Nunavut hunter compensation program inconsistent, says MLA

Tununiq MLA Joe Enook wants to know why some hunters get compensated and others don’t under GN harvester disaster program. (FILE PHOTO)

Earlier this year, the Nunavut government awarded hunters in Coral Harbour $50,000 after they lost their equipment due to bad weather and ice break-up.

Now Tununiq MLA Joe Enook wants to know why the Government of Nunavut, under its Harvester Disaster Compensation Program, didn’t award any money at all to harvesters from his own community, when they suffered losses under similar circumstances.

Enook addressed his questions to environment minister Johnny Mike Nov. 4 at the Legislative Assembly in Iqaluit because the environment department administers the program.

“In my community there have been accidents with exactly the same types of circumstances, but people who applied for compensation were refused by the department. We are just told that it’s an accident or a natural disaster. With the incident in Coral Harbour, why was it treated differently?” Enook asked.

Mike sidestepped the question by explaining the process his department uses to assess requests for compensation.

“The hunters and trappers organizations are involved… by submitting a letter of support … The HTO board identifies the hunters that lost equipment and outline the circumstances,” Mike said.

If hunters know bad weather is in the forecast but go out hunting anyway, that’s a factor taken into consideration, Mike said, for example.

The distribution of money under the compensation program, which Enook said he’s been raising issues about for years, has been problematic since at least 2006.

At that time, a report said funds were distributed inconsistently, partly because the program is jointly administered by both the GN and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., instead of by a single agency. That’s still the case today.

Part of the problem, that report said, is that a disaster compensation program for harvesters was a contentious issue during negotiations for the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

For that reason, a compensation program was not included in the final NLCA.

Under the current program, harvesters can apply for up to $10,000 per hunter for “damage or loss from natural disaster.”

But Enook said Nov. 4 that when local HTOs do support harvesters’ applications for compensation, the environment department still denies their request.

“That’s why it’s so confusing… When communities follow the criteria, [their application] is denied,” Enook said.

The GN and NTI have jointly reviewed the program and produced a report, Enook said.

“When will the joint report be tabled in the assembly?” Enook asked Mike.

“The review of the program is complete,” Mike answered.

“I returned the report to officials to consult the communities, especially the local HTOs… his winter a final report will be finalized and I believe I will be able to table this report at our [2016] winter session.”

Mike’s answer was confusing, Enook said, because a letter the MLA recently received from Mike said the review was complete.

“The consultation stage is done. It’s been done for quite a while,” Mike explained.

“We’re giving it back to the communities for further review and to amend it if necessary… I indicated earlier that I would be able to table the final report in the winter session.”