Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A little more than two weeks ago, we received the report of the Commission on MLA Compensation. The more than 40 recommendations set out in that report have provided a valuable foundation for addressing the need for changes in the existing compensation package available to MLAs and to Members of Cabinet, as well.
When we first began this difficult task of coming to terms with the challenges of our fiscal situation, we agreed that Members of this Legislative Assembly would demonstrate leadership in making changes that would allow us to live within our means. I believe, as do my colleagues, that it is important for us to indicate where we are at in our response to that report. My expectation is that before the end of this sitting of the Assembly, we will have completed the process of considering and implementing many of the changes recommended by the commission.
In addition, we will be implementing a substantially redesigned pension package which will yield responsible cost savings and reductions to overall benefits. Some constituencies, some people have said that compensation packages received by Members of this Assembly are too great. In some areas, we agree so we will address that over the next few days. I believe that these are important and necessary to demonstrate in clear terms our collective commitment to making difficult decisions that affect all of us. When I say that, Mr. Chairman, these are very difficult times for us as elected leaders in this Legislative Assembly. When it comes to reductions in wages and benefits to our employees who are, in a lot of cases, our good friends, our relatives, we had better be able to take those reductions ourselves and make those hard decisions on how it affects our pocketbook, as well.
One thing that I've told many, many southern politicians when I travelled in the South as the Minister of Housing and the Department of Public Works is that one advantage a southern politician has over a Northwest Territories politician is that their constituencies are so large they know no one in it. We know everyone in our constituency; basically every last living soul I know in my constituency. So when things happen in our constituencies, it affects us as well. When people are having trouble in our constituencies, it affects us as MLAs.
With that, I would just like to congratulate the commission on a job well done and we look forward to reviewing that report. Before next Friday, before this House is scheduled to close, we will have either adopted the majority of those recommendations or made recommendations to change what we will get as elected Members of this Assembly. Let me assure everybody that it will be a lot less than you are getting today. Thank you.
---Applause