EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
On page 2 as well, just I guess some more questions in regard to what Mr. Schell was asking because I may be a little bit slower in figuring this out, but… okay.
There are 725 units that are totally constructed and finished and that was the end of the Nunavut Housing Trust and there would be no more money, or dollars, or labour allocated to that project. Is that correct?
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Elliott. (interpretation) Which of you would like to try and respond to that question?
I will respond in this way: since 2006, 725 units that were mandated by both the CMHC and the Nunavut government, most, if not all, of these units are complete, 725, but there may be some deficiencies and whatnot and still some work that have not been transferred directly to the housing groups yet but pretty soon, no doubt about it.
In terms of the 285 units of affordable housing, yes, most of these are now being completed or at least shelled in so that they can be completed throughout the winter.
But in terms of the exact details, I want the president to separate the two so that the information the member needs will be correctly presented.
Of the Nunavut Housing Trust houses, there are still some that are in the process of construction as we speak.
We will have this fiscal year the bulk of those units completed. There are still some that have not been awarded yet for a number of reasons, but those are more exceptions than anything.
I just find it strange that after overspending $60 million and then overspending another $50 million, after constantly being asked questions in the House, after having an audit which was not really an audit but a report done, you are still using words like some and bulk of the work.
You can’t tell me how many of the 725.
After all of the work that has been done, all of the problems that we’ve had, all of the concerns that MLAs have brought up, you don’t have specific numbers in terms of 718 are totally finished and totally done and turned over to the LHOs, and two are 45 percent done.
Again, it just adds to that whole, “How did the audit get finished?” Were you on the phone with people in Arctic Bay saying, “How many of those houses are done up there? Well, they are almost all done.”
They put “almost” in the checkmark as being finished.  You have no exact numbers to be able to tell me today in terms of what of the 725 are done.
My next question was going to be: if there are five houses still that need to be built, well, then what is the cost for these houses to be built?
Again, I know another problem that is happening is deficiencies, which you mentioned in terms of leaks in the houses and problems with having to fix things that weren’t properly built.
Could you first clarify if you have exact numbers for us?
I would caution that we stick to the capital before us. The report itself is separate and it was just tabled today.
If you want to discuss it further, it will have to be on another time. Minister Curley, the question is: how many are done?
Mr. Chairman, I will be pleased to table the exact details. I don’t think we can do it here right now, but I would like to table that information on exactly what the status of each units are.
That will take a little more digging into and getting the paperwork out to him.
All of us will have the same information. I think we can do that during these processes.
In terms of trying to answer a question on the construction season that was awarded last year and so on, I think we need to be very cautious exactly how we respond to you.
The reason I say that is we are experiencing cost overruns. Cost overruns means there is a shortage of funds that the Assembly had had to provide extra money to build the units, and so on.
The shipping season doesn’t allow us to complete units now that were delivered since the ice breakup. There is such a thing as a construction season which is very limited.
If you look at the construction season, exactly 100 to 200 last remaining housing units were awarded. It takes about a year and a half sometimes for some communities to complete them.
In some cases, in one season they do so, but that goes to the most experienced contractors.
In previous years, I think the member will understand that the local housing authorities, in some cases, were awarded units to build and obviously that created a bit of a challenge with the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
By and large, I think many of the projects that they started last year are pretty well ongoing at the moment.
In terms of my remarks with minor inspections that are normally carry out for every section of the houses, which are normally done by independents, whether it be architects or engineers for all that matter, or mechanical, normally we don’t turn these units over until all of these inspections are done.
This is what I referred to, not major deficiencies but deficiencies that these inspectors will indicate.
If you need more information, I will be pleased to provide you in detail, but I think the Chairman has indicated some of the questions raised are administration.
I am sure that you will be on for another day tomorrow, so we will give you the time tomorrow to come up with the project and where they are. I’m sure you’ve got able officials who can review that quickly and figure that out.
I think my questions are quite relevant because we are dealing with capital, we are dealing with building buildings, and if the corporation that is responsible for building these buildings does not forecast properly how the money is being spent when they are telling us buildings are going to be built, then how do I know that I am passing a realistic budget?
So I don’t understand why my questions are not relevant in the sense that we have been doing this since 2006 and we are finding out there are some real problems.
You say right in your statement here that “We have learned lessons…” Obviously you have not learned lessons because you don’t have numbers to provide to be able to forecast properly, which is what the problem is.
So I don’t know why my question is being worded or being told that it is not relevant.
Again, you would think that after all of these things that have happened, you go, “Okay, we’ve got 18 houses that are not built.” Roughly that could be $10,000 a house and you could obviously have an estimate as to how much this is going to cost.
So I will, in good faith, hopefully get that information tomorrow, as Mr. Okalik has pointed out.
Some of the other questions that I have are… .
The 285 units, that is the affordable housing project because... . Again, with the 725 houses that were built and the $260 million price tag that was put on them, I thought we were done and over with it, and that project was over and we are now onto affordable housing.
Now we have to worry about overruns more on the Nunavut Housing Trust. At the same time, we have to worry about overspending, which you had mentioned there is going to be overspending for the affordable housing.
There are 60 units that are going to be complete, that’s good, I like that number, and 115 are going to be shelled in. To me, if I did my math correctly, that means there are 110 that are going to sit over the next year in crates somewhere. Is that correct?
I was cautioning the member about alluding to a report that was submitted. That was the only caution that I provided to the member. I had no issue with the status of the units that were supposed to be completed at some point.
I believe the minister will undertake to table those, where they are at tomorrow, hopefully when we deal with this again tomorrow. Minister Curley, would you like to clarify?
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, with all due respect to the member’s privilege, I will in no way impede that whatsoever.
I responded mainly to the Chairman’s ruling that some of the questions posed were what I would call O&M related and therefore, the Chairman indicated that.
So I want to restrict my comments to what the standing committee or the current Committee of the Whole is being asked to do. We will provide more information, which will lead to more questions, no doubt, and I think we will have all of that by tomorrow.
With respect to your last question, we shall address those in more detail.
At the moment, I would feel more comfortable by having the exact status of each community. I think it will help us.
The question was: am I correct in that 110 of the SIP units under the Affordable Housing Initiative will be sitting in crates for the next year or construction season, as Mr. Curley put it?
Mr. Barriault will respond to those details.
Chairman (interpretation): I apologize, Minister Curley.
Mr. Barriault: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
The balance of the houses that have not been awarded will indeed remain in crates over winter and hopefully for a spring start-up.
With the problems that have been reported in the past with theft of materials under the different projects, has there been any consideration put into that in terms of what would be left after the winter season?
We’ve had no reported theft of full crates of materials to my knowledge.
By keeping the materials in the crates and ensuring that they are secure, we should not have an issue with theft as well.
With a lot of the people I have talked to in the communities, my understanding is that construction would probably end in December and then people would be gone. Who will be, like you said, maintaining security for these crates after that time? Is it going to be something that the LHOs will be taking on as a responsibility?
Mr. Barriault: If the member is referring to materials of work in progress, that material is in the hands and the responsibility of the contractor who has a labour contract.
Remaining materials that have not been assigned to a contract are placed in an area in the community and, as the member suggested, the local housing organization, as a partner to the Nunavut Housing Corporation, would keep an eye on that material as well and report any problems.
As some of the new controls that have probably been implemented in terms of all of the… . Again, you said that some of the contracts have not been awarded and some of the contracts have.
Each community is probably different, but are we guaranteed that all of the materials have landed on the beach and someone has, in every community, taken inventory of every piece that is there even though a contract wasn’t awarded?
I’m thinking, again, ahead that if it didn’t come here now and it’s missing, if someone opens up a crate, it’s eight months from now, and says, “Oops, the boiler is missing,” or something, I’m sure that they are going to say, “Too bad.
Why are you coming back to me in eight months and why didn’t you tell me this when it landed on the beach?”
So has an inventory been taken not just of the 60 units that are being constructed or the 115 that are being shelled in but the other 110 that are sitting in crates? Are those crates being opened up and checked to make sure that the inventory is there?
Again, we’re talking possibly millions of dollars worth of stuff disappearing or not being there.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the question.
Thanks for providing some ideas. But I think the member should know that we have a pretty good construction industry in Nunavut. I don’t really truly believe, with respect to the possible thefts that were alluded to, I don’t think it’s widespread.
I think there are very minor things that have been mentioned in the report.
At least the management report, is what I call it, is not… the management part of that report is really subject to a lot of questions further, which we and myself have no way of getting back to them and ask some questions about it because I don’t speak to the auditors and so on.
In terms of the construction industry, they are responsible for the details of security once they receive the possession and so on.
We will make sure and ensure that they do itemize crates and whatnot. My understanding is, as one having to work there, that we do tend to itemize because there are such things as manifests involving claiming all of the material, whether they came in to town or not.
That will continue and I don’t know whether we need extra major initiatives to do that, but we will advise them that they will do that.
If they are taking a break, we want to make sure that the materials are secured. (interpretation) Thank you.
I wasn’t actually alluding to theft; I was just alluding to possible “misordering,” or ordering of too many items, or just pieces that were missed.
One of the other things I don’t quite understand again is there are 110 houses that are sitting in crates in various communities across Nunavut and I still don’t actually understand where that money is coming from for the labour to pay for those.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Elliott. (interpretation) Which of you would like to respond?
In terms of where the money is coming from for the completion of those units, as Minister Curley has indicated earlier, the Minister responsible for Finance will be addressing that.
In terms of the $50 million we are talking about that will be used to build those 110, is it $50 million? Is that the dollar figure we are talking?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Elliott. (interpretation ends) Yes, it looks like $39.9 million will come from finance somewhere.
Yes, that is what we have been reporting. The $50 million is the additional funding that will be required for the full completion of the 285 houses.
I have Ms. Ugyuk on the list. Ms. Ugyuk.
The two communities are written here for staff housing and looking at Taloyoak, there was no staff housing provided.
When are we going to be slotted to have staff housing built?
We still haven’t gotten to the capital estimates. We are dealing with the opening comments right now.
I’ll allow the question to be answered this time, but you will have an opportunity to ask questions once we go to the page-by-page review of the capital estimates.
Would someone like to answer the question?
At this point, there is no new construction of staff housing in Taloyoak that is scheduled. However, through our staff housing allocation committees, we have a forum whereby different hiring departments can bring forward their needs and that way, the Nunavut Housing Corporation can work with those departments to address those needs.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): I apologize.
I was just looking at these and I think it would be best if we go directly to the line-by-line review.
There are teachers and nurses who have no staff housing. When is it going to be announced that there is going to be staff housing provided for employees of the departments of Education and Health and Social Services?
We are hearing repeatedly that there is a shortage of funds.
I would like to know if there have been any requests from the departments of Education and Health and Social Services to the Nunavut Housing Corporation for staff housing in Taloyoak.
I don’t see it here in the budget that we are dealing with, but what I can say is when we were in the health department, I heard the same question.
I can tell you that the departments of Education and Health have to ask us how much staff housing they need and that is given to the Housing Corporation.
Only then and if they are approved can we set aside some funds to build staff housing for teachers and nurses.
If you have a shortage of staff housing, it’s deliberated and then the budget is put together to decide how many staff housing units they need to build in a particular community.
I think it’s best to go directly and see exactly how many staff housing units are going to be built in any community as they are not in the capital plans right now.
Are there any more questions? Ms. Ugyuk finished her line of questioning on that, but there are still names on the list of members who wish to ask questions.
At this time, I would like to recognize the clock. I thank you for now, minister and your officials.
The Committee of the Whole will now adjourn for the day.
Thank you, Minister Curley and your officials.
Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could escort them out, please. Thank you.
Your committee has been considering Bill 38 and the capital estimates for the coming year, and would like to report progress.
A reminder for meetings tomorrow, at 8:30, there is the Standing Committee on Legislation and at half past ten, a meeting of the Full Caucus.
Orders of the Day for October 21:
This House stands adjourned until Thursday, October 21, at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Pages 2568 – 2626
Opening Prayer 2568
Ministers’ Statements 2568
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 2576
Tabling of Documents 2594
Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills 2595
First Reading of Bills 2595
Second Reading of Bills 2596
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 2597
Report of the Committee of the Whole 2625
Orders of the Day 2626
Thursday, October 21, 2010 2568
191 – 3(2): Update on the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation (Taptuna) 2568
192 – 3(2): Kiluk Seal Leather Pilot Project (Shewchuk) 2569
193 – 3(2): Manitoba Nunavut Relations (Aariak) 2569
194 – 3(2): Young Parents Stay Learning Program Graduates (Tootoo) 2570
303 – 3(2): Letter from Young Constituent (Curley) 2571
304 – 3(2): Progress on the Pangnirtung Harbour (Komoartok) 2571
305 – 3(2): Summer Events in Resolute Bay (Elliott) 2572
306 – 3(2): Choosing Our Leaders (Ugyuk) 2573
307 – 3(2): Millie Kuliktana (Taptuna) 2574
308 – 3(2): Success of Young Parents Stay Learning Program (Okalik) 2575
447 – 3(2): Issues with Obtaining Driver’s Licences in Cape Dorset (Schell) 2577
448 – 3(2): Baker Lake Municipal Landfill (Aupaluktuq) 2579
449 – 3(2): Review of the Nunavut Housing Trust (Rumbolt) 2581
450 – 3(2): Tourism Deposit Assurance Program (Okalik) 2583
451 – 3(2): Support for Statistics (Komoartok) 2586
452 – 3(2): The Recent Audit of the Nunavut Housing Trust (Elliott) 2587
453 – 3(2): Treatment Programs for Nunavut (Ugyuk) 2590
454 – 3(2): Trigger Locks for Nunavummiut (Schell) 2593
206 – 3(2): 2009 Annual Report – Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (Tootoo) 2594
207 – 3(2): Nunavut Housing Corporation Contracting Report for the Year Ended March 31, 2009 (Curley) 2594
208 – 3(2): 2009-2010 Annual Report for Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium (Shewchuk) 2594
209 – 3(2): Statement of Expenditures for Nunavut Housing Trust as of April 1, 2006 to February 28, 2010 (Peterson) 2594
210 – 3(2): Nunavut Housing Corporation Review of Nunavut Housing Trust (Peterson) 2595
Bill 44 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – Notice 2595
Bill 45 – An Act to Amend the Labour Standards Act (Minimum Wage) – Notice 2595
Bill 46 – An Act to Amend the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act – Notice 2595
Bill 39 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2009-2010 – First Reading 2595
Bill 40 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011 – First Reading 2596
Bill 41 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011 – First Reading 2596
Bill 39 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2009-2010 – Second Reading 2596
Bill 40 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011 – Second Reading 2596
Bill 41 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 3, 2010-2011 – Second Reading 2597
Bill 38 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2011-2012 – Nunavut Housing Corporation – Consideration in Committee 2598
Bill 38 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2011-2012 – Education – Consideration in Committee 2606
Bill 38 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2011-2012 – Culture, Language, Elders and Youth – Consideration in Committee 2620
Speaker (Hon. James Arreak) (interpretation): Thank you. Before we proceed with our orders of the day, I would like to ask Mr. Curley to say the opening prayer.
A very good afternoon, Premier, Ministers, my colleagues, and all Nunavummiut.
We will now begin with our proceedings.
Item 2. Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) Hon. Peter Taptuna.
Minister’s Statement 191 – 3(2): Update on the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation (Taptuna)
Hon. Peter Taptuna (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Good afternoon, colleagues and members.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide the Members of this House with an update on the recent activities of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
On June 28, 2010, Greg Cayen of Iqaluit was appointed chairperson of the corporation, while Nancy Karetak-Lindell of Arviat was appointed vice-chairperson.
Marg Epp of Cambridge Bay, Donald Havioyak of Kugluktuk, and Wayne Solomon of Cambridge Bay were also appointed to the board.
They join Tommy Owlijoot of Arviat and Allan Lahure of Baker Lake, who are continuing members of the board of directors.
I am confident these individuals will provide the leadership necessary both within terms of its governance and its service to Nunavut’s business community.
Mr. Speaker, the corporation’s board of directors has recently taken steps to enhance the corporation’s effectiveness with the development of a board orientation manual, credit facilities manual, an administration and conduct manual, and an accounting manual.
These are all steps necessary in moving the corporation away from a denial of an audit opinion.
Mr. Speaker, the audit of the fiscal year 2009-2010 has begun at the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation and I will report to the members the outcome of this audit when it is complete.
I want to thank Alex Buchan, our former chairperson, for his hard work and dedication during his tenure as chairperson along with the other departing board members.
Mr. Speaker, there is still much work to do at the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, but we are making progress and maintaining the services to Nunavut’s business community.
Minister’s Statement 192 – 3(2): Kiluk Seal Leather Pilot Project (Shewchuk)
I am pleased to inform members of an initiative which is underway in Arviat, where Kiluk Ltd. has partnered with the Department of Environment on a pilot project to develop a line of leather products made from ringed seal.
Kiluk has used ringed seal leather in the past to manufacture high-quality products, such as wallets and binders.
This project is making use of skins that have accumulated since the market collapse caused by the EU ban, ensuring that nothing will go to waste.
Mr. Speaker, at a time when market demand for sealskins is low, investing in the research and development of new products is one way that the government and industry can work together to support Nunavut seal harvesters and craftspeople.
This initiative is a great example of how we are supporting the development of new markets stimulating consumer demand for sealskins.
This project clearly demonstrates the Government of Nunavut’s dedication to supporting the sealing and fur sector as a vital part of Inuit culture and the Nunavut economy.
Minister’s Statement 193 – 3(2): Manitoba Nunavut Relations (Aariak)
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. (interpretation ends) Manitoba and Nunavut have a long history of cooperation and working together toward shared goals.
We share more than borders; we share transportation, cultural and family ties.
Over the years, we have formalized parts of the relationship of working together in a Memoranda of Understanding.
The Government of Nunavut and the Government of Manitoba signed their first MOU in February of 2000.
Last month, Mr. Speaker, I met with Premier Selinger and members of his cabinet to review our joint priorities and to discuss the development of an action plan that will help us achieve our shared goals.
Minister Curley and Minister Kusugak joined me at this meeting. These two ministers, being the MLAs for the region, know very well the strength of our relationship with Manitoba.
Having the ministers present to share their experiences, insights, and ideas on how to continue to strengthen the relationship was very helpful.
Mr. Speaker, at the meeting, we agreed to streamline the six existing MOUs by consolidating them into one single Memorandum of Understanding, with one Nunavut-Manitoba steering committee co-chaired by representatives of both governments.