EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Firstly, with respect to the hamlet and residents of Kugaaruk, I appreciate their cooperation in resolving this issue, even though they had to go through a difficult time.
We were able to cooperate to resolve this issue.
You cannot do your daily chores without water. You cannot make tea.
You cannot do dishes. You cannot do laundry. It really creates more problems.
So I appreciate that we were able to collaborate with the hamlet.
Mr. Speaker, at this current time, we will continue to collaborate with the Hamlet of Kugaaruk to look for a solution to this water shortage.
We will work with the hamlet to ensure we meet this demand.
Question 398 – 3(3): Baseball Field for Pond Inlet (Enook)
Mr. Speaker, the responsibilities for sport and recreation services will soon be transferred to the Department of CGS from the Department of CLEY.
I hope that some of the past miscommunications with regard to recreational infrastructure will be eliminated as a result of this move.
In 2008, the Department of CGS agreed to provide funding under its Community Support Projects Division to the Hamlet of Pond Inlet towards its baseball field relocation project.
To this day, this project has never been completed and there is no baseball field for people to play in over the summer months.
Can the minister clarify the kinds of circumstances that can lead to contribution funding for important community infrastructure projects being delayed by almost four years?
I’m not exactly sure whether it is indeed four years, but if there was an agreement governing that transfer where they changed the usage of the land from a ballpark to a hockey arena, this was the decision of the local hamlet and the residents of Pond Inlet.
There was an agreement that a search would be undertaken to look for a new baseball field.
Mr. Speaker, what I can state is that this agreement was negotiated between CGS and the hamlet, but unfortunately, it was not settled and the funding was set aside.
We now have to revisit this issue.
It will make matters go more smoothly when the recreation division is transferred to CGS and result in less confusion.
The Department of CLEY recognized Pond Inlet’s need for a baseball field several years ago.
The project was then referred to CGS for funding as a community support project.
Can the minister provide an update on what has occurred to prevent this project from becoming a reality?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The identification of the land that was selected for the baseball field would require a lot of gravel, 7,200 square metres, and gravel is not cheap.
A large amount is required and we have been forced to look at alternatives and options. It will require deliberation between CGS and the local hamlet.
Perhaps the first solution would be to look for a piece of land that does not require a lot of landscaping to make it a baseball field.
With the piece of land that was selected or even if they choose another future ballpark, will the Minister commit to making good on his department’s promise to provide funding towards Pond Inlet’s baseball field project?
I cannot make a commitment because I don’t have the contents of the previous agreement. We debated this previously with your predecessor, but I cannot recall the exact details, so I cannot make this commitment.
What I can state is that we will continue to work with the Hamlet of Pond Inlet to ensure that a ballpark is constructed in Pond Inlet.
We want to have a common goal to ensure that a ballpark is built in the community.
Mr. Minister, can you agree with my assessment that you will make this a priority and that you will deal with this immediately?
It has been an ongoing issue and prior to a completion date, this process of collaborating will continue with the Hamlet of Pond Inlet.
With the transfer of the recreation division into our department, we are already starting to cooperate on this matter. If they can choose another parcel of land, it would alleviate some of our concerns, but we would have to look at all the costs related to that.
Question 399 – 3(3): Plans for GN’s Research Vessel Nuliajut (Rumbolt)
On October 20, 2011, the Minister responsible for the Department of Environment at that time stated the success of the new fishing research vessel in its first year of research.
Can the minister update us today what his department’s plans are for the research vessel this season?
I thank the Member for Hudson Bay for raising that question. The research vessel has been sent back south to deal with some deficiencies that were discovered.
It will be returning next month and we will be doing some mammal and fish research, as well as other research this summer.
Can the minister update us on what areas of Nunavut will be researched this summer?
The research vessel will be steaming through Baffin communities, starting with Iqaluit and all the way up to Pond Inlet prior to moving onto another area this summer.
Does your department have a long-term plan for the research vessel? If so, will the minister commit to tabling the plan in the House?
The research vessel has a full workload throughout Nunavut to go into every community.
This work was started last year and the report on the results of that work will be tabled in the near future.
This year, it will revisit some communities and go to such areas as between Clyde River and Qikiqtarjuaq.
Hiring more employees from Nunavut is one of its goals. That is the work plan for the research vessel.
At this time, we don’t have any particular details, but once we do have a plan available, I will table it in the House.
Question 400 – 3(3): Bilingual Education Models (Elliott)
My questions are directed towards the Minister of Education.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the minister for her response to the question I posed back in March on the bilingual education models being used in Nunavut’s schools. The information provided focuses on the future implementation of bilingual education.
The three models of bilingual education for Nunavut’s schools were introduced in 2004 and included the “Early Immersion” model, the “Qulliq” model, and the “Dual Language” model.
Can the minister clarify for this House whether her department tracks which communities are currently using which bilingual education model and if she would be able to make that information available?
Yes, Education does keep track and when I do receive the information that is retrieved from the communities, I can provide him with that information.
For some communities, instruction seems to be divided half in English and half in Inuktitut.
Can the minister describe how her department monitors which language of instruction is being used to deliver which subject and how the quality of the language of instruction is evaluated?
The member is asking very good questions that will require some collaborative work and a collection of the work that’s conducted in that. Again, when I get that information, I will get back to him.
The Department of Education’s business plan refers to a number of assessment activities that will be carried out in 2012-13.
Can the minister clearly indicate whether or not those assessments will also evaluate the success of the bilingual models being used in Nunavut schools?
The fact that we are in the stages of implementing our new Education Act, it is very important that we keep track of the implementation of the Act.
The assessment component of that is also very important. This assessment area is something that we are keeping a very close eye on.
I’m sorry if I have confused the minister because I was actually asking about the assessment of the bilingual models used in our schools; I wasn’t talking about the assessment of the Education Act.
Within the Department of Education’s business plan, during the 2012-13 year, it will be looking at and assessing the bilingual models. So I’m sorry for that confusion.
For a number of my questions, the minister had said that she would have to go back and get the information. They’re collecting information. Is there any idea of when we will get an answer back?
We may already have a lot of the information at the administrative level, so I will check into that and I will provide him with the kind of information he’s looking for as soon as I can.
Question 401 – 3(3): Pubic Disclosure Requirements for Senior Government of Nunavut Officials (Enook)
My questions are for the Premier, Hon. Eva Aariak.
The Premier knows very well that all of us here in the House are required to disclose annual financial reports which contain capital, income, and credit information.
These reports are publicly available once they are tabled.
It’s a very simple question that I’m going to ask the Premier here. Do cabinet ministers or, for example, the corporation presidents also have to disclose their financial statements, yes or no?
Minister responsible for Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, Minister Aariak.
The member wasn’t clear on which level of management he is asking about.
From what I know, they are not required to make these disclosures.
If they are not required to make disclosures, can you, as Premier, commit to including senior management of departments and Crown corporations in the disclosure requirements so that they can be publicly available for scrutiny?
As Members of the Legislative Assembly, the reason why we have to disclose them is because we are elected.
We are held accountable to the people we serve in regard to our assets, liabilities, and business interests.
For senior members of the public service, I’m sure they can negotiate if that has to be done or not and if they should be treated the same as elected members.
If I can ask the Premier: do you think they should make public disclosure statements?
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): If I understood the member’s question correctly, is he asking for my opinion?
Mr. Enook, would you like to rephrase your question?
Was I asking about her personal opinion?
As you will note in our Rules, you’re not allowed to ask a minister for their personal opinion on things, so I will have to rule that question as not in order.
So if you have another supplementary question, Mr. Enook.
I would like to ask the Premier: can her department conduct a review as to whether this type of requirement could be followed in the future?
As elected members, we have to disclose statements.
I don’t know if that should apply to non-elected staff, but it can be deliberated upon.
I can’t say whether it is appropriate or not.
He asked if my department can look into this.
It can be looked into, but I can’t say that this will go ahead.
Question 402 – 3(3): Mentoring for New Teachers (Elliott)
I would like to direct my questions to the Minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College.
Mr. Speaker, I am confident that the minister will agree that there is a great need for teachers who are from Nunavut, who speak Inuktitut, and who live and understand northern culture.
I believe that it is an important goal of the Nunavut Teacher Education Program, the NTEP program.
Unfortunately, I am aware of cases where NTEP graduates will no longer be employed in their school teaching jobs apparently because they don’t meet the expectations of their employers.
Can the minister clearly describe what efforts are made to follow up with NTEP graduates to ensure that they are properly oriented to their teaching jobs?
I would like to thank Mr. Elliott for that question.
As he is aware and refers to properly, the NTEP program is a very successful program throughout Nunavut and has educated more than 100 teachers, I think, since its inception.
Mr. Speaker, Nunavut Arctic College delivers the program on behalf of the Department of Education, which sets the curriculum for the program.
There are various qualifications that are needed for all teachers in Nunavut.
The candidates are tested to those qualifications upon completion of the program.
As far as a follow-up and mentoring that goes on in the schools, I think that’s the Department of Education’s responsibility and they could answer that part of the question better.
They surely are qualified when they graduate and I believe it is University of Regina standards that they meet.
As I said, with follow-up, though, I think that’s the Department of Education’s responsibility.
It has been suggested that newly graduated teachers could benefit from a kind of mentoring program, especially during the first few years of employment.
Can the minister indicate whether he works with his counterpart in the Department of Education to ensure that such mentoring programs have been considered and implemented for NTEP graduates?
Again, the Department of Education would know more about the mentoring that goes on after these graduates are employed in the school system.
Absolutely, of course, we are interested in working with the Department of Education to provide the best quality teachers that we can.
It has been noted that a significant number of Nunavut teachers will be retiring over the next few years.
Can the minister update this House on whether there will be sufficient numbers of NTEP teachers graduating to fill those newly vacated jobs?
Again Mr. Elliott is referring a question that really belongs to the Department of Education. I’m not really aware of the numbers of teachers that are going to be needed in the future.
However, we will work with the Department of Education to address the needs as best we can. The NTEP program is very successful and it’s going to continue to be offered across all communities in Nunavut.
Again, I’m a little puzzled why.
The departments should be working together more. When we sat in Committee of the Whole during our March sitting, we were told, with the new funding that was coming through from the federal government to work with older students getting education, there was partnership between the Department of Education and you guys working together.
The departments work together all the time.
Now, for a program that is as important as the NTEP program, which receives a considerable amount of money from this House and puts excellent teachers into the classrooms, I don’t know why you wouldn’t work together to try and do a forecast as to how many teachers you need to be training so that you could ask for the proper amount of money to do a program that will educate, train, and provide teachers that will be going to a class who are Inuit.
Again, I’m a little concerned because we have, first of all, this happening in the departments now where I think there should be cooperation.
At the same time, there’s going to be more cooperation needed when the mature student graduation diplomas come out.
We have been assured by both, and I did ask questions to both the Minister of Education and the Minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College, that they are working together, but obviously, what he’s saying is that they are not working together. So I would like to see that.
One concern that has been raised is that many NTEP graduates are hired into government administrative positions instead of into teaching positions.
How does Nunavut Arctic College record and track the employment paths followed by NTEP graduates?
Let me be clear about this. I never said that we don’t work together. I said, far from that, we absolutely do work very closely together.
There’s very much mutual respect and cooperation when we do that.
So I kind of take offence to what the member has stated that we do not work together.
As far as following the graduates when they go through, again, I’m sure the Department of Education has those numbers for the teachers who have graduated and the teachers who are employed and what the prepared career paths they have look like.
That information can be gotten for him no problem, Mr. Speaker.
Question 403– 3(3): Review of Mental Health Act (Elliott)
In the business plan for 2012-13, it states that his department will be working on reviewing the Mental Health Act.
I was wondering if the minister could provide an update to the House today on what is happened with that.
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in answer to a member earlier, the department has initiated review of the Mental Health Act. It’s an internal review.
There are regional health managers and staff here who have begun that work. It’s early. It’s only June 7, so we’re not even two and a half months into the fiscal year.
So it is early. I assure the member that work is underway and when I have more to report, I will report it.
Has the department compiled a list of stakeholders whom they will be speaking to in regard to what amendments should be made to the Mental Health Act?
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier, it’s early.
The regional managers and our headquarters staff are doing an internal review. I’m sure, at some point, they will make a determination on what to do with the internal review and who to contact outside of the department.
It’s my understanding that, within the department, within the directors’ responsibility in terms of the day-to-day operation of mental health within our communities, there are no standard operating procedures in terms of what frontline workers are supposed to do or not do.
I’m wondering if part of this review will actually correct that mistake or oversight of not having standard operating procedures.
Mr. Elliott has obviously been doing his homework.
Perhaps he has been over in the department reviewing the Mental Health Act himself. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated the other day, I’m not involved in the day-to-day operations.
I assure the member that mental health is a high priority for this territory and for this government. We are devoting resources, as I indicated in a previous answer.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada has released a mental health strategy for Canada. I hope to have an opportunity to work with them.
I have stated on and off here for the last week and a half that there’s always room for improvement. We identify deficiencies in programs and policies and we try to correct them.
I always try to do my homework and make sure… . In terms of being given the great responsibility of representing three of the best communities in Nunavut, I want to make sure that I know what I’m talking about.
In regard to one of the things that the department is doing, and we approved funding for this in March, was the hiring of some new mental health workers.
I was wondering if the minister could update the House on the hiring process for these individuals and explain how that’s going.
I’m sure we all agree, all the Members of this House and all Nunavummiut, each and every community we represent is the best community. They’re all great communities, large and small.
Mr. Speaker, the hiring of the mental health workers has begun. I believe several of them have been positioned throughout Nunavut.
I don’t have the details on the numbers and where they are, but I have been assured that they are receiving offers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 404 – 3(3): Mentoring for New Teachers (Elliott)
Mr. Speaker, I am confident that the minister will agree with me that there is a great need for teachers who are from Nunavut, who speak Inuktitut, and who live and understand northern culture.
I believe that it is an important goal of the Nunavut Teacher Education Program.
Unfortunately, I am aware of cases where NTEP graduates will no longer be employed in their school teaching jobs apparently because they don’t meet the expectations of their employer, which is the Department of Education.
Can the minister clearly describe what efforts are made to follow up with NTEP graduates and new teachers entering the school system to ensure that they are properly oriented to their teaching jobs?
Hon. Eva Aariak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for that question.
My department is in the process of developing an orientation and mentoring program in partnership with the Nunavut Teachers Association.
When new teachers are hired, regional school operations send an information package that includes information about teaching in the north, their specific community, curriculum and teaching resources.
Because we are now hiring Inuit teachers who are from other communities as well, this orientation is also important for them.
An orientation plan is being developed for implementation during the 2012-13 school year.
This includes a website that will provide information and resources regarding living and teaching in Nunavut.
For my second question I would like to ask the minister and again for my earlier questions regarding the Minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College, I meant no disrespect, but I just find it hard, when I’m asking questions which, to me, seem linked so closely together between departments, why there’s the inability to answer questions.
Can the minister indicate whether she works with her counterpart in Nunavut Arctic College to ensure that mentoring goes on and explain how your departments work together?
Hon. Eva Aariak: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for that question.
Nunavut Arctic College is in the business of educating people.
Once the students graduate from Nunavut Arctic College, organizations, governments, schools, and district education authorities hire the individuals who have graduated through the hiring process, interviews, and whatnot.
All the students who are graduating from Nunavut Arctic College are wonderful individuals. In fact, this weekend, we will be celebrating a number of graduates who are coming out of Nunavut Arctic College.
Our officials at the officials’ level meet regularly, depending upon the kind of initiatives that they are working with.
There is a close working relationship within our department and Nunavut Arctic College. I don’t have the information in terms of day-to-day activities as to how they work together, but I can assure the member that the working relationship with Nunavut Arctic College and the Department of Education is ongoing.
It is essential that there is close collaboration, not so much in details in terms of administrative purposes, but looking at the broad picture of what is required within our territory in regard to, let’s say, in the topic of our discussion right now, education.
I appreciate that answer. Mr. Speaker, it has been noted that a significant number of Nunavut teachers will be retiring over the next few years.
We always need a number of teachers every year.
In fact, if you look at the implementation of our bilingual education system, we need close to 300 Inuit teachers right now, but I’m sure that it will come along in the future. We do need many Inuit teachers.
Again, in hiring the teachers to our schools, they have to go through the hiring process.
In order to fill those positions, a number of graduates, I’m sure, will be applying for those empty positions or soon to be empty positions and as the job advertisements come out for teachers’ positions, I’m sure there will be students who are graduating from NTEP who will be applying.
How does the Department of Education record and track the employment paths followed by NTEP graduates?
I appreciate individuals who have gone onto the administrative side of education.
We need individuals who have a wealth of knowledge in the area of education and in administration positions as well.
I appreciate all the teachers who are working so very hard in their classrooms, but at the same time, as they gain experience in teaching and administration of the schools, sometimes they are hired in the area of administration, not necessarily in teaching.
In terms of actual data-gathering in the areas that the member has asked me, I don’t have that information in front of me.
Members will note that the allotted time for question period has expired. We will move on with our orders of the day. Item 7.
Committee Report 024 – 3(3): Bill 38, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ningeongan)
I wish to report that Bill 38, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, has been reviewed by the Standing Committee on Legislation and that the bill, as amended and reprinted, is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 68(6) and have Bill 38 immediately moved into Committee of the Whole.