EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Chairman (interpretation): Are my colleagues in agreement that pursuant to Rule 62(2) that Bill 2 can immediately be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
Minister, if you have any closing remarks, the floor is yours.
I would like to thank you and the Members of the Committee of the Whole for your support in putting all of these parts together.
We are going to have a busy construction season with important projects for all of Nunavut, for all of our communities.
I would like to thank the Department of the Community Government Services’ officials for working very closely with our officials from the Department of Finance.
I would like to thank the gentleman to my left this time, Mr. Jeff Chown.
He has put a lot of hard work into getting all of this stuff together for us and keeping track. I don’t know how he does it but somehow he does, so it’s good to have officials like him around.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Peterson. I also thank your officials.
We have finished that bill, so we can now move on to another bill.
Please refer to Bill 4, (interpretation ends) An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act.
(interpretation) Our legal counsel can come to our table before we start reviewing the bill if that’s okay with you.
Ms. Cooper will be at the table.
I would like to ask Minister Peterson, Minister of Finance, if he has opening remarks for Bill 4.
Bill 04 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – Consideration in Committee
I do. Good evening again, members.
I am pleased to speak to Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act.
Bill 4 provides tax relief to Nunavummiut in the following forms:
an increased pension amount for retirees and seniors,
a firefighter tax credit for our volunteer firefighters,
a textbook amount for students, and
a business training tax credit to enhance our workplace skills and abilities.
This bill also addresses an administrative amendment to change the wording of the donation tax credit to conform to the federal statute.
Nunavummiut who are currently receiving pension income can claim a 4 percent territorial tax credit on the first $1,000 that they receive.
Bill 4 aims to increase this amount to $2,000, which matches the amount that can be claimed under the federal tax credit.
This change affects approximately 600 tax filers based on the most current data from the 2007 tax year.
On average, these 600 pension recipients claimed $578,000 in tax credits, resulting in a tax savings of $23,120.
Combined with the federal tax credit, this averages to $317.78 per person.
An increase in the pension amount results in an additional average tax savings of $38.50.
Volunteer firefighters often put their own lives at risks to save others. In recognition of this dedication, Bill 4 seeks to create a tax credit for volunteer firefighters. Any volunteer firefighter who commits 200 hours of training and on-call service will be eligible to claim a $500 tax credit.
This credit reduces the territorial tax that volunteer firefighters will have to pay by the full $500. We believe that this credit will help as many as 300 volunteer firefighters in Nunavut. The cost to the government is approximately $150,000.
Higher education and learning is a cornerstone of the modern wage economy.
Bill 4 introduces an amount for textbooks that can be claimed by Nunavut students. Full-time students will be able to claim $65 per month for textbooks, while part-time students are eligible to claim $20 per month.
This credit mirrors the federal credit and helps provide tax relief to students and the parents of students.
An administrative change is being made to the wording in our Tax Act for charitable donations to make it consistent with the federal statute.
The current Act has always been administered as if the change had been made and now the legislation is being updated.
Finally, Bill 4 introduces a business tax training credit that allows eligible Nunavut employers to claim tax credits for training Nunavut employees.
This program was developed in consultation with private and public stakeholders and received warm reviews.
The tax credit is based on 30 percent of their training expenditures. This percentage can increase to 50 percent if the employees being trained are beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
Small businesses will be able to claim up to $10,000 in credits, while large businesses will be able to claim up to $50,000. The total amount of the tax credits is limited to $1.5 million each fiscal year.
I will be pleased to take questions now.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Peterson. (interpretation ends) Do you have additional witnesses or new witnesses to appear with you?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Yes, I want to let Mr. Chown go sit in the Gallery and I’ll introduce Mr. Peter Tumilty.
Chairman: Minister Peterson, can you please introduce your new witness?
To my left is Mr. Peter Tumilty, Director of Fiscal Policy, we also refer to him as our tax man.
Chairman: He’s not welcome if he’s collecting taxes.
(interpretation) Does the Standing Committee on Legislation have any opening comments?
As Co-Chair of the Standing Committee on Legislation, I am pleased to make some brief opening comments as we begin consideration of Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act.
The standing committee recognizes that this bill has been introduced in order to implement a number of tax measures that were announced in the Government of Nunavut’s 2008 Budget Address.
During the Minister of Finance’s recent appearance before the standing committee, members took the opportunity to raise a number of concerns with respect to the implementation and administration of the proposed tax measures.
Members note that the proposed new business training tax credit program will end on March 31, 2014.
Bill 4 provides that the total amount of all business training tax credits available to all eligible employers during any 12-month period from April 1 to March 31 shall not exceed $1.5 million.
The standing committee recommends that the minister report annually to the Legislative Assembly on the administration of this program.
This process will help the government to evaluate the program’s success in encouraging employers to provide training to Nunavutmiut.
It will also assist the government in determining if the annual program limit is sufficient to meet demand.
The standing committee also looks forward to the government reporting on the number of volunteer firefighters and students who benefit from the proposed firefighter tax credit and the textbook credit.
Mr. Chairman, as I noted earlier, the proposed changes to the Income Tax Act were originally announced in last year’s Budget Address.
The standing committee encourages the government to introduce bills of this nature in a timely manner.
Before we proceed, I would like to remind members of the following: according to Rule 77(1), you have 10 minuets to speak, and according to Rule 77(2), subject to the discretion of the Chair, a member may speak more than once to a matter under discussion but not until every member wishing to speak has spoken.
No one has their hand up, so we can now begin the clause-by-clause review of the bill if that’s okay with you.
We will go to page 2.
Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. (interpretation ends) Clause 1. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 6. (interpretation) Mr. Aupaluktuq has a question.
Mr. Aupaluktuq: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. As the minister will recall, I asked him a question during his recent appearance before the standing committee on the issue of whether students taking distance education courses would be eligible to benefit from the textbook credit.
The minister undertook to look into my question and I would like to ask him if he has that information with him today.
Chairman: Very good question, Mr. Aupaluktuq.
Minister, I hope you have a response.
Indeed, we do have a response if you would like me to provide it. Okay. We’ve got to follow the official script here.
The answer to Mr. Aupaluktuq’s question is that this credit mirrors the federal one. If the correspondence, of course, qualifies for the federal amount, it will also qualify for the territorial amount. So it’s tied to the federal income tax.
(interpretation ends) Hopefully it’s covered by the federal government so we can get the credit for the students.
Clause 6. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman: Clause 9. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Are my colleagues agreed to Bill 4 as a whole?
Chairman (interpretation): Are my colleagues in agreement that pursuant to Rule 62(2) that Bill 4 can immediately be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
Minister Peterson, the floor is open if you have any closing remarks.
I thank the members. Thank you for all your good questions in the standing committee meeting.
These are great comments to the Chairman and I’m sure we can provide annual reports and information to the standing committee, Committee of the Whole, and table them in the Legislative Assembly so you will see how all of these changes are benefiting Nunavummiut.
I also would like to thank my officials for working so hard and diligently on these changes so that we can clean up the Income Tax Act today and endeavour in the future to be timelier in brining amendments forward.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) I was glad to clean up some outstanding issues from last term as well.
Thank you, Minister, for carrying that ball and completing some of our promises from the last term. Good job.
(interpretation) We will move on to another item. I would like to thank all of his officials for making an appearance.
We will now be dealing with Bill 5, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act. (interpretation ends) Minister of Justice, Mr. Peterson, (interpretation) you can now begin with your opening comments.
Bill 05 – Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2009 – Consideration in Committee
Miscellaneous bills such as this one are commonly used in other jurisdictions in Canada to correct mistakes in Acts and to make other non-controversial changes. In fact, many jurisdictions do one every year.
This bill amends six Acts to correct errors and to replace references to the Northwest Territories with references to Nunavut.
This bill corrects an omission in the Family Abuse Intervention Act – that Act authorizes designated Justices of the Peace to issue orders, including community intervention orders, but a mechanism for designating which Justices of the Peace can issue community intervention orders was inadvertently omitted.
This bill removes outdated references to certain entities in the schedules to the Financial Administration Act and the Public Service Act, and further updates the Public Service Act by referring to the “Qulliq Energy Corporation” instead of the “Nunavut Power Corporation.”
Finally, this bill also includes amendments to the Public Trustee Act to ensure that the drafting is in accordance with established standards.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Peterson. (interpretation ends) As this is a justice matter and you still have your finance officials, I’m sure you want to put forward new witnesses. So we thank your officials and I leave it to you if you want additional or new witnesses at the table.
Yes, I have a justice official I would like to join me. I would like to thank Mr. Ma and Mr. Tumilty and have them return to the Gallery.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the new witness in.
Is it okay with the committee members to bring in the new witness?
Chairman (interpretation): Minister, I now give you the opportunity to introduce your new witness.
I would like to welcome Mr. Ken Chutskoff, who is the Director of our Legislation Division. He just joined the Government of Nunavut on June 1, so I hope you folks get the chance to see him here a few more times in the coming years.
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): So that we are not misunderstood by the new witness, we don’t say nay, we say Ii when we are agreeing in Inuktitut.
I just wanted to clarify that point.
We can now proceed to the clause-by-clause review of the bill starting with page 1.
Bill 5, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act.
Clause 1 and Schedule A is on page 4 and 5.
If you can review the various amendments to the Act on Schedule A. Do you agree to the amendments?
Chairman: Clause 2 (interpretation) is on page 6. The provisions to be amended must be reviewed.
Do you agree with Schedule B?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Clause 3. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Refer to Schedule C on page 7. You must first agree to Schedule C on page 7.
Chairman: Clause 6. (interpretation) Before you agree to this clause, you must first review Schedule D on page 8 and 9.
Are my colleagues agreed to Bill 5 as a whole?
Chairman (interpretation): Do my colleagues agree that pursuant to Rule 62(2) that Bill 5 can immediately be placed on the orders of the day for third reading?
We have concluded the bill.
Minister Peterson, if you have any closing comments, the floor is now yours.
I thank the Members of the Committee of the Whole again; I appreciate your scrutiny of this bill.
It is important that we update these Acts and references to Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories ten years after we left there, it’s long overdue.
I would like to thank Mr. Chutskoff for his work on these important amendments in his first 16 days on the job.
I look forward to working with him, you guys, the standing committees, and the Committee of the Whole in the future.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Peterson. (interpretation ends) I think I’m hungry, so I think we’re done.
Are there any other issues on the floor?
(interpretation) We are now finished.
Would you like to report progress?
The committee meeting is over and I will now rise to report progress.
Just for the record, I think we need a formal motion to report progress.
So we can’t just sit there and say, “Yeah, we agree.” We unfortunately have to follow procedure, so I’ll make that motion to report progress.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Tootoo. (interpretation) There is a motion on the floor to report progress and the motion is not debatable.
Your committee has been considering Bills 1, 2, 4, and 5 and would like to report that Bills 1, 2, 4, and 5 are now ready for third reading.
That’s Item 20 but I referred to it as Item 21.
Bill 01 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2009-2010 – Third Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Iqaluit Centre, that Bill 1, Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2009-2010, be read for the third time.
Bill 02 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2009-2010 – Third Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Iqaluit Centre, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2009-2010, be read for the third time.
Bill 04 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – Third Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Iqaluit Centre, that Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the third time.
Bill 05 – Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2009 – Third Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Iqaluit Centre, that Bill 5, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2009, be read for the third time.
The motion is carried and Bill 5 is ready for assent.
Before we proceed with the orders of the day, Mr. Clerk, will you ascertain if the senior judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice is prepared to enter the Chambers to give assent to bills?
Bill 01 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2009-2010 – Assent
Bill 02 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 1, 2009-2010 – Assent
Bill 04 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – Assent
Bill 05 – Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2009 – Assent
Justice Beverley Browne: As members are aware, section 10 of the Nunavut Act provides that if both the Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner of Nunavut are absent, ill, or unable to act, the senior judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice has and may exercise and perform all of the powers, duties, and functions of the commissioner.
As those conditions have been met, I hereby give assent to the following bills:
Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, and finally
Bill 5, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2009
I believe that concludes your work here at this sitting of the Legislative Assembly.
I wish you all a safe journey back home to your families and your communities, and you will get back to work in a few months time again.
Before we go to the orders of the day, I would first of all like to thank all of the members for having a successful session.
I would also like to thank the staff of the Legislative Assembly.
I would especially like to thank the interpreters.
If it wasn’t for the interpreters, we wouldn’t proceed as smoothly as we do.
I would also like to thank the pages very much.
Last but not least, I would like to thank all of the people of Iqaluit for their hospitality.
To all Nunavummiut, have a wonderful and safe spring season.
Enjoy the spring season and have a safe trip home, my colleagues.
(interpretation ends) Orders of the Day.
Orders of the Day for November 24, 2009:
This House stands adjourned until Tuesday, November 24, 2009, at 1:30 p.m.
>>House adjourned at 20:05
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Pages 542 – 563
Opening Prayer 542
Money Message 542
Ministers’ Statements 542
Members’ Statements 545
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 549
Oral Questions 549
Returns to Written Questions* 557
Tabling of Documents 557
Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills 558
First Reading of Bills 558
Second Reading of Bills 561
Orders of the Day 562
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 542
037 – 3(2): Nunavut Receives 1,350 Tonnes of New Turbot Allocation (Shewchuk) 542
038 – 3(2): Taiguusiliuqtiit Members Appointed (Tapardjuk) 543
039 – 3(2): Boarding Home Update (Curley) 544
059 – 3(2): Arrival of New Grandchild (Okalik) 545
060 – 3(2): Successful H1N1 Vaccination Clinic in Arctic Bay (Elliott) 545
061 – 3(2): Passing of Jimmy Mukpah (Shewchuk) 546
062 – 3(2): Tribute to Dr. Otto Schaefer (Komoartok) 547
063 – 3(2): Arrival of Grandson Howard (Kusugak) 548
064 – 3(2): Congratulations to Iqaluit City Council (Tootoo) 548
065 – 3(2): Welcome to Iqaluit and a New Session (Aariak) 549
089 – 3(2): Update on Iqaluit International Airport (Okalik) 549
090 – 3(2): Status of H1N1 Pandemic Preparedness (Elliott) 550
091 – 3(2): Cost of GN Report Card (Okalik) 551
092 – 3(2): Public Housing Construction in Pangnirtung (Komoartok) 553
093 – 3(2): Former Deputy Minister of Justice (Okalik) 554
Return to Written Question 001 – 3(2): Employment of Agency Nurses (Deputy Clerk) 557
046 – 3(2): Response to Petition 1 – 3(2) Proposed Sylvia Grinnell Bridge (Deputy Clerk) 557
047 – 3(2): Qulliq Energy Corporation Inuit Employment Plan (Okalik) 557
048 – 3(2): 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services (Curley) 557
049 – 3(2): 2008-2009 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services (Curley) 557
050 – 3(2): Deputy Minister of Justice Resigns (Okalik) 557
008 – 3(2): Early Adjournment (Pauloosie) 562
Bill 06 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 5, 2007-2008 – Notice 558
Bill 07 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 4, 2008-2009 – Notice 558
Bill 08 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2010-2011 – Notice 558
Bill 09 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2009-2010 – Notice 558
Bill 10 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 2, 2009-2010 – Notice 558
Bill 13 – An Act to Amend the Retirement Plan Beneficiaries Act – Notice 558
Bill 06 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 5, 2007-2008 – First Reading 559
Bill 07 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 4, 2008-2009 – First Reading 559
Bill 08 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2010-2011 – First Reading 560
Bill 09 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2009-2010 – First Reading 560
Bill 10 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 2, 2009-2010 – First Reading 560
Bill 06 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 5, 2007-2008 – Second Reading 561
Bill 07 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 4, 2008-2009 – Second Reading 561
Bill 08 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2010-2011 – Second Reading 561
Bill 09 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2009-2010 – Second Reading 562
Bill 10 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 2, 2009-2010 – Second Reading 562
Honourable Eva Aariak, Honourable James Arreak, Mr. James Arvaluk, Mr. Moses Aupaluktuq, Honourable Tagak Curley, Mr. Ron Elliott, Mr. Adamee Komoartok, Honourable Lorne Kusugak, Mr. John Ningark, Mr. Johnny Ningeongan, Mr. Paul Okalik, Mr. Enuk Pauloosie, Honourable Keith Peterson, Mr. Fred Schell, Honourable Daniel Shewchuk, Honourable Louis Tapardjuk, Honourable Peter Taptuna, Honourable Hunter Tootoo.
Good afternoon, Premier, Ministers, and Members of the Legislative Assembly. Have a wonderful afternoon, Nunavummiut.
Before we proceed with the orders of the day, I would like to read the following communication that I have received from the Commissioner of Nunavut dated [October] 19 and it reads:
Hon. James Arreak, Speaker of the House
I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut the passage of the following bills during the Second Session of the Third Legislative Assembly:
Bill 6, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 5, 2007-2008;
Bill 7, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance)… (interpretation ends) I’ll read it in English. Bill 7, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 4, 2008-2009;
Bill 8, Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2010-2011;
Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 1, 2009-2010; and
Bill 10, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 2, 2009-2010.
Sincerely, Ann Meekitjuk-Hanson, C.M.  Commissioner of Nunavut
Hon. Shewchuk.
Minister’s Statement 037 – 3(2): Nunavut Receives 1,350 Tonnes of New Turbot Allocation (Shewchuk)
I am very pleased to inform members of a recent announcement which will have a significant positive impact on Nunavutmiut.
Earlier this month, the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans visited Iqaluit to announce that Nunavut will receive 90 percent of the increase in the turbot quota in Division 0B…
… which covers the Canadian half of Davis Strait, from Frobisher Bay to Cumberland Sound.
This decision will provide Nunavut interests with access to an additional 1,350 tonnes of turbot starting in 2010, bringing Nunavut’s share of Division 0B turbot quota from 27 percent to 41 percent.
Clearly this decision shows that Minister Shea recognizes the adjacency principle and the significance of this allocation to Nunavut.
Increased quota access in Division 0B will lead to greater employment and economic opportunities in the fisheries industry of Nunavut.
This will enhance inshore fisheries development and will support the operations of the only Canadian fish plant adjacent to 0B in Pangnirtung.
I wish to commend and thank the Nunavut fishing industry, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and other Nunavut stakeholders for their hard work over the past several months on this issue.
Together with the territorial government, these stakeholders have been engaged in intense lobbying efforts to ensure that Nunavut receives an equitable share of its adjacent offshore fisheries resources.
Although we have some way to go to achieve our ultimate goal of an 80 to 90 percent share of all our adjacent fishery resources, this announcement is an important step in the right direction.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. (interpretation) Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) Hon. Louis Tapardjuk.
Minister’s Statement 038 – 3(2): Taiguusiliuqtiit Members Appointed (Tapardjuk)
I welcome you all as we start our fall sitting.
Mr. Speaker, I raised in this House today to personally congratulate the newly appointed board members of the Inuit Uqausinginnit Taiguusiliuqtiit:
Ovide Alakannuark, Kugaaruk
Daisy Dialla, Pangnirtung
Nellie Kusugak, Rankin Inlet
Elijah Erkloo, Iqaluit
Edna Elias, Kugluktuk