EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Wouldn’t it be better to take the resources, the infrastructure, financial resources and give it to the local DEA?
So under this legislation, Mr. Speaker, the legislation is what we would call permissible. The DEA has an opportunity to write the minister and say, “Minister, we would like to do all of the hiring.” So I would suggest to you that I would write back to the local DEA if it was Whale Cove or Rankin Inlet, and say, “Okay, do you have the HR resources in place to do it and the administrative, the logistic, and the financial resources to take on what you want?
If you do, then the legislation would allow that.”
I’m sure the DEAs throughout Nunavut have read the Education Act but they still have to question why DEAs should be responsible for schools under the new Education Act because they certainly have read the same document and concluded just as I do: they have not been given new powers as the minister says he has.
They couldn’t even hire a janitor for all it’s worth.
Mr. Speaker, I have actually read every page and every clause of Bill 21, and I am deeply disappointed at what has been presented. Although DEAs have been assigned new responsibilities, the final authority in the legislation is to approve their decisions remains with the minister.
Can he give me one specific example of how Bill 21 will result in the minister relinquishing any of his current powers and giving true decision making authority to locally elected DEAs?
The member is raising good questions and I want to be able to articulate and give him good answers, but I know we’re confronted by timelines in the House answering questions and we’ve got to keep our answers short.
So let me say this very quickly to answer the members’ question; under the new Act, we are proposing that DEAs have control over the budgets, the programs, the language of instruction, and cultural activities in the school. We’re proposing that they take over the school calendar, staff hiring in conjunction, of course, with the manager, who would be the principal, and policies; that’s student conducts, storm closures, all of those responsibilities.
What we are suggesting is that the check and balance of any Act has to be a check and balance. So let the DEA in Apex decide that they would like to introduce Japanese as a second language, for example, and they want to move moneys towards that field because they’re in Apex and they have their local education authority and they can do that, who is able to come back in and say maybe you shouldn’t use your resources for Japanese, maybe it should be for Inuktitut.
There has to be a check and balance in any legislation.
In this case the minister would have to check and balance. In this case, it would be me; it could be you in the next term, or anyone in this House, or any person who is elected.
You have to be able to provide a check and a balance; that’s what the legislation does.
I have met with every DEA across Nunavut, I have met with the DEA Association, I have met with every school principle and there are Members in this House that have actually gone out and done work on consultations, including Mr. Arvaluk here, I can tell you that the resounding feeling of Nunavummiut is one of positivity towards this Act.
There are the two concerns – the DEA powers, we just talked about that, and bringing back regional boards, which we do not see as being needful because of the explanations we’ve just given.
So, hopefully, that helps answer the member’s question in the little timeframe we’re allowed.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. (interpretation) Your final supplementary, Mr. Curley.
I read every page and every clause of the Act, and I do not see any decentralized authority being devolved into DEAs whatsoever; not a clause.
It’s most centralized authority and I have always stated to the minister that there’s only one school board in Nunavut and that is with the minister.
Our locals will not be able to do anything because members of their staff are not part of the Public Service Union.
Mr. Speaker, five years ago, I watched at the government’s first attempt to introduce a new Education Act went down in flames.
It appears to me that we are heading in the same direction.
Will the minister commit now to withdraw Bill 21 and go back to the drawing board until he can bring forward a bill that is satisfactory with the Nunavummiut and actually give some powers and authority to run programs that the minister says he is giving them? It should be clear in the Act. Why not?
Questions in the House are not supposed to lead to debate, so I’m supposed to be answering questions asked of me.
So I can say, Mr. Speaker, I know Mr. Curley has said now three times he’s read the Act, page-to-page, and Mr. Speaker, this minister has had announced the bill and had an opportunity probably to read each page more than once too, and I have. As the member knows, like most members here, I think I take my job seriously and I read it.
What we’re trying to do in the new Education Act, Mr. Speaker, and his question was, “Will the minister withdraw the Act?” No, the minister will not withdraw the Act.
The member would like me to take $14 million from education; we’re not going to do that. This Act would put $14 million more into education and I have proposed, Mr. Speaker, next week, to actually do a workshop with all Members in the House to go through the Act, and maybe at that time, the members would have an opportunity to ask some detailed questions on the bill itself.
This is a good bill for Nunavummiut, and I can tell you from meeting with principals across Nunavut and so on, they are excited about this bill.
It’s not perfect, Mr. Speaker, but I think we’re 95 percent there, and I would look for members like the member, if you have a serious concern or a suggestion on the Act, then bring that forward in writing because you have that opportunity.
The standing committee has the bill right now and they can take that back out to the public and they can suggest amendments to the minister and the minister would entertain those suggestions, Mr. Speaker. That’s our process.
I will not withdraw the bill.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Members, I will remind you right now, regardless of how heartfelt some issues may be that you discuss in this House, there is a process for Question Period/Answer Period, and we will stick to those guidelines.
The other issues that you have to deal with everyday are time pressing issues but I know that you guys know where those pressing issues ought to be, not during Question Period, please.
Question Period. (interpretation) Member for Cambridge Bay, Mr. Peterson.
Question 408 – 2(4): QEC Contingency Plans (Peterson)
Mr. Speaker, on November 30, 2004, the minister indicated in a response to a Written Question asked by a Member of this House, and I quote, “QEC has prepared emergency plans for all 25 communities that address contingencies in the event of major interruptions of power for extended periods of time.”
My question for the minister: will the minister commit to tabling updated copies of these plans in the House, and if not, why not?
To my colleagues I apologize if my answers were taking too long earlier.
Speaker: Quick learner.
I’ll use the minister’s time to ask this question.
Mr. Speaker, during our last sitting in the fall of 2007, the Legislative Assembly passed Bill 12, the new Emergency Measures Act.
I’m the co-chair of the standing committee that scrutinized the bill.
As the minister will recall, during the committee’s report to the House on this bill, we noted for the public record, and I quote, “The importance of developing detailed contingency plans to deal with the destruction of power generation facilities, especially in the larger communities with higher demand for power and more complex infrastructure requirements.”
My question for the minister: can the minister indicate to me, in detail, what discussions QEC officials have had with the emergency management staff in the Department of Community and Government Services on this issue?
I note that the member said “detail,” and I would suggest, Mr. Speaker, the best detail I can give is this: over the last several days, as part of the Emergency Working Group, the Power Corporation, as an example, in Rankin Inlet, were being coordinated on a daily basis for briefings with the EMO, the Minister for CGS, myself as Minister of Power, and the senior executive. That is ongoing and continues with the development of an Emergency Measures Plan.
It certainly appears that QEC officials are on top of the situation and the hamlet is involved, which is good. I hope that it wasn’t a learn-by-experience type of situation.
Mr. Speaker, can the minister tell the House whether QEC has sufficient capital funds to ensure that generators in communities are regularly replaced when necessary, and if the QEC lacks funds, will it seek to raise power rates or will the Government of Nunavut provide direct funding?
First, the capital plan for the Power Corporation, as a corporate entity, is voted on first and foremost by the Board of Governors and then it comes to the minister for sign off.
If there is a need for extra funds, the Power Corporation has the opportunity to come to the government if needed.
It can also go to the private market place to borrow money to finance a capital plan if needed, and any type of cost to the Power Corporation, at some point, could be included on a GRA but that is not anticipated at this time.
As the minister knows, Cambridge Bay is no stranger to disaster.
We lost our high school to fire some years ago, and that was a nightmare for us then.
A nightmare for us in our community would be the total destruction of our power plant.
My question for the minister: will the minister commit to directing QEC senior officials to meet with the hamlet council and brief them personally on the contingency plans for Cambridge Bay, and if not, why not?
I would suggest that if the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay would like a briefing, then all they have to do is invite the Power Corporation staff and I’m sure that we would be able to facilitate that.
Question 409 – 2(4): Management of Narwhal Harvesting and Marine Matters (Alagalak)
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, as I noted in my Member’s Statement, the management and regulation of harvesting in Nunavut can be very complex, especially when the issue is marine mammals.
I recognize that the GN does not allocate tags for narwhals, but can the minister indicate to me how his department works with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and NTI’s new Inuit Wildlife Secretariat to ensure that communities and HTOs are clearly aware of the process to apply for narwhal tags?
We are not really involved with the marine mammals. We will be able to get clarification as to what’s happening with the DFO.
Our staff and officials probably hear of these concerns and the NWMB as well. They are informed of any issues related to wildlife and particularly on marine mammals. The government, more or less, listens to the concerns of the people but we need to get more clarification and work more closely with them.
Yes, we are a part of the Nunavut Land Claims.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement provides for the establishment of a Nunavut Marine Council. However, there have been disputes over which level of government is responsible for funding it.
Can the minister update the House today on the status of this issue and indicate what involvement the GN plans to have with this group?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Nunavut Government also appoints people to the NWMB.
To date, we have been working on this issue, and also, we consult with each other to make sure that all of the information is provided and also to discuss our partnership with the management of wildlife.
The federal government has the jurisdiction over marine mammals and they also nominate an individual to the NWMB.
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) In 2004, the federal Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada designated the narwhal as being a species of “special concern.”
However, it is not endangered.
Is the minister aware of whether the status of the narwhal has changed since then?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To date, in my briefing notes, I have no idea what’s been happening with it, but I will ask my officials what the status is with the narwhal and whether they’re under special concern.
It seems like nobody seems to know us anymore. We are from Nunavut and the Nunavut beneficiaries also move to another community, especially when they are elders, they move.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, a system of community-based management is supposed to govern the harvesting of narwhal.
From his department’s perspective, is this system working well?
When the federal government works closely with the communities and the NWMB, these issues move very successfully.
The federal government also has seats on NWMB and is involved with its affairs.
When the communities are closely involved, the community-based management is successful in the communities.
Wildlife is managed mostly by community-based management, rather than the quota system, and this works well.
Question 410 – 2(4): Remediation of Old Power Plant at Baker Lake (Simailak)
Mr. Simailak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s finally my turn.
We now have a new power plant in Baker Lake. I’m very pleased but the power outages are frequent.
The old power plant is still up and it’s not being used for quite some time.
I would like to hear what kind of plans they have, or whether they will be making a replacement for that old power plant.
I would like to thank the member also for the question.
Just very quickly, there is a remediation plan in place for the old plant site in Baker Lake. There are also some issues in Baker Lake where the former Northwest Territories Power Corporation, and indeed, the old NCPC, the Northern Canada Power Commission, there were some fuel leakages over time in the community.
There are some issues environmentally with that issue and those are also being addressed.
So I can say and affirm to the member that there are remediation plans in place and ongoing, which would include the old plant site itself.
In regard to the issue of oil leakage which had seeped down, they say that the seepage is reaching the ocean and the lake.
Just last summer, they just started cleaning up that area.
Have you heard the status of the remediation of that old site? What’s the status of it now?
The member is correct. There has been a serious situation regarding the leaching of oil from above, and when I say above, I mean at the higher inclines of the community of Baker Lake toward the actual Baker Lake itself.
This has been known for quite sometime. There has been work going on between the Power Corporation in conjunction with the hamlet, as well as the Department of Environment, to look at how we can mitigate and remediate that site and end that leaching into or towards Baker Lake itself.
Again, that process is ongoing and work will continue this summer.
As well, we need to be able to involve the federal government because we believe there’s some liability from the Northern Canada Power Commission when the NTPC wasn’t in place.
The issue that you just raised, the higher level site where the oil is leaching and it’s seeping all the way down to Baker Lake, what about the site where the oil tanks were, when will they start cleaning up the site? If he can tell us that.
When we’re talking about the issue of remediation in Baker Lake with the oil leakage, the oil leakage is not solely from where the plant was. There have been some historic leaks in the community itself and that’s what we’re trying to ascertain in the remediation, but it also has to go to who would be paying for that if we can identify where those leaks were.
We do know that there is some issue with the old plant from the Northern Canada Power Commission, but we also know that there were historic leaks of oil with storage tanks and so on in Baker and we believe that is the majority of what we’re seeing leaching through the soil in the region.
That remediation work will be continuing this summer and we have been in constant contact with the hamlet to update them, and that will continue.
He did not respond to the first question and I will be asking my question in English.
(interpretation ends) Is the minister aware of when the demolition of the old power plant is scheduled for? Would that work start this summer so we can get it out of the way?
Is he aware of when that demolition will be?
It was my understanding that we would be looking at work around remediation of that site and that plant this coming summer, and that would be the summer of 2008.
Question 411 – 2(4): Polar Bear Surveys in Sanikiluaq (Kattuk)
Yesterday, I asked questions to the minister about the status of polar bear surveys in Sanikiluaq.
The minister informed me that the Ontario Government has conducted a population survey and that there are plans to start a new survey in the Belcher Islands.
Can the minister indicate to me today when he expects to receive the final report from the Ontario Government and can he clarify whether the Ontario Government survey included an Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit component?
To date, I don’t know when they will be providing us their final report. Also, once we get their final report, we’ll have a better idea of whether they have incorporated Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Yesterday, the minister told me that he wants to start a survey that will include the Belcher Islands. Can the minister clarify when this survey will begin and indicate how the local HTO in Sanikiluaq will be involved?
When our government starting taking on the responsibility of polar bear management, we said we would also include the communities during the surveys of polar bears.
We stated that the HTOs and the members of the communities would be involved with how they should be doing their surveys and when the best time would be to do the surveys.
So we will be requesting support of the communities prior to the surveys and we will also involve the communities prior to the surveys being conducted.
The business plan for the minister’s department indicates that the government is working to “finalize polar bear co-management agreements with other jurisdictions.”
Can the minister update the House today on the status of discussions with the Governments of Ontario and Quebec?
To date, we are still having discussions with those governments prior to the finalization of polar bear co-management agreements, especially for the communities that are going to be impacted.
Can the minister indicate to me today when the Sanikiluaq HTO will be informed whether or not it can receive an increase in the number of polar bears that it can harvest?
We will be working with the HTOs as I stated before.
We will have to wait until the three-year survey research has been completed to see whether or not they will increase the polar bear quota.
Therefore, I cannot respond to you whether or not they will increase or decrease.
Question 412 – 2(4): Mental Health Workers and Psychiatrists (Barnabas)
Following what I stated in my Member’s Statement, I wanted to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services questions.
How many mental health workers are there in Nunavut?
I don’t have that information before me, but what I can say is that mental health services are provided through psychiatric nurses with psychiatrists that are visiting, as well as mental health workers.
The exact distribution of those PYs within the Nunavut communities, I would have to get back to the member on.
From what I know, there are very few mental health workers.
We have regional offices; there are some who are responsible for the High Arctic communities and some who are responsible for Baffin Centre and Baffin South. There is also the Keewatin and the Kitikmeot.
How many times do these psychiatric teams visit the communities?
The complete breakdown of those visiting psychiatrists, I have to get that information to the member. The specialists do come in to various regions – to Kitikmeot, Kivalliq, as well as the Baffin.
The majority of those travel schedules are determined based on client needs and whether, in fact, there are patients in those communities that require that specialist to arrive and to visit. So that’s for the specialist part.
In some communities, there are resident psychiatric nurses, such as in Grise Fiord, there’s a nurse in charge with a very strong psychiatric background and provides that service. In other communities, that’s also available.
In terms of the breakdown by community, I would have to get back to the member as I stated earlier in my response.
I know that there are some mental health workers in the communities but they have a lot of responsibilities dealing with the people who are sick, and so on.
In the community of Grise Fiord, there is a requirement to have a mental health worker go up there to do some assessment work.
Is it possible for the mental health worker to go up to Grise Fiord this week?
I have mentioned this earlier in my response that the resident nurse in charge also has a very strong background in... she’s a psychiatric nurse.
From what I understand based on information that I received from that office, they would be sending additional support to assist her in the community this week. At the same time, the specialist will be arriving March 3 to the community to also provide further support.
Question 413 – 2(4): Addressing Housing Issues (Curley)
I have a brief question to the Minister of Housing Corporation.
There are a lot of things that we have to be thankful to the minister for, especially with the state of local emergency in Rankin Inlet.
I want to start my preamble by saying we, as members, often ask when the ministers would hold community meetings with local businesses and organizations.
We would also like to welcome an individual who wrote a letter to me from the Local Housing Authority.
At this time, they are doing the project management of the units that are being repaired in Rankin Inlet but they didn’t get any additional monies.
Last week at the meeting, before the state of local emergency, the chairman told me that he had wrote me a letter, but he was told by the Housing Corporation not to write letters to me as the MLA.
This appears to interfere with his charter of rights. Is it possible for the minister to tell the people from Housing Corporation that there is a need for communications as it might create a problem?
I thank you very much for that question.
As Members of the Legislative Assembly, if we don’t receive any correspondence from our constituents, we won’t be able to do our work or represent our communities properly. I will look into the issue definitely and get back to the member.
Question 414 – 2(4): Double Answer on Study of Polar Bears (Kattuk)
Maybe just to remind him that I made a statement yesterday about the teleconference we had with Hunters and Trappers Organization in Sanikiluaq. We were told that Mr. Akesuk and I were responsible for polar bears.
You stated that when the study is completed in 2008, the government would decide whether there would be a decrease or an increase in the polar bear quota.
You stated earlier on that after three years, you would decide whether there was going to be a decrease or an increase in the polar bear quota.
So what does that mean? The study has been completed and you stated earlier on that you would decide then, and then just a few minutes ago, you said three years.
So which is it that you’re going to be using?
To remind the members, please do not be pointing fingers and use the word “you,” but instead use the word “minister.”
The Ontario Government was the ones who were doing that but they weren’t able to go down to the Belcher Islands as they were focusing their study more in Ontario.
We wanted to include the communities in the course of the study and we will also include the Foxe Basin and the Hudson Bay areas.
At that time, we will decide whether there is going to be a decrease or an increase in the polar bear quota.