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May 3, 2002
Budget 2002: Spending highlights
Nunatsiaq News
Here are some examples
of areas where the Nunavut government will be spending new money:
The Nunavut Housing
Corporation, which now looks after employee staff housing in addition to social
housing, will build at least 78 social housing units this year, Finance Minister
Kelvin Ng said.
The Office of the
Chief Electoral Officer will get about $400,000 to hold a territorial election
next year, probably in the fall.
The justice department
will put $90,000 of new money into a victims assistance fund, and will
spend about $120,000 more on the Akitsiraq law school program. Its budget
for law enforcement will go up by about $3.5 million, to reflect the cost of
hiring 14 new RCMP members. Theres also some extra money for non-court
family law services, a pilot project in family dispute mediation, and $105,000
for the training of court workers, legal interpreters and justices of the peace.
The department of
culture, language, elders and youth will get about $1.5 million more than it
spent last year. That includes $320,000 for a toponymy, or place-naming program,
money for an elders council, and more hand-out money for elders
and youth programs.
The budget for the
department of health and social services appears to have been stabilized. Its
spending for 2002-3 has been set at $156,893. In the last fiscal year, its budget
had been set at $123,364, but it actually spent $151,592.
The health department
will get $949,000 in new money for community alcohol and drug counselling programs,
and $1.7 million in new money for a shelter serving people with psychiatric
problems. In all, the health department is getting about $9 million more for
"healthy children, families and communities," which includes dental
care, health promotion and health research.
The department of
education will spend more money on programs, but less on capital projects in
2002-3. Its expecting to spend $22.6 million in income support, or welfare
payments, an increase of about $400,000. Its student financial assistance program
will get a little more money, about $500,000, and District Education Authorities
will get a little more money for school operations, about $980,000. Ng also
says theyll get about $2.8 million in extra money for new teachers.
Theres no new money
for curriculum development, teaching resources, and student evaluation, however.
The School Services Branch is taking a small cut, from $7.3 million to $7 million.
Theres also a cut in funding for trades programs, from $585,000 to $299,000.
Nunavut Tourism
will get another $1 million, bringing its budget to $2.3 million.
The human resource
departments Inuit Employment Plan will get more money $3.4 million,
up from $1.7 million.
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