Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, one of the major aspects of one of the disputes that we have had with our organized labour over the past year goes back several years. It goes back to the challenging of the government, and the government being the Northwest Territorial Government, on the pay equity issue which has not been resolved to date.

We are aware, of course, Mr. Chairman, that there were some issuances of writs in the court, which I understand in the last bit of information that I had available to me, that the Government of Canada is now investigating this. Now, with that situation in the courts, there is a contingency of anywhere between $30 - $40 million, I believe, liability, if the GNWT loses the pay equity challenge in the Federal Court.

I would like to ask the Minister at this time for an update on the situation regarding pay equity and the dispute thus far with the Union of Northern Workers.