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Legislative Assembly briefs Artist resale rights sought for visual artists Jeanne Gagnon Northern News Services Published Monday, March 12, 2012
The territorial government wants visual artists, or their estate, to receive a five per cent royalty on art resold at auction or through a commercial gallery, said Peter Taptuna. The artist resale right, first introduced in France in 1920, is now enacted in 59 countries. For Canada to enact this right, the federal Copyright Act would need to be amended. Two prints from Kenojuak Ashevak sold at auction for a total of $29,620 this past November, stated Taptuna. If Ashevak had five per cent resale royalty rights, she would have received a royalty payment of $1,481. "Visual art, more often than any other art form, appreciates in value over time, as the artists' reputation grows," Taptuna said. "It is time for Canada to recognize the right of Nunavut's artists to benefit from the resale of their work." Rowena House, the executive director of the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, said the association supports the initiative. "The artist resale rights for the Inuit artists ... in the territory would be a source of revenue for the artists from previous works that have been sold a second and third time," she said. Visual artists include carvers, weavers, wall-hanging artists and print makers. Housing program overhaul considered The territorial government is considering revamping a program geared at helping people become homeowners as it recognizes problems exist, the legislature heard on March 5. The Nunavut Housing Corporation helps those who can afford to buy a home to do so through home-purchase assistance programs. People have been running into obstacles when using the program, especially when their homes need repairs or suffer from maintenance issues, stated Pangnirtung MLA Hezakiah Oshutapik at the legislature on March 5. He said accessing funds to build one's own home requires a lot of paperwork. Fred Schell, the minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, stated the program has limited funds, which partly explains the hurdles people go through when applying. He said he realizes there is a problem. "We are seriously looking at changing that whole program," he stated. Oshutapik then asked whether the minister is considering providing more funds, especially for existing home repairs. Schell said his department is, and added that last year, it received had only 25 approved applications for home ownership assistance. "That will give you an idea as to how limited it is," stated Schell on March 5. "We do realize the only way we are going to get more tenants into public housing is by getting some of these people who can afford to get out of public housing into their own homes. We have to give better incentives other than just a down payment on it." The issue came up again at the legislature during the committee of the whole the following day, with Nanulik MLA Johnny Ningeongan saying the private home market in communities is "next to nothing." Homeowners wanting to sell and leave are almost "confined" to their home and "become a victim of it simply because the market is not there," Ningeongan said. Schell said his department is working on a home-ownership strategy to make it more affordable for people to buy homes, thus helping the existing homeowners, but the housing corporation lacks the funds to buy the homes. Human Rights Tribunal not working The Human Rights Tribunal is not functioning the way it should be, stated the territory's justice minister at the legislature on March 7. The tribunal, which currently has three full-time employees located in Coral Harbour and a tribunal board, was formed in 2003 when the Human Rights Act was passed. It had received 64 notifications as of March 8 but only two went to a hearing. Justice Minister Daniel Shewchuk stated he thinks some "key pieces of the puzzle" were left out. "Things have been brought to my attention that the tribunal is not functioning as it should be in our territory," he added. His department is now reviewing the recommendations made in a report, stated Shewchuk. He added one piece of the puzzle missing is a Human Rights Commission, which should have been formed along with the tribunal. "Within that body, the staff that is in it, I believe, is lacking some direction. They are lacking support and they are lacking exposure to the public and to the communities across the territory," stated Shewchuk on March 7. He said he will table the report during the spring sitting, which starts on May 29. Knee replacement surgery A dozen Nunavummiut will undergo knee replacement surgery in Ottawa this month at no additional cost to the territory, stated Health Minister Keith Peterson in the legislature on March 7. The Qikiqtani General Hospital partnered with the Ottawa Health Services Network to identify territorial patients needing knee replacements and move them up the waiting list, as Nunavut's waiting list for that surgery "has grown significantly," said Peterson. Patients are identified and screened with the help of new screening tools, he said, such as community nurses, lab work, X-rays and assessment by doctors at the Ottawa Hospital. Instruction booklets provided for knee surgeries and knee exercises provided by the Ottawa Hospital have been translated into Inuktitut "We are hopeful that this project will improve patient screening and preparation while reducing travel and stress leading to improved recovery time," he stated. He said the 12 patients will travel to Ottawa during March break and be operated on.
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