EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
So, without a diagnostic tool, you can’t label the people and you can’t identify the problem and then you can’t help the people.
I am wondering if the minister could update us on the status of the diagnostic tool that the Department of Health and Social Services says that they are working on.
I agree with the member that we can’t do that.
However, it’s the medical profession that does the diagnosis, and other than that, we don’t want to label them, that’s for sure, and I agree with the member.
Could the minister tell me if the position of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder coordinator that was advertised in July 2004 has been filled?
We are currently looking for individuals to fill that position.
We are still looking for qualified individuals, but to date, I cannot state that it has been filled.
Just to clarify, I think this is my second supplementary.
I clarified an initial question for the minister.
The supplementary question two that I have is: can the Minister of Health and Social Services tell us, is her department working with the Department of Education on the issue of assessment for fetal alcohol syndrome and how fetal alcohol affects children?
Yes, we are working with the Minister of Education and his department on this issue.
Speaker (interpretation): I think that I was going a little too fast.
Your last supplementary, Mr. Peterson.
Could the minister clarify for me and the House what the Department of Education is working on to provide support for childcare workers, teachers, and special needs assistants in providing care and education specifically for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
I believe your question can be answered by the Minister of Education.
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Picco, did you want to respond?
The member has raised a very important issue in our Nunavut schools.
I have had several opportunities to meet, when I was minister of health as well as now as Minister of Education, on issues around FAS-FAD. The Government of Nunavut is involved in the Northern Prairies Fetal Alcohol Syndrome network, where a lot of good work has been going on.
In this budget, we actually have over 40 special needs positions that will be going directly into our schools, again, working with special needs students, which include FAS-FAD students.
I think it is important to point out that the designation for an FAS-FAD student or person or child has to be done by a medical professional.
It is not something that can be done by someone just looking.
At one point there were some characteristics, facial characteristics and so on, of an FAS-FAD child, but medical professionals as well as professionals in the field have now decided that, indeed, that is only a small percentage of people who would be afflicted with the disease.
Question 328 – 2(2): Compensation for Bad Gasoline
We have heard about hunters and people who buy gasoline, that there is bad gasoline in the communities.
Could the minister tell us before the end of this session if those individuals could get compensated for engines or snowmobile cylinders and so on that have been damaged by the bad gasoline?
Could the minister tell the House if there is going to be compensation for those individuals, and that it is not going to be just let go, unresolved?
Minister of Community and Government Services, Minister Kilabuk.
I will be informing the members about what we are going to be doing and the studies that we have had initiated.
We will give you a comprehensive list of what has been reviewed and what is going to be ongoing after that initial study.
During this part of the week, I will not be able to make an announcement in the House on whether individuals are going to be compensated for the damage that was caused by the bad gasoline.
I would like to inform the members that there are ongoing studies being done at this moment.
I will make an announcement after it is concluded.
What about those individuals in my communities who have been waiting for quite a while and their machinery, expensive machinery, is still being damaged, like snowmobiles, vehicles, and they spend a lot of money replacing that essential equipment.
There are over 20 individuals in my community who have had damage and breakages.
These are just some of the people that have notified us about the damage and breakages, and I’m sure that there’s a lot more individuals out there affected similarly.
It’s not just the gasoline that’s the issue here.
Could you tell the House that you’re going to be lending support to those individuals in the communities?
As I have stated in the House, what the member talks about is correct, that it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
One of the things that we are working on, especially in the Kivalliq region, is we will be going out to the communities to find out in depth about the problems that they are having, and we’re going to be talking to the individuals who have breakages or damage done to their machinery.
We will consult with the people directly to find out what effect it has had and the extent of the damages.
It’s also very important for our department because, of course, we will have to buy bulk petroleum products in the upcoming season.
So, we would like to know the extent of the problem and find out exactly what the problems are.
Speaker: Your next supplementary, Mr. Curley.
Mr. Curley: (interpretation): When you keep getting correspondence from individuals who say that this is their livelihood, that their livelihood in jeopardy, it seems very important to help those people.
Why is the government reluctant to say that they will give support or compensation for these individuals?
I think it’s an emergency case.
Can you tell us if you’re going to be compensating or giving some type of support to the individuals?
Could the minister say in the House whether there’s going to be help or compensation for those individuals?
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): The hunters at the community are concerned, and I apologize that I have to make them wait.
But, I would first like our department to find out exactly what the problem is, what kind of breakages are happening to the machinery.
We have sent out some samples for scientific testing down south.
I have directed my staff to work hard with this and to finish it as soon as possible.
I would, however, like to get the complete information prior to making an announcement to the people of Nunavut.
We would like to get a comprehensive report prior to taking any actions as such.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): So, I understand that if they say that the gas is good in those scientific labs, even though there are breakages and damage done to the equipment, then there will not be any support given to the hunters?
Is that my understanding, Mr. Minister?
When the scientific studies have been done by the Americans and the people of England, then there won’t be any compensation or support given to the people.
Is that right, Mr. Minister?
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): I thank the member for posing those questions, but what we and the Petroleum Products Division are doing is to conduct some studies.
We are having dialogues on an ongoing basis, but I would like to point out to the member that we would like to understand everything first of all, get a comprehensive report together so that there will be understanding between us and the people from whom we bought that product.
We are currently gathering data.
Question 329 – 2(2): Cruise Ship Custom and Immigration Fees
My question is for the minister responsible for immigration.
Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we have seen more often lately throughout Nunavut and all of the different communities are cruise ships coming to Nunavut. One of the barriers that I think stops them from coming is the lack of immigration officers to be able to clear individuals off these ships.
I am just wondering if the minister responsible for immigration has heard any concerns or is he looking at ways to try and address this issue so that these cruise ships don’t have to pay exorbitant fees to fly someone up to clear them through customs?
Speaker (interpretation): Minister of immigration, Mr. Picco.
There are two actual issues that we have seen in Nunavut that have impeded the cruise industry. We know, for example, that in Greenland and the other parts in Labrador, in Newfoundland now, the cruise industry is really giving a strong injection to the local economy.
In Nunavut, Mr. Speaker, there are two issues.
One is being the infrastructure available. For example, when the cruise ships come to Iqaluit, you have to put... . Most cruise tourists are older and they have to get in zodiacs and they have to come to the dock and it’s very hard for them to disembark and so on.
So, that’s one of the issues, that we need to be able to increase our infrastructure on the ground.
That’s something that was discussed during the budget debate.
Mr. Speaker, the second issue of concern that the member spoke about earlier was issues around immigration and customs.
We have not really seen an issue where there has been a big tie-up of clients off the cruise ships because, usually, before the cruise ship comes in they have notified the customs and immigration people, for example here in Iqaluit and in other communities, and if they are going to go onshore for a longer period of time, then they have facilitated that.
In some cases, there may be agents of the Government of Canada aboard the ship that can also help facilitate it, and again, it only involves foreign tourists on some of these ships.
So, in some cases, Mr. Speaker, the tourists are actually Canadian and there isn’t an issue.
I think it also depends on the visiting time. Cruise ships are not like airliners where the airliner lands and is in the place for two or three days.
You could disembark in Los Angeles from Canada and you are there for a couple days and so on.
Cruise ships are already in Canadian waters and their point of disembarkment is in a community. For example, in Nunavut, it’s for two or three hours, and there are ways of facilitating that with local officials like the RCMP.
According my information, and I am sure that the minister would be more than happy to correct me if I am wrong, some of these cruise ships that come from foreign countries have to pay upwards of around $13,000 to have their people get cleared through customs, if they have to bring in a customs officer to a different community to clear them or stuff like that.
I am wondering if the minister can commit to looking at ways to, maybe as he had indicated, come to some kind of agreement with Customs Canada and the RCMP to allow RCMP members in those communities to able to have the ability to do that work on behalf of customs, to save those additional costs to the cruise ships so that they have more money to spend in Nunavut and not be giving it to someone that works in Ottawa.
The member makes a good point. I think one of the things that Nunavut is trying to do, and I am sure that the Minister of Economic Development can speak to it in greater detail, is to grow different industries in Nunavut.
One of them would be the cruise ship industry because most of these people are well-heeled; they have some ready dollars available and at times do spend that money.
On the fee structure that the member talked about, depending on the way the ship works, 99 percent of the time the cruise ship liners actually are in touch with local authorities before they go to a port.
In those cases, there usually are mechanisms in place to help facilitate the disembarkment of the cruise passengers.
I would be willing to look into specific issues where there have been concerns that customs agents weren’t available.
It is very similar to when we see flights that overfly Nunavut; they have to land for a couple of hours on the ground, they might want to get off the plane, whether it is a mechanical issue and so on, then we have to arrange to have these people when they come into the terminal.
Those things do happen.
The member is correct; there might be a better protocol position that we could put in place.
Your second supplementary, Mr. Tootoo.
As the minister indicated in his first response, cost is one of the barriers in attracting tourists in Nunavut, and I think he had indicated that he’d work in any way he can to try and help that.
He also indicated that proper docking facilities for loading and unloading of passengers is another issue.
He had indicated that it is different than airlines.
When a plane, as he said, overflies Nunavut and lands here, that when they land here, which I’m still trying to wrap my head around, they get herded into the airport terminal and they have that whole security thing blocked off, and there is someone there to check them or else contain them in a separate area.
My question is, is he aware if those officials go outside of the airport and deal with the people are coming off the ships?
For example, if the boats end up in Arctic Bay, Cape Dorset, or Kimmirut, do those customs officials go and clear those guys, or is that done by the RCMP in the communities?
First of all, I want to address these earlier issues where he said that I was over his head.
I said what happens is, again, I am not a geographic specialist, or a circumpolar expert, but in the world, we have a round world: a spherical shape, oblate, spheroid to be exact. The quickest distances on polar flying routes are to fly over Arctic Canada, as an example, because it is more fuel efficient and cheaper to fly from Moscow to Los Angeles.
To do that, they fly over Nunavut.
If I was talking over the member, I was talking about the flights that fly over Nunavut. Sometimes when these flights fly over Nunavut, although they were not planning to come here, they land because there is a death aboard, God forgive us if that happens. But sometimes people die and there are accidents and so on and so forth, so they land, and in those cases the customs and revenue people have to look at what the delay is.
If they are on the ground for five hours, for example, it is very uncomfortable, so those people come into the terminal and they are checked out by Canada Customs agents.
Specifically on the issue around the cruise ships, there are between six- to twelve cruise ships that come to Nunavut every year or that frequent Nunavut waters, six- to twelve cruise ships.
There is a strategy underway within Nunavut Tourism to look at issues around how we facilitate cruise ships.
I don’t want to get into that, the Minister of Economic Development can speak to that.
I can say there’s some work being done on the customs side.
Question 330 – 2(2): Recruitment of Nurses
Mr. Speaker, last week, a number of questions were raised in the Committee of the Whole on the issue of recruitment of nurses.
Can the minister update this House on what specific initiatives are in place to keep the nurses who are recruited to stay in the North?
Yes, we have been facing challenges with the nurses and we really do want to retain them in the North.
Some nurses stay for the long term, some for a short period of time.
Nurses are very important to us at the community level.
In regard to the question that was just posed, we have bonuses for the nurses, to retain them in the North and to attract more nurses.
So, this bonus is there to attract and retain the nurses.
It seems a shame, after all of the efforts and expenses, to find fully qualified professionals like nurses and to have to look as far away as in places like Australia to find nurses with skills such as midwifery… .
We all experience that, when the efforts are not made to ensure that they stay as long-term residents of Nunavut.
Can the minister clarify what policy her department has to encourage long-term commitments to healthcare professionals such as nurses and doctors?
Yes, we face difficulties in retaining nurses and doctors.
The reason why we have to look for the nurses overseas is that it’s very difficult to get nurses from Canada; we are all in short of nurses and doctors in Canada.
Another reason why we seek nurses and doctors in Australia is because they already are qualified and recognized as midwives.
Some of the doctors and the nurses are hired up here on a contract basis.
At times, we really don’t know whether the nurse or the doctor is going to renew their contracts again.
It’s up to the nurses.
We can’t force the individual nurses and doctors to stay up here.
Question 331 – 2(2): Jet Services for Arctic Bay
As a follow up to my member’s statement, I would like to ask a question to the minister responsible for transportation.
Does your department have a plan already in place to service Arctic Bay?
To date, I have not personally discussed this matter with First Air, but I have heard that when they get their new airplane, they are probably be using that aircraft to service the member’s constituency.
I could approach First Air to see what the latest is.
If they are going to be using that aircraft, as I have stated in my members’ statement, will that airline be scheduled to go to the other smaller communities?
I have not heard any plans from First Air, as yet, in regard to that, but it would be ideal for the mayor of Arctic Bay to invite the First Air officials to make sure that they have the same level of understanding.
Question 332 – 2(2): Income Support for the Hunters in Arviat
I would like to direct my question to the minister responsible for income support.
He seems to be hiding over there; I cannot see him.
First of all, I would like to ask the minister if the hunters of Arviat will be provided more support this coming winter?
Speaker (interpretation): To whom did you direct your question?
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): The minister of income support.
The amounts of dollars that are in the income support amounts increased by five percent in this budget, based on the program resources and the rules and the regulations that are in place… . That would determine the amount of income support available, whether the person was a hunter or any other of the occupations.
Although we are aware of the five percent increase for income support recipients, I want you to pay close attention to the hunters because they are not having successful hunts, due to the breakdowns of snowmobiles with the bad gasoline.
They are not as successful as they were in previous years.
I want him to be aware of that.
My second point is that since there will be community tours, which is the only form of assistance that the hunters have… .
Some of the fox trappers did not harvest their foxes this year.
They were unable to go hunting this year because of their fear that their skidoos might break down, and so they haven’t really been successful during their hunts.
I am wondering if he can tell his officials to make sure that there will be some assistance provided to the hunters that have experienced broken down snowmobiles. I wish for the minister to respond to that.
Hon. Ed Picco: I know there are some income support programs available for hunters specifically, within other departments.
Specifically, for the income support program, it’s based on need.
I agree with the member: if there is a great need in his community because of the issues around the concerns raised, then that’s something that the department should look into.
By way of his questioning in the House today, then I will be talking to our officials today about the concerns raised and see if there is any additional support that we can provide within the framework of the income support program.
I thank you for understanding this issue.
I would like to ask another question in regard to this.
Even though the needs are always great, they were even greater this winter.
As the minister stated, usually there is funding set aside, not just for groceries but also for miscellaneous items.
I know that there doesn’t seem to be any support system for those in winter time.
There are four seasons: spring, summer, winter and fall.
They will be starting their spring hunts, but their snowmobiles are broken down and they can’t afford to buy parts.
Will you be notifying Arviat residents that they should at least expect some form of funding to assist them?
Harvesting is one of the eligible criteria for someone to be eligible to have income support.
Over the past, just less than, 12 months, we have increased the budget by 10 percent last year and 5 percent again this year, for 15 percent, which is more than the amount for employees and so on.
There has been some movement by the department.
What I’ll do is inform the Department of Education, again, by way of the question of the member, to ascertain what is the issue directly with some of the harvesters in Arviat, to see what has occurred and to see where we can help them within the framework of the income support program.
I’m sure, Mr. Speaker, that I would be able to get back to the member in the next couple of days on what has occurred and what the uptake on the income support program has been in Arviat because of the issues raise by the member.
Speaker (interpretation): Final supplementary, Mr. Alagalak.
Yes, I understand what the minister is saying, because as members of the legislature we have to help our constituents.
My final question is that the people that really need the help the most have to get some help.
So, when will you be telling your officials, the soonest, about the extra income support for those people?
We know from the House, here, there have been issues, for example, in Panniqtuuq, where hunters have lost their equipment and, indeed, they’re not going to be UI eligible because the season has been cut short. That’s going to cause some issues with the income support program in the community there.
As the member has raised, there are also some issues in Arviat.
Again, within the framework of the program itself, to see what we can do to assist the people in Arviat, as well as in Panniqtuuq and other communities, where there have been issues under the income support program.
Plus, there may be other programs within the government too, to be able to assist.
So, I think we would be moving on that very quickly.
Again, the idea would be to contact our office in Arviat, in this case, to see what the case load has been and will be and indeed ascertain from the case worker in the community what the uptake on the program is and what extra help we can provide to the citizens of Arviat.
Question 333 – 2(2): Slaughter of Dogs
In my member’s statement, I mentioned that I will be asking a question to the Premier.
We heard about Inuit organizations saying that they have had some problems since the slaughter of the dogs in the communities.
I wonder what the government is doing with the federal government in regards to this issue.
We have had some discussions with the federal government in that regard.
They have a committee formed and they have made some progress to help the Inuit because of the slaughter of dogs years ago.
They want to be able to help and they want to gather all the information before they make a decision about whether it’s been the fault of the federal government that there was a dog slaughter.
A lot of Inuit all over had been greatly impacted by the slaughter of their dogs.
The Premier said that he believes that the committee that has been formed will be dealing with this issue, but I just wanted to know what the Government of Nunavut is doing to help those people that had their dogs slaughtered in the past.
This is the responsibility of the federal government because the Government of Nunavut did not slaughter the dogs.
We want to be able to make sure the federal government is doing what they can to resolve this slaughter of dogs that was done years ago.
The Government of Nunavut did not slaughter the dogs. It is the responsibility of the federal government and if they have to provide some funds for that, then they will.
I’m not saying that the Government of Nunavut was the one who slaughtered the dogs.
My question is, what is the Government of Nunavut doing to try to encourage the federal government to work a little bit faster to resolve this issue soon?
We would like to be able to assist the people that were affected by the dog slaughter.