight seats.
In the other communities, I have heard that people are getting left behind because it was moved to Pangnirtung.
It is clear now that when this keeps happening, the Nunavut Government will be spending a lot more money because the people who are on medical travel are being left behind.
I wonder if the minister can state as to how much more it will cost because of this hiccup.
February 16, so it has been less than a month since we transferred that function to Pangnirtung as part of the decentralization plan. In terms of the cost of having it there, I can look into that.
It will involve positions being moved to Pangnirtung to meet our targets under the Department of Health Decentralization Plan. At the same time, we have the office in the hospital that provides that service.
Since the transportation office was transferred to Pangnirtung, if it will cost more for the Nunavut Government, I wonder if the minister can reconsider bringing that Transportation Office back to Iqaluit.
There is an office in Iqaluit that provides transportation coordination for patients traveling from Iqaluit to the south. So there’s still an office here.
The Pangnirtung office is keeping in line with the decentralization plan.
I will have to review that. If there’s any change to moving positions back to Iqaluit from Pangnirtung from the decentralization framework, then I would have to seek consent of Cabinet to make those changes.
It doesn’t affect only the Tammaativvik patients; it also affects the government because their employees stay in the hotels.
If they are going to be constantly left behind, it’s obvious that it will cost more for that individual and for the government.
What are the minister’s plans in regard to this?
We will continue to monitor the change and improve services as we go along. Yes, there have been hiccups, the word hiccups being a popular word this past week.
We have been trying to address some of those concerns as they arise and I mentioned before that with any change, there are bound to be some errors made or mistakes made along the way and we are trying to address those.
I do appreciate the member raising the information or the individuals’ concerns and we are following those on a case-by-case basis and we will continue to monitor the services.
At the same time, the member has asked us to look into the cost. Of course, that will be part of the overall budget management of that division.
As I stated, there are only eight seats that go up to my constituents.
It goes up four times, but there are a growing number of patients who can’t get on, who are left behind.
Mr. Speaker, if that is the case; what is going to happen? Most likely that trend will continue because maybe the planes will be too full.
I want to spend some time with the member and speak to him about the eight seats he’s referring to.
I don’t know if the concern here is related to the travel arrangements that we’re making or the actual airline capacity to fly patients in and out of whichever community. So I would like an opportunity to sit down with the member for that.
The airline capacity and scheduled flights, we work with the system, and we work with the service providers in Nunavut for First Air, or Canadian, or Kenn Borek, and so on. So I will want an opportunity to sit down with the member and discuss the whole issue around the eight seats he makes reference to.
I don’t know what community that is, so that would be helpful in trying to address some of his concerns.
Question 251 – 2(3): Update Cape Christian Site Clean-up (Arreak)
On April 29, 2005, I asked questions on environmental issues and the status of the Cape Christian and Old Clyde River site cleanups. The Minister of Environment responded to my questions by indicating that discussions were ongoing with respect to land ownership issues in relation to the Cape Christian site.
He also told the House that the status of the Old Clyde River site cleanup was under review and that the community was holding discussions with the federal government.
At that time, there was uncertainty as to which level of government had overall responsibility for these issues, but I am sure that the GN is closely monitoring the situation. It has now been 11 months since I asked my questions. I would like to follow up on them today.
If the Minister of Environment is not the appropriate minister, perhaps he can indicate which minister can respond to me.
Mr. Speaker, what is the status of the Old Clyde River and Cape Christian cleanups?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Good morning colleagues.
In regard to the cleanup, we have been working on the cleanup of DEW Line Sites in Nunavut, even though we’re not the actual staff doing the cleaning up.
We do the checking over of the cleanup that has been done by the federal government. The federal government Crown lands, as well as Nunavut Land Claim lands are being monitored mostly by people from the Nunavut area.
I understand that the actual cleanup staff here for cleaning up the DEW line site, I do believe that the funding application process is being handled by the Government of Nunavut, that’s the reason I was asking him for clarification as to how the cleanup process is going.
It’s also included under their business plan, but they would like to work a lot better with their partners.
(interpretation ends) “Collaborate with Inuit organizations on strategic ways to address general monitoring programs and contaminated sites.” (interpretation) I would like the minister to clarify and consult me on the cleaning process.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Up to this date, since we have been working on the clean-up process, the Department of Indian Affairs, DIAND are the ones that are responsible for the operation of the clean-up process under the Crown lands, as well as the Nunavut lands.
The ones that provide the funding for the actual clean-up, if they can give us the money, then we would be doing the job that the federal government is doing.
They are the ones that are cleaning using the Qikiqtani Corporation as well as the Nunavut Tunngavik and the federal government are in partnership to do that particular job.
Mr. Arreak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister.
Since December 2004, we received $300,000 set aside for Christian clean-up around the environment of that area.
They were deferred to the following year to be used; how is that being used Mr. Speaker?
I know that the responsible department is doing their job properly and within our own government, we are responsible in Nunavut to monitor the actual clean-up so that we can see whether people are doing their job or not.