EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
On June 9, 2011, the Minister of Community and Government Services tabled the Dry Cargo Resupply Program – Activity Summary Shipping Year 2010 in the Legislative Assembly.
It indicated that an “Alternate Dispute Resolution approach to settling Sealift claims by Nunavummiut against the carriers was implemented during the 2010 season.
The Alternate Dispute Resolution will replace litigation for small claims.”
The standing committee was pleased to see that the final recommendation of the 2005 Review of the Annual Resupply Operations was implemented.
The standing committee encourages the department to work with sealift suppliers to ensure that the best possible service is provided to all communities.
The department’s proposed 2012-13 main estimates include $500,000 in annual funding to provide training to search and rescue organizations and assistance with the purchase of equipment.
The standing committee looks forward to the minister tabling the 2011-12 annual report, which is required by law to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly under the territorial Emergency Measures Act.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s 2012-15 business plan provides an update on the status of one of its priorities for the Office of the Fire Marshal.
It indicates that “The draft Policy and Standard Operating Procedures are currently being reviewed by other GN departments for input and will be finalized in the next fiscal year.”
The standing committee looks forward to ongoing updates on this initiative.
The standing committee notes that the proposed budget for the department’s Capital Planning and Technical Services Branch is increasing from $33,671,000 in 2011-12 to $33,838,000 in 2012-13.
Most of this increase is due to a newly created “Project Management Office” division.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s draft 2012-15 business plan provides an update on the status of one of its previous priorities, which indicates that “CGS, in consultation with AANDC and NAMA, continues to work with municipalities to establish procedures to assist municipalities in complying with their water licence requirements” and that “CGS has hired Dalhousie University to conduct long-term studies to better understand the capability of Nunavut’s wastewater facilities and methods which can enhance their effectiveness.”
Mr. Chairman, the department’s proposed 2012-13 main estimates indicate that the department’s Petroleum Products Revolving Fund will have a deficit of $10,936,000 in 2012-13.
The standing committee encourages the department to closely monitor this issue.
The department’s draft 2012-15 business plan provides an update on the status of one of its previous priorities, which indicates that “All Nunavut tank farms have undergone a condition assessment; information will be used in the new capital planning process to facilitate a replacement plan for aging infrastructure.”
Mr. Chairman, earlier this week during the government’s Budget Address, the Minister of Finance indicated that “The government proposes to transfer the sport and recreation responsibilities of the Department of Culture, Languages, Elders and Youth to the Department of Community and Government Services.”
The standing committee was pleased with this announcement and looks forward to receiving updates on this initiative.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments on the 2012-13 main estimates and 2012-15 business plan of the Department of Community and Government Services.
Before we proceed, I would like to remind members of Rule 77(1) and Rule 77(2). We now can recite them from memory, having heard them repeatedly for a long time, so let’s just keep them in mind.
At this time, I would like to ask if there are any general comments to the opening remarks.
With the respect to the opening comments of the Hon. Minister of CGS, I haven’t heard something that troubled my heart and my mind or I didn’t see anything that bothered me. We shouldn’t always be looking for issues and problems, but we should be looking for something good in representing our constituents.
On page 2 of the minister’s opening comments in the English version, the first paragraph talks about the Nunavut Infrastructure Advisory Committee. I like the wording as it applies to economic development and building infrastructure that improves the growth of the community’s economy.
That is what’s in the works. For that, I thank the minister and I imagine we are all thankful.
I just added a bit on the community economy specifically with respect to contracts that are let.
Where do these projects come from?
It can be the federal government that creates a community project. There are also territorial and provincial projects. There are also the local municipal governments that come up with projects when they get funding for them.
However, when an outside contracting company arrives into the community, there really is no benefit. I really believe communities deserve more benefits because the minister feels, along with his deputy minister, that the needs of communities be adequately addressed.
On page 4 of his opening comments in English, the minister mentions the procurement process. When we are contracting using public funds here in Nunavut, the government, through the Department of Community and Government Services, has certain beliefs, as the policy states.
I’ll read it in English, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) “Spending money locally returns benefits to the jurisdiction because a portion of the dollars spent locally are recycled locally,” Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) I totally agree with that particular statement.
The communities should be utilized more in future projects so that all the dollars that are left in the community will continue to recycle.
I really appreciated that part of his comment.
I would like to ask this question in relation to his opening comments and I’ll have no further questions after that. You made a statement about trying to grow communities, irrespective of whether the project is federal, territorial, or municipal, that you have to try to ensure local benefits wherever a contract is let and leave more money in the local communities.
If there is a contract where they are constructing a unit, they should be able to utilize local resources like the local truck rentals and hotels so that the money that they’re using with the contract will remain in the community.
I know that the federal government firmly believes in infrastructure development.
Thank you for that nice little jingle.
I’m not sure whose jingle that was, but that’s a nice tune.
That is my question, Mr. Chairman, so I’ll stop there for the time being.
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): I enjoyed listening to Mr. Ningark’s comments.
The comments you just made are very understandable because we do want to see economic development in every hamlet, as per our statement that we have to ensure communities and hamlets will deal with it down the road.
The Nunavut Infrastructure Planning Committee was just created, which looks at the capital projects and pro-rates them as to their development planning.
There is weight that is placed on each contract and they have to review what kind of impact it may have in a community. These are the kind of factors they have to look at, so I agree with that statement.
With respect to the contracts that the member referred to, the requests and bonuses are usually a part of the contract and are reviewed.
The contracts usually state local content and involvement, including vehicle rental and any number of things because there are so many contracts.
We look at the possible impact and benefits to the community where the project is being undertaken. So these kinds of details are usually contained within the contract, along with appended agreements.
I am very happy that Mr. Ningark agrees with our approach, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Just to remind the members again that we have interesting comments to hear with the statements from the members. Please make sure that your cellphones are shut off so that we can pay attention to what’s being stated by the members.
Thank you. That was just a reminder.
Ms. Ell (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the witnesses who are here to answer questions we may have.
We know they have a very difficult job, but again, they’re working towards improving our future and that’s quite commendable.
I would like to return to the opening comments, specifically on page 6. It states that “The incidents of fire in Nunavut are also on the rise.”
If we look at the 2010 annual plan, it also states that there were 123 buildings that had burned. So that would be over 40 units per year that are damaged by fire in Nunavut.
Just prior to Christmas up to date and particularly here in Iqaluit, as was in other communities, we have heard about these fire incidents.
It’s very sorrowful to hear about these events and the people impacted become affected because it’s very stressful, but I think that one of the things that we have to look at is fire prevention measures, especially down the road.
So I’m wondering if the minister can tell us whether or not they started focusing more on fire prevention measures.
Fire prevention is a very important issue in Nunavut.
We have seen many programs on fire prevention, as well as pamphlets through schools and also in the offices. We see fire prevention posters and we see fire prevention commercials on TV.
This program is continuing and we’re now reviewing how we can improve it and strengthen the fire prevention program. So we’re now looking at how we can enhance the fire prevention program in Nunavut.
Ms. Ell (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for saying that you will be reviewing this. We expect to see the results.
You have many staff members, I believe, that are open and we have heard that there is currently no fire marshal here in Iqaluit.
Could the minister elaborate on that?
No, at this time, we do have a fire marshal.
Ms. Ell (interpretation): I imagine the fire marshal was just hired and that’s why we haven’t heard about it.
The fire marshal has actually been working in Nunavut for quite a while and he used to work in the Rankin Inlet offices.
I believe he just moved here to Iqaluit in January of this year.
Just to remind the members that we are on general comments and questions. When we go to the page-by-page review, you will be able to ask more questions in regard to the contents.
When we get to the page-by-page review, I will have further questions to ask.
At this point, can the minister inform us as to how many vacant positions still exist in his department?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Perhaps about 25 percent of the positions are vacant, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Ell (interpretation): If it is indeed at 25 percent, I imagine there are over 90 positions that are vacant which have to be advertised and filled. Am I correct in estimating the 90 positions?
I’ll just stop there for now.
I think you just stated that you finished, Ms. Ell.
We will move on. Mr. Curley.
I would like to make a few general comments.
Welcome to the Committee of the Whole, hon. minister and your officials.
There are three main items I want to discuss.
The first is in regard to CG&S being very important to the business sector. There are a lot of buildings that require inspections.
When we get to the page-by-page review, I will speak to this in more detail.
As I stated, inspectors are a very important aspect of construction and there is a shortage of them. If you’re going to be getting a loan, you need to have your facility inspected to be able to get the funds. That’s why, in some cases, the units sit empty for a long time because it requires further inspection, even though drywalls or plumbing, for example, are ready to be installed.
Although the units may be roughly made, they still have to be approved by an inspector.
The private sector continually clamours for more inspectors because it holds up a lot of construction and the construction season is short.
Again, we definitely need electrical inspectors.
When your electrical inspection doesn’t pass, you can’t make a unit available. There are a lot of factors that are involved in approving them.
That is why having more inspectors available is more important.
I will provide more detail later on. I just wanted to speak to this issue.
I would like to thank his department, specifically the Emergency Measures Organization, including Ed Zebedee. I noted sometimes that he spends 24 hours or more working on an issue.
They go through very stressful and hard work, as per what our colleague from Igloolik spoke about last year. There was an event that occurred in Igloolik where one of the rescuers unfortunately passed away when they were trying to save the hunter and his son.
I want to thank everybody in search and rescue because without them, a lot more of us would be in peril. When people are in boats or inclement weather, they face hardship and it causes difficulties. In this day and age, when we no longer depend on dog teams, a lot more people die.
What I did want to mention is that a lot of these search and rescues are too focused on western society’s way of conducting search and rescue.
If you hear the story about the Labrador incident, where a young person passed away within 24 hours and nearby, the boy was dearly missed. I believe their MP and Ottawa are conducting an investigation.
We really have to change the way it’s operated and adapt it to Nunavut because sometimes a blizzard is the reason why search and rescue aircraft don’t fly, even though the actual local searchers will still be looking.
I will ask more questions on that later.
With the third item, a lot of us have depended on the Auditor General’s report and recommendations on what requires improvements. As the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Public Accounts, we will be reviewing that report in April.
I just want to mention this part because it impacts the private sector.
With Nunavut’s construction season being as short as it is, we have to create an efficient and effective process. I will provide more detail on that as well.
You are also responsible for various pieces of legislation related to the Financial Administration Act, as well as the Contracting Procedures Manual, which not all departments have.
If they were followed properly, we would not have to run into as many problems that we do.
I would like to also mention that in my constituency, we have some concerns because we have been told that the Petroleum Products Division will be moved to the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
I think we will be interested to hear how many positions will be moved or whether they would be moved to Baker Lake, where Qulliq has its headquarters.
I’m mentioning these four main areas as general comments and I will provide more questions during the page-by-page review, Mr. Chairman.
Minister Kusugak, would you like to respond? Minister Kusugak.
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): I don’t have much to say, but I do want to say that I am very pleased that we will be talking about these issues once we start the page-by-page review.
The only way to resolve issues is to speak about the issues in the House.
It will be interesting to hear once we start the page-by-page review.
Mr. Ningeongan (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the minister and his officials.
On page 3, the top paragraph, I would like to briefly talk about this issue because the communities have developed more through this block funding.
The hamlets can make their own decisions.
I just want to state too that this has been very beneficial to the community and we would like to see the continuation of block funding in the communities.
Communities should be given more flexibility.
When they’re given more flexibility, it benefits more people and it’s beneficial to the community, especially the smaller communities.
I spoke to this issue previously and I just want to say it again because we have heard from our mayor.
On page 6 in the opening comments in the middle paragraph, it states that there were 163 searches for 281 individuals in 2011.
I am very pleased about the fact that you have looked at options on how we can improve this program in searching for people on the land or sea. The government’s program in providing SPOT devices has really helped.
I have heard that there is a lack of communication with the communities.
If the communities know about the SPOT devices, they don’t necessarily have to know how to operate a computer. A harvester can take that SPOT device and be taught how to turn them on.
I’m sure that it can be very helpful with SPOT devices.
They’re not the same as GPS or computers. SPOT devices are easier to handle.
They’re more user-friendly. I’m sure that the elders who are unilingual Inuit can use those if they can bring them when they go out hunting. That is going to help them out more.
It would help save the lives of many Nunavummiut if they bring their SPOT devices. There have been hunters who have been using SPOT devices and they have saved lives.
The communities should be made more aware on how to use SPOT devices because sometimes the hunters go out hunting without telling anyone. The search and rescue team doesn’t even know where to start searching.
Sometimes that creates a problem and a long delay before they find an individual.
In our community, when there is a hunter not coming back at a certain time that they’re supposed to, we start moving right away and acting on it, especially if there are hunters who don’t say where they’re going.
I am very pleased about that. I just wanted to make a comment on that because it’s going to help the communities.
Even though SPOT devices are made available, some communities take a long time to realize that, along with hamlet, and the MLAs need to work together on this issue.
This is just a general comment, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to make some general comments and I will be asking questions when we get to the page-by-page review.
I thank Minister Kusugak and his officials for appearing before the committee.
On page 3, it states here that in the 2011-12 fiscal year, there will be $4 million for continuing the MTO program, which provides over 6,500 training days a year to municipal employees.
This is very interesting to hear because we were mayors at the time when this was initiated. I am very pleased to see that it is fully operational now.
The individuals who took that training were not just municipal employees; it has helped to enhance the community. Through that training, municipal employees have gained more confidence.
I am very pleased to see that program continuing and I would like to say how pleased I am with that.
In regard to the issue of building maintenance, perhaps office buildings of municipalities are aging and they are unable to keep up with the Canadian building codes.
You talked about the buildings being improved to bring them up to code.
The office in my constituency, for example, is around 30 years old. Buildings become drafty. When the units are constructed and designed, they identify the lifespan of a building.
I will be asking questions in regard to aging buildings.
I know that your department has other responsibilities, but we don’t like to see aging infrastructure being left behind. We would like to see the units or government buildings assessed.
I will be asking questions in regard to that when we get to the page-by-page review. I’ll conclude with that, Mr. Chairman.
We will move on to the page-by-page review. We will start off with page J-4.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $8,943,000.
This is probably just a comment.
Mr. Chairman, is that under training?
Chairman (interpretation): Mr. Ningark, please rephrase your question so that I can get it clarified.
You or the minister can reply to me.
Are we on page J-5 or J-4?  Chairman (interpretation): We’re on page J-4.
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): Yes, I’ll ask my question later on. I apologize for being on the wrong page.
So therefore, I have no further questions.
I want to raise a question regarding this division. If you look at CGS for policy and planning, there is no doubt they’re implemented.
My question is a general question, as per my general comments.
CGS is guided by particular policies, especially when they’re dealing with contracts. They’re governed by several pieces of legislation, such as the Financial Administration Act, as well as the Contracting Procedures Manual.
There are also recommendations we have received from the Office of the Auditor General which helped to ameliorate the challenges we face.
Are you putting enough emphasis on the principles of the Contracting Procedures Manual?
Are you adhering to the particular regulations that you have to follow?
Thank you for that excellent question.
Based on what we know, we have no option but to adhere to the regulations and there is no way around them whatsoever.
The contract regulations are all followed as much as possible with respect to contracts.
Chairman (Mr. Ningeongan) (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Kusugak.
Yes, I really wanted to hear that from the department because sometimes we hear that the Contracting Procedures Manual doesn’t seem to be followed properly.
The reason why I bring it up is there are two different contracting processes: one specifically deals with procurement in all departments, including the large departments of Health and Education, and then the other one is the Contracting Procedures Manual, which is recognized.
Wherever the procurement policy applies, you have to respect its provisions.
A second note is that not everything is the same. There are legal obligations, such as Article 24 of the land claims.
Unfortunately, they don’t work together seamlessly all that well, so we don’t catch everything.
Maybe the minister’s officials can be more consistent. I hear about the review announced by the Premier.
Once again, I think some of us can say that before the review is completed, we have to ensure that our officials respect existing policies and legal obligations.
I don’t want to hear that it is only after the review is completed that they will fulfill their legal obligations. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
We have a section in the Department of CGS with specific expertise on contracts.
Not all contracts stem from CGS. Whenever a different department requires a contract, whether it’s Education or Transportation, they inform our department what they want to contract out, what they want in the contract, and the skills and abilities they require.
The contract staff starts looking at the requests for contracts and checks to see that they are adhering to the various policies and legal obligations that they have.
Yes, it’s obvious that there are some departments throughout government that are less knowledgeable about our contracting regulations.
However, after the Office of the Auditor General conducted an audit where they checked 35 different contracts that were let in prior years, they didn’t find any issues.
I was pleased to see that.
We do have to learn more.
It’s true that we can have a better understanding of the material, Mr. Chairman.
I can tell my colleagues here that despite the review that will take place, we are required to follow the existing policies and regulations.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I hope I answered him correctly.
I thank the minister for that because whenever there is a request for proposals, we tend to have a wish list. It can be a short list of requirements and/or other things can be added.
Even just having only one requirement could be sufficient.
Having two might be better, but adding requirements would not necessarily create an onerous process.
Allow me to ask this question. If there was a factual error found in the department, do they conduct a thorough investigation as to why this particular contract didn’t follow the Contracting Procedures Manual? Do you also look at the factors that may lead to non-compliance?
There is no obligation that cannot be followed. If there were problems and we learn about steps that we should take, if there were any unintentional omission, Mr. Chairman, they are told what steps should be taken.
There is no room for disputes when the contracts are being put together because it’s very important to the public that there be no disputes arising from spending the public’s money.