I would now like to move on to the third component of the report on employee complaints and inquiries. Members feel that such complaints should generally be dealt with through accepted grievance procedures, whether through the Union of Northern Workers or otherwise, as appropriate. If the issue isn't dealt with satisfactorily, the Languages Commissioner may then wish to get involved.

As well, standing committee Members were confused by the frequent use of the word "complaint" by the Languages Commissioner when referring to any contact with the office. We would prefer that the Languages Commissioner be more discriminating when referring to files, perhaps classifying them as "complaints," "inquiries" and so on.

The Nature Of The Position Of The Languages Commissioner

From the beginning, there have been difficulties with the nature of the Languages Commissioner's position. There has been confusion over administrative issues, such as whether the Languages Commissioner is eligible for merit pay increases such as a deputy minister is. Standing committee Members agreed that this area needed clarification.

The standing committee feels that present wage and benefits package is adequate and should remain fixed for the remainder of the term of the incumbent. The standing committee Members also felt that a contractual arrangement would be more appropriate for future incumbents. It was felt that changing the rules in the middle of the incumbent's term would be unfair; therefore, such a change should take effect in 1996 at the end of the present Languages Commissioner's term.