Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I have heard the Minister of Finance say that he is going to be fair and equitable in the cuts to wages and benefits. I know that he has a very difficult job. We all know that there will be reductions in wages and benefits to government employees. Mr. Speaker, I could accept these cuts if I felt that my constituents in Clyde River, Broughton Island and Pangnirtung were being treated the same as people with the same size families in other communities in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, according to my calculations, that is not the case, especially for people with big families. For example, Mr. Speaker, I have considered the case of government employees with six children with a basic salary of $38,216 who live in Broughton Island. The end result of the new northern allowance is that my constituents with large families face a reduction of take-home pay and benefits of a whopping 37 per cent. This will happen in one year, Mr. Speaker. This is a big drop in wages and benefits.
If every government employee in the Northwest Territories with a family of six was having their wages and benefits cut by that much, it would be easier to explain to my constituents. That would be fair and equitable. However, Mr. Speaker, I understand that in some communities in the Northwest Territories that are on the road system, that same employee making $38,216, with a family of six, is only losing 11 per cent of their wages and benefits. Mr. Speaker, I don't think this is fair. What concerns me the most about this new system, Mr. Speaker, is that it is usually the longterm residents in my constituency who have large families.
Mr. Speaker, I am seeking unanimous consent to conclude my statement, please.