Current ads
Jobs
Tenders
Notices
General

Click below

December 3 , 2004

Tapardjuk deflects Boparai questions

Iqaluit Centre MLA Hunter Tootoo asked the minister responsible for human resources, Louis Tapardjuk, some uncomfortable questions related to the disputed firing of Harbir Boporai, who claims he was dismissed from the GN because of false rumours circulating in Panniqtuuq.

In preparation for the question, Tootoo tabled a copy of the front page article from Nunatsiaq News on Friday, Nov. 19. Members of the legislative assembly must table documents that they intend to quote from in the house.

This past Monday, Tootoo quoted an email cited in the article. Boparai's supervisor wrote the following email to defend Boparai's firing to the Nunavut Employees Union:

"We are a representative government and have an obligation to hire on the basis of fairness and equity, and if the community feels, however inaccurate, this process is not fair, then we are obliged to ensure fairness and equity."

Tootoo asked Tapardjuk whether firing people based on public perception was government policy. He later asked, "how many people and who would they have to tell" if they felt somebody had been hired unfairly.

Tapardjuk refused to answer, saying he did not have the information in front of him, but that he could answer the question by correspondence.

December 3 , 2004

Made-in-Nunavut affirmative action

Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley expressed concern last Tuesday that the number of Inuit employed by the government is not going up.

Last Tuesday, Curley told the legislative assembly he had heard of cases in Rankin Inlet where qualified young people who applied for jobs did not even get an interview, and said he worried these were not "isolated incidents."

Last Wednesday, Curley pointed out that 115 Inuit were employed in Rankin Inlet in June 2004, the exact number of Inuit that were employed in December 2000.

Human Resources Minister Louis Tapardjuk clarified that by September, there were 117 Inuit beneficiaries employed in Rankin, and pointed out that Inuit make up 60 per cent of the GN's workforce in Rankin Inlet.

Curley dismissed the incremental increase.

"I don't think there's been an improvement if there's been no change in numbers," he said. "I would like to tell the minister that if they are qualified individuals you could make a direct appointment.

"As ministers, they directly appoint instead of going through the competition process. You could do that in order to increase the number of beneficiaries in the Government of Nunavut."

Tapardjuk said he would be "very pleased to make direct appointments and to see 100 per cent of beneficiaries fill the positions" with the GN, but "we do have policies that we have to abide by."

December 3 , 2004

Peterson demands details on health spending

Health costs continue to stress the government of Nunavut's budget, and Cambridge Bay MLA Keith Peterson wants to know where the money is going.

Last Tuesday, he asked Health Minister Levinia Brown to table a medical travel study contracted to KPMG consultants, and reminded the minister that he had first requested a copy of the study in May.

Peterson listed some alarming health statistics from that report that he heard at the Kitikmeot Inuit Association general meeting in Kugluktuk in October. Among them: 20,000 airline tickets, 60,000 patient nights and an $8 million deficit for the first 10 months of 2004.

Peterson then asked Brown to commit to tabling that report by Friday, Nov. 19. She agreed, but on Friday, broke the commitment.

In a gotcha move that afternoon, Peterson tabled a detailed list of written questions about medical travel expenses for Brown.

December 3 , 2004

What to do about gun regulations

The federal gun registry is still causing problems for Inuk hunters, and Arviat MLA David Alagalak wants to know what the government is doing about it.

"There is not going to be a resolution if we fall silent on the issue," he told Premier Paul Okalik last Friday.

Okalik's update on the issue was "we are waiting for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc." and "there is not much we can do."

Alagalak then informed Okalik that many hunters are using other peoples' registration cards to buy ammunition and rifles.

Later that day, Hudson Bay MLA Peter Kattuk asked Okalik what Inuit should do if there are asked to produce licenses.

This time, Okalik explained that there was no way around it at the co-op and Northern store where employees have to abide by current legislation.

"But as an Inuk, if I want to borrow a rifle, I can borrow anybody's," Okalik added. "So, this doesn't apply to us, where we don't have to produce a license if we want to borrow a rifle from our fellow Inuit."

December 3 , 2004

A new book for tenants

People who live in government housing now have a handy new guide to taking care of their homes.

Housing Minister Peter Kilabuk has published a book, called A Tenant's Handbook: You and Your Home.

The illustrated booklet, printed in English and Inuktitut, explains everything from basic maintenance and responsibilities to fire safety and how to look after appliances. There is also a "troubleshooting" section, and a place to list local emergency telephone numbers.

On the first page, the book also explains how much it costs to run a home. Throughout the book, there are energy savings tips and advice on how to avoid damage.

December 3 , 2004

Alternative energy

Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley pressed Ed Picco, minister responsible for energy, on what the government was doing to promote alternative energy last Friday.

After Picco described some past experiments with wind energy, and residual heat, Curley posed his question in a different way.

"Does the government have a plan that would provide incentives for people who may be interested in developing a type of technology that could work up here?" Curley asked.

"I think the government should really be taking a lead role, not piggy-backing someone's coat somewhere," he later said.

"I am asking the minister if we would consider establishing a unit in his department that would seriously look at alternatives, to create incentives before the private sector is asked to carry the burden of investing in fuel and energy technology."

Picco agreed we have an "awful addiction" to fossil fuels, and said he would update the house on his progress in February.

December 3 , 2004

More money for radio stations?

The Department of Economic Development and Transportation is negotiating a new contract with NAV Canada that could see more funding for community aerodrome radio stations, Minister David Simailak reported last Tuesday.

The CARS contract expired in March 2004, and an interim contract will expire in March 2005. By that time, Simailak wants to have a five-year agreement in place.

In addition to more funding, Simailak is asking NAV Canada to move its observer-communicator's training facility from Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories to Nunavut.

December 3 , 2004

Preparing for more elders

Nunavut's population is aging, and the government of Nunavut has created an interdepartmental task force to make sure older citizens will get the care they need, Health Minister Levinia Brown announced last Tuesday.

In January, 2005, the task force will present a written report on 24-hour continuing care facilities, as well as independent living units for elders in each region.

The Interdepartmental Continuing Care Task Force combines Brown's department, the Department of Culture, Languages, Elders and Youth, the Department of Education, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the Nunavut Housing Corp. and an elder representative from Cambridge Bay, Helen Maksagak.

December 3 , 2004

Highrises for hunters

The Nunavut Housing Corporation is not taking hunters' needs into consideration when building apartment complexes rather than single unit dwellings.

"They have all this winter hunting equipment and summer hunting equipment and they have to abide by municipal laws that say they can't be too close to the units," Arviat MLA David Alagalak said last Tuesday.

Alagalak raised the issue during discussion of the capital plan for the Department of Community and Government Services last Tuesday. Minister Peter Kilabuk said his department would work closely with communities to avoid problems.

December 3 , 2004

Who gets housing?

Several MLAs had questions for Housing Minister Peter Kilabuk as they looked at how his department determines which communities get housing in this year's capital plan.

Kilabuk is implementing a new strategy whereby seven communities will get up to 15 units this year, while other communities will get less than 10. Who gets the most units is determined by a ranking system that takes into account a community's housing shortage, the number of children in households, and the number of people in households.

Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley, whose community came 17th on the list, suggested taking one more factor into consideration.

"I think there should be incentive programs for ranking systems so that communities that have the least arrears and the most efficient maintenance should be rewarded," he said.

Kilabuk agreed.

December 3 , 2004

MLAS fear empty hospitals

The legislative assembly's standing committee on health and education is concerned that staff will not be hired or housed in time to staff the three new health centres being built by the Department of Social Services.

"It would be a tragedy if we were to open these modern new facilities one day, only to have to close beds and cancel services the very next day because we cannot properly staff them," Arviat MLA David Alagalak told the legislative assembly last Tuesday.

On Wednesday afternoon, deputy minister Bernie Blais said that 100 nurses were being recruited by a private company, and that new doctors had been hired for Iqaluit, including one who specialized in elder care, and that there was one prospect for Cambridge Bay.

The department's medical director has also been working to recruit new graduates from the University of Ottawa, Blais said.

TOP

Advertising
Specs, rates,
& maps
Multi-paper
buying services
About the market
E-mail ad dept

More Information