Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have spoken in this House many times about accountable, transparency and public money spent for the public good. Sometimes when you ask questions in this form, a nerve or two will be hit, yet every Member has the right to ask questions. That is the fundamental aspect of our parliamentary system. I have listened with great interest with questions raised and statements made about the pay equity issue. It would seem that almost a revisionist history of events has taken place. Firstly, pay equity is the question, simply, of equal pay for work of equal value as stated by Mr. Todd. It is nothing more or less. The GNWT was asked almost ten years ago now, to make good on this principle. However, that
Legislative Assembly and subsequent Assemblies including this one argued it in the courts. We continued to appeal until finally last year we were forced by the last court decision to sit down with the UNW and negotiate a settlement. Increasingly in this House we have heard that the hoped negotiated settlement will be affordable and consistent with our availability to pay the outstanding amount owed.
Mr. Speaker, the majority of staff and employees who are affected by this case are administration and clerical positions. Because of the GNWT's precarious financial situation the Finance Minister has been guarding his comments, like yesterday on this fact. Mr. Speaker, in a consensus type of government where the boundaries between Cabinet and the Ordinary Members are not well defined sometimes it is difficult to be critical without the feeling of being personal. I find that everyday, Mr. Speaker, but questions must be asked; questions must be raised and questions must be spoken or the government would be a sham. I did not come here to rubber stamp policies or proposals, nor do I support the government's line on pay equity. Hopefully, our government will not try in negotiations to hold the hammer of pay equity, and its cost with the wage and benefits negotiations with our employees. I do not know how much we have to pay. All I know is we have to pay the pay equity bill, that has dragged on for almost ten years. At the end of the day with the lack of available information, we can only hope that both sides, Mr. Speaker, both sides will do the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause