EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Again, we all like to fly a big jet plane, but at this point you can’t go from flying an ultra light to flying a big jet and so we’ve got to take it step by step.
It’s a huge undertaking when you divest all your finances, resources, and people to a board of governors.
One day that’s possible once all the capacities are built in, but this first step is initial to understand exactly where we sit and understand our capabilities of divesting the financials, resources, and the Department of Health to a board of governors.
It’s more to do with the will of the House and about motions, not so much any more about what the motion was about, but the will of the House has not been respected, in my opinion.
Another motion that was passed by the Legislative Assembly concerned the development of strategy and action plan to address the needs of Nunavut’s elders.
This motion was passed on March 16, 2016 and the Premier spoke eloquently in favour of the motion.
Can he update the House today on the status of the government’s response to this motion?
I admire the tenacity of the member across.
When we make motions, we intend to try to follow through. At this point the Elders Strategy is a work of many departments.
Once we have approval through cabinet to table a strategy, I will certainly do that.
Mr. Speaker, there are processes that we’ve got to follow through within the government.
That is one process where I intend to put it through the cabinet to make sure that it’s approved for tabling.
Also, since we’re speaking about various different motions, the Elders Strategy is a document that I started and I spoke about that.
That is why I put senior advocacy into my department so things can flow easier for our seniors, our elders, where they’re trying to get services for themselves.
When you have to work with seven or eight different departments to help our seniors and elders, it is very difficult.
Through this process, putting the seniors file into EIA, where I manage and coordinate that, is a step easier for our seniors in Nunavut.
Once the strategy is done and approved through cabinet, I will certainly table it.
Question 622 – 4(3): Qikiqtarjuaq Marine Infrastructure (Keyootak)
As I said in my Member’s Statement yesterday, the community of Qikiqtarjuaq deserves a clear explanation as to why the Government of Nunavut did not submit the proposal for a new Qikiqtarjuaq marine facility to the federal government for consideration under the New Building Canada Fund.
I will ask the same question today: what were the specific reasons for why the proposal for a new Qikiqtarjuaq marine facility was not submitted to the federal government for consideration under the New Building Canada Fund?
Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for raising the question on behalf of his constituents.
The projects that are requested by the communities are generally quite complex, especially with many infrastructure projects that are required here in Nunavut.
Whenever the government reviews capital projects, it is sent to a review committee that includes representatives from all Government of Nunavut departments and there are three main criteria used to conduct these reviews.
The first one is the prioritization of the project, whether it is an important need and what concerns result from not approving the project.
The first criterion represents approximately 40 percent of the score, which is slightly lower than 50 percent, and it revolves around (interpretation ends) health and safety.
(interpretation) The second criterion that needs to be reviewed is (interpretation ends) programs and services (interpretation) that provide benefits and whether we have (interpretation ends) mandated programs and services. (interpretation) Furthermore, what development would follow the project is set at a lower scale.
It is primarily a (interpretation ends) rating system (interpretation) and the process follows the outlined procedures within the legislation.
I can provide the information to the member so that he can completely comprehend the process. I will make a copy available to him.
With the many requests being reviewed, what I can tell you is that we submitted 19 projects to the federal government in 2014.
The project request from Qikiqtarjuaq was rated at 16 out of the submissions, which did not get selected.
As I said in my Member’s Statement yesterday, I was pleased that the minister has expressed willingness to have her officials sit down with the Municipality of Qikiqtarjuaq to examine ways to improve the existing business case for the proposed Qikiqtarjuaq marine facility.
When will her officials be contacting the municipality to schedule a meeting?
Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank my colleague for his question.
During our meeting, the member asked me if I could visit the community of Qikiqtarjuaq and I still plan to go to there.
Just this morning my officials asked me when we would be available to go, and I told them I would like to make plans for after the winter session, perhaps, to visit the community of Qikiqtarjuaq.
Will the minister commit to providing a formal update on the status of the proposed new Qikiqtarjuaq marine facility during our upcoming spring sitting, yes or no?
We have been continually working on that. We expect that the federal government will announce its decision after they look at the budget. Once that process is completed, I’ll be able to pursue this matter with you and your community.
Question 623 – 4(3): Accommodations for Government Employees on Medical Travel (Okalik)
Many members here have relatives living in different communities who travel to Iqaluit. Just recently one of my relatives from Pangnirtung came in to town to have her baby.
She was told that she would remain for an entire month. Since she is working for the GN, they set up a hotel room for her stay.
However, she received information later on that her hotel room was only booked for a week and that after the week passed, another reservation would be needed.
Most expectant mothers stay for a month, which is what was provided as information.
I feel that this is unnecessary added stress for an expectant mother, and care should be taken not to overly cause concern to expectant mothers.
Can the minister look into this matter and resolve this government employee’s predicament?
I would like to see this resolved as this government employee may be required to stay for up to a month. Human resources should be directed to fix this reservation issue to ensure that our employees who are required to stay longer don’t have to continually request room reservations.
As I had mentioned through the Committee of the Whole proceedings, it’s a continual challenge strictly due to the volume alone to be able to provide accommodations for all the people that travel to Iqaluit for medical travel.
We do work with the contractor and the contractor has an obligation, if there’s no room at the boarding home, to find alternative accommodations.
That’s done either through hotels, as the member mentioned, boarding homes, billets, bed and breakfasts. It is a continual challenge.
The facility is overcapacity on average 30 percent of the year, which is quite substantial. There have been discussions with the group that owns the facility. They’re exploring options for expansion.
I look forward to further discussions on that topic.
That being said, it is a challenge.
Hotel accommodations, as an example, the boarding home staff work with the hotels, but if there is room at the boarding home, the preference and the contract obligations are for them to be at the boarding home. If rooms open up, there may be a need for people to move accommodations. Typically once they’re in the boarding home, they shouldn’t have to move again.
On some occasions, especially the elders with mobility issues, there are circumstances where people are asked if they would relinquish their room if it’s a handicap room, as an example, to assist people with mobility issues. We have some rooms that have no carpet that assist people with allergies.
I do appreciate the member’s concern and it’s something the department is very aware of and we’re exploring different options to find solutions.
Government employees don’t stay at the Tammaativvik Boarding Home and I wanted to clarify that.
All government employees are housed in hotels and they don’t stay at the Tammaativvik Boarding Home. That is the practice of the government.
Some have been advised that they may be required to stay for a month, but their hotel reservations are only set for one week.
What would happen to the government employee in that situation? Where would they stay?
This is how stressful it can be. We should be providing more support to our employees during stressful periods and when they require health care.
I would like to know if the minister can look further into this matter.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Health, Hon. George Hickes.
My apologies to the member; I misunderstood the first question.
He did mention it was a government employee and I should have caught that portion of it.
That being said, I will have my staff look into medical travel and employee travel for the length of stay that they’re anticipated to be here and look at different options for better evaluating the length of time a hotel is booked for.
Question 624 – 4(3): Housing in Arctic Bay (Shooyook)
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s capital budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year included funding for the construction of five new staff housing units for Arctic Bay.
Can the minister provide an update today on the status of construction of these units?
I have referenced these issues continually whenever one of my colleagues raises a question on it.
This project is on schedule for the planned work. However, they have not received the materials because the planned work was just approved that includes many communities.
To date the plans we have for that are on schedule.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s capital budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year also included funding for the construction of five new public housing units for Arctic Bay.
What was the reason for the construction not starting even though the material was there?
What was the reason for not beginning construction of staff housing units this summer?
I think I might have misunderstood him. The construction will begin this upcoming summer.
I thought he asked that question on what the reasons are. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have that information right now and I cannot respond to his question, but I will look into his question with my officials.
As the minister will recall, I asked questions last week to the Minister of Health concerning the importance of ensuring proper housing for nurses in our communities.
Can the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation indicate how the Nunavut Housing Corporation works with the Department of Health to plan for staff housing needs in our communities?
I wonder if this project will commence when the weather starts to warm up. Will this project commence in Arctic Bay in the spring?
Can the minister provide clarification on whether it will commence in the spring or summer or after the summer?
Yes, I can inform my colleague. I will look into where it stands.
As soon as I get the information, I can provide it to my colleague as to when the construction will begin, where it stands, and what the reasons are.
Once I have that information, I will get back to the member during this sitting.
Question 625 – 4(3): Language Proficiency in the Public Service (Joanasie)
As this is the last day of Inuktut Language Month here in Nunavut, my questions are for the Minister of Finance regarding language.
Mr. Speaker, as the minister is aware, I am a strong proponent of bilingualism in our government, especially with respect to positions that provide services directly to members of the general public, many of whom are unilingual speakers of the Inuit language.
The government’s most recent Public Service Annual Report indicates that a total of $1.84 million in bilingual bonuses was paid during the 2015-16 fiscal year.
Mr. Speaker, in the federal government, positions in the public service are classified according to their official language requirements. Some positions require candidates to be fluently bilingual, but other positions require either English or French proficiency.
I would like to ask the minister: can he indicate approximately how many positions in the government require employees to be fluently bilingual in both the Inuit language and English or French?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Mr. Speaker, I don’t have that level of detail in my binder sitting here.
That’s the stuff I wouldn’t have. The types of positions he would be asking about would be interpreters, translators, legal translators, and linguists. We do encourage our employees to use the Inuktut language, so we have the bilingual bonuses.
We are working on a replacement bilingual bonus program - it’s old and outdated - with a more current method which will allow us to do proficiency testing of different positions to pay people with the level of competency in a different language.
We are working on that with a couple of our partners.
Your first supplementary, Mr. David Joanasie.
That leads me right to my other question. It is important that the government introduce official language proficiency assessment tools that are fair, objective, and consistent. During the Legislative Assembly’s recent fall sitting, the government’s formal response to our standing committee’s report on its televised hearings on the annual reports of the Languages Commissioner and the Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit was tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
The response indicates that, and I quote, “The Government of Nunavut anticipates the full implementation of the Inuit Language Incentive Program starting in 2017-2018.
The Department of Culture and Heritage and the Department of Finance have been collaborating with the Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit on this important initiative.”
Can the minister update the House today on the status of introducing standardized language proficiency tests for the purpose of determining eligibility for bilingual bonuses?
A draft Inuit language incentive policy has been developed, but it is undergoing internal consultations with various committees.
I believe the plan is to roll it out for some pilot testing later this year.
As far as I know, in this government we understand that it’s on schedule, as responded to the committee last fall.
Section 12 of the Inuit Language Protection Act requires every territorial institution to, and I quote, “identify and implement measures to increase the use of the Inuit Language as a working language of the institution.”
Can the minister clarify which department of the government has the primary responsibility of ensuring that this requirement is met?
I’m not sure if I understand the question correctly, but the finance department develops our policies and programs. We ensure employees are compensated properly once certified.
Currently we have the bilingual bonus. Like I said, that’s outdated.
We’re going to move to the proficiency test. We will be working on that.
The IUT is responsible for all aspects of testing the language competency of employees.
We will rely on their expertise and go from there.
Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs develops the training programs that allow our employees to move between the certification levels. They also develop training programs to allow employees to take training in the Inuit language.
Question 626 – 4(3): Airport Infrastructure (Mikkungwak)
Last year the minister tabled her department’s Nunavut Airports 20-Year Infrastructure Needs Assessment.
This report indicates that Baker Lake’s airport is one of four airports in the territory that require, and I quote, “substantial upgrades to their existing ATB facilities to address building system faults or major structural items.”
Can the minister confirm whether her department will be seeking funding in next year’s capital estimates to address these issues?
Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank my colleague. My colleague knows very well how the capital projects are dealt with.
It will only be the newly elected government that will be able to make that decision. We know that in the 20-year infrastructure needs assessment that we put out, the Baker Lake Airport is included in the list of airports that need to be worked on.
The current business plan of the Department of Economic Development and Transportation indicates that, and I quote, “New GPS approach procedures have been prepared for Arviat, Pangnirtung, Qikiqtarjuaq and Kimmirut.
These procedures improve descent limits, increasing the likelihood of landing in poor weather. (…) Five other airports have been identified that could benefit from approach procedures without infrastructure improvements; ten others first require infrastructure improvements.”
Can the minister clarify where Baker Lake’s airport stands in this list?
With respect to the (interpretation ends) GPS approach (interpretation) system, the Department of Economic Development and Transportation, as my colleague referred to seven communities, has completed three of the seven projects and we are currently developing further funding requests to complete this work.
With respect to Baker Lake, the (interpretation ends) GPS instrument procedures, (interpretation) as it is called, were introduced in April 2015 and a report was provided on the type of landing issues.
Baker Lake was noted as not having too many issues with the airport approach.
The report will be given to my colleague from Baker Lake when it’s ready.
I want to revisit the issue of the federal government’s response to the recommendation, as the minister indicated, contained in the final report of the Canada Transportation Act Review Panel concerning the establishment of a new “Northern Airports Capital Assistance Program.”
In her responses to questions on this issue that were asked last week by my colleague from South Baffin, our Minister of ED&T stated that her federal counterpart, Minister Garneau, travelled to Nunavut last year.
I assume that our minister raised this issue with her federal counterpart.
Can the minister indicate what the federal minister’s response was to the idea of establishing a new “Northern Airports Capital Assistance Program”?
Yes, on July 8, 2016 the federal Minister of Transportation, Mr. Marc Garneau, travelled here to Iqaluit.
We had a meeting with the minister on this (interpretation ends) Canada Transportation Act Review (interpretation) Panel and laid out many issues related to the needs here in Nunavut that we want to request. This was called (interpretation ends) Nunavut needs, (interpretation) so to speak, and we discussed these issues.
We were able to explain the many gaps and numerous infrastructure deficits.
I will be able to provide further details to my colleague on the work done to date and what responses we have received related to his request.
Colleagues, before I go to the next member to ask questions, I wish to take this opportunity to recognize two young siblings, the brother is Lloyd Satuqsi, please rise, and Jasmine Satuqsi.
Now I share with Lloyd my immense gratitude to the searchers who are part of the search and rescue group. If it weren’t for them, then the hunters would still not have been found today.
Lloyd’s toes were quite frostbitten, but he is able to be here with us.
Question 627 – 4(3): Dental Insurance (Angnakak)
Mr. Speaker, earlier during the sitting I addressed the issue of a child who was denied dental care because his parents did not have private insurance.
I thank the minister for agreeing to look into the details of that specific case. However, the broader issue of how dental insurance is provided for Nunavut residents is still a concern to me.
Mr. Speaker, not all Nunavut residents are fortunate enough to have employer-provided health and dental insurance. In some cases even the government’s dental insurance plan does not cover all dental services.
Inuit are eligible for some dental services under the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits program, but even then not all dental services are covered. It’s a complicated situation.
Can the minister clarify what kind of information is provided to Nunavut residents to inform them of what services are covered and which ones are not covered?
I thank the member for advocating on behalf of her constituents.
I did get some information. I haven’t had an opportunity to discuss with the member on the specific circumstances she is talking about.
I’m just going through some final edits, but during the break or after today I would be more than happy to update the member.
Specifically with Non-Insured Health Benefits, we’re always in discussions with Health Canada on what type of services can be covered under that program.
We do have on our website Non-Insured Health Benefits information that if people have any questions on what information is available there, they can continue to contact the patient relations office or there are people within the Department of Health that can assist people in that way.
In general any medical services that are being provided that could be covered by private health insurance, it is the physician or health personnel’s obligation to enquire if that insurance is available first as NIHB, or Non-Insured Health Benefits, is a secondary payer. Hopefully any miscommunication errors won’t occur any further down the road in that, but it is an obligation by health personnel to first enquire whether there is private health insurance that is available to be charged before NIHB.
Mr. Speaker, we often hear of situations where a dental professional or a health professional recommends that a client receive a specific service, but then is denied.
Can the minister clearly explain how the provision of dental services is administered by his department?
Here in Iqaluit we do have private dental clinics that are available for people to go to.
In the rest of the territory we rely upon contractors to provide dental services.
With regard to the specific access to that, it is through appointments with those contractors when they come up.
With regard to billing, like I had mentioned, we do continuously work with NIHB on how the billing structure and what services can be billed for.
The medical needs of the patient is always paramount in the concern and when we do encounter, which I haven’t been made aware of, any recent challenges other than the miscommunication issue that has just been brought to my attention fairly recently, I’m not aware of any issues with Nunavummiut not receiving the level of care that they’re entitled to.
Ms. Angnakak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the minister.
I’ll be calling the parents to see what’s going on.
Mr. Speaker, in the fall of 2017 the Office of the Auditor General of Canada is scheduled to deliver a report to Parliament on First Nations and Inuit oral health.
Can the minister confirm whether he or officials from his department will be providing input to the Auditor General on the challenges of providing adequate dental services to children in Nunavut?
I’m not aware of what stage the Auditor General is in their consultation process of getting information from interested stakeholders that are involved in oral health care.
I do know the Office of the Auditor General is always very diligent in gathering information.
I can quite safely assure the member that the Office of the Auditor General will be in contact, if they have not already been in contact with health officials in Nunavut. It’s something that I’ll look into specifically.
I’m not aware at what level that consultation process is in right now.
Question 628 – 4(3): Support for Hunters and Trappers Associations (Shooyook)
Mr. Speaker, hunters and trappers organizations play a very important role in Nunavut’s wildlife management process.
I recognize that the department provides a set amount of contribution funding to each of Nunavut’s hunters and trappers organizations according to the schedules outlined under its support to harvesters program policy.