EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
We would like to be able to work with the committee that was formed by the federal government, and we will do our best to ensure that the slaughter of long ago is resolved as fast as possible.
We will push it forward, but we have really nothing to do with that because it’s the work of the federal government.
They are the only ones who can resolve the problem, but we are pushing them to do it faster.
Have you had any discussion with the MP for Nunavut, Ms. Karetak-Lindell, on the issue of the dog slaughter?
I didn’t specifically talk to her about the dog slaughter, but I have talked to her in other areas.
The committee of the federal government dealing with that issue wanted a study done on what happened during the dog slaughter.
Question 334 – 2(2): City Council
Last week there was a CBC news story that says that city council should be dissolved and the government take over.
Does the minister have anything further to add on this?
I had an interview with CBC about dissolving the city council here in Iqaluit, but from there I have not done anything else to date on that.
Question 335 – 2(2): Part of Lottery Sales to Sports Nunavut
I believe my question is for the minister responsible for Sport Nunavut.
He can redirect it if he isn’t the appropriate minister to ask.
I know that in the Northwest Territories, there was Sport North. One of the agreements that Sport North had with the territorial government was that all the lottery revenues from the sale of 6/49, scratch and win’s, and things like that went to Sport North to assist them in providing the sport delivery system that we had in the territories at the time.
Since division, I understand that we don’t have a whole heck of a lot of lottery sales in Nunavut, and Sport Nunavut is funded through his department.
My question to the minister is, if I go down and buy a scratch and win lottery ticket for $1 at the booth in Northmart here, or a 6/49 ticket, do those proceeds from the lottery sales here in Nunavut now go directly to Sport Nunavut?
What we are doing now is we are not exactly sure how much money we are receiving.
In the next session, I will be providing some tabled documents in this regard.
That information will be giving you how much money is Nunavut’s portion.
They are not ready at the present time, because they have to be translated, but I will provide them to the House in the April session.
I look forward to reviewing that information.
My question is general, regardless of numbers: do the proceeds from lottery sales go to Sport Nunavut?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): With the contract that was negotiated by the Government of Nunavut and the Sport North federation in Yellowknife on the Nunavut portion of the lottery proceeds, the Western Canada Lottery Act requires us to disclose the information that I said I will table at next month’s session in late April.
Yes, it’s true that money does go to Sport North.
Sport North is a separate organization from the government of the Northwest Territories.
Sport Nunavut is part of the minister’s department.
I’m just wondering if the revenue dollars from the lottery sales go directly to Sport Nunavut, on top of the funding allocation that they get through his department’s budget, or do they just go into general revenue?
The responsibility of Sport North for Nunavut is up to March 31, 2005, and the Western Canada Lottery Association and the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth are in the process of negotiating that agreement.
If we do get that agreement, it will be good for two years, up to March 31, 2007.
At this time, they’re under the Northwest Territories’ authority board and we appoint two to more or less observe and attend their meetings.
But, we are in the process of coming up with a new agreement so that this can be the responsibility of Nunavut.
If the member wishes for clearer information, I’ll be able to provide it.
If that arrangement is still being run through Sport North, can the minister indicate whether Sport North would then directly issue a cheque to Sport Nunavut, or does it get paid to the GN, through the general revenue pot?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): At this time, I am unable to respond to that question, but I will be able to at a later time, perhaps tomorrow or something.
Question 336 – 2(2): Savings from the Purchase of Fuel
I would like to address Minister Kilabuk on behalf of Kivalliq residents, regarding the fact that we now get our sealift from Montreal.
This change was made because it would be cheaper.
But we, in the Kivalliq, don’t believe that has happened. There have been a lot of oil spills, and the government has to do inspections before the fuel is delivered.
I wonder if the minister can produce for us how much savings they have made since that started.
Yes, I will be able to provide you with the prices that used to be; I will be able to produce those documents.
Speaker (interpretation): First Supplementary, Mr. Netser.
We are not just talking about the fuel delivery.
If you get a vehicle from Montreal and the point of delivery is from Montreal, it costs more than it does from Churchill.
Communities receive heavy equipment that is shipped from Montreal.
Can he also produce the prices for that heavy equipment?
Yes, for the heavy equipment, and as to what price it used to be for building materials and for food, for example, yes, I will be able to provide that information.
Yes, we get fuel delivery and we often hear about bad gas and machines breaking down. After they’ve investigated this issue in the Kivalliq, would we be given the information?
Back when NTCL was making the deliveries to the Kivalliq, we never experienced any bad gas and therefore we didn’t incur heavy costs in government.
Before Mr. Kilabuk, we had already had a bad gas minister and now we continue to have a bad gas minister.
Just to elaborate, last year’s shippers were a different company from the time of the original bad gas.
I will be able to provide my colleagues, with the assistance of my staff, the information that we are presently gathering to see how we can provide it better and more clearly.
Question 337 – 2(2): Insurance Coverage for Firefighter and Emergency Response Teams
Mr. Peterson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It concerns insurance coverage for firefighters.
Mr. Speaker, there was a tragedy in Yellowknife last week where a firefighter died in the line of duty to his community.
Our firefighting emergency response personnel place their lives at risk everyday in Nunavut in the service of their communities.
My question for the minister is, what insurance and Workers’ Compensation Board coverages are provided to all firefighters and emergency response personnel in Nunavut while on duty?
I was trying to locate the information to see if I have it in front of me, for instance, if there were an injury or loss of life, exactly what procedure they go through. But, I’d like to repeat again that fire insurance will have more… . It’ll be more in line with the training that was provided in the communities and included is the estimate.
Thank you to the minister for that response.
The Workers’ Compensation Board will cover firefighters during an emergency situation, based on whatever salary they are earning from their employers.
Many firefighters in Nunavut may be unemployed, hence the Workers’ Compensation Board cannot provide them with benefits, aside from immediate medical costs.
Many injuries can leave a firefighter unable to work for years, whether they are currently employed or not.
My question for the minister: can the minister tell us if his department is working with the Workers’ Compensation Board to determine how unemployed injured firefighters can receive additional Worker’s Compensation Board benefits beyond medical costs?
I regret to inform my colleague that I am not in a position to respond to that specific question at this time, as it’s information that I do not have readily available to me.
I can assure my colleague that I can get an update from my staff and share that with my colleague, on this matter.
I would like to thank the minister for that candid response.
I look forward to getting that information and I’m sure all fire fighters in Nunavut look forward to that information.
Many firefighters and emergency response personnel are on duty 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
It is unclear whether the Government of Nunavut, hamlets, or Worker’s Compensation Board provide insurance and other coverage for non-emergency duty, such as getting gear ready for the next emergency, fire drills, and inspsections.
Can the minister explain to the House what coverage is provided to firefighters and emergency response personnel for non-emergency situations?
It is a good line of questioning, but, as I just indicated, I do not have the detailed, specific information with me at this time.
I will ensure that my capable staff dealing with this very important file will have this information available for the member.
Again, I thank the minister for that response and I appreciate the minister not taking questions as notice.
The onus is on me to ask questions so that this information is out there.
My last supplementary is, would the minister commit to undertaking a complete review of insurances and other coverages for firefighters and emergency response personnel, both unemployed and employed, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day for both emergency and non-emergency situations while performing their duties?
I will commit to discussing those issues with other departments that may have responsibility for some areas in the line of questioning my colleague is forwarding.
So, I will commit to looking at those with not only this department, but also with other departments that may have some roles and responsibilities.
Tabled Document 108 – 2(2): Sealskin Price Schedule and Manual
I wish to table to following document: Sealskin Price Schedule and Manual.
Please pass the documents to the Clerk.
Tabled Document 109 – 2(2): Nunavut Liquor Commission (Unaudited) Financial Statements for Year Ending March 31, 2000 to 2004
I wish to table the following documents: Nunavut Liquor Commission (Unaudited) Financial Statements for year ending March 31, 2000 to 2004.
Tabled Document 110 – 2(2): Qulliq Energy Corporation Forecast Capital Expenditures: Five Year Ending March 31, 2010
I wish to table the following document: Qulliq Energy Corporation Forecast Capital Expenditures: Five Year ending March 31, 2010.
Motion 018 – 2(2): Tabled Document 100-2(2) GN Leased Properties Report ending March 31, 2004, Tabled Document 101-2(2) GN Procurement and Contracting Report 2003/04 and Tabled Document 102-2(2) GN Contract Data Report 2003/04 to Committee of the Whole – Notice
I give notice that on Wednesday, March 23rd, I will move the following motion.
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Cambridge Bay, that Tabled Document 100 - 2(2), 101 - 2(2), Government of Nunavut and 102 - 2(2) be moved to the Committee of the Whole for discussion.
Tabled Documents 52 - 2(2).
Bill 8, Bill 9, Bill 10, Bill 11, Bill 12, Bill 13 and Bill 14, and Tabled Document 58 - 2(2): Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, with Mr. Netser at the chair.
We will take a break until 1:30.
It is lunch time.
>>House recessed at 11:40 and resumed at 13:33
Chairman (Mr. Netser)(interpretation): Thank you.
The Committee will come to order.
We wish to continue with Bill 8 and the review of the main estimates for the Department of Human Resources and Tabled of Document 52 – 2(2).
We will then proceed with the review of the main estimates for the Department of Environment followed by the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
Are we agreed to deal with Tapardjuk’s Department?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Minister Tapardjuk, if you could go to the witness table with your officials.
Minister Tapardjuk, please introduce your officials.
On my left is Cathy Okpik who is the Deputy Minister of the Department of Human Resources and on my right is Tom Thompson the assistant deputy minister.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, welcome, Ms. Okpik and Mr. Thompson.
We’re on page D-9, Inuit Employment Plan for Operations and Maintenance, $4,407,000, do you agree?
The total operations and maintenance is $4,407,000 in 2005/2006 main estimates and under the Inuit Employment Plan in the 2003 Public Service Annual Report which was produced in November 2004, the government stated that they would have 50% higher in the various government departments and in the occupation categories by 2008.
(interpretation ends) Will the Inuit Employment Plan Strategy document called Seeking Balance be tabled in the Legislative Assembly during the upcoming session?
Did you say 50% Inuit Employment or I thought we heard 85%.
Mr. Barnabas: The government indicated that it has a defined target of 50% Inuit representation across all departments in occupational categories by 2008.
I hope that makes it clearer.
The document Seeking Balance has not been presented to Cabinet under my hat as minister of Human Resources.
We arrive at those decisions under the negotiation under Article 23 and we had assumed that this would be paid for by the federal government.
We have not made a definite decision yet.
As the Nunavut government, we will use our own funds to pursue it. For that reason, and the fact that Seeking Balance has not been presented as yet, Mr. Chairman.
I think our target was 100%, but I’ll be asking question. (interpretation end) 50% Inuit employment target across all occupation categories by 2008.
The Government of Nunavut will have to hire a total of 38 Inuit senior managers. 130 middle managers and 317 professionals in three years for the total of more than 85.
Is this a realistic goal?
I want to understand how this will be achieved.
Yes, it is realistic, with the middle management we have trainees who are taking management and there were some individuals who graduated.
We are starting on April 1.
We will be starting more leadership programs and they will be doing internship with the government.
We have had ongoing programs available for managers.
We are looking at 2009 where we will have 50 percent Inuit employed.
We have a policy that places first priority for hire for beneficiaries or Nunavummiut and because of that, during the summer, we have summer student employment programs.
That’s why we are saying that it’s a realistic goal to have 50 percent Inuit hired by 2009.
We are on page D-9. (interpretation ends) Human Resources Branch Summary.
Inuit Employment Plan. $4,470,000.
Just to follow up on my colleague’s question and on the target that’s set for 2009, and I think that if you take a look at the latest IEP Reports, I think there’s like over 300 new people they are going to have to hire to meet that goal, again I think it’s great to have goals, but be able to set something realistic; hiring 300, almost 400 people and without losing any of the current beneficiary employees that we have right now.
I am just wondering how these are going to be I looked at that as indeterminate positions working within the government and not just summer student positions or casuals that we can use to boost the numbers up.
So maybe if I could just get a little bit better estimate on exactly how the department plans to achieve that.
We think the 50 percent mark is realistic and I would like my deputy minister to respond.
We have identified 50 percent and I think it’s a realistic goal.
We are using different avenues to reach that mark, and as he said earlier, we are negotiating under the Article 23 and as the minister stated, we have had to use our own funds to set up training programs.
We are going to have to work with the different departments within the government.
Every government department has made plans on how they are going to increase the Inuit contents.
We are going to be working with the government departments and the plans that we have produced are being given to the Cabinet for a review.
We are also making those plans so that they can be implemented into the Business Plan and other avenues.
I still see in the IEP Capacity Report they did for December 31, 2004, it shows the total number of employees in all categories as 3,212, and if you look at 50 percent of that, 1,606 and as of that date, there was 1,216 beneficiaries working for the government, but 390 to fill the gap.
In there it also breaks it down by category.
The only category where we’re above the 50 percent mark right now is in the administrative support.
In the areas of middle management and the professionals, you’re under the 50 percent mark by both 453 positions.
What plans does the department have to try and meet the 50% requirements or goals in those specific categories?
As I mentioned earlier, we have Sivuliqtiksat programs and there were 9 graduated last year and for this year, we 14 positions.
In regards to the Akitsiraq Law School, I believe they’ll be graduating this spring and we have agreed that these individuals, these graduates will be working for the government.
We have individuals going to school in the Arctic College and we are also making plans through the Inuit Employment Division.
We are also upgrading Inuit.
With the high school graduates, we’re also focusing on the high school graduates to get into the government positions.
Those are the main reason why we think or we believe that we can reach our 50 percent goal.
Our Deputy Minister can make a supplementary to that, Mr. Chairman.
To supplementary the Minister’s comments, we are going to be working with beneficiaries who are in the entry level and through training will be going up the ladder within the government.
It would be called career development which would be geared towards the present government employees.
Training will be available through upgrading or through other means.
Then there are other programs that have been established by our department where we would focus on the present work force.
We have educational guide lines that will be in the educational guide lines.
The training programs would be finances, computer skills and other programs.
We also have two other programs where one is the Nunavut Public Service Diploma and the other one is for Public Administration.
Those are just some of the programs that I have identified.
They are mostly geared for the entry level and for the permanent employees who need the upgrading and who will be focusing on management positions.
With the leadership programs, this program is open not only for the managers but we’re focusing on the coordinators and the program managers.
I know prior to division and since then there have been a lot of focus on senior and middle managers.
On the senior management, there are only about 37.5 below the 50 percent middle management, I said is 133 positions below the 50 percent, but the professional area is 320 below the 50 percent mark on there, and I know that that’s your accountants and other professionals.
So I think we can train individuals to be managers to take the information and policy analysts and do things like that with it to try to bring us more in line with our targets, the targets that the department has set for professionals, and I know the minister had indicated that there’s 23 people graduating from the program and the law students are gong to come out.
So, that’s still like just a drop in the bucket from that area.
Would you take a serious look at it in committing to try and develop some type of a program like the law school program for accountants, for people to be able to obtain their accreditation in the accounting field so that we can try and bring those numbers more in line with the goals of this government are as well?
Just to elaborate further or more in detail, the internship program, if we look at the internship programs, like each department is working on their own internship program within the Department of Finance, there we have an internship program.
So this is continually being worked on and it’s evident that by working with the other departments, we can look at ways how we can improve the internship, but in regards to professionals such as lawyers, nurses, doctors, accountants, and architect engineers, there’s a training program now on for professional development.
So that’s why we feel that our target figures are realistic.
If you go through the list of departmental totals for the percentage of beneficiaries hired, I think Finance is the second lowest at 38 percent and I know they have the internship program in the Department of Finance and every other department, but with how many people does that turn out?
I guess what I was looking at was the law program was a very successful program.
We are going to turn out some professional lawyers after a fixed period of time and that’s all they do is go to school.
I am just wondering if the government would look at trying to set up a program like that for accountants because I know that even the Auditor General pointed out that that’s one of the things that we have to try and do was increase our financial capacity and the way of having accountants and skilled number counters, if you want to call them that, in the workforce.
I think if we can be able to do that and keep them here is to have people from here, beneficiaries, trained, get their designations and do that work.
Otherwise, we are always going to have that revolving door of accountants and budgeters and that from somewhere else.
Again, I would like to ask the Minister to commit to looking at specifically setting up some type of a program like the law program for people that are interested in seeking their designation and getting an accounting profession.
Was that a question?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Yes, I agree with your comment there.
Yes, although I cannot speak for the Department of Finance, I know for sure there is a training, in Iglulik they do an accounting program and training.
Yes, I know they are very busy working on accounting training.
I do agree with the comment you just made.
Yes, we definitely need to do some further training on accounting.
I could tell you that the Department of Finance is doing accounting training program in Iglulik.
It’s evident that I’m sure, your points are very well taken and I’m willing to speak with the Minister of Finance to find out how we can provide more assistance.
Mr. Chairman, I’m pleased to hear that.
I think a program like that shouldn’t be just targeted for the Department of Finance, it should be an open program just like the law program was.
You can apply for it and once people graduate from there, whether they go work for the Department of Finance, I know every department is probably in dire need of someone with a very good finance background because it always seems to be the backlog in processing in the paper work is the lack of that expertise in that field and in the departments.
So, I would appreciate if the Minister, not only the Minister for Finance, but along with cabinet all together say that this is something that we want to be able to establish to be able to create opportunities to put out more professionals into our work force that will stay here so that we won’t have to keep at that expensive process of bringing people in on a regular basis from outside.
That’s more just a clarification comment.
Chairman: Thank you for the comment Mr. Tootoo.
I would like to thank the Minister for working on the government’s obligation on Article 23 and once the training has been completed, once the employees are all accredited and once they go to the accredited schools, then I believe that Article 23 will never be fully implemented.
In looking at the Department of Finance, all the staff, what percent of the staff of the Department of Finance are they accredited accountants?
And all the employees employed there should be graduated.
Perhaps, if you can tell us whether the staff needs to go through the accredited school.
Do all the finance officers have to complete that, or do they have to have accounting certification?
Can you tell us which accountants require chartered accountants and, I just wanted to get that information from you for that one department.
Chairman: Mr. Tapardjuk.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Yes that’s a very good question.