Thank you. Medical care plan, not previously authorized $120,000. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Territorial hospital insurance services $501,000. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Total department, not previously authorized $716,000. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Department Of Social Services

Thank you. Social Services, operations and maintenance, alcohol, drugs and community mental health, not previously authorized $705,000. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is concern about the process that increases for the alcohol and drug workers' wages were introduced. It was first announced in the House and we were expected to approve it. I am wondering if this amount is going to increase annually. Does this reflect on the pay levels of the employees? I was asking to get a breakdown on $705,000. The concern is that we do not know how it is going to be implemented into the communities. We have many workers out there. They were very happy when they heard this because it took a long time to do it. It is long overdue. Is it going to be on a certain scale equivalent to other

workers in this area? Is this going to be increasing in the future as well? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are currently 40 communities in the Northwest Territories where the alcohol and drug programs are. They are operated under the direction of local boards and agencies. The funding increase is based on the consumer price index of 17.01 per cent from April, 1988 to March, 1992. Those funds at that rate are being provided to those 40 organizations. They can do with that money as they see fit. We are suggesting to them that it is to assist them with their inflation rate salary increases since 1988. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Are there any other comments with regard to alcohol, drugs and community mental health, not previously authorized $705,000? Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Community and family support services, not previously authorized $670,000. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to question not particularly community and family support services, but the alcohol and drugs, community mental health. I recognize that the alcohol and drug workers' wages was introduced and passed. I did indicate to the Minister as a Member of the Standing Committee on Finance, that I was concerned about the process used for this increase. Basically, the fact that this wage increase was introduced and then they expected the committee to rubberstamp and approve the increase. I think that is wrong. I would ask that the government ensure that they advise the appropriate Ministers to be more considerate in the future. Now that I have said that comment, Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask two questions. One is in regard to the increase. Are they going to ensure that payments to all workers will be given on seniority and experience and not just a lump sum payment overall, that they will be taking a wage parity approach to this increase? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, although the 40 organizations that receive the funding from the G.N.W.T. submit budgets to the Department of Social Services, I am not sure that we can tell them exactly what to do with this increase that we are proposing for them. However, I will check into that and get back to the Member with regard to whether the department is going to make some suggestions, or whether it can make suggestions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Chairman, if the department was bold enough to suggest to many of the people who benefitted from the alcohol and drug contributions to place in the abstention clause that is in the alcohol and drug agreements,

then I cannot see why they cannot suggest and include in these contribution agreements to recognize the wage parity approach to this wage increase. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, as I said before, the indication to these organizations is going to be that this increase is for the inflationary salary increases. The point that I was making about whether or not we can actually dictate who gets how much in each organization is the point that I wanted to seek clarification on. There is no question that the organizations will be advised that this is for salary increases. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Chairman, the concern that I have had expressed to me is in the past when alcohol and drug wage salary increases were passed on to the different organizations, the salary increases were just equalized and added to the wages on an equalization basis. Some long-term alcohol and drug workers feel that this unfair. If there is some mechanism that this wage equalization can be looked at, it would be appreciated.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I will pass on that comment to the Department of Social Services. Perhaps there is some way that point can be made to those organizations.