(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have no objection to the bill that is in front of us, Bill 6, as a whole. I just want everybody to be clear about the intent of this bill. Different committees, the Finance committee and the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions, were saying that the government will not have sufficient funding to provide for this legislation, if passed. I think we should be focusing on spending our money on projects that more directly involve the residents of the Northwest Territories.
Going through this bill and the comments from the Legislation committee, it has no application to my constituents. Even if it is translated into Inuktitut, my mother or her friends who are unilingual, will not be able to read it. I am elected and have to assist my constituents. I try to keep them advised about the activities of the government, whether it has to do with housing projects, policing in the communities or with the people who come from down south up to our communities during the summer and how they affect the communities. Even if we don't have the bill in front of us, or it comes into law, we wouldn't have too much use for it, because I can bring those items up.
I am aware that maybe it will be useful for the Union of Northern Workers, for media and will probably be useful for southerners who come up north to do construction who are outside of the Northwest Territories. We saw the editorial in News/North, as Brian Lewis stated before about the article on the salaries of the MLAs and it wasn't true. It was included in there about my constituency travel, assistance I get for accommodation and for per diem. They are not just coming into my pocket. I use them on accommodation and travel. We have a great concern about funding, and because I am a representative for Aivilik and try and represent the people of Nunavut, I am sure, if we get funding, that funding can be put to a better use because it will probably be spent in order to build houses in Coral Harbour. The funding that could be put into a more useful area would be spent here. (Translation ends)
I would not be opposing the general content of this legislation if we were rich as a government, but at this time, my constituency has no use whatsoever for this bill. That's why they are using me, as an MLA, to deal with the government and the government programs on a daily basis. I do not need this bill to do that. This is good for the Union of Northern Workers, for the news media. You saw the editorial in the News/North telling me that I was making approximately $98,000. I wish I had that kind of salary. Mr. Brian Lewis already mentioned it. That was very good.