EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I do, but before I do, can I please ask the committee if they would excuse Mr. Clerk from the witness table. Is that okay with the committee if he leaves?
He wants another witness to come forth.
Do we agree to excuse the Clerk?
Chairman (interpretation): Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the Clerk from the table.
If you have any opening comments, Mr. Speaker, the floor is open.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear today before the Committee of the Whole on the occasion of its consideration of Bill 12, An Act Respecting Nunavut Elections.
Bill 12 amends the Nunavut Elections Act and the Public Service Act to implement the recommendations of the chief electoral officer in her 2009 annual report and address other matters.
The rules on residence are amended to clarify that a person’s residence is their actual residence and to limit temporary absence from the community or Nunavut to a period no greater than 10 months, with the exception of students that are continuously attending school.
The Nunavut Elections Act currently provides that any eligible Nunavut voter may run for office in a general election in any constituency. However, the rules are different for by-elections.
At present, a person wishing to run in a by-election must be resident in the constituency on the day that the writ is issued.
Bill 12 amends the Nunavut Elections Act to provide that the rules for candidates in by-elections will be the same as the rules for general elections. In addition to achieving more consistency between the rules for general elections and by-elections, it will allow for a greater potential range of candidates to stand for office in both general elections and by-elections, thereby providing more choice for Nunavut voters.
Given our relatively small population, this is a positive measure for the health of our democracy.
The grounds for disqualification of candidates are amended to include former candidates or financial agents who did not comply with their compliance agreement.
The process for registering voters and compiling and revising the voters lists is amended to reflect the current practice of using the electronic voter registration system.
The special provisions respecting voting by radio or satellite phone are being amended to correct an ambiguity and to allow more modern technology.
The process for reviewing the boundaries of constituencies is amended to remove the electoral quotient and to start the regular ten-year adjustment in 2022.
This change will enhance the predictability of the redistribution cycle. The timing of the establishment of the next boundaries commission will enable it to utilize the results of the 2021 national census.
The grounds for a returning officer to reject a candidate are amended to include persons who failed to file a financial return in a previous election or who ceased to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly because of a charge or conviction for an offence.
The process to challenge the rejection of a candidate by the chief electoral officer is being amended to extend the period to make a challenge and to make the challenge a process of judicial review rather than appeal and to provide that it is the court hearing the challenge who determines whether the election will be cancelled.
The provisions applicable to how to validly mark a ballot and when to reject a ballot are amended to provide more certainty in the counting of ballots.
The grounds for voiding an election are amended to harmonize with the powers of the judge hearing the application.
The grounds for refusing to grant access to a document are amended to provide more certainty and to include documents sealed in a ballot box.
A provision is being added to make it clear that a financial agent is required to open an account for their candidate in all cases.
The provisions respecting the annual report of the chief electoral officer are amended to divide the report into one regular annual report for each fiscal year and one report for each general election and by-election.
Provisions respecting the appointment of election officers are amended to grant the appointment power to the returning officer and to allow the appointment of poll clerks who are not otherwise qualified to vote.
This will, for example, enable returning officers to provide opportunities for youth to be exposed to the democratic process and gain valuable work experience. I would note that similar provisions are in place in other Canadian jurisdictions.
The provisions on compliance agreements are amended to correct typographical errors, to refer explicitly to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, and to provide more extensive notification of such agreements.
A few minor housekeeping amendments to correct references to nominations and typographical errors are also included.
The Public Service Act is amended to allow an employee of the government to be appointed as an election official when there is no other suitable person in the community.
Do you wish to have any of your staff members with you at the witness table?
I have two witnesses that I would like to bring to the table.
Are we agreed to bring in the witnesses?
To my right is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly, Ms. Sandy Kusugak. She’s the chief electoral officer for Nunavut. To my left, Mr. Chairman, is Mr. Patrick Orr, who is the legal counsel for Elections Nunavut.
Welcome, Ms. Kusugak and Mr. Orr.
Now I will ask if there are any general comments on the matters we will be dealing with.
I believe there are none.
Do members agree to go to the clause-by-clause review?
We will now deal with (interpretation ends) Bill 12, (interpretation) An Act Respecting Nunavut Elections. (interpretation ends) Clause 1. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 42. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 43. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 44. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 45. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 46. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 47. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 48. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 49. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 50. (interpretation) Do you agree?
First, I want to thank the witnesses in front of us, along with our Speaker.
The bill seems more Nunavut oriented and Nunavut-made since it was drafted here. I have no doubt that it will improve things.
I would like to ask about clause 51. It appears new and it states that an agreement will be reached.
If anyone is charged with committing an infraction in the Elections Act, I would like to ask our legal advisor, Mr. Orr, who would make the allegations.
Is it any member of the general public or anyone who suspects that an infraction was made? Would that then be resolved this way? I don’t believe it was in the original text, at least this phrase in English (interpretation ends) the nature of agreement. (interpretation) Once agreed upon, then it would convert to a compliance agreement.
I can elaborate further in English if I’m not understood.
I don’t want to get it wrong, so I will ask the Legal Counsel for Elections Nunavut, Mr. Orr, to respond to that.
Mr. Orr (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) The agreement is currently an agreement with a person who was alleged to have committed an offence.
The allegation could be because a complaint was made against the person. The complaint was made to the police. It could also be that the Integrity Commissioner independently has reasonable grounds to believe an offence has been committed.
In most cases, it would be a case where a complaint was made against a person and that complaint is made to the police, but it could be independently by the Integrity Commissioner, who becomes aware of a problem and offers the agreement directly.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. Very good. Very clear.
Following the allegations and whatnot were established by appropriate authorities, in the event the person is not willing to enter into a compliance agreement, what are the alternatives then?
I’ll ask the Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut, Ms. Kusugak, to respond to that.
I continue to be calling you a minister even though you’re the Speaker. I apologize. It will be clarified for the record.
Go ahead, Ms. Kusugak.
Ms. Kusugak: Mr. Chairman, in the case that somebody is not willing to sign a compliance agreement, a prosecution can occur like any other crime in Nunavut.
The compliance agreement process was put in place as to having an alternative to court, but if the person is unwilling to agree, then there is a court process available for everyone.
(interpretation ends) Clause 51. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 52. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 57. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Do members agree to Bill 12 as a whole?
Pursuant to Rule 62(2), do you agree that Bill 12 can be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
Mr. Speaker, if you have any closing remarks.
First, I would like to thank the staff of the Legislative Assembly for the preparation work that went into Bill 11.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Kusugak and Mr. Orr for their work in putting together Bill 12 for us.
Hopefully, with some of the challenges that we faced in the last general election, these amendments will help ensure that that won’t happen again.
Hopefully we will have smoother elections and quicker elections for some of us in the future.
Again I would like to thank them very much. It was a lot of work on their part and I thank the members for their support on it.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses out. We will move on with the next item. Thank you.
We will proceed with the wishes of the committee. In Committee of the Whole, there is one item that the members wish to deal with.
Mr. Kusugak, if you have any comments, the floor is now open.
Tabled Document 274 – 3(2): Lease, Contract and Procurement Activity Report 2008-2009 – Consideration in Committee
Tabled Document 275 – 3(2): Lease, Contract and Procurement Activity Report 2009-2010 – Consideration in Committee
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) I am pleased to appear before the Committee of the Whole today to answer any questions the members may have concerning the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s lease, contract and procurement activity reports.
The corporation is presenting combined lease, contract and procurement activity reports for the years 2008-09 and 2009-2010.
Mr. Chairman, this is the first time that Qulliq Energy has submitted such reports. I believe this is yet another positive sign that QEC and its board of directors are committed to improved transparency and accountability.
Mr. Chairman, as a Crown corporation, QEC strives to receive the best value for money by utilizing public processes to advertise for goods and services whenever possible.
I am pleased to note, excluding the purchase of fuel, the value and volume of sole source contracts declined significantly from 2008-09 to 2009-2010.
Mr. Chairman, it’s worth also noting that contract activities which relate to the corporation’s ongoing responsibility for maintaining basic services and safeguarding the health and welfare of Nunavummiut may justify special measures to ensure prompt attention and immediate action.
Depending on the nature of the requirement, this may require obtaining expertise or specialized services outside the normal competitive process. This can occur where a delay would be injurious to the public interest or where there is only one vendor available and qualified to perform the contract.
I am ready to respond to your questions on the overall procurement process and the corporation’s contracts and leases for 2008-09 and 2009-2010.
Actually before you do that, are we agreed to bring in the witness?
Welcome, Minister Kusugak.
For the record, please introduce your witness, Minister Kusugak.
To my right is Mr. Mackey, President of the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Kusugak. Does the mover of the motion, the Member for Quttiktuq, have any general comments before we proceed with questions?
Mr. Elliott: No, Mr. Chairman, I don’t have any general comments.
We will now open the floor to questions. Are there any questions from members? Perhaps Mr. Elliott does have a question.
The floor is open to anyone with a question.
I welcome the president of Qulliq Energy and the minister here to the Committee of the Whole. It’s in regard to your original $2 million contract for residual heat in Iqaluit. I’m just wondering: what’s the total amount that you have spent to date and how is it working out?
Perhaps Mr. Mackey can respond to the question.
Mr. Mackey.
Mr. Mackey: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Just in general terms of district heating here in Iqaluit, I don’t have the particulars on the amounts and dates.
That’s one of the questions you have asked, but it’s something that I can get.
The contracts that are listed here talk about work during the 2008-09 and 2009-2010 years.
It’s not going back further to when it originally began.
In terms of district heating here in Iqaluit, all of our customers except for one remain on the district heating system and they all utilize the district heating system over the winters for the replacement of their furnace or boilers.
Mr. Schell, do you have a supplementary question?
The Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2009-2010 lease, contract and procurement activity report indicates that it awarded a $4,498,000 tender to Tower Arctic for the construction of an office building in Iqaluit (contract 200937).
I would just like to know what the status of this project is.
Is it going to be on budget or are there going to be any extras?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Thank you for the question, Mr. Schell.
As of today, the office building is on schedule and on budget.
Also, the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2009-2010 lease, contract and procurement activity report indicates that it signed a letter of agreement with Environment Canada in the amount of $146,324 and that’s contract No. 11438. Can you clarify the nature of this agreement and explain what services are being provided for this amount?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Schell. Minister Kusugak.
That’s for water monitoring on the potential for hydro power.
I wanted to go back to some of the questions that Mr. Schell had in regard to the $2 million tender and the residual heat expansion project in Iqaluit. The way it has been explained to me is that there are two parts to the residual heat. There’s the actual operation of… .
Again they’re technical terms, so hopefully I can explain it properly.
When the generators are working, heat can be collected in the exhaust and then provide residual heat for other partners, which I think he had said there were other people signed on with it, but then there’s also the heating of the glycol and whatnot and that’s circulated to create heat as well.
I’m just wondering: in terms of both of those projects, are they both operating as well as they should be?
Maybe because of the technicality of this question, Mr. Mackey could answer that.
Two components comprise the district heating system where we supply heat from.
The first is the glycol off the engine itself that is captured through heat exchangers and then distributed out through the system.
The other component is the exhaust gas heat recovery units and these are used to capture the heat coming from the exhaust and convert that to heat, which we can then distribute to our customer base.
The original exhaust gas heat recovery units that were installed several years ago, four or five years ago, had unanticipated problems in terms of design and working with the engines that are there.
Those exhaust gas heat recovery units have been taken out of service. New exhaust gas heat recovery units that work with the engines that are there have been located, designed, and ordered for replacement and put into place.
The reason why we are extending this and putting new exhaust gas heat recovery units in is to ensure that we can continue to expand the district heating system to other customers throughout the Iqaluit area and therefore, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions.
Just to remind you that we have interpreters and you should speak a little slower so that we can all understand, as well as those listening.
It also helps me to be able to process what you’re saying.
So there are the two parts to it and you have said that there is obviously one part that is not working, and you have said you ordered the parts in and they’re going to be brought in. Obviously you’re doing it to cut down on emissions, as you have mentioned, but it also may be as a way of generating more revenue and whatnot. In terms of the partners or customers on that system, how many customers are there?
Are they all still on it or are they not happy with the service they’re getting?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Yes, Mr. Chairman, currently we only have one customer on that program at this time.
I believe Mr. Mackey was mentioning that the program started before 2008-09, so it has been going for a while.
I’m wondering: are there any plans for evaluating the program in terms of the amount of money that has been spent on it so far as compared to how much of a savings or how much of a benefit to the environment? Is that sort of cost savings or analysis going to be happening?
Just to clarify, I said that we only have one customer; we only have one customer offline right now of the customers we do have online. That’s the city. We’re working to rectify that at this time.
As for the second question, I’ll ask Mr. Mackey to answer that slowly.
Thank you for your question. It’s a good question.
I have asked our Department of Finance to do something with district heating so that we can treat it separately from our normal course of business of generating and distributing electricity.
From the URRC perspective, the district heating system feeds just a few customers, so we wouldn’t want the cost of the district heating systems to be borne by our entire customer base. So what Qulliq Energy is looking at doing is establishing a separate tracking of the finances for the district heating system so that we can track its revenue as well as its expenses.
They will utilize the revenue from the district heating system to expand district heating systems in all of the communities. Therefore, the cost for the district heating systems won’t be borne by the general ratepayers; it will be borne by the customers that get the benefit from it.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Mackey.
But again, as Mr. Kusugak pointed out, if you don’t have any customers, how do you justify spending the money on it?
I guess that’s what I’m asking.
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to reiterate that I said the wrong thing.
I said that only one of our customers is currently offline and we’re working to rectify that. We do have customers on the system.
I’ll ask again: how many customers do you actually have on the system now?
We don’t have the exact number on hand, but I’m sure we can make it available.
Also I’m wondering: do you have the dollar figure? This tender itself was for $2 million. Is there an overall figure as to how much both systems are costing?
Again, you had said that it’s not costing the ratepayers across the territory but it’s costing the people who are the customers of this service.
If you would allow Mr. Mackey to answer that question.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Go ahead, Mr. Mackey.
Yes, we can come up with the exact figures in terms of the total cost for the infrastructure for the City of Iqaluit.
I don’t have that information right here now, but I would like to point out that this district heating system began as a partnership with the federal government.
A substantial amount of the funding for this came from the federal government. Moving forward, the revenue stream from the district heating systems will be utilized to expand or grow with the systems in this community and in other communities.
In terms of the residual heat expansion, you’re talking about the federal government’s investment and whatnot.
Obviously we’re aware that Iqaluit is one of the communities that’s benefiting from this. What other communities are actually involved with that?
In some of the research I have done, I think Sanikiluaq was one that was being heated. They would use the heat for their school through that, but are there a number of these projects across the territory?
I can’t name them off the top of my head, but I understand there are 11 other communities that are involved in this kind of project.
I wasn’t aware that there were that many communities across the territory.
Our Economic Development Committee in Arctic Bay is working towards finding alternate ways of helping the environment and whatnot.
I know we have been looking into that in terms of what we could possibly do in our community. So it’s nice to know that other communities are taking advantage.
Again going back to some of the questions that the member from South Baffin was asking in terms of the new facilities or the office building here in Iqaluit, I know I had asked the minister in oral questions about that facility.
I wanted to follow up with some similar questions in terms of when the buildings will actually be completed and have office workers in the building.
I was anticipating you asking that at question period.
The plan is to have this complete by July 1 and then the staff will move in over the summer period. We’re looking to have a grand opening some time in early fall.
In terms of all of the offices within the building, will it only house office space for QEC employees?
Yes, there is a lot of staff out there in many different buildings here.
Only QEC will be staffed in that building at this time.
I have seen the outside of the building; I haven’t been inside. In terms of the building itself, are there housing units on the upper floors of the building like some of the buildings we have in Iqaluit to provide accommodations for some of the QEC staff or is it specifically office?
There was initial thought of putting in a couple of transient units at the initial stages but now it’s all office spaces, Mr. Chairman.
Could the minister confirm if all of the people who will be working in the building are actual people from Iqaluit and that you won’t be importing people from Baker Lake and other communities to work here?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Absolutely not, Mr. Chairman.
It’s just for Iqaluit.
There is no hidden agenda to move people from other communities.
This will house QEC employees who currently have offices in Iqaluit.
That’s the plan as of now, Mr. Chairman.
Again, one of the 2009-2010 leases, the one with the letter of agreement with Environment Canada for the $146,000 that Mr. Schell was asking, it’s contract 11438, I was just wondering if the minister could explain a little bit more what was involved with that.
What I’m getting at is: is it based around some of the campaign promises that our MP was talking about in terms of a hydroelectric dam here in Iqaluit?
The campaign happened last month. This has been in place a little longer than that.
It’s just to continue the plan to monitor water flow, Mr. Chairman.
So then, again, it’s specifically for Iqaluit and water flow of rivers to see what capacity of water is flowing to be able to calculate how much power could be generated.
Yes, I believe my colleague has the gist of the whole issue.
We need to make sure that there’s enough water flow to ensure that hydro can be created from this. That’s all that is for. In a long-term picture, it gives you a good spreadsheet.
If you do it over a certain period of time, then you can start to realize the weak flows or the stronger flows, and so on. That’s the reason behind that, Mr. Chairman.
My next question is: what was the total amount of funding spent by the QEC in 2009-2010 for contracted services in the field of information technology?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Could you re-ask that question? Mr. Chairman, could I ask that that question be asked again.
I didn’t quite understand it.
Mr. Elliott: No problem, Mr. Chairman.