Thank you, Mr. Minister. Fire safety. Labour board and labour services. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.
Debates of March 12th, 1993
Topics
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 894
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 894
Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha
Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister, does he at any time plan, within the next year or so, to look at reviewing the minimum wage in the NWT? Thank you.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 894
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 894
John Todd Keewatin Central
My understanding is that the review of the minimum wage is done on an annual basis. I would assume it would be done again, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 894
The Chair Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mrs. Marie-Jewell. Labour board and labour services.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 894
Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha
Mr. Chairman, it is not automatically done on an annual basis, but if it has been and if the changes have been made to allow it to be done on an annual basis, what were the Minister's department's findings and why was the minimum wage not raised this year from the current rate? Thank you.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 894
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 894
John Todd Keewatin Central
What I said was it is reviewed on an annual
basis, it is not necessarily increased on an annual basis. I will ask Mr. Quirke, because he did the review, to answer what took place this past year.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Quirke
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The last review was done by the department in concert with Social Services, et cetera, prior to Christmas. It was discovered with the decrease in the rate of inflation there was no need to change the present minimum wage.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha
Mr. Chairman, I am sorry I did not get the last portion. With the review of what, there was no need to increase the rate? What was the word I missed?
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
The Chair Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mrs. Marie-Jewell. I will ask Mr. Quirke to repeat his response. Perhaps if the microphone could be a little closer to you, Mr. Quirke. Thank you.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Quirke
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The review of the minimum wage was conducted prior to Christmas by staff in the department along with staff from Social Services. The review found that since the rate of inflation had, in fact, decreased there was no need or requirement to amend the minimum wage.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha
Mr. Chairman, can the Minister indicate the findings? Besides not finding a need to raise the minimum wage, which we recognize because we have not had any legislative changes or advisement to us, what were their findings in respect to the review of the minimum wage? I am just trying to think whether the cost of living was taken into consideration. I cannot recall all the listed requirements, so this is why I would like further clarification on the findings, not particularly their decision. Thank you.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
John Todd Keewatin Central
I do not have the findings here, but I can provide the analysis which was done with the department and Social Services regarding how they determined that there should be no increase in last year's minimum wage, the procedure and the process that takes place to determine that.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha
Thank you. I would appreciate that, Mr. Chairman. In addition to that, would the Minister also provide to us the minimum wage applied to other jurisdictions in the country in comparison to the NWT? Thank you.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
John Todd Keewatin Central
I certainly will.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
The Chair Tony Whitford
Labour board and labour services. Total O and M, $425,000. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895
Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also want to ask the Minister in respect to the labour board, how long is the process to go through the labour board in regard to a labour dispute? Can the Minister indicate to us the time frame? Thank you.
Committee Motion 86-12(3): To Adopt Recommendation 22
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 895