EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It seems like that young man has a goal in mind.
Return to Oral Question 316 – 3(3): Offshore Drilling in the Canadian Arctic (Arreak)
A question was asked by Hon. Joe Enook on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, and the question was, “It is my understanding that the GN has a representative on the Arctic Regional Advisory Council on Oil Spill Response.
Can the minister describe what work this body is currently undertaking?”
My answer to the hon. member, Mr. Speaker, is: On March 6, 2012, the Member for Tununiq asked me the above question.
I provided a response, but unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding of exactly which organization the member was referring to.
This has now been clarified and I ask that my earlier return to oral question be disregarded.
I am pleased to now provide a response to the member’s question regarding the Government of Nunavut’s participation in the Arctic Regional Advisory Council, or ARAC, not Arreak…
…on Oil Spoil Response.
Mr. Speaker, I can now confirm that the department has representatives on the Arctic Regional Advisory Council on Oil Spill Response, also referred to as ARAC.
ARAC is a Transport Canada sponsored group whose functions are to act as an advisory body, through the federal Minister of Transport, to advise and report on the adequacy of preparedness in the region, to share and address issues of concern regarding oil spill preparedness and response, and to promote public awareness.
ARAC, being a Transport Canada sponsored group, concerns itself primarily with ship-sourced spills in the Arctic and not offshore drilling.
Currently, ARAC is focusing its efforts on developing standards for wintering-over fuel barges, which has become an issue of great concern across the north and for which there are currently no accepted standards and regulations.
Moving on in the orders of the day. Item 5. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery.
Member for Uqqummiut, Minister Arreak.
It is my pleasure to recognize Mr. Gordon Rennie.
Mr. Rennie has been a long-time member of the Utility Rates Review Council since 2001. As one of the longest-serving members, Mr. Rennie served the URRC with great enthusiasm and passion.
I asked him to be here so you can all recognize Mr. Rennie and thank him for the services he has rendered on behalf of the Assembly.
URRC is an arm’s-length council from the Government of Nunavut.
Now, I would also like to recognize his daughter, who has been giving him a lot of help in recent years, Caroline Rennie, and the only employee of URRC, Laurie Ann White.
Welcome, all three of you, to the Gallery.
Hon. Monica Ell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I, too, would like to recognize the three members in the Gallery.
I would like to introduce them as my constituents in Iqaluit West.
First of all, Gordon Rennie, welcome to the Gallery.
He has been in Iqaluit for as long as I have been born.
I would also like to welcome his daughter, Caroline Rennie, and my good friend, Laurie Ann White, also from my constituency.
I also would like to recognize the young man, Gordon Rennie. He and I have been on the same board, and that’s why we have grey hair.
Mr. Rennie has not only been around Iqaluit for longer than you have been around, Ms. Ell, but I remember hearing stories from my grandmother when he used to work at the trading post in Tavani, just south of Whale Cove.
An Hon. Member: Hear, hear!  >>Laughter
Speaker: I’m sure he much prefers it here in Iqaluit than there.
Moving on in our orders of the day then.
Question 341 – 3(3): Completion of Public Housing Units in Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven (Ugyuk)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, the Hon. Peter Taptuna.
When I first became an MLA, the first thing we dealt with was the Nunavut Housing Trust, where funds were transferred to ensure housing units under construction could be finished.
In our community, there are still empty units not completed.
What is the reason for the delay of these units sitting empty?
That is the case in both Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak. I would very much appreciate a response from the minister.
Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, Minister Taptuna.
I thank the Member for Nattilik for that question.
Mr. Speaker, as in any other little location in Nunavut, there are some communities that get snowbound throughout the winter. At this time, there are a couple of units that are still not quite finished in Gjoa Haven. Of course, the contractor is going back there once the snow has cleared from some certain lots and locations.
They will be back at the sites to complete the units.
How many units are not completed in Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven and when will they be completed?
We have set aside funding for those.
When are they going to be completed and how many are still incomplete?
There are a couple of units that are still incomplete; they are substantially finished.
For an accurate figure, I’m not positive on that, so I’ll have to get back to the hon. member on the exact amount of units that are still incomplete in Taloyoak.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would appreciate receiving more information on the units in question.
When the Nunavut Housing Needs Survey was undertaken, the results showed that Gjoa Haven had the second highest number of people on the waiting list. With that number of potential tenants waiting for units, I believe that the community should be prioritized to reflect their spot on the needs survey. Taloyoak is basically in the same position.
However, if you have the information for these two communities’ units, that is what I would like to receive.
As I said earlier, I’ll get back to the member with the accurate number of incomplete units. Mostly, units are substantially completed; it’s just a matter of having a total completion on it.
Again, in Gjoa Haven, there are some units that are under a whole pile of snow and, of course, the contractors are waiting for a certain amount of time until the snow clears.
At this time, we are expecting between three and four weeks before they get back to Gjoa Haven to complete the work on the units that are still incomplete.
Question 342 – 3(3): Status of Collective Bargaining (Elliott)
I am sure that she would be disappointed if she didn’t get the opportunity to answer at least one question during her first week as our newest minister.
On March 15 of this year, the Government of Nunavut issued a news release in which it stated that, and I quote, “Until an essential services agreement is in place, Government of Nunavut employees are not in a legal position to strike.”
Can the minister update the House and the listening public today as to how close the government and the union are to reaching an essential services agreement?
Minister responsible for the Department of Human Resources, Minister Ell.
As he is aware, the government is under negotiations and there is no essential services agreement in place at this time.
You know I can’t comment on this matter until negotiations have been dealt with.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister Ell.
It has been two months since the March 15 press release.
I’m just wondering, within those two months, there must have been some communication between the Government of Nunavut and the union working towards reaching an essential services agreement.
Is there any update that you can give or a tentative date as to when the agreement will be reached?
I can’t comment on an update at this time.
Can the minister indicate approximately how many employees [the government] wants to see covered by the essential services agreement?
I guess we have notice many times that it’s definitely question period but not answer period.
For my last question, I was pleased to note that the Qulliq Energy Corporation and the Nunavut Employees Union have reached a tentative collective agreement and that ratification votes are actually taking place this week.
It is my understanding that the QEC and the NEU agreed to wage increases of 2.5 percent in 2011, 2 percent in 2012, and 2 percent in 2013.
Can the minister indicate if this has set a precedent for the government’s current negotiations with the NEU for its main collective agreement?
As he knows, the matter is under negotiation with the NEU and I can’t comment on the matter.
Question 343 – 3(3): Update on Physician Services in the High Arctic (Enook)
Mr. Enook: Qujannamiik, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) I wish a good afternoon to the residents of Pond Inlet, particularly to my daughter Nancy Enook Ootoovak. Have a very pleasant birthday today.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, (interpretation) I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, up until a few years ago, the community of Pond Inlet had a doctor resident in the community who provided medical services to the communities of the High Arctic.
Since the doctor left, the position has remained unfilled to this day.
I am sure the minister will recall that during our March sitting, I asked what steps had been taken to fill the Pond Inlet doctor position. On March 5, 2012, the minister indicated that he would look into why the position was still vacant.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, (interpretation) I would like to ask the minister if he can now update this House on when a physician will be hired to fill the vacant position in Pond Inlet.
I do recall him asking the question a couple of months ago.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t have an update for Mr. Enook.
I can indicate to him right now that it is very difficult to recruit physicians for Nunavut. It’s very challenging.
At this time, we don’t have any plans to recruit for Pond Inlet.
I understand that there is a shortage of qualified medical personnel all across Canada and that Nunavut is competing with other jurisdictions to attract and hire full-time medical staff. However, I am confident that there are doctors out there who would love the challenge and adventure of working in Canada’s High Arctic.
I would like to ask the minister if he can describe what efforts have been made to recruit physicians to Nunavut and, specifically, to live and work in the High Arctic.
I thank Mr. Enook for asking that question.
Mr. Speaker, there is a very concerted effort by our health department to recruit physicians in Nunavut.
The physician recruiting team up at the [Qikiqtani] General Hospital is actively… . We phone up physicians and communicate with them all the time.
There is a website. They have been to what you would call trade shows, health type trade shows.
We are working with Memorial University of Newfoundland on what we call NunaFam, where we bring resident doctors from the university to work in the [Qikiqtani] General Hospital here because it’s an accredited hospital.
Hopefully, in a little over a couple of years, as each of those physicians work, they may decide that they want to work in Nunavut in the smaller communities.
The program in Newfoundland is based more on small family community doctors in rural communities.  We’re hopeful that with initiatives like that and by constantly talking to physicians, we may attract more physicians to want to work in Nunavut.
I am confident that the minister would agree that it would be best to have a doctor located in the High Arctic.
Nurses work very hard to the best of their abilities, but just having the presence of a resident doctor would make a big difference.
It would also result in considerable savings in the costs of medical travel.
Patients can then see a doctor closer to home instead of having to make the expensive trip to Iqaluit.
Can the minister assure this House that he has fully considered the benefits of having a physician located in the High Arctic?
I thank Mr. Enook for that question.
Mr. Speaker, there’s no doubt that in a perfect environment, we could provide better medical services closer to home. During the Second Assembly, the Department of Health did have an initiative called “Closer to Home,” but the cost for facilities, the cost of recruiting; all of those sorts of things are factors. If you don’t have the human resources… .
There’s a nursing shortage across Canada. There’s a doctor shortage. It’s turning around a little bit now.
I have talked to our officials about how doctors could provide services to all of our communities in Nunavut. They do travel around and they do visit the communities.
The doctors here in Iqaluit at the [Qikiqtani] General Hospital are in daily contact with nurses in the communities in the High Arctic. Nurses can call them if there are situations they can’t deal with on their own and need advice whether to medevac a patient to Iqaluit or Ottawa.
We recognize that it would be ideal, like I said, in a perfect environment to have doctors, but the reality is we’re not in a perfect environment. It’s very difficult to recruit and retain doctors.
The Hamlet of Pond Inlet recently discussed the need for a community doctor and has forwarded me a letter and a motion passed by the hamlet council on this issue.
I will be tabling these documents at the appropriate time.
Will the minister commit to reviewing the documents from the Hamlet of Pond Inlet and giving their request for a full-time doctor in the community his full consideration?
I appreciate that the Hamlet of Pond Inlet is very concerned about health in their community.
It’s encouraging to know that communities are being proactive with health issues.
Mr. Speaker, when Mr. Enook tables the document, I will ensure that our officials in the Department of Health review it. They are already aware of Mr. Enook’s request from the winter sitting, so this will give them additional information to review.
Question 344 – 3(3): Fish Inventory in Pangnirtung (Oshutapik)
At our last session, the minister had made an announcement about the Nunavut Coastal Resource Inventory that was going to provide information.
Many people were quite ecstatic to hear about this inventory of fish species, marine life, and so on.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, this inventory is having a negative effect where hunters are noticing a drastic reduction in the seal population.
I wonder why the department carried out this fish inventory without first investigating what effects it may have on marine mammals. That is my question to the minister.
With respect to the marine survey, we worked with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as they have that responsibility.
I did hear the member’s question.
However, many hunters from all over say that seals seem to be less numerous. With respect to whether or not surveys impact seals when we are surveying the fish population, those surveys have gone ahead and the reports on the results are being produced.
With respect to satellite tagging, I didn’t quite understand what the member was referring to when he was asking about surveying methods. I would like to get clarification, please.
The surveying equipment I am referring to are apparently moored on the sea floor, although I haven’t actually seen them. What I’m talking about is monitoring equipment that tracks passing wildlife and they use this for population studies. I wonder if they use the satellite to relay the information.
I believe this technology uses sonar or some other means of radio devices. I don’t like to specify a title when I have no idea of what it is, but I imagine it is sonar-based. If that is the case, even when people use depth sounders from boats, it causes animals or wildlife to flee.
This technology emits sounds that animals do not like.
That is what we suspect is the cause of wildlife avoiding these waters. We hunt in these waters regularly and know the abundance of wildlife in these areas at certain seasons.
So after the equipment was installed, a corresponding reduction has taken place in the marine mammals in Cumberland Sound.
At least in response to your request for clarification, that is my guess of what the equipment is called. If they are not that type of equipment and are a different technology, then that is what I am trying to infer.
Let me raise this question instead: when will this equipment be removed?
I haven’t been informed when that equipment would be removed.
I believe the member is saying that animals can hear sounds that humans cannot hear.
I’ll have to look into the matter to see when the plan is to remove the equipment, as well as how they can lessen its impact on wildlife.
Once I get more information and background on this matter, I will be able to provide an update to the member.
Yes, we suspect that this technology is causing the seals to disappear.
How long will we have to wait for a response? How long will the hunters have to wait?
When do you think you will be briefed on this matter and can relay this information?
I ask this because our next session won’t be until the fall.
Our staff is working with the researchers of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Once we hear back from them before this session is over, I will inform the member right away.
If not, I’ll do so by mail, so I’ll be able to inform the member even after the session is finished.
We were the first community where that survey boat conducted their survey.
Cumberland Sound was the very first marine area to be surveyed, in a northerly direction. I imagine they would be using the same type of equipment. My guess is that as they move up and around Baffin Island, you will start hearing more complaints from hunters in these communities, just like what already occurred in Pangnirtung.
We look forward to the minister providing that information.
Furthermore, when the cause of the problem is tied to that equipment, we would expect it to be replaced with less detrimental equipment. Seals are our main source of food everywhere in the north.
I wanted to report on this in the House and, indeed, that is what my constituents wanted me to do.
I appreciate the fact that you provide responses when we ask questions, so we shall await your response to this issue.
Question 345 – 3(3): Vehicle Usage Policy for Health Centres (Tapardjuk)
I would like to use the response given today to a petition to start off with.
I quote, “We appreciate hearing concerns and suggestions from all community members related to the delivery of Health and Social Services.”
Starting off with that, I would like to thank the minister for wanting to hear about the concerns coming out of the communities.
Let me first raise this question, Mr. Speaker, just so I can understand. With respect to vehicle use by health centres, what exactly is their purpose?
Is it primarily just for shuttling medical health staff or can they use that as sort of an ambulance?
Let me get information on that first, Mr. Speaker.
I thank Mr. Tapardjuk for his question. I appreciate his recognition of the difficulties we have, spotting more details to the petition. I assure him that we do take all of these petitions very seriously.
With respect to the vehicle for the health centre, they are for the use of the health centre officials.
This is an issue that many community residents hope to hear about. Once again, the summer season is nearly upon us and people won’t be able to use snowmobiles anymore.
My constituents in Igloolik and Hall Beach don’t usually have access to vehicles, especially medical travel patients.
I know and understand for a fact that most people have to look after their own transportation needs and be self-reliant.
Even though that may be the case, some individuals have absolutely no access to any kind of transportation.
Is there any kind of memorandum of understanding or an agreement between the hamlet and the health centre to work together to provide transportation for these medical patients?  If there is a taxi company locally, can they be contracted out to bring patients to the airport, especially for patients who do not have any access to any kind of transportation?
Let me get information on that first, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
I don’t have any details of the ground transportation in Igloolik. I would have to look into that and get back to the member.
I wonder whether the minister could provide a written response as to whether taxi companies can be contracted by the Department of Health and Social Services to provide transportation.
Is this possible or would another department, such as EIA, be able to contract out these taxi companies?
Can something be done? This causes the biggest problem to medical patients especially.
I thank Mr. Tapardjuk again for raising that concern.
I assure Mr. Tapardjuk that we will look into it.
Question 346 – 3(3): Fuel Supply in Constituency (Ningark)
I would like to direct my question to the Hon. Minister Lorne Kusugak, Minister responsible for CGS.
Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk are dear to my heart, so I will ask about their status shortly. I was born and spent my formative years in Repulse Bay, and my wife is from Kugaaruk, who is always close to my heart.
Now that spring and summer seasons are arriving, I would like to ask whether or not these communities will have enough diesel and gasoline to last until the sealift resupply.
I thank the member for keeping the residents from Kugaaruk and Repulse Bay close to his heart.
My ancestors themselves came from the Repulse Bay area and I still have relatives living there.
What I can tell you, Mr. Ningark, is that Repulse Bay may experience fuel shortages prior to the resupply ship coming to that community. That is what we suspect.
I also thank the minister profusely for clarifying my request for information and for providing that information.
Now that he has identified that one community may experience fuel shortage, will the department provide fuel resupply prior to the ship’s arrival?
I thank the member for asking about this issue.
Fuel shortages and the likelihood of fuel shortages is a pressing issue throughout Nunavut and elsewhere.
No one wants to run out of fuel, especially during springtime because it still gets quite cool in the evenings.
I know that Repulse Bay gets quite cool and some of these buildings, such as schools and warehouses, all require fuel to operate, including all vehicles.
Mr. Speaker, what I can tell the member is that at this time, the Petroleum Products Division under the Department of Community and Government Services is working on this issue. If there is likely to be fuel shortage prior to the resupply season, we are looking at bringing in emergency supplies.
We know that Repulse Bay would get about 200,000 litres in order for them to operate until the resupply arrives.
I am grateful that the minister will be able to look after that particular aspect.
Now, my second question is: if it turns out that the community doesn’t run out of fuel, can you assure me that it won’t result in an increase in fuel prices to the local housing association as well as homeowners in the community?
When we have to airlift fuel to that community, I will keep the member informed as to what’s going on prior to the community running out of fuel.
We don’t want to scare anybody, so I don’t want you to be worried about this.
As a government, we have been able to reduce prices over the past three years. We continue to see rising fuel prices in Canada from time to time.
However, if you look at some spots in Nunavut, the fuel price per litre is cheaper than elsewhere in Canada.
I can tell the member that the delivery of fuel into Repulse Bay will not be a factor in price changes.
This is just the normal part of what we do.
I can ascertain whether or not Repulse Bay will experience a fuel shortage and whether the price of fuel will rise or fall as soon as we have that information. At this time, I cannot tell you whether or not fuel prices will increase because of the emergency delivery to Repulse Bay.
The emergency delivery itself will not affect fuel prices.
I hope that is sufficiently clear.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Last month, the Premier made her case to ask the Full Caucus for an additional Executive Council member. The Premier indicated that the current cabinet at that time was challenged with a heavy workload.
Therefore, the question I have, Mr. Speaker, is to the minister without portfolio.
Will the minister provide a specific list of files and assignments the minister had…(inaudible)…April.
Speaker: Sorry, Members.