EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It has been going on for quite some time, because the people in Rankin Inlet have really been pushing for a midwifery centre, because the young people leave for Churchill to deliver their babies, and some go to Winnipeg, Montreal, Iqaluit, or Ottawa for that matter.
The reason they were pushing it, pushing for a midwifery centre was because they wanted to deliver their babies with their relatives.
When they deliver their babies here in their region, although it might not be their home, it’s much easier and much better for both the newborn and the mother.
In fact, many of us for that matter, probably most of us here were born in Nunavut, not in wooden housing or whatever.
Personally, I was born in a tent, but Inuit were born inside a tent or igloo or qammaq, not in hospitals.
They’re capable.
The midwives have a great deal of capabilities to deliver babies.
We are the product of the Inuit midwives work.
I want to thank the Minister for his earlier comments and I want to say I support it, but unfortunately even after all this time that it has been operating, there are still no Inuit midwives at the centre, just helpers.
Let us push for Inuit to become midwives.
The women who have qualifications are passing away, let us utilize their knowledge and capabilities before it’s too late.
The midwifery centre in Rankin should be supported.
And let it also be utilized by the women who deliver babies in the past and let us better utilize their knowledge and their wisdom unto the Inuit youth when it comes to midwifery, because when they deliver babies in the communities, it’s easier for the patients’ peace of mind and their body.
Member’s Statement 213 – 1(6): Increase Minimum Wage in Nunavut
Mr. McLean: Mat’na, Uqaqti.
Uqaqti, on April 6, 2000, I asked him, the justice minister when we would see an increase in minimum wage in Nunavut.
As usual, Uqaqti, the response I got was that the bureaucrats, our friends, would look into it.
Well they must not have looked for very long or hard because on February 23rd, 2001, I asked the new minister of justice about when working people could expect to see an increase in the minimum wage.
Not surprisingly Uqaqti, the response I got was that the matter was under review and that no timeline could be committed to by the government.
Uqaqti, we now come to the afternoon of November 22nd, 2001, when again, I told the government that it was important to increase the minimum wage for folks who live and work in the jurisdiction with the highest cost of living in Canada.
What answer did I get?
It was a little better this time, Uqaqti; I was told that my recommendation would be looked at by the cabinet ministers.
Uqaqti, we now come to April of the year 2002, when again, I asked to see whether or not the government would finally take some action and make a little better, make life a little better for the little guys.
The minister told me that change might happen by the fall and so here we are today.
Uqaqti, today I am going to ask one more time, if the government will act now to ensure that the minimum wage goes up in time for Christmas.
Member’s Statement 214 – 1(6): Nunavut Employees’ Union
Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to congratulate the Nunavut Employees’ Union on a successful convention held at Cambridge Bay.
Mr. Speaker, maybe I’m speculating that it could be a gesture by the union of hosting their convention in the community represented by the finance minister as a good gesture for the upcoming negotiations.
Mr. Speaker, I spoke at many times in this house about the important role that unions play in our communities in defending the rights of our workers.
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Doug Workman on a successful re-election as the NEU president. I also want to congratulate the other candidates in the race for their commitment to the well being of the membership.
Mr. Speaker, I was pleased that the federation of Nunavut teachers came to an agreement earlier this month with the government, seemingly without the need for ultimatums being made by either side.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the collective agreement between our government and the Nunavut Employees Union expires in a few short months.
I strongly urge our government and the minister of finance to approach negotiations in a positive, cooperative, and conciliatory spirit.
Mr. Speaker, it’s a hard fact that unemployment in our communities is high.
It’s a hard fact that the cost of living in the north often makes it effectively impossible for employees, especially working parents to exercise their right to strike in the event that bargaining breaks down.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t think that the playing field is level enough.
I continue to urge the government to strongly consider providing the option for binding arbitration.
Mr. Speaker, we often hear that the government says that our employees are our most valuable resource.
I agree with this and something I strongly believe in myself.
In the upcoming months, I look forward to our government putting its money where it’s mouth is.
Member’s Statement 215 – 1(6): Breakwater Needed in Hall Beach
Before I begin, I wish to share some good news, the youngest one amongst us members in the House, our Olayuk Akesuk is now a grandfather.
I hope that doesn’t take too much of my speaking time.
I would like to say the problem that we face in our community, everybody knows that our community has a very linear shore and we have no natural harbours in the area for our boats.
In summertime, whenever the wind picks up, the boats whether they be large boats or not, they always have to be pulled unto shore.
Due to this fact, the people who are going to be working on the breakwater will have to realize that the remarks made by our Minister last spring regarding the planning of the breakwater and that a consultation round would be utilized to determine which communities needs more work.
I think that Hall Beach should be one of the first ones to be worked on.
And the people in my community are starting to wear their hulls down due to the incessant beaching and launching of their boats.
Are there any further Members’ Statements.
Mister Akesuk
Member’s Statement 216 – 1(6): New Baby Daughter
Enoki beat me to the punch about the fact that my daughter gave birth yesterday around 9 o’clock last night 9:03.
And she had an 8lb 5 oz daughter and her name will be Meeka and we are going to adopt her.
Speaker: Congratulations Minister.
Are there any Returns to Oral Questions.
Return to Oral Question 021 – 1(6): Gasoline for Kugaaruk
Hon. Peter Kattuk: Nakurmiik Itsivautaq.
Mr. Speaker this question was asked by Mr. Enoki Irqittuq on April 25, 2002.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide a response to questions posed to me by Mr. Enoki Irqittuq on April 25, 2002.
The member raised an issue on the Kugaaruk fuel supply.
Mr. Speaker, the petroleum products division of the Department of Public Works and Services airlifted fuel from Kugluktuk into the community of Kugaaruk during the last week of March 2002.
Mr. Speaker, the member had also inquired about the excess fuel in Hall Beach.
In this case, the gasoline was not used to supply Kugaaruk because of quality issues surrounding the 2001 gasoline supply.
Like all other Baffin and Kivalliq communities, the remaining 2001 gasoline supply was removed from Hall Beach for a new 2002 re-supply.
Return to Oral Question 090 – 1(6): Communities Effected by Bad Gasoline
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide a response to a question from Glen McLean on May 3, 2002. Concerns about 2001 gasoline supply were raised by a number of communities in the Baffin and Kivalliq.
Concerns were expressed through letters, faxes, radio, newspapers and here in the Legislative Assembly.
The following is a list of communities who contacted Petroleum Products Division of the Department of Public Works and Services regarding gasoline quality.
Qikiqtarjuaq, Repulse Bay, Hall Beach, Clyde River, Whale Cove, Sanikiluaq, Coral Harbour, Rankin Inlet, and Iqaluit.
Are there any further returns to oral questions.
Since I’ve been in Pangnirtung, I have been recognizing a number of people unlike in Iqaluit, so I would like to recognize a person who, back in 1992, for about 7 years was the secretary manager while I was a mayor and our former secretary manager is now the secretary manager for the hamlet of Pangnirtung.
Be assured Pangnirtung residents, that you have a very capable secretary manager, Mr. Greg Morash.
First of all, I would like to recognize the person who couldn’t be here because he wasn’t feeling well earlier during our session.
Our mayor Hezekiah Oshutapik, please stand;
And also right close to the door in the red jacket, I’d like to recognize her, even though all the members know her, the accomplishments that she has made in regards to social issues, counselling, healing and working at the church and going to different meetings.
She has helped a lot of people in that area, Meeka Arnakak.
And also I’m happy to see that even though he is physically disabled but he has a wheelchair, Geesee Akulujuk, feel welcome to observe our proceedings.
And Mr. Speaker, beside Meeka, Davidee Naujuk who is a regular hunter in Pangnirtung and he’s also a Ranger and beside him isTommy Papatsie.
The reason why I mentioned him, you all knew his father; Isa Papatsie and he used to be in different kinds of organizations and he travelled within Nunavut and N.W.T. and assisted a lot of people.
I’d like to recognize two Cambridge Bay residents, of course who are known to many of the members in this house because they regularly provides quality Inuinnaqtun interpreting and translation for my colleague Mr. Havioyak over there and they’re in the interpreter’s booth, Henry Alakannuark and James Panioyak.
Question 220 – 1(6): Amount of Fuel Delivered to Clyde River
I’d like to ask a question to the Minister of Petroleum Products Division because I am not too sure and I would like a clear indication because I will be mentioning other communities.
Last summer a fuel ship went to the communities and it came to Pangnirtung because they delivered more fuel then they were suppose so therefore our community got less.
So, we’ll only have enough fuel till April.
It’s not that I’m jealous that they put it here in Pangnirtung but for the fact that they should go by because a lot of times in the other communities if one community get more than they’re suppose to then they of course the communities, other communities get less.
It should be enough for the community and I’m just wondering why they do this often.
The question that he’s raising, I’m not clear, I don’t fully know the contents of his questions but going through the amount of fuel that is delivered to the communities and looking at it on a yearly basis we try and deliver adequate fuel for a whole year but even though that is a case we expect that it will last a whole year.
Mr. Speaker, he just indicated that he expects it’ll be enough for a whole year.
I don’t want to undermine him.
I just know as residents of those communities that it’ll only go as far as April and it’s a lot less then what we received last year and last year even though we got, not last the year before that, we know the gasoline will be enough the but fuel and we didn’t have enough Naphtha last year but it’ll be enough this year.
We just know that fuel will not be adequate because as a community we always know what is enough and what is not and we know the fuel we got this year is a lot less than last year so therefore we expect that it will last only till April.
So, what will happen if we run out of fuel and what are your plans to fulfill our expectations so there will be enough fuel in our communities?
Maybe if I can say to him that the Petroleum Products Division, 2 million, 640 litres was delivered and it is true that the 2 million, 500 thousand was delivered and it’s about 30 thousand less than what we wanted but I just want to reassure the member of the Legislative Assembly that it will go past April 30, until the next fuel ship comes in but in case they run out before the next fuel ship comes in then we will make other arrangements and I want to reassure the other communities that if they run out of fuel that when the time comes we always to and manage to solve the problem that they have in the community.
So, I want to reassure the member not to worry about that.
I believe myself and I know for a fact that what we have been experiencing for year after year this is the least amount that we have received.
At this time there’s hardly any aviation fuel and it won’t be long until they won’t be able to for the fact because they have to try and save it for the houses and that measure will have to be taken maybe you are not aware even though you work but we want the airlines to be able to get fuel whenever we have any instead of conserving it for others.
And we want them to have abundance of it so, if I were to say that in 2003 if we have inadequate fuel then I will be raising questions and I’d like to ask you again you seem to spend money lavishly on fuel products whether they can be delivered by airlines and that costs a lot of money.
Maybe you can put in place a better cost effective way of dealing with that problem.
Speaker: Mr. Iqaqrialu I believe the Minister has answered your question, I believe you are getting into another matter now that might be considered hypothetical but if the Minister wishes to address your question or issue.
The comments the members making makes a lot of sense but I just want to emphasize again as I stated before that we don’t want the communities to be concerned or worried that they will run out of fuel before the next fuel ship comes in.
We don’t want the communities to run out of fuel where they come to a point where there’s no point and your concern is very logical and lot of times we get phone calls or inquiries from the communities saying that they are concerned that they won’t have enough fuel in the community and when we do we check those.
So I just want to reassure the member again not to worry, and to all the members that if there is insufficient fuel this year that we can deal with it at the time when the time comes.
I apologize that I raised two questions but just to continue on with my questioning.
The airlines deliver to the communities and they can’t always land in a community that they wish to go to.
If a plane happened to be diverted to our community then we wouldn’t have enough aviation fuel, even for emergencies.
Even though I’m not the pilot of the airplanes, but I have enough experience that I’ve been on enough airplanes that I usually know that they try and estimate that they’ll have enough fuel for their destination.
Even if they encounter bad weather or they have to divert to a different community they try and have fuel for those emergencies but I don’t want the member to worry about that.
All we know is we want to reassure the communities that they won’t go without heat.
So we will deal with it if there is not enough fuel.
Question 221 – 1(6): Feasibility Studies on Docks
Mr. Speaker, in regards to the comment I made, I will ask the minister in regards to the Feasibility Studies of the Wharfs in the communities.
What is the status on that?
The communities were going to be visited to do the Feasibility Study on getting Wharfs.
Allen Johnston, who is one of my employees, and he was going to go to the different hamlets to check on the shorelines in the communities.
At this time I’m not sure what stage he’s at now, to see where they might need improvements but he went to the communities compiling the facts and statistics and information from the communities.
Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the status of the communities because of lack of funding so we will have to prioritize the communities as to their needs so I can get more information on this and give him an answer but I have directed by staff to do the study.
Mr. Speaker, in regards to the study that’s being done on wharfs and docks around Nunavut, I had told the minister to put Hall Beach on top of the list.
Was Hall Beach included in the study?
I don’t know which community was the first to be studied but after all the information is compiled and all the facts and then we will prioritize the communities and see who is going to be dealt with first.
I understand exactly where you are coming from and why you’re responding like that, but Hall Beach is extremely hard in the summer especially when it’s windy out there and people through hard work and pulling their boats onto the beach have not lost any boats yet.
It’s very open water, it’s dangerous and the reason why I’m asking this question is because I told the Minister personally that Hall Beach should be placed on top of the list.
Have you informed anybody about why Hall Beach should be placed first?
We received only 500 thousand dollars from the federal government to be used for wharfs, docks and protected areas.
There’s approximately six million dollars that would be used for other projects like roads and other infrastructures and even though we have a lot on the priority list we are going to be placing a priority on the ones that need it the most.
I could talk to the member personally outside of the House on this issue.
I will of course have to talk to my employees first of all.
I could tell the member now we have a lot of priorities and the monies that we received for the wharfs and docks is not going to be able to fix all the beaches in Nunavut.
I can tell the member now that my employees will be giving me status update on the Hall Beach’s beach and I will write a letter possibly and talk to the member about the status of this project.
Question 222 – 1(6): Boating Safety Awareness in Nunavut
Mr. Speaker I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Community Government and Transportation.
Mr. Speaker can the Minister tell me what current activities her department is doing to improve the awareness on boating and kayak safety in Nunavut.
The emergency measures people and especially Eric Doig have worked extremely hard on the awareness issue and the safety issue and next month my department will be going into the communities.
I’m not sure what they are called, the Coast Guards are going to be going to the communities next month and they will be working with the hamlets on this issue and that’s part of what we are doing on the emergency measures and awareness of water safety and shorelines.
The Coast Guard, we supplemented the money that we got from the coast guard and we’ll be using those monies to provide training programs to the communities and also to provide GPS’s to the hamlets.
We also have satellite telephones that are being given to the hamlets.
Those are some of the projects that we have initiated on the Emergency Measures whether it would be on land or water.
We’re providing a lot training programs on safety and awareness.
In my constituency and on behalf of my riding of Taloyoak, we are looking at taking action before any accidents happen and we would like to see better policies and stronger regulations.
Mr. Speaker, can the minister indicate whether there have been on the water campaigns or patrolling activities undertaken by her department to increase the awareness of boating safety in Nunavut.
Are you going to be doing all these activities this summer or next year or when?
The Emergency Measures division of our department are going to be going the communities next month and I think Taloyoak is on the list.
We’re going to try and cover all the Nunavut communities and the employees are going to have meetings with the hamlets.
The hamlets’ recreation department were trained on shore activities and shore safety and were given pamphlets also.
My department will be going into the communities next month and afterwards I will give you a schedule of when my department will be coming into your communities.
I will be giving you a schedule and that will be the trip the emergency people are going to be taking.
Mr. Puqiqnak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you Madam Minister for responding to my question on the tour that your department is going to be taking.
Mr. Speaker, you stated that they will be going into the communities.
Are they going be going on the local radios stations to inform the public or are you going to be having public meetings so that you will know what the issues and concerns are of the general public.
It’s totally up to each of the individual communities.
If the hamlet, Mr. Speaker if the hamlet would like these people to do activities or hold public meetings or go on the local radio stations that could be arranged as long as the scheduling and timing is set by the hamlet.
I will leave it up to the hamlet councils to decide on what kind of arrangements they would like my employees to do.
I’m sure that the SAOs will be informed well ahead of time and you can do whatever you want with these people.
Question 223 – 1(6): Support for Mining Strategy
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Address the need or initiative to support development and mining sector including work in the areas of training and infrastructure.
I want to ask the Minister of Sustainable Development if there is a mining strategy in Nunavut.
Currently we are working with the Department of Sustainable Development and Education Department working on a plan, a strategy how we are going to work together to come up with a plan that will train people in mining sector from Nunavut.
So, I believe, I don’t know how far we are right now but then again we are still working on this strategy.
Mr. Havioyak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you Mr. Minister. (interpretation ends) I know working on it.
What are the main areas addressed in this strategy Uqaqti.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk: Thank you, Minister.
Where we are right now I can’t tell you but I could get back to you as soon as I get the information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Taken as notice.
Question 224 – 1(6): Homecare for the Mentally Handicapped
Just a few minutes ago I mentioned something about the mental health strategy.
As I indicated earlier there are people who had perfectly normal lives and then went through mental stress.
There’s also individuals who are now living or institutionalised in Edmonton, they went through tremendous change from normal to mentally handicapped and usually the parents have to watch key words 24 hours a day seven days a week.
And I’m sure that could be very stressful and tiring on the individuals that are taking care of these mentally handicapped individuals.
We would like to give at least one or two weeks to give a break to the caregivers.
These particular individuals were asked by the nurse if they could take a couple of weeks off and the caregivers turned it down.
The individual who is now mentally handicapped, what can we do or what kind of support or help can we provide to those handicapped and to their caregivers.
I’m not up on the actual case that the member is speaking about.
What I can say is that we have over, at the present time, we have over 110 people across Nunavut who are being helped with our homecare program.
In the members community we have actually a dedicated nurse now for homecare.
In this case we are parents, family members are struggling with the homecare patient.
We have provided in the past respite care and that’s where you give a break for the patient as well as for the caregiver a break from the patient.
If it has been turned down in these circumstances the member has said, there must be other reasons for it.
So, that’s something that Mr. Speaker, we would have to follow up.
I can say that there are dedicated home care professionals in the member’s community as well as a home care nurse.
We have human rights.
I can keep this mentally handicapped person even though I’m intoxicated but if I was intoxicated and the RCMP took me into custody I won’t have much of choice.
I could take this as an example, there are these individuals who are now mentally handicapped, they can walk around, they can eat, they look normal but it could be compared to a person who is in extremely intoxicated state.
If the individual who is mentally handicapped says no, it would be the same thing as being a severely intoxicated person saying no to the RCMP who are trying to take him into custody for safety purposes.