EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Can the minister explain what went wrong in this case where all three trucks are down at the same time?
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) One of the things that we’re faced with this winter in particular is the very cold weather that we’ve had. We’ve had other communities experience the same thing. However, as a department, once we know that there’s a problem, we do get in there as best as we can to help restore services.
The contractors have the responsibility to ensure that their vehicles are kept running. They’re responsible for preventative maintenance and it is their responsibility to ensure that if there is a problem with vehicles, they notify my department so that we can assist in whatever way we can. (interpretation) Thank you.
Question 373 – 4(2): Selling of Country Food in Stores (Keyootak)
I say “good day” to the residents of Clyde River and Qikiqtarjuaq, as well as my constituents.
Mr. Speaker, as we are all aware, the subject of country foods and their intrinsic nutritional value has been espoused in many meetings. Meat from these animals is considered the most nutritious and healthy, yet we can’t sell it.
Furthermore, I have attended annual meetings over many years in the ACL system and, with most communities having local co-ops in the Inuit world, this has sparked heated debates, at least within the Co-op memberships, why the food hyped as the most nutritious isn’t available for sale.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Health identify if any plans are in place to see if country foods can be sold in our territory? I know that in order for the commercial sale of the country food to occur, there are food inspection requirements.
I would like to know if the Department of Health is working to utilize our healthiest foods.
We don’t deal with these types of issues, so I can’t really answer the question.
Our department deals with health centres and the provision of health care. With respect to the nutritional value, there is some work done on food, but we don’t conduct inspections related to sales.
I can’t answer his question.
As per my earlier comments, whenever the local co-op holds an AGM, this issue is continually raised. The reflexive answer we hear is that country foods can’t be sold. Although they are touted as the most nutritious foods, Health Canada doesn’t allow commercial sales.
We hear this every year.
Whenever a presentation is made about nutrition and the healthiest foods, the health care workers tout country food as the healthiest choice, yet we can’t sell them and no one seems capable of leading this initiative. What is the reason for not allowing their sales?
Hon. Paul Okalik (interpretation): As I stated earlier, we don’t look after those types of issues, as they are under the auspices of another level of government.
Our department has no involvement in any type of sales nor do we have the ability to look at these issues. The commercial sale of food is subject to national legislation that is administered by the federal department of Health Canada.
Question 374 – 4(2): Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Enook)
Good day to the people of Pond Inlet and Nunavut.
I will use this as the foundation for my question in order to clarify the issue in my mind and my questions will be directed to the Minister of Family Services based on her Minister’s Statement.
As we are all aware, in Canada, our fellow aboriginal people in particular and specific regional governments have urged the federal government to hold a national inquest into missing and murdered aboriginal women.
To date, the government has refused to approve the inquest on this issue.
Let me start off with this question. What is the position of the Nunavut government regarding this inquest request?
(interpretation ends) What’s your position on the call for a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women?
I also thank the Member for Tununiq for asking about murdered and missing aboriginal women.
Many of the First Nations of Canada have asked for the inquiry or inquest on this subject.
Here in Nunavut, we don’t have many missing women, although women have been murdered in Nunavut.
With respect to the social fabric of Nunavut, we are looking at ways to heal our families.
Due to that reason, our foundation is to support families.
With respect to the national inquiry, it will cost an exorbitant amount to hold that inquiry and we are looking at ways to resolve our social issues through other avenues.
I may get to understand the concept sooner, I suppose.
Is the Nunavut government stating that due to the excessive financial costs, this government doesn’t support this national inquiry?
I seemed to hear that due to the exorbitant costs, it is worrisome.
Is that your reasoning for not supporting the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women?
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister for the Status of Women, Ms. Ugyuk.
Hon. Jeannie Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the Member for Tununiq for requesting clarification on this matter.
In Nunavut, we aren’t searching for a multitude of missing women and that is what I was trying to get across.
Women in Nunavut have been murdered. However, we are fortunate not to have many missing women.
The national inquiry will be an expensive process and that is our only assessment of the process.
Our position in Nunavut is that we can better utilize the funding to provide tangible benefits to our women and that is our expectation.
That is unfortunate since the missing women aren’t from Nunavut. Simply due to having no Nunavut names, albeit we seem to be abandoning our fellow aboriginal people because we don’t have many missing women in Nunavut, it is an unfortunate position to take.
Let me ask this question related to your Minister’s Statement and I will quote from it. “On behalf of all Nunavummiut, I commit to working towards a framework to end this violence once and for all.”
That is the end of the quote.
Let me ask the question on that. What kind of framework are you preparing?
I thank the Member for Tununiq for voicing his personal concerns.
Yes, we feel sympathy towards people who have missing relatives. However, the situation in Nunavut is that we aren’t searching for a multitude of missing relatives.
Yes, murders have occurred and we are aware of these cases, but we generally know the identity of the murderer.
There are some cases where the murder hasn’t yet been solved, but they are not very many.
We know that this national inquiry being advocated includes resolutions that are rarely implemented, yet the process requires large funding needs.
One of our priorities here in Nunavut is to quell the violence between spouses, with territorial numbers way above the national average, as we well know.
We have requested funding from the (interpretation ends) federal government (interpretation) as the government to see how we can assist our residents to lower the incidence of violence.
I think all members here will have to be fully engaged in order to deal with this issue for Nunavut.
Mr. Mikkungwak: Let’s continue. We will continue.
Speaker: Oh, we’re done?
(interpretation) I sincerely apologize.
I wasn’t watching the clock and I apologize.
Petition 002 – 4(2): Petition to Request a 24-hour Elders Facility in Rankin Inlet (Sammurtok)
Mr. Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have the honour today of presenting a petition on behalf of my constituents in Rankin Inlet.
This petition has been signed by 142 residents requesting that the Government of Nunavut open and operate a 24-hour elders care facility in the community of Rankin Inlet.
(interpretation ends) This petition was started only two weeks ago.
I am presenting it now, although it is likely many more people would have signed it if there had been more time before the beginning of our current sitting.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Petitions.
Item [14].
Tabled Document 104 – 4(2): Nunavut Emergency Management Annual Report 2012-2013 (Sammurtok)
Tabled Document 105 – 4(2): Nunavut Emergency Management Annual Report 2013-2014 (Sammurtok)
Hon. Tom Sammurtok: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to table the 2012-13 and 2013-14 annual reports for Nunavut Emergency Management. (interpretation) Thank you.
Tabled Document 106 – 4(2): Nunavut Lottery Financial Statements March 31, 2014 (Sammurtok)
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I am pleased to table the Nunavut Lottery Financial Statements as of March 31, 2014. (interpretation) Thank you.
Motion 019 – 4(2): Extended Sitting Hours and Days (Mikkungwak)
Bills 14, 15, 16, and 18 with Mr. Mikkungwak in the Chair.
>>House recessed at 15:22 and Committee resumed at 15:48
Chairman (Mr. Mikkungwak) (interpretation): Good day to the people of Baker Lake and all Nunavummiut.
Mr. Chairman, we wish to continue with the review of the 2015-16 Main Estimates of the Department of Community and Government Services, followed by the Department of Education.
Chairman: Are we in agreement that we continue with the main estimates for the Department of Community and Government Services?
Is the committee agreed to bring in the minister’s staff to the witness table?
Sergeant-at-Arms, please allow the minister’s staff to go to the witness table.
To my right is Deputy Minister Roy Green and our Comptroller, Gershom Moyo.
Members, we were on page J-5.
Mr. Rumbolt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think I was done asking my questions on Friday.
I believe where I left off is I was planning on asking some questions regarding the increased funding for Sport and Recreation.
The Minister of Finance, in his Budget Address, spoke to increasing funding for sport by 39 percent.
Would the minister be able to elaborate on what that increase is going to benefit?
Chairman: Thank you. (interpretation) We are on (interpretation ends) Branch Summary.
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) The increases that are identified are for the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games.
I’m sorry, my error. The increase covers travel and transportation for athletes and coaches, materials and supplies, and purchased services, for a total of $1,250,000. (interpretation) Thank you.
Out of this increase in funding, is there going to be access to further dollars for sport and recreation groups across the territory to access through grants and contributions or is this strictly, as the minister just stated, through funding through travel and accommodations?
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) There is no increase to the grants and contributions column in recreation; they will still remain the same. (interpretation) Thank you.
In the past, I raised a concern that was brought to my attention regarding funding during the transition period from one fiscal year to the next.
I don’t have the document in front of me, but I believe the minister at the time said that he was going to look into different options that would be available to the department to make sure that groups trying to apply for funding during that transition period would not be overlooked.
Has the department made some progress in that avenue?
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) If I may, I would like my deputy minister to elaborate on the response to that.
The Sport and Recreation Division is in the process of doing a review of their grants and contributions policies.
One of the areas that we’re looking at is, right now, I think there is about half a million dollars for minor sports and recreation that is application-driven.
What we are looking at as part of our evaluation is to see if we can’t convert this over to some sort of block funding for sport and recreation so that we can do allocations to all communities so that they can assist them in purchasing minor recreation facility equipment.
I did locate the binder where I have my copy of that, I guess, we will say, conversation that I had with the minister on May 29 of last year and that was basically the same answer.
In the response, he talks about the block funding arrangement and it’s something that we’re exploring in our future business plan.
Would the minister be able to elaborate on what type of discussions have taken place, and is there going to be a timeframe where that block funding arrangement may be put in place?
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) We are hoping to bring that review to cabinet in April. (interpretation) Thank you.
I’m just going to switch gears here.  I would like to talk about the upcoming land referendum that we discussed at our Full Caucus retreat and as well, a couple of times since then.
In the 2015-18 business plan, sorry I don’t have the page open right now, but it does speak to the department has been developing a work plan to address the upcoming land referendum and that preliminary work has been completed to determine the process to clarify responsibilities and obligations of the various bodies that will be involved throughout the process.
Can you indicate what specific organizations your department has been working with to prepare for the upcoming land referendum?
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Although I have the information in front of me, if it’s okay with you, I would like to have the deputy minister elaborate on that.
There have been some discussions that have been raised with respect to who should be the plebiscite authority.
At this point, after discussions with the Department of Justice, it is determined that there are at least four possibilities, one being the Legislative Assembly, the other the Commissioner in Executive Council, the third is the Minister of CGS, and/or the final is the Council of Municipal Corporations.
Until the cabinet makes a decision in terms of who the plebiscite authority is going to be for the referendum, we’re basically just waiting for the next steps.
Once that has been determined, we will proceed with the plebiscite authority and all the groundwork that needs to be done to ensure that this proceeds on time.
A reminder to slow down so that the interpreters can keep up.
My apologies to the interpreters.
Mr. Chairman, on October 30 of last year, the minister stated in the Legislative Assembly that the “department is starting to go through the planning process regarding the 2016 plebiscite that will be held on the issue of municipal lands” and that “We are currently planning and we will also be doing a consultation tour to the communities to make sure that they have all the information.”
Can the minister indicate which communities your department has consulted with to date?
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Until such time that we know who the plebiscite authority is going to be, we’re still waiting to proceed with our consultations. (interpretation) Thank you.
As this is a somewhat complex, legal task that is going to be undertaken by a lot of the municipalities and by the residents of Nunavut, has there been some preliminary work on reference material that people who are going to be voting on this plebiscite would be able to make sure that we’re making informed decisions?
Has some of that material been developed to date and, if so, how early is it going to be rolled out?
Hon. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Yes, we have developed some preliminary information for this.
However, again, until such time we know who the plebiscite authority is going to be, we are still in waiting mode. (interpretation) Thank you.
I believe that I can ask questions under Community Services.
You can correct me if I am on the wrong page, Mr. Chairman.
My question relates to the local governments that receive funding assistance from the territorial government from these funds.
Let me first start off with the budget figures related to hamlet operations.
How does the department arrive at these figures? What factors are included? For example, do you assess the cost of all of the operations of the hamlet in determining these amounts?
I would like to understand what particular criteria or factors are used to allocate the particular funding level of each community.
Hopefully my question was clear and comprehensible. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister, Mr. Sammurtok.
If I understood the member’s question properly, he was asking about the annual funding allocation provided to the hamlets for their O&M, as well as for heavy equipment, such as water delivery trucks or sewage trucks, if that is part of the municipality’s priorities.
The other avenue of funds for equipment I mentioned is through the water and sewage rates.
However, if there is a budget shortfall, specific funds are included within these budgets to address this issue.
The reason for raising that question is I am familiar with the O&M budgets of the municipalities and the various budget line items for the different services they provide.
I haven’t really referred to the water and sewage services, as municipalities try to balance their budgets using these water rates.
However, if we were to look at forecasting the growth of a hamlet’s operational requirements, what kind of policies are used to determine the amounts?
Hopefully my question is clearer now.
If I understood the gist of the member’s question, yes, there are various programs and services each hamlet operates.
When a budget is being prepared, factors such as the size of the built-up area, overall population numbers, and the infrastructure in the hamlets, including the number of buildings operated by the hamlet, are factored in.
This includes the combined length of the local roads in that hamlet within the community proper and that determines their annual portion under the municipal funding formula.
Yes, in my past work, I have been an SAO for a hamlet and have done budget preparations as well for the community, so I am pretty familiar with the types of operations entailed in hamlet administrations.
Nonetheless, many hamlets struggle with the limitations of this current funding formula for municipalities as the budgets generally fall short of the annual needs, primarily due to such things as recreational facilities, which is part of local hamlet operations and it can become quite expensive.
The facilities are also large, such as the arenas, community halls, and other facilities covered by the recreational budgets, and operating these facilities eats a large portion of the budgets.
With the escalating costs, does the department include cost of living increases to electrical, fuel, or maintenance funds as part of the annual budget planning exercises? Does the formula consider all of these aspects in running recreation in communities?
Yes, the types of factors the member referred to, pretty well all of these factors are taken into consideration when reviewing the annual budgets for the hamlets.
As for the first part of his question, for next year’s (interpretation ends) funding formula, (interpretation) we will be assessing the formula to improve the funding for the hamlets.
Mr. Mapsalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What about the non-budgeted items?
Do the hamlets have to fundraise to provide funding for programs that are not part of the funding formula? Hamlets have arenas, community halls, and various recreation facilities they have to pay for. Many hamlets fundraise to fund the operations of these particular facilities.
Do hamlets have to search for additional funding for the operation of these facilities? Does the government budget for the entire year of operations as part of their funding arrangements?
Yes, recreational facilities, such as community halls and arenas, are provided operational funds and the government tries to fund the entire year’s operations.
It is when communities exceed their budgets or wish to add additional hours where they have to search for additional monies to fund them.
This is understandable. The cost of operations is covered considering all aspects of running those operations. If the price of fuel goes up or the electricity rate goes up, they will be covered.
Is that the actual case? How does the department arrive at the actual operational costs for every one of these facilities on a per annum basis that is to cover the whole year without the need for fundraising?
Yes, every hamlet is assessed as to their core funding needs and the funding follows the average annual operational requirements of each community. The funds are meant to be adequate for the entire year.
However, costs can increase due to different factors, which result in budget shortfalls. That is why the (interpretation ends) funding formula (interpretation) will be reviewed as to its adequacy.
Good afternoon, (interpretation ends) hon. minister. (interpretation) I wish to return to this matter and I will ask generalized questions to try to clarify the situation in my own mind, as I am unclear about many related issues.
Nonetheless, I wish to ask this question first related to the question asked by my colleague, Mr. Hickes, about the land referendum proposed to ask if municipal lands can be sold.
This plebiscite is something I wanted to ask further questions about, although I am aware and understand that the planning is in the initial stages.
Has the department made any decisions about the eligibility criteria of the voters list?
At this time, a person has to be 18 years of age and living in Nunavut for a year in order for them to vote in the referendum.
Has the department ever considered the private homeowners who lease the land and the implications therein? There aren’t very many people on that list if you look at the entire territory of Nunavut.
Here we have a situation where people with no vested interest or tangible personal impacts will determine the future with this question asking about the status of land ownership and the sale of municipal lands, as the numbers of private homeowners is tiny compared to other voting cliques. (interpretation ends) Is that fair?
(interpretation) Is that legitimately protecting the interests of private homeowners in Nunavut?
Don’t the possible implications of people voting who have no ownership interests determining this question concern you?
Are the homeowners absolutely negligible in that their fate is going to be determined by either people with no ownership or even transients who have lived in Nunavut for one year? They will determine my future as a homeowner.
I, too, have thought of the concern expressed by my colleague, as I am a private homeowner.
Nevertheless, the current eligibility criteria are set at those who have achieved a minimum of 18 years and have been resident in Nunavut for a period of one year. Anyone meeting those criteria will be able to vote.
I suppose I should take that to mean that it is useless to question these minimalist requirements. Since they are written as the minimum criteria, we can’t ever change the eligibility criteria forever and ever, amen? Is that the way it is?
Actually, to say that the criteria are cast in stone isn’t the case.
To say we will never change the criteria is not true. If the majority requests changes to the eligibility requirements or to change the question, these issues are still under consideration as to exactly how it will unfold.
However, the only written criteria are the two in front of us that we are just following for the referendum.
Can members be shown how to go about enacting changes to the criteria? If the members wish to change the eligibility requirements, what steps are needed to make these changes?
As per my earlier statement, currently, there hasn’t been any decision as to which body or organization will have the referendum or (interpretation ends) plebiscite authority. (interpretation) Once that decision has been made, the other issues will most likely fall into place.