EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Hon. Ed. Picco: Thank you Mr. Speaker I wanted to take this opportunity to say that the member has wonderful way of using phraseology and I appreciate his analogy of the cookie.
What I would like to say is that cookie has crumbled. There is no rate increase and for the clarification and for the good news of Nunavummiut, last week what I said was “when” a rate increase comes forward we have the Utility Rate Review Council review that rate increase to see what it should be. And that’s part of the check and balance.
For every one cent increase, for every time the fuel goes up one cent, it means an extra $400,000 cost to the government. So the good news is there is no increase in the fuel cost, to the power rates right now.
We have no rate increase coming forward. The cookie has crumbled.
Speaker (interpretation). Thank you, Mr. Minister.
Your first supplementary, Mr. Curley
Mr. Curley: Mr. Speaker, we’re going to have to have the minister go out to the floe edge today maybe, and probably find a better energy source down there.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to ask the minister to clarify exactly. I alluded and quoted that the application was I believe before the Utility Rates Review Council that asked for a rate increase to be effective April 1 to October of this year if approved.
Has that application been rejected by Utility Rate Review Council for rate rider?
I would be happy to take the member with me to the floe edge, and at the time maybe I would become the “cookie” monster.
Mr. Speaker, no, again for clarification there is no rate increase. What is before the Utility Rate Review Council is a rate decrease; actually, the Power Corporation is actually asking for less money.
Right now the rider that was in place that had been approved was for 7.87 cents a kilowatt hour. And what the power corporation is now asking for is a rate decrease to 6.65 cents, which would be effective April 1 to October 31 2007.
That application is still pending, that is a rate decrease, no increase.
Your second supplementary, Mr. Curley:
Mr. Curley: I appreciate the minister’s advice and invitation to join him on the floe edge; I’ll join him anytime as I know very well that traditional Qulliq does require seal oil fuel. So I’ll gladly join you in hopes that we get enough supplies for Qulliq.
But I do have an additional question with respect to the cost being applied. It was clear in the application that the true cost of energy, including transportation and all the other costs would now be proposed. Will the minister be seeking or considering approving that, or is that the role of another minister?
What we have said in the House and we have brought it up during debate over the last several days in this sitting, is that with the Energy Strategy that we have tabled in the House, we’re looking at ways of showing more transparency where all the subsidies are in place for fuel and for cost of electricity, and so on.
We know that over 20 percent of our budget goes toward energy and energy-related costs. One of those ways that’s becoming transparent is to put in place what we call an Affordable Energy Fund, or the AEF.
With the discussion paper, the strategy documents before us, I would hopefully look at something this fall when the session goes forward and bring forward something to look at then with the Affordable Energy Fund and see if we would actually enact it.
So right now, it is on hold. We’re still looking at it. It’s in the Energy Strategy document that we tabled in the House, which we’re asking feedback for from all of the public and from Members in the House.
My question to the Minister of Energy is that we’re hoping, at least this side of the House, hoping to have that discussion paper tabled during the Committee of the Whole sitting in May.
If that were to happen, would the minister consider bringing in an independent energy analyst or experts so that we will have a fair discussion of world prices including alternative energy sources for Nunavummiut?
I think the member has made an excellent suggestion and that is if we move the Energy Strategy to the Committee of the Whole during May, then I would be given an opportunity to explain in more detail about the Affordable Energy Fund and some of the other issues around energy.
If the members needed, we would have the experts available for that time in May.
So that’s something I would entertain.
Before I move forward I had missed one of the regular members’ names.
Thank you. I already know who it is.
Question 129 – 2(4): Nunavut’s Promise to Children and Youth (Peterson)
Mr. Speaker, the minister’s department includes the position of coordinator for the Nunavut’s Promise to Children and Youth Initiative. It’s commonly known as the Children’s First Secretariat.
My question for the minister: can the minister provide an update for this House on what activities and accomplishments have been achieved by this entity over the past year, and when we might see a report on this entity’s achievements?
As the member has indicated, this is an interdepartmental position and coordinating group that has been working with, I believe, with the outside interests, which is the general public in Nunavut, as well as internally with the Government of Nunavut’s different departments to ascertain and see, for example, issues around that the member has raised - child advocacy - and where we can look at not only improving the quality of life for our children in Nunavut but to look at the policies and programs that also fall under that mandate.
The minister mentioned that the Nunavut Promise to Children and Youth is an interdepartmental initiative and as such it relies on a large number of partnerships to address many issues facing children and youth.
My question for the minister: can the minister provide some information on the types of support, funding and resources that are provided to the Nunavut’s Promise to Children and Youth to support various activities?
Again, I would hope to be in a position in the spring, in the next session which I believe will be in May, to actually table a five-year strategy for the Nunavut’s Promise to Children.
As we’ve said earlier, the interdepartmental group includes Education, the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Social Services, and Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
We’re looking at parenting and early childhood development.
We’re looking at healthy living, and school health. We’re looking at areas around the Stay in School program.
Probably more important, we’re looking at getting youth involved with activities and programs within the government, but also in the general public.
The minister mentioned working on a five-year strategic plan.
I am wondering if the minister can advise the House as to what stage the strategy is at, and what solutions have been implemented to date.
Community groups, elders, and youth have been consulted on the strategy.
It has to go before Cabinet, and then tabled in the House, as I said earlier in May for some discussion from the members.
I believe that there has been some very good progress under the Nunavut Promise to Children and Youth. The member should take some credit in also helping bring this forward in the last couple of years in the House, under the advocacy for children that he has raised.
Your final supplementary, Mr. Peterson. .
I thank the minister for that answer and I thank the minister for his kind comments about my advocacy on behalf of children.
As members know, I strongly believe that the government should focus on ensuring the health, safety, and wellness for our children and youth in Nunavut. They are our future; we hear that all the time. We’re surrounded today by many youth.
My question for the minister: can the minister provide an update on what initiatives are currently being organized by Nunavut’s Promise to Children and Youth and how their success and effectiveness will be evaluated?
There is a Coordinator for the Secretariat in the Department of Education now in place. That person reports to the Deputy Minister of Education.
One if the things that we’ve been involved in, under the Children’s First Secretariat, is looking at ways of incorporating youth ideas within the general program in Nunavut. A good example of that are the hip hop workshops that we’ve run. We’ve run them outside of Iqaluit, as you know; I think we had one in Clyde River recently.
These are quite effective tools to bring forward some initiatives and strategic alliances with youth and with our communities.
The strategy, itself, will outline some of the things that we’ve just talked about. That will become a public document when we table it some time in May.
Question 130 – 2(4): Update on KBDC Contribution Agreement (Tootoo)
For some time I have been asking questions in regard to information that was committed to be provided by the minister in regard to contribution agreements and other things with Keewatin Business Development Centre in Rankin Inlet.
I would just like to ask the minister if he could provide me with an update; if he was able to obtain any of that information that they’ve committed to provide.
Hon. David Simailak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) I now have the Keewatin Business Development Centre Report from 2003.
In November of 2006 I asked the minister at the time if they would be able to provide copies of minutes and motions where the board would have approved any actions that the board had taken on behalf of the government.
Has the minister been able to obtain that information as well, as the minister of the day had indicated that he would be willing to provide?
No, I have not seen the minutes, nor have they sent the motions of the KBDC.
That was back in November so I’m just wondering if the minister or the department requested that information from KBDC, and if so, why haven’t they received it yet.
I don’t know why they have not given me the minutes and their motions.
The only things that were given to me are the ones that I mentioned.
According to the contribution agreements that have been in place, I would just like to just ask the minister if KBDC was required to provide that information to the department on an annual basis.
The Department of Economic Development and Transportation was not able to locate any copies of minutes back from 1995 currently in our possession, including the files of the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation and our own community operations office in Rankin Inlet. We requested copies of the minutes from KBDC and we were told that no such record exists.
That’s the extent of my knowledge of the situation. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 131 – 2(4): Update on Social Worker for the High Arctic (Barnabas)
My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding counselling services.
We don’t have counselling services in the High Arctic to date.
For the past two years now, I’ve been asking the same question. Two years ago I raised the same issue with the minister at the time.
My constituency of High Arctic still remains the same.
Could the minister update me on what has been happening in regard to the full-time social worker in the High Arctic?
The current arrangement for Grise Fiord is that the social worker in Resolute Bay covers that community as well to date.
We haven’t increased the complements of the social worker positions. There are 46 total positions and we have not increased that in the last year due to fiscal challenges that we’re facing.
As it is right now, the services are provided by the social worker from Resolute Bay.
It is evident that sometimes the flights don’t always make it to the other communities.
When the flight doesn’t make it to Grise Fiord, it takes a long time for another flight to get back into the community.
The issue I raised in my Member’s Statement, the needs of the High Arctic have not changed and this issue has not changed. I raised this issue quite a few times in the last two years in regard to the lack of social service in the High Arctic.
Can the minister indicate in the House what kind of problems that you are encountering?
What’s the problem in obtaining a full time social worker in the High Arctic?
Right now, again, the social work function is being carried out by the social worker from Resolute Bay.
In terms of caseloads, it’s manageable for that social worker for Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord to be responsible for those two communities.
One of the challenges, again I mentioned, is our fiscal challenges in terms of funding for various positions that is one of the challenges that we have.
The member also rose the other day, the question around the Community Health Representative position. We’ve been advertising that position now for two years in Grise Fiord and have not been able to find anyone in the community that is interested in that position.
So that is one of our challenges in terms of the workforce in the community, but as it is right now, the function is being provided by the social worker out of Resolute Bay.
Mr. Barnabus (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In order to provide services to my constituents in Grise Fiord is it possible for the Minister to bring a social worker up to the High Arctic community to make sure that the residents have services provided.
Again, these services for the community are being provided by the social worker from Resolute Bay, and I believe that individual travels regularly to Grise Fiord.
I will find out the individual’s next travel plans for Grise Fiord and report to the member.
Question 132 – 2(4): Polar Bear Population Increase (Mapsalak)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Environment, and since I am going to be leaving, I would like to have good weather.
I saw a very good article about this one issue that we keep referring to.
As a government, we keep talking about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, and there is one thing that I saw that was very interesting when a polar bear biologist stated that the Inuit were right and that there is an increase in the polar bear population.
It is something that I found very interesting, and I think that if a scientist can say that, we can also convince the Department of Fisheries and Oceans of the increase in the population.
Will the minister let us know about the polar bear population increase or are they going to increase the quota?
Speaker (interpretation): Mr Netser.
And also, I would like to commend the people for lobbying.
We have agreed with the hunters and trappers organizations that after they do more studies or if they are clear on the population then we can slowly increase the quota.
We do know that there is an increase in the polar bear population. When is the next time you are going to do a polar bear study?
As I stated earlier, we have 13 zones in Nunavut and it takes quite a while to do a polar bear count.
When we find there is an increase in the polar bear population, usually we do a study on the 13 zones first before making a decision whether there is an increase or a decrease in the population and I can’t respond to your question at this time.
Does the minister know if there is a polar bear increase in any of the 13 zones that he mentioned?
There is an increase in the polar bear population in the Davis Strait area.
There were 628 in 2005 that were counted and 841 in 2006.
We also did studies on the other zones.
As we know there is a polar bear population increase, can we anticipate an increase in the polar bear quota?
Hon. Patterk Netser (interpretation): As I stated earlier, we are currently doing a study in the Davis Strait area and in 2007, we will complete the study. After the study is completed and reviewed, we will then make a decision on whether to increase or decrease.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Minister. (interpretation ends) I would like to quickly welcome John Legate and his grade nine students from Inuksuk High School along with students from Etobicoke, Ontario who range from grade 10 to 12 students.
Question 133 – 2(4): Small Craft Harbour Report (Arvaluk)
The minister came in from Ottawa yesterday and I am sure he had a meeting with the Minister of Finance and also the Minister of Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.
I am very positive he had a meeting with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
Can the minister inform this House about the port facilities or harbour projects?
Minister for Economic Development and Transportation, Mr. Simailak.
I apologize. I didn’t go to Ottawa. I went to Arviat to see the dog team race between Arviat and Churchill.
In regard to your question, we don’t know yet about the monies for the Small Craft Harbour Project.
The minister stated that a report was done by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the Small Craft Harbour Project in Nunavut. On the first page, it states that Nunavut could benefit from small craft harbours, economically and to have transportation provided between Nunavut and southern points and to increase employment.
It also states that there have to be small craft harbours in Nunavut.
Since Nunavut is a part of Canada, I’m very positive that we’re not going to be moving down south. We are going to be staying up here in Nunavut.
Is it possible to make changes to the report so that it’s more Nunavut and culturally friendly?
We’re talking about Pond Inlet and we’re not only talking about fishing. And even with the local economy it becomes quite crowded when you are talking about the Mary River Project.
Is it possible to make changes so it’s more Nunavut relevant?
Minister of Economic Development and Transportation. Mr. Simailak.
If you keep reading it indicates that we can’t, we’re not going to be moving south, and because of that, we are lobbying hard to make sure that money is provided to build the infrastructure and also to provide harbours, because of the mining development and so on, that is happening up here.
Arvaluk (Interpretation): Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Could the minister indicate if he is going to lobby the Department of Fisheries and Oceans? I’m not sure when we’re going to be having the next meeting and I would like to get assurance from the Minister if he could get the response to my question before the May 29 sitting?
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the other departments are well aware of the urgency in building the infrastructure up here.
But that is the federal government.
It is up them to respond to us and I can’t indicate at this time whether they are going to be able to respond before May 29.
We are well aware that you cannot respond to when they might reply, so what happens if we don’t get a reply? Is it possible for the minister to go up with the federal minister to Pond Inlet September 12 or the beginning of October so he can see exactly what type of climate we have up there.
We have had two fatal accidents during rough weather and we lose boats every single year.
I would like to ask the minister if he could invite the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to go up to Pond Inlet to see first hand our environment.
Hon. David Simailak (Interpretation): Thank you Mr. Speaker.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and our department, wrote up that report jointly, and every single community that is mentioned was visited.
I can’t exactly tell you when but every single community was visited and they saw first hand the lay of the land.
I will ask the federal minister to come visit Pond Inlet with me.
Question 134 – 2(4): Status of Polar Bear Study (Kattuk)
I will direct my question to the Minister of Environment in regard to polar bears.
We were always told not to talk about polar bears otherwise they would arrive. In south-eastern Hudson Bay there will be a study, with a completion date of 2008.
What is the status of the study at this time?
I believe it’s south western Hudson Bay where we’re doing a population study. The numbers are not decreasing but their health is a concern though.
That’s nice to hear, and in some area, not so nice.
I would like to ask the minister: we envied some communities where the quotas were increased.
I wonder, as he stated earlier, that the population is not decreasing.
I wonder if the quota for Sanikiluaq will be increased in the near future.
Hon. Patterk Netser (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We would look at it to see if we can increase it.
I believe it’s in Northern Quebec. It’s the same population and they don’t have a quota, so what we are hesitant about is that because they don’t have a quota and we do, we are in the process of negotiating to see if they can get a quota.
As he stated earlier, the polar bears seem to be quite thin. Do they know what the reason is?
We are not exactly sure why they seem to be losing weight. We keep a constant eye on them.
Question 135 – 2(4): KBDC Contribution Agreement – Meeting Minutes (Tootoo)
In his last response to my last question he had indicated that the minutes and motions that were requested, I guess he indicated that they don’t exist.
Under the contribution agreement that they have with the KBDC, are they required to provide that information to the department?
He indicated last week that they were going to be entering into a new contribution agreement with them for the upcoming year. If they’re not living up to the requirements under the contribution agreement that’s in place, why are they still giving them funding?
Minister responsible for Economic Development and Transportation, Minister Simailak.
I haven’t had the opportunity to personally research what information is required for the contribution agreements.
I still have to do that, go through the records to see what requirements have been there in the past and what the requirements are today.
And once I have done that I will be able to get back to the member on that.
My understanding is I believe that there was a requirement under the contribution agreement.
And, the simple fact that there are minutes and motions made to give the board the authority to move in a certain direction, whatever it is, something that would be deemed necessary for any action to be taken whether you’re approving a loan or not.
If there are no minutes or records of decisions or anything kept in place, then how does the minister or department determine where the authority came from to do what they’ve done?
Hon. David Simailak: Thank you, Speaker.
I would have to get back to the department on that question to see exactly where things are at and why things are happening the way they are. I would have to ask the department to research that further.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister. Your second supplementary, Mr. Tootoo.
I guess I would just like to ask the minister, as this is something that came up four months ago, why we still don’t have information.
Unfortunately, all of this information has been very, very slow in coming.
As mentioned it was in December 2006 that copies of minutes were asked for, and it was only recently that we were told that no such minutes exist. In terms of the rest of the documents that were asked for we’re just finally starting to receive them now.
That’s unfortunate, it’s the way things go sometimes and we just have to keep working at it and try to get as much information as we can, as quickly as we can.
Speaker (interpretation) Thank you, Honourable David Simailak.
I understand that KBDC has just recently filed all their audited financial statements with the department of legal registries. This is something that they haven’t done since 2003, and that shows where they spent their money.
But given the fact that there are no minutes, motions or copies of motions that tell them how to go ahead and proceed in spending that money or how to approve loans, how can the minister determine whether or not they’re actually doing what they’re supposed to be doing, and it’s not just one person or two people deciding something on their own.
I mean that’s the whole process or whole idea of having that process there, of having a board that would review applications and make decisions on that. How can the department determine that things are being done properly if their minutes and copies of their motions don’t exist?
The KBDC is an independent public agency.
And as such, my department does not interfere with the independence of such an agency.