Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe that some Members are concerned that this is a benefit that certainly is not available to the average constituent. This is something that we would like all our constituents to have. I sense in some of the Members' comments that there is a resentment in the idea of a select group of people getting such a benefit when it is not available to the hunters, students or people who do not have the privilege of being a public servant. That is a fair view, Mr. Chairman. I would caution the Members not to get those feelings of unfairness and injustice mixed up with the narrow question that is before us. That narrow question is having agreed to provide vacation travel assistance to our employees -- I will note that it is a lot less than in previous years because it is based on the excursion airfare, not the full fare -- having agreed to provide that benefit and having negotiated in good faith, is there an obligation on the part of the employer to pay all the costs? I think what Mr. Kakfwi is saying is the government has paid this cost in the past. In the opinion of our legal advisors we would not have a case to avoid paying the G.S.T. We would lose the arbitration. These arbitrations cost quite a bit of money. If only because of the previous practice of paying the G.S.T., we are stuck with it. If we are going to uphold the payment of the benefit, which has been negotiated in good faith, then we are stuck with this cost. Without commenting on whether or not we should be paying these kinds of benefits to civil servants, and not all of our constituents, it is my opinion that we would lose the arbitration. We should respect the opinion of the Department of Justice that there is no way out of this, and we should hold our nose and agree to pay this cost because we have no choice in fairness and in law.
Dennis Patterson on Committee Motion 46-12(3): To Delete $193,000 Under Activity Employee Benefits, Personnel
In the Legislative Assembly on December 7th, 1992. See this statement in context.
Committee Motion 46-12(3): To Delete $193,000 Under Activity Employee Benefits, Personnel
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
December 7th, 1992
Page 323
Dennis Patterson Iqaluit
See context to find out what was said next.