Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Debates of Feb. 16th, 1998
Topics
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 828
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Yes.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 828
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Steen.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 16th, 1998
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Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman. How long has the agreement been in place?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. The clock is ticking. Mr. Minister.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we entered into the community transfer agreement with the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk April 1, 1995. It will be three years. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Steen.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, recently the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk wrote a letter to MACA expressing their concern that DPW, already had an agreement in place
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Lovely.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Lovely
The department has been entering into community transfer agreements for some time. We have been working with Municipal and Community Affairs to make the transfer agreements more generic, so they are more consistent with agreements other departments are utilizing between the community and the departments. I gave my Minister incorrect information earlier. I apologize for that. The community transfer agreements are not for a specified period. They are in place until they are amended by the parties. We asked the hamlet if they would be prepared to enter into a new agreement called a community empowerment agreement that was more consistent with what was being done across the government. It was the intent in making a change to one of consistency rather than having an agreement that reflected the needs of only one department. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 829
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Steen.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This seems like a very small concern. Did the department respond in such a manner to the hamlet?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 829
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Lovely.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Lovely
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The department has been speaking with the community. We are in negotiations right now. We are asking for some monetary changes. When we originally negotiated the agreement, we included funding for housing stock, staff housing in the community, which was subsequently transferred to the Housing Corporation and we wanted to remove the responsibility for the petroleum products division tank farm. We felt it was more technical than the community needed to handle. We have been in negotiations with them for the last while in an effort to come to an agreement. As far as I know, the community is not opposed to it. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 829
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Steen.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Vince Steen Nunakput
Mr. Chairman, could I have some indication from the department as to how responsive the communities have been about accepting these transfer agreements? I have the impression the department still has a fair amount of staff in the region with regard to trades. Recently, I saw an advertisement for a plumber in Inuvik. Are we supposed to be downloading to the communities? Why are we advertising for these types of positions in Inuvik?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Deputy minister, Mr. Lovely.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Lovely
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Communities have been fairly responsive to community transfer, but most of our success has been with Nunavut communities. Communities in the west have been less open to entering into these agreements with us. In some cases, it has to do with the fact there are a number of different governing bodies in a community, such as a Metis local, First Nation, those kinds of organizations. It has not been as easy to determine whom the transfer should be made to. We have not entered into an agreement with Inuvik. There is a continuing need for some tradespeople in Inuvik, although we do have a small staff. We have lost significant numbers of staff through the transfer. Some of them have transferred to the communities themselves. Some were laid off when the employee and the community have not been able to come to an agreement on the terms of their employment. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 829
The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Steen.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Has this resulted in having to maintain regional staff, trades, because communities are not responding?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 829
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Lovely.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 829
Lovely
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is varied, depending upon the region and the numbers of communities that have entered into those agreements. It is true, we do need to keep some regional office staff because there are 13 communities where we have entered into community transfer arrangements, but they are spread across Nunavut. There is a continuing need to coordinate some of that work out of the regional offices.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, are we keeping certain trades, like electricians, plumbers, as technical staff to support the communities?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 829
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.