(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to say hello to my wife and my children in Arctic Bay, as well as my constituents in Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay.
On Friday, I asked the Minister of Finance if he and his officials had done an analysis of what would be the actual effects of cuts in wages and benefits to a typical employee. I asked him how those cuts would affect a typical small, medium and large family in each of the eight different
community groups which have been set up under the collective agreement for settlement allowances.
My constituents are very concerned about these changes and trying to figure out what will be the effect on the pay they take home every two weeks. This would be helpful to me because the effect of the changes are difficult to calculate, especially after taxes. I was pleased to learn that the Minister of Finance said that his officials have already calculated how the cuts would affect our employees and that he would make the figures available to us.
However, Mr. Speaker, in answering my questions, Mr. Todd said that he was not sure if he could divulge the information I asked for on an individual basis. Mr. Speaker, I would like to make it clear to the Honourable John Todd and Members of this House that I am not asking for information on individual employees. What I would like to see is how these proposed changes would affect typical families in my constituency and others throughout the Northwest Territories. This information would be very helpful in allowing us to compare how these cuts will affect people who live on and off the highway system, people who have big and small families and people who live near Yellowknife and very far away from Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.