Mr. Chairman, I find that very surprising because many Legislatures in the south are being criticized for this type of movement, receiving a severance package while they are still receiving an MLA salary if they decide to leave Cabinet. What is the purpose of setting up these particular guidelines which were just created four months ago?

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Mr. Chairman, the reason for setting up those guidelines is that when a person takes a Cabinet position generally the person takes a Cabinet position for a period of four years. Because of the amount of work, there are individuals who move their families out of their home communities so they can be together. They dislocate themselves and there is an adjustment after if they are removed or they feel for some reason they are unacceptable and they quit, there is an adjustment people have to go through and this is why there were some guidelines developed to try to meet that cushion. It is not easy, particularly if people have relocated their families and have to again look at relocating and readjusting their lives. We did not have any clear guidelines on how we dealt with that, so we felt there should be some established.

Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

Can I ask the Government Leader, within the past four months there has been a change of about three different Ministers, have these severance packages been applicable to the three previous Ministers?

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am really surprised. How is this looked after in the budget documents? Is the additional funding taken from within surplus funding or is it in the form of a supp? Thank you.

I have to pause momentarily for interpreters. Madam Premier.

Mr. Chairman, it is from within. We do not know from day to day who is going to require this severance or this support, so it is unpredictable how much that

is going to be or whether it is going to be necessary at all. At this point in time it has been taken from within.

Thank you. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Chairman, I know I as a Member would be interested in seeing how those guidelines are set up, whether it is through a policy -- I do not think it is a policy, it is basically guidelines for the Executive Council. I would request the Government Leader to provide me with a copy. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Premier, would you provide the Member with a copy?

Mr. Chairman, I did say earlier that I would.

Thank you. Are there any general comments? Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Chairman, I wanted to make one comment on the issue raised by Mrs. Marie-Jewell. Having been the longest serving Member of Cabinet in this Legislature, I can inform the committee that over the years when situations have arisen where a Minister has resigned or been removed there has always been consideration given to the human element involved. I think any organization which employs senior managers usually has some kind of policy in place to deal with these sometimes sudden changes. I know over the years, although the policy may have been only formally written recently, where there have been hardships or special circumstances involving relocation moving costs, that sort of thing, there has been consideration given. I think that is a normal policy with an organization, where there are sudden personnel changes. It has been in place for much more than the last four months, in my experience. Thank you.

Thank you. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Government Leader if she would confirm whether or not this policy has been in place for more than four months, as one of the previous Ministers, who is now my colleague, has stated. The Government Leader indicated these guidelines were formulated four months ago. They are applicable when Ministers quit, if they get fired or removed.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Mr. Chairman, the reason why we redid the guidelines is, previously there was a policy but it was applied in different ways to different people. According to the circumstances, we felt that we should make it clear so everyone gets treated the same way and fairly. Each time, previously, if someone quit or something happened, you negotiated it out. This way, it is very clear what an individual is entitled to. There was a policy before, but the way it was applied varied very extensively.

Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

Mr. Chairman, I was not going to press this issue, but there was a policy before somewhat in

regard to relocation expenses. I think that entire personnel policy is in the Department of Personnel. If Ministers move to Yellowknife, are moved back, or are replaced, they are moved by the government. That is Personnel's standard policy which applies to even employees who quit with terms of service.

However, there has never been a policy that I am aware of, of a severance package prior to four months ago. If a Minister quit, was fired or removed, there was never a severance package in that form. There may have been pay in regard to annual leave that was not used, but not in the form of a severance package. Why are these guidelines coming into effect if a Minister chooses to quit being a Cabinet Minister? I can see it if a Minister is removed or fired, because you come to a point where you have sudden departure, but if a Minister, on his or her own accord, decides to quit Cabinet, why is a severance package granted? Thank you.

Madam Premier.

Mr. Chairman, I guess that can be an ongoing argument. Some Members quit for the good of the House, and would have to make a decision which he or she did not want to make. I believe, in that instance, that person should not be treated any differently than another person. Yes, there are normal guidelines in terms of removal expenses, but if the honourable Member, in addition to the guideline, wants me to supply information on what happened to a number of other people who were in that circumstance previously and what it cost the government, I can do that as well.