EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I would like to inquire what the interpreters said, because I didn't hear all of the question.
I would like him to repeat it.
Mr. Tootoo: I was just referring to your comments earlier about the Northern Manufactured Goods Policy being a one time thing.
I am under the understanding that it was a policy that was part and parcel of the business incentive policy, geared towards northern manufacturers.
I am not saying just to any individual company or firm but to anyone who is a manufacturer in Nunavut, that would be able to apply similar to the way that northern businesses, they would be able to receive the same type of assistance or whatever you might want to call it, preferential treatment to a certain point in dealing with that.
If that makes it a little bit clearer, I just wanted to provide some clarification.
Regarding the question that you are talking about, I think my Deputy Minister was part of the review team.
Perhaps I should ask her to reply to this question.
Chairperson: Ms. Trumper.
Ms. Trumper: Mr. Chairman, in adopting the BIP on an interim basis for Nunavut, they looked at the policy and the GNWT had added to the BIP policy two or three directives.
One was the commercial accommodation directive which directed contractors doing business with the government to stay in commercial accommodations.
The other one was the Northern Manufacturers directive which you were speaking about.
They have taken that out of BIP with the intention of examining those as stand-alone policies.
But that would fall into the department of Public Works, so I can't speak with definition on where they are in that process now.
One of the reasons for re-examining the Northern Manufacturers' directive as the Minister was saying, is there is only one manufacturer in Nunavut, so the question was raised, should we be having a directive that benefits only one company only.
Mr. Chairman, I can understand the response but I think, again, if you look at the larger picture, you want to encourage development in this area. Not only here but in any community, Arviat, Baker, anywhere.
There is no way that any company or individual or firm could be able to compete at the same level as a southern manufacturer.
So I am just asking, and I am encouraged to hear that it is something that is going to be looked at as a separate policy.
I just wondered, as was mentioned earlier, with the business incentive policy, is it run through Sustainable Development or is it run through Public Works, and if that type of program is run through Sustainable Development, in the way of a subsidy type program, why would the manufacturer's one go over to Public Works and not be dealt with in the same area.
We have an interim business incentive policy which came from GNWT and it is due for a review in October.
We are not certain who is going to be responsible for these policies and we'll just stay with the old GNWT policies and directives in the meantime.
I can't tell you right now which way it is going to be done but we'll do that by October.
I have two speakers Mr. Iqaqrialu.
In your opening remarks you mentioned Article 24 and that this would be incorporated into your department and we can't go any other way because it is under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
Article 24 states that it is only when a company is 51% owned by a northern company then the Article would apply.
If it is not 51% northern owned then they cannot be registered or qualify for these incentives.
There are many companies who are not 51% owned.
If this is going to be the case then we have to communicate this policy very explicitly to the residents of Nunavut.
According to the figures that you were quoting in your opening remarks, so are you going to adhere to that policy or are you looking for a new policy.
Yes it is true what you are saying.
It has to be very clearly communicated to the people.
Our department can assist in communicating this policy to the residents of Nunavut.
A company has to be 51% owned by Inuit or northerners.
We have to communicate this to the public and it is the department's intention to do that, whether it be in a different department or not.
There are many companies which are not 51% owned by Inuit.
As the department of Sustainable Development, for those companies under 51% you won't be able to do anything for them or require them to adhere to Article 24.
The question was more complicated than it sounded, but the way it is set up right now if they are under 51% we can't require them to do anything.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Yes, it is true, I know this answer to be true.
My other question is for the department of Sustainable Development, they are also responsible for renewable resources, or wildlife.
As the Minister that is under your portfolio.
There are Hunters and Trappers Organizations in the communities and they have had no say in who gets the study funds, for wildlife studies.
Sometimes the government just goes ahead and approves a project that is going to have an impact in the communities without going through the Hunter/Trapper organizations.
Are you going to be revisiting that area?
The studies on wildlife, studies are one of the most important things that we do as a department.
Some of the decisions are based on a lot of the studies that are conducted in the north.
I would like everyone to understand the same thing, and the people that we want to work with, we expect them to live by their commitments and to share the information that they get.
With the groups that we are working with, they have to exercise their power as well, and the requirements have to be followed, and our department will be working closely with the effected organizations.
So the people who are proposing to work with you, would you be providing them with funds to conduct studies for you or do they have to apply for funding from somewhere else.
That will depend on the proponents.
We would look at the proposal, we can agree or not agree and we will have people on staff that will deal with specific areas so that everybody is treated equally and given the same consideration.
Chairperson (interpretation): Mr. Iqaqrialu. You are running out of time.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): I will try to make this short, I don't think that I will be able to ask all of the questions that I want to ask.
The HTO in my community if they requested funds or wrote up a proposal to do a study, would you then work with that organization and give them the funds to carry out that study.
It would depend on what the proposal was.
If they requested funds and didn't provide the details, I don't think they would get the funds.
This is the same for any organization or any community, or individual.
If there is a proposal, and it is viable, then it would be considered.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): I think that our HTO has been proposing to do studies on whales.
If the HTO wrote a proposal to do that study would you give them the funds to carry out that study.
It would depend on what kind of study they would want to do, because whales fall under the DFO, which is under the Government of Canada.
We would have to look at their proposal and we would respond appropriately.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Yes, I understand.
I think that I am out of time. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Maybe if you take your Chair back you might go faster.
I don't have any other speakers.
Mr. Akesuk (interpretation): I want to go by detail now for the department.
Chairperson (interpretation): Right now?
I think we were at 11 – 4, corporate management branch.
I'm sorry I thought you wanted to speak, Mr. Arvaluk.
Operations & maintenance, total operations & maintenance 4 million 99 thousand.
Total capital, zero.
Total expenditures 4 million 99 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Turning the page, Sustainable Development, operations & maintenance, total operations & maintenance 27 million 875 thousand.
Mr. Chairman, I just have one question here.
Is it in these grants & contributions that the dollars are allocated to the business development fund and programs that lend money to businesses starting up.
I was just wondering if the Minister, Mr. Chairman, has an idea of what they do have out in loans, and what the default rate, how many of these or what percentage of what we have out there is being paid back and what isn't being paid back.
Chairperson (interpretation): Did you want your financial comptroller to come to the table.
Is that your financial manager.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Mr. Chairman he is our finance officer, maybe he should join us at the table, he has those details.
Chairperson (interpretation): Okay he can come up.
Mr. Kilabuk if you could introduce the new person joining you at the table.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): His name is Jim Martin, he is a finance officer.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, welcome to the committee Mr. Martin.
So who is going to respond to the question that was just asked.
Go ahead Mr. Martin.
Mr. Martin: Thank you Mr. Chairman.
With regards to the question regarding loans in this years' operating budget. In terms of loans the primary vehicle for the department in terms of delivery of loans is the Business Credit Corporation, which is a revolving fund that is established, which is replenished each year to support lending activity.
This year there has been an amount approved at the recent Kimmirut retreat and this amount has been set aside for 1.1 million.
It is within this fund that the department would be delivering the activity.
I guess after thinking about it, I asked the wrong question.
I guess I should have asked, I would imagine that the outstanding balances from the past Business Credit Corporation would be factored into the division of assets and liabilities within the region.
So I don't know if this is the right place, is there in the outstanding loans out there that are being transferred over to us, what is the amount and what is the delinquency, I guess there are people that are just not paying back those loans, because as Mr. Martin indicated it is a revolving fund, and we can't continually replenish it from government dollars and the dollars from those loans have to be paid back.
I am just wondering if you can maybe give me some information on that.
I will ask our finance, our finance guy will have to work for his money, so I am going to ask him to reply to that.
Mr. Martin: Currently in the division of assets and liabilities, there is a preliminary estimate right now of what Government of Nunavut's portion would be from the BCC loan carry over and that would be approximately 7 million, is the amount of the loan portfolio being transferred over to the Government of Nunavut.
Again, that is subject to the finalization of the agreement on division of assets and liabilities.
I guess in any loan portfolio that is out there, there is always a provision for write off's in there.
Mr. Chairman, out of this 7 million I am wondering is it perceived that we will get that 7 million or is there some of it out there that we will not be able to collect.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.0
Chairperson (interpretation): Go ahead, Mr. Martin.
With regards to the 7 million loan portfolio, as part of the asset and liability division process, there is significant interest being taken in write-off procedures.
So it is anticipated that the preliminary 7 million estimate being provided would reflect all of the appropriate write downs for year end.
While we are on this detail, when you are providing grants & contributions to new businesses being developed, I wonder if this is the only funding program for newly established businesses.
I think his question is in regards to small businesses being established and how we provide assistance for them.
If that is included in the proposal and that's approved, they can also get grants & contributions and loans from this program.
We will go ahead.
Under page 11 – 5, total operations & maintenance, 27 million 875 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): 11 – 6, Sustainable Development, Baffin 475 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Keewatin 231 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): For the Kitikmeot region, turning the page to 11 – 7, Kitikmeot total 190 thousand.
Mr. Iqaqrialu do you want to speak to Kitikmeot.
I was not clear on the page, but somebody else gave us a corrected copy.
Chairperson (interpretation): For Kitikmeot, total 190 thousand.
Nunavut total 225 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total capital 1 million 121 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Back to 11 – 5, capital, total capital 1 million 121 thousand.
Total expenditures 28 million 996 thousand.
To 11 – 8.
Detail of grants and contributions, information item.
This states Canadian energy research institution, 25 thousand.
Can you elaborate on this, I just need a quick clarification on this.
The Canadian Energy Research Institution, is an institute for co-operative energy research.
To work together and work collaborate with other organizations, it has to do with energy research.
They work with the Government of Nunavut and they also compile the research done on energy as well as receiving directives on planning on energy within Nunavut. To reflect the ideas and issues to do with energy that are being brought through consultation.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you for the clarification, right under that it says Nunavut Geoscience Office.
Can you explain where it is located, can you make that more clear.
I talked about this during my opening statements.
The Nunavut Geoscience consists of mineral exploration and research within Nunavut.
The office will be located within Iqaluit, due to the fact that they have to work closely with the other governments.
Chairperson (interpretation): Is that it.
If there are no more questions.
Chairperson (interpretation): Open to the next page, detail of grants and contributions, 11 – 9, these are just information items.
This also states 100 thousand under Nunavut Tourism core funding, regional industries support.
Is it for extracurricular activities or can you tell me what it consists of.
Chairperson (interpretation): Mr. Akesuk, would you like to make a comment now.
Mr. Akesuk go ahead.
Mr. Akesuk (interpretation): I am sorry Mr. Chairman.
I am going to ask about the arts and crafts association in Nunavut.
Chairperson (interpretation): Mr. Akesuk, we thought that we might not have a quorum.
But could you answer first Mr. Kilabuk.
There might be a typo there in Inuktitut.
This Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, we gave them a contribution to their core funding, we have given the 100 thousand for the Arts & Crafts producers, and to artists in Nunavut.
My question is Mr. Chairman, those individuals who are training at the Arctic College, arts & crafts programs.
Are they being assisted.
I know that the students have gone through that program since its' been open for a few years, but are you going to put aside a certain amount of money to be used for that purpose.
I talked about this earlier as well.
The contributions that are put aside are 5 thousand.
This is geared to individual applicants from Nunavut that would like to do mineral exploration in Nunavut.
This is to do with that.
Just on the last page, community economic development officers, contribution to Hamlets.
Is this to do with the staff of the Hamlets, or is it just a one time contribution.
These contributions were given to the Hamlets to hire community economic development officers.
Detail of grants & contributions, these are just information items.
Detail of grants & contributions, Mr. McLean.
In regards to the community initiative fund, is that what we refer to, on page 11 – 10, as the CIP fund.
My colleague brought it up earlier under the grants and contributions in regards to training for mineral development.
We have presently 2200 people enrolled in school, elementary and secondary school in Keewatin.
There is the potential for two gold mines to open up in the Keewatin within the next 2 – 5 years.
With those two gold mines comes approximately 500 jobs. 500 jobs times an average of 80 thousand dollars a year works out to quite a few dollars.
From those jobs comes taxes, that go right back to the federal government.
The price that was put on the diamond mine in Yellowknife was a billion dollars in taxes and royalties that flows to the Federal Government and that the NWT does not get.
What I am getting to here is that the Department of Education is responsible for the children in K – 12, Arctic College is responsible for other training in regards to adult basic education and other things.
What I am alluding to here is that there doesn't seem to be any money out there, or very little of it identified, that if a couple of gold mines in the Keewatin region start up in the next couple of years, and most of those jobs are going to be at the mine site, 200 in Baker and 300 in Rankin.
It is open pit mining, you are going to need roughly 200 heavy equipment operators, you're going to need roughly 50 – 60 cooks, you're going to need labourers to build the mine.
There is no money identified in the budget anywhere, or very little of it to train a work force starting now, for when these mines are on the go.
There is hardly anything identified.
What we call it in the Keewatin, is pre-mining training and it covers a broad base.
I know the money isn't in your department to train a couple of hundred people for pre-employment in the mines, but do you have any comments on that, or where we are going to find money for training in the next few years.
Chairperson: His question is lengthy.
I'll ask my Deputy Minister to answer that.
Ms. Trumper: Thank you Mr. Chairman.
The member is correct, there is nothing specific in the budget for ramping up to the two good gold mine prospects in the Keewatin.
But as you know there has been initiatives in the past, what they called community mobilization, where both levels of government and industry put in money for exactly what you are describing, providing training leading up to the opening of the mine.
I think this is something that the time has come with the two projects advancing as quickly as they are in the Keewatin.
And it is something that could be built into the discussion that the department is now having with DIAND on an economic strategy, discussion which we hope will have some definition to it in the next six months.
It has been a long process with them so far.
Mr. McLean: Thank you Mr. Chairman.. In regards to that, if this is not identified shortly, that means that the workforce will come from southern Canada and the benefits of the mine, the paycheques will go south, the taxes will go south, and there won't really be that much impact other than a few royalties and things like that.
So I hope that the Minister identifies that immediately.
The language that, I want to be very clear to the member on this one.
This is something that we will commit to and not only because the, how would I put it, it is not only because of what we envision in growing the mining and exploration in Nunavut, but also because we want the people in these communities to be full participants and part of the process.
Detail of grants and contributions, informational items.
Chairperson (interpretation): Next page 11 –11.
Detail of grants and contributions.
Mr. Chairman, under the prospector's assistance program there is 110 thousand dollars identified.
Given the importance of mining and the impact it would have on the residents of Nunavut, I believe it is going to be our salvation as far as jobs, it doesn't seem like a lot of money.
It is probably more than we had before but would the Minister consider increasing this amount, so that more financial assistance could be provided to the prospector's in reference to grub stakes.
This figure here has been increased from the figures last year.
For us to increase it again we would have to find the money from other parts of the department.
Mr. Chairman, I see some other areas where there are significant dollar, I guess that what I am asking is can you go back and see if some of those dollars could be swapped around to increase this area here.
This is a great program, we've heard lots of good things about it and have had many, many constituents in my constituency who are very active in this field, and I know in the other communities such as Baker Lake, and Rankin and so on, there is a lot of interest there and a lot of prospectors.
So I would ask the Minister if he could consider revisiting this to increase it.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk: Thank you Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) It will depend on what you want. It depends on if their request is large or small, then we'll be able to review them probably.
But we would be able to revisit before approval of the proposals.
Chairperson: Is your question answered, Mr. O'Brien.
Mr. Chairman, the amount that I am speaking of is fairly insignificant when looked at the overall budget, and I would suggest that the Minister try to increase this by 50 thousand dollars, bringing it up to a total of 160 thousand dollars for grub stakes, for prospectors in Nunavut.
There was 110 thousand allotted for this prospector's assistance program.
It will depend, it could be a revolving fund as well, it depends on how many people are interested in this.
So we could revisit this if possible in the future.
Chairperson (interpretation): Back to 11 –11.
Details of grants & contributions.
Informational items.
Next page 11 – 12.
Details of grants and contributions.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you, the top.
Fur price program. 120 thousand.
Is there a fur manufacturing facility in Nunavut.
This fund is used solely for seal furs.
Is this talking about the grants from the government.
Is it talking about the hunters themselves or from the government.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, this is to do with grants to harvesters in the form of a guaranteed minimum for selected species of fur.
What you refer to as 5 dollars per sealskin.
Chairperson (interpretation): Let's go back to details of grants and contributions, 11 – 12.
Next page, detail of work performed on behalf of third parties.
These are informational items.
The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, do they contribute to this, is that correct.
As we mentioned, we contribute some funds to organizations that we work with.
They are the management board of wildlife and they do harvest studies on polar bears, muskox and caribou.
This is the area from which we contribute for research.
Chairperson (interpretation): Detail of work performed on behalf of third parties.
Information items.
Distribution of budget, information items.
On top, it says headquarters 7 million 193 thousand.
What is headquarters in Inuktitut.
The budget for headquarters, that's in Iqaluit.
Chairperson (interpretation): Distribution of budget, 11 – 14 information items.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, details of expenditures on 11 – 3.
Mr. Chairman, just a general question to the Minister.
In reference to possible slippage in the budget over the next number of months. How does the Minister propose, I guess, this slippage is leftover money, extra money, for example if staff positions aren't filled or projects aren't carried out.
How does he propose to spend that and will regular members have an opportunity to have input into the expenditure of this money.
For example, I mentioned that even adding a small amount of 50 thousand to the grub stake program, and it wasn't readily available.
So my question is, will the Minister allow the regular members to have some input into expending these additional dollars and I'm sure there will be leftover dollars over the course of the year, and probably a large sum of money.
This is the first year of the government operations and we probably will not fill all of the positions this year that are earmarked for the decentralized communities.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Chairman. …we would definitely consult with the committees on how we would distribute these funds if there was any surplus funds available.
Chairperson (interpretation): 11 – 3, Detail of expenditures, operations & maintenance 31 million 974 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Capital, total capital, 1 million 121 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, 233 million 95 thousand.