Federal fuel subsidy not enough in Nunavut
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Feb 19/01) - A federal government program to help those burdened by the high cost of home heating fuel is almost worthless to people in Nunavut.
Canadians who earn $35,000 or less, and are eligible for a goods and services tax credit, will receive a one-time only government rebate. Single individuals receive $125 and families get $250.
While the Relief for Heating Expenses program might sound good to the 11 million Canadians it was supposed to assist, most fuel-buying home-owners earn more than $35,000 in Nunavut, and are being left out in the cold.
"It's so unfair," said Martina Ningark, a Kugaaruk/Pelly Bay home-owner with a working spouse and two children.
She said even with the double income, it was difficult to make ends meet given the 98.9 cents a litre Kugaaruk residents have to pay for heating fuel.
"(The government) thinks we make so much money and most of it just goes to taxes," she said.
Many people in the territory who earn less than $35,000 are forced to seek income support. That means they likely don't purchase their own fuel because it's paid by the territorial government.
Kugaaruk's senior administrator Quinn Taggart said most home-owners in the community were angered by the program.
"A lot of the people who got the cheques don't even pay for their fuel," said Taggart. "The bulk of the workers are above that threshold (of $35,000)," he said.
In Gjoa Haven, where fuel costs .953 cents per litre, the $250 rebate buys enough fuel to last for a little more than two weeks. In a territory where winter lasts for most of the year the year, two weeks is a very short period of time.
Please help
Mary Teelktak is an income support worker in Gjoa Haven.
She helps about 150 clients every month and says many are forced to come back a few weeks later to get extra money for heating fuel.
"They get the money for fuel at the beginning of the month and a couple of weeks later, they come back and say they're out of fuel," said Teelktak. "People can't keep up with the bills. They never end and there are kids to feed," she said. "It's ugly."
Teelktak said she was dismayed by the federal government's inability to deliver a program that actually assisted people.
"They think we're dumb," said Teelktak. "Pretty soon we're going to have to move into an iglu or a shack.
"They should give us a break."
GN subsidy
Housing Minister Manitok Thompson said her department will develop a territorial heating fuel subsidy, but residents don't know when they will see it.
Thompson declined to comment last week.
In the meantime, as the territory's legislators prepare to sit in the warmth of the legislative assembly building for the next several weeks debating the budget, Elizabeth Hiqiniq is counting the days when she can trade in home-ownership for public housing.
The Gjoa Haven resident said she can't wait to give up the nightmare of bills owning her own home brings.
"I can't wait to move out of this house.
"You can't get enough money to pay all the bills so you just pay the fuel bill so you can keep your house from freezing," said Hiqiniq ."Sometimes you can't even afford to buy food because you have to get fuel."
