EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
And that the Member is correct, as soon as we fill the next position, which is in the Kivalliq, and that is advertised right now, we will begin a very aggressive testing program for Kindergarten to grade 6.
That would be the plan.
In a statement, he said that Nunavut experienced tuberculosis at rates 14 times higher than the rest of Canada and how many times do we have to stand up in the Legislative Assembly and say everything, grade 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15% higher and what is the plan and the Minister always has a plan and the Minister always jumps on top of it.
Are we working 14 times harder, in this Department working 14 times harder to prevent this deadly disease and I do not think that he has answered my question in regards to what we are doing.
Hon. Ed. Picco: Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious issue with tuberculosis and I think we have tried to indicate that not only have we gone out and hired specific, dedicated positions just for one type of disease, in this case tuberculosis.
We also have a regional coordinator, we have an on/off-site resource person, that the coordinator here is actually adoptive, we have trained people to be able to pick up some of the incidents of tuberculosis that are active.
And Mr. Speaker, earlier I had said and I want to make sure that it is clarified, we have 6 communities out of 26 in Nunavut that actually sporadic or ongoing cases of tuberculosis.
Those communities are being monitored; there are resources in those communities, so, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest to you that the Department of Health and Social Services and your Government of Nunavut have been very aggressive in the stance on TB and that is why we actually put the dedicated resources in place.
I want to reiterate again, that it is our Federal Government that withdrew the mandatory testing in the ‘80s.
So, we have actually picked up the slack as a territory and as a Government since 1999.
It does not surprise me that the Federal Government would withdraw funding to Nunavut or not pay for a program for Nunavummiut because we are in the middle of nowhere.
That does not surprise me, I totally agree with the Minister responsible that the Federal Government ignores problems up here, but I think somebody should advise the Federal Government on their odd trip up here that it is a contagious disease, it is deadly and if the rates are 14 times higher here, eventually, the rates are going to move down towards where they are and I am sure that the Minister is making them very aware of that.
But the fact of the matter is, I am actually overwhelmed that the rates are 14 times of a deadly disease in the 50’s and 60’s that shocked the whole country and I know the Minister is trying with his limited resources.
We know that the health budget, we are trying to keep in control.
Getting back to my initial question, is the Minister being proactive in all the communities by trying to find out, or testing people at all age levels, I have to commend him for going to Kindergarten to Grade Six, but there is other people in these communities, the other fifty percent.
Is he going to try to have them tested to see that in fact we are not twenty times higher than the south?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to make it perfectly clear that advanced stages of tuberculosis is a terminal disease, people can die with tuberculosis.
If caught at the beginning stages, before it becomes infectious, or contagious, Mr. Speaker, it can be dealt with very quickly, and expediently with proper medication.
Many members in this House, Mr. Speaker, myself, and our families, because of the testing that goes on from K to six, a couple of my children did test positive, that they actually were exposed to tuberculosis.
Mr. Speaker, it is not just in one community.
When I say the rates are fourteen times higher, as I said, in 2002, there were 26 cases out of 27 thousand people in Nunavut.
I am not trying to be an alarmist.
What we are trying to say, Mr. Speaker, that this is World TB Day, not just in Nunavut, but across the world.
Mr. Speaker, your Government has worked effectively and aggressively to put an extra $350 thousand dollars in the Budget, a year and a half ago, so that we get extra dedicated resources.
I would agree with the Member that improved testing needs to be done.
Mr. Speaker, you do not go out and say come in here, everyone in Nunavut can get tested.
When people display signs and so on, then there are tests done.
If, for example, at the K to 6 levels, children become exposed, there is a better opportunity to check and test children, then the adults and parents if they have come into contact with it they are also tested, like for example, like what happened to my family.
So that is what happens, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his support and again I think that the Government has done an excellent job in the last three years, as a Government, to try to deal with this very serious health concern.
The Member is again correct, that the rates are higher than the south.
We are talking about 26 cases in Nunavut, in particular communities.
And, Mr. Speaker, by doing the increased surveillance, we are able to get a contagious disease under control.
Question 477 – 1(6): Concerns and Recommendations – Standing Committee on Bill 1 – Education Act
If the Member from Baker Lake was able I think was able, I think that his hair would have stood up on his head.
Mr. Speaker, while I can, my hair almost stood up too. Mine can.
Mr. Speaker, I his Minister’s Statement, the Minister had indicated and he noticed with particular interest the Standing Committee’s comment to make sure that our education system reflects Inuit cultures priorities and aspirations.
Mr. Speaker, I think that everyone in this House will agree that that is something that we want to see happen.
However, Mr. Speaker, there were a number of other concerns raised by the Standing Committee on Bill 1.
Can the Minister commit to make sure that all of those concerns will be addressed in the drafting of the next draft of the Education Act?
Speaker: Minister responsible Education, Minister Kilabuk.
In my Minister’s Statements what I was trying to say is that the Standing Committee gave us really good recommendations and we were recommended to look into Bill 1.
We consider all the recommendations of the standing committee, not just some of the recommendations but all of them.
Mr. Speaker, another concern I have from the Minister’s statement, where he indicates that an original timeline forced the Minister’s particular directions.
I’d like to ask the Minister what is the next step the department’s going to be looking at to come up with another draft and can he commit that time restraints won’t be a problem.
I think all members would rather take our time and get it right the first time instead of rushing.
So, I’d like to ask the Minister if he could indicate what the next step is that they’re planning.
Our next step in the planning we’ll definitely be going back to the drawing board and looking at all the recommendations and taking into account the committees recommendations we want to make sure that all the recommendations related to the act get their due consideration.
We will definitely commit to working with the stakeholders and this House to make sure that we have a carefully laid out schedule that will be known well in advance by the House before we proceed again.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister indicate one of the other concerns that was raised by the committee and out there, the lack of what some people felt, the lack of adequate consultation in his process.
Can the Minister commit to ensuring that adequate consultations do take place this time around?
Yes, we will look at the recommendations of the standing committee and we will notify them ahead of time and let them know about the plans before they actually go out.
Mr. Speaker, I’m not only referring to the standing committee but by that the stakeholders and the people affected directly by this act, the parents, teachers, District Education Authorities, everyone out there would probably like to know what’s going on with this act before it goes out there, before it gets brought forward in this house.
That was something that, personally I don’t feel, was adequately done prior to that.
But will the Minister ensure that prior to or after any consultations are done, that once a draft bill has been done, that the department do it’s due diligence and explain to people what’s in the new act and what the changes that they’ve put in there and why they’ve made changes and the results of those changes and the effects of those changes on the people involved will be.
Yes, in my Minister’s statement, I stated that we learned a great deal from the process.
Yes, we learned a great deal and there was knowledge gained and the knowledge has not been in vain.
Yes, with the knowledge that we have gained, I will delegate my officials to deal with all this information and inform the stakeholders and all the other people before going on.
Question 478 – 1(6): Polar Bear Survey Project
I had written correspondence to the Minister responsible in regards to my constituents and the issue of polar bears.
In the community of Clyde River, the Hunters and Trappers Organization would like to research the breeding and how polar bears breed.
I was wondering if the department is already dealing with that project.
Yes, it’s evident that we do want to collect all the information using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in regards to polar bears because the local harvesters are the ones with all that knowledge.
Yes I can look into to see what stage that project is at.
So I will take his question as notice, and get back to the member.
Speaker: The Minister has taken the question as notice.
Question 479 – 1(6): Setting Polar Bear Quotas
Last week, I made a member’s statement in regards to the polar bear quota for the high arctic communities.
They go polar bear hunting too in that area.
The Minister knows that the polar bear sports hunts are beneficial for the community.
My question to the Minister is, how do you derive the figure for commercial tags?
The quota is set according to the surveys that are done by the polar bear biologist and there was a polar bear survey in Lancaster Sound just recently.
The figures we derive for the quotas come from the results of those surveys that were done previously. We also work with Nunavut Wildlife Management Board when we set up the quota.
When was the last survey done in the high arctic on the population of polar bears?
I do have correspondence here stating which management zones the polar bears were surveyed.
Usually they do polar bear surveys every 10 to 15 years because it’s very expensive to do a polar bear survey.
I will be able to get the information to the member for the high arctic when the last time they did a survey in Lancaster Sound but if I remember correctly it was done not too long ago because these two American individuals were able to go sports hunting and they were able to bring the hides back to their country.
Thank you for the good response.
According to my knowledge, the Department of Sustainable Development had returned about $20 thousand dollars for research.
They have returned the funds and that’s why I’m asking this question.
Every time they do a survey on the number of polar bears and every time they set the number of quota, do they involve the Inuit of the communities?
We work with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board on these polar bear surveys, but the current agreement that we are working on is a little different than what we have been doing so far.
We are consulting with the communities prior to putting together that agreement and we currently have a team that is going to the communities asking for additional information.
We are going to be covering all of the 26 communities and they will be included in the input regarding the agreement.
I have a question regarding the agreement, when is it going to be finalized?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): We will have it completed this year, as we started touring the communities this winter.
Sometimes, because of the weather we have had to delay some of the community visits, but I would like to assure the Member that this is going to be completed this year.
Question 480 – 1(6): Working with Health Personnel in the Communities
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health and Social Services made a statement about the TB and social work week and it is true when he stated
As I have mentioned many times, the people of Igloolik have been left out when it comes to these types of services.
The patients wait approximately two weeks before they can get an appointment and then by the time they finally see the doctor or the nurse, they are then required to go to Iqaluit by medivac to get their medical attention.
Do you work directly with the person up in Igloolik or do you just work out of here on the administration part?
Mr. Speaker, the Member has raised some concerns with the issues around the health center in Igloolik.
Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to speak with Dr. Botha who was in Igloolik last week who was dealing with some of the patients that the Member has talked about.
And also, Mr. Speaker, we had the Director for the Baffin Region for Health and Social Services in Igloolik who met with the Hamlet to try to help facilitate some of the concerns that have been brought forward.
You stated that this individual went up to Igloolik, when was this?
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Botha was in Igloolik last week seeing patients and so on and Mr. Speaker, the concern that the member had raised about the health centre status, we had been down to three nurses as the member had brought up in the house, we went back up to five.
The director for the Baffin was in there I think three weeks ago to talk with the hamlet and meet with the staff and see if we could rectify some of the concerns that have come forward in the house.
The way I see it, the people in Igloolik are in a crisis situation.
It’s happened on more than one occasion.
If they had a proper physical check-up, they wouldn’t have to be medivaced out.
The reason why I’m saying this is that the people of Igloolik are in a crisis situation is because they could sue the government for negligence.
When Dr. Botha was there, what did he do when he was there?
Mr. Speaker, we have doctors Mr. Speaker who provide service to all of our communities in Nunavut.
And each community in Nunavut has a specific doctor that usually services that community.
In this case, the doctor was in Igloolik last week seeing different patients that he had, Mr. Speaker, I can’t say with any great authority exactly who patients were he saw, what the conditions were and so on.
There are issues around patient confidentiality with the doctors, what he sees them about and so on.
I can say that I know the doctor was in Igloolik last week.
I did speak to him this morning at the hospital.
He said that he was busy that there were a lot of issues to deal with in Igloolik.
So, I can say he was there and he was working with the patients involved and the referrals that he usually does.
In regards to that, so I see that this was a specialist visit.
I’m not talking about the types of illnesses.
The question is, the patients wait for about three or four days before they can see a nurse.
Mr. Speaker, my question is how can we provide better services to the people of Igloolik.
This doctor who went up there wasn’t there to improve the services.
My question to the Minister is, did that doctor go up there provide better services or to check up on the quality of services that are provided to the residents?
Mr. Speaker, the doctor was on his regular scheduled visit to the community to see patients.
Mr. Speaker, that is the reason why he was in Igloolik.
The doctor was up there seeing his patients last week.
I did speak to him this morning.
I asked him how his situation was and so on.
He wasn’t up there for a specialist clinic or anything.
The concern that the member has with the health centre in Igloolik has been addressed and he is correct.
There were some delays in Igloolik because we were down to three nurses.
As I’ve said in this house we have gone back up to five.
We did send the executive director in to see what some of these concerns were.
He met with the hamlet.
Mr. Speaker, if the member has specific concerns or issues dealing with specific cases, he can put that to me in a letter in writing and then I will review it.
He did speak to me about another incident this morning and we are reviewing that.
Question 481 – 1(6): Funding for Coral Harbour Access Road
First of all for the information of the Minister, every year the roads are upgraded and there is approximately 68 kilometres of this road now.
We saw an increase in the number of tourists and sport hunters that went to the communities.
This Access Road is well used by the Elders, and the people who are going out camping for the summer.
It has been a great benefit to the people of Coral Harbour.
The people of Coral Harbour would like to know if there will be any funding set aside so we can extend the length of Access Road?
I have been sitting for quite a while, thank you Mr. Arvaluk.
The roads are extremely important to all the people in Nunavut.
I have been told more than once that access road is envied by all the Nunavut communities.
There are more and more local governments that are looking for outside sources of funds to extend their access roads.
We have started to hear about more and more local communities that would like to build access roads to fishing areas and camping grounds.
Mr. Speaker, with the help of the Federal Government, we got a five year funding agreement for $6.7 million dollars.
It is not going to be used only for the building of access roads; it is going to be used for transportation in the areas of marine, land and air.
I think that we will be able to set aside specific amounts of money for the building of access roads if my budget is approved.
We have heard on more than one occasion from Pond Inlet, Hall Beach, Igloolik, and different communities, but this Member has worked extremely hard to extend the access road in Coral Harbour.
What I can promise the Member is that we will work hard to get additional sources of funds, but I cannot promise the Member how much that would be.
Mr. Speaker, I know that this has been discussed many times in Arviat.
I can say that I will work hard to seek additional funding but I cannot give you the figure at this point.
For the last four years what types of infrastructure has made life easier at the community level, and what was the least?
At times the Government used a lot of money on projects that do not benefit the community at all.
I am not just talking about Coral Harbour now, but we have built access road, we have extended those roads, and because they know that it is a great benefit to the community.
If Public Works and Services are going to be renovating a house this summer, I would like her department to place a priority on the amount of monies that are set aside for extending access roads.
We know that there are private contractors with heavy equipment be it road maintainers, road builders who have heavy equipment companies, they have been going through a very hard time because there are very few contracts available in the summer.
Some have even gone bankrupt.
Mr. Speaker, this was felt by the Government of Nunavut and understood.
Regarding the comments that were made in the house, the building of access roads will be a priority within the Department of Community Government & Transportation.
We know that there are benefits not only to the elders but also to the tourism sector.
As the people of Nunavut, we have to build access roads because the terrain is being destroyed by four wheelers and other modes of transportation.
The building of access roads will be a high priority in my department.
Thank you, for recognising the environmental concerns that you have respecting the tundra, especially with the all-wheel drive, the all terrain vehicles etc.
I think Mr. Speaker; your community is facing the same problem.
My question to the Minister is would she be communicating with the Minister of Department of Sustainable Development to develop a kind of combination environmental concerns, tourism, economic development and well-being of the community, all those combinations could very easily be addressed with access roads in a number of communities that could have cheap access roads for the purpose of environmental, economic and social questions.
I also thank the member.
We’ve known in Rankin Inlet for instance that the tundra, surrounding the community, because a lack of access roads and due to the rise in population, the tundra is being eroded.
We can see evidence of that for instance in Coral Harbour and other communities.
Yes, we have to work together with the Department of Sustainable Development.
Perhaps if we move away from picnic tables that have been placed where there are no access roads we should focus more on getting those access roads first before we set up camp sites without roads. We try to get to those destinations without a road.
So yes, the Minister of Department of Sustainable Development seems to be agreeing that we will together on that suggestion.
(Interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I will work with the Minister responsible for the Environment to make sure that we are not just putting out picnic tables without roads out there in nowhere land, and try to put the roads first before we build picnic tables for the Park.
Question 482 – 1(6): Chemical Warfare Effects
The Minister of Community Government made a statement regarding the Iraq Conflict and ensuring residents that it is something not to worry about.
My question to the Health Minister is that is it possible if the Americans are bombed, that the chemical or biological clouds might be blown this way as the there are contaminants that usually find their way up here?
Are there any emergency measures plans in place within the Health Department regarding those concerns?
Speaker: The Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Minister Picco.
Mr. Speaker, Chemical, Biological, Radio Nuclear Weapons, CBRN is the acronym that is used. Preparedness is carried on as Minister Thompson said, by all jurisdictions across Canada, including Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct, Nunavut has been made aware of the protocols, as well as the measures to be taken in case of a CBRN attack. Mr. Speaker, our staff has been working with our Federal counterparts, and indeed, Mr. Speaker, at different Health Minister’s Meetings that I have attended, we have actually talked about CBRN, and as well as a world-wide pandemic.
Pandemic is a flu that we in the medical profession we believe that will strike world-wide, across Canada and the rest of the world, some time in the next decade or twenty years.
That is based on annual predictions.
For example, Mr. Speaker, as the Member knows that in 1917, there was the Spanish Influenza.
Mr. Speaker, in that context, the Member is correct; we are being appraised and apprised of that situation.
The Department of Health’s Minister says that they are prepared.
Are there inoculations for this protection?
Mr. Speaker, there are different plans underway.
Over the last couple of years, since 9-11, there is a cliché now in place that the world has changed, and indeed it has changed.
The Department of Health and Social Services, along with Emergency Services, and other Departments, are in the process of looking at vaccinations, and so on.
For example, Mr. Speaker, there is a development of an Iqaluit Airport Smallpox Contingency Plan.
There are several plans underway within the Government, within the Department of Emergency Measures, as well as the Department of Health and Social Services to deal with a CBRN event.
Mr. Speaker, we joined the federal, provincial, and territorial counterparts in that area, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to make sure that the Member, and the Members of the House, as well as the people of Nunavut, are assured that, indeed in these cases, that if there is a case of CBRN terrorism in Nunavut, then the staff have been issued protocols and so on to follow in that case.