Mr. Dent.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to address some questions to Finance Minister, Mr. Todd, of his emergency statement made earlier. Mr. Todd stated that pay equity is now off the table and indeed states the impasse since April has been and was the government's adamant conclusion of pay equity during negotiations. Can the Minister elaborate on the new focus the government will take on the pay equity complaint? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to remind everybody that we put $40 million in the budget to take care of pay equity and the new collective agreement. It was at the UNW's insistence and some Members of this House that we take pay equity off the table so we have taken it off the table. I think that is an absolute tragedy, quite frankly. That $25 million retroactivity and the $9 million of ongoing salaries that could go to our employees are simply not going to get. The UNW is not prepared to conclude an agreement with us on pay equity. Therefore, it is going to end up in the courts for the years to come and two new governments, as I said in my correspondence, are going to have to deal with that issue.

Yet this government has committed clearly the funds to do it, we want to put the money in the hands of our employees where it rightly belongs, we are certainly not going to take responsibility for it not going forward. That clearly lies, in my opinion, in the hands of the UNW executive, I fundamentally believe this issue is being driven by PSAC in Ottawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that was a great speech but did not answer my question. According to Mr. Todd's emergency statement he says we will be approaching the union within the next two weeks to look at how we can settle the pay equity complaint. My question was, what are the focuses of those negotiations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I always make great speeches. What we are trying to conclude right now is the collective bargaining process. As I indicated in my emergency statement today, the UNW needs some more time to evaluate the Hay Plan Job Evaluation System or go back to the table in early December with the mediator. Hopefully, we can get that cleared up. My preference would be now, as it was then and will be in the future, that the UNW will come to their senses, sit down with us and negotiate pay equity. But, I have taken it off the table because that was what some people requested, some Members in this House asked me to do and that was what the UNW has asked. We have done what we have been asked.

My preference would be to negotiate the settlement. Again, to put money into the hands of our employees. I suggest to you today that the agenda on pay equity is not being driven by northern peoples, it is clearly been driven by PSAC out of Ottawa who has a far larger agenda with the federal government. The tragedy of it is, our employees do not get that money that rightly belongs to them that we have in the budget.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I always thought Mr. Todd had so many good friends in Ottawa. Mr. Todd said in his emergency statement that December 12th and 13th, Mr. Speaker, will be the last opportunity to conclude and negotiate the collective agreement. I wonder can the Minister explain why only two arbitrary days have been set aside to settle this collective agreement after negotiations have been ongoing for nine months? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have many good friends in Ottawa, it is just, Mr. Speaker, the reality is that we had agreed to a two-day session. If it requires more to get an agreement, that is what we will do. We are in mediation right now, we made an effort. I have appealed in this House, I do not know how many times, to the UNW to let the membership vote on the collective agreement that we put forward which, I want to remind everybody, puts more money in the hands of our employees. It is beyond me, Mr. Speaker, that we have not been able to accomplish that.

Thank you. Just to remind again to the Members regarding the rules of when a Member does answer the questions. Mr. Todd, in your first sentence, you did answer your question. I will remind the Ministers that once you answer the question, I will say that question is answered. Mr. Picco, your final supplementary.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again referring to Mr. Todd's emergency statement this morning. He continues in questions to the answers and again in his statement to say that PSAC is running the show, and indeed that the UNW is under the guide of PSAC from Ottawa. I am wondering what substantiation Mr. Todd has to make these accusations?

Can I ask the Member to rephrase his question. You cannot accuse another Member in the House. Rephrase your question, Mr. Picco, please.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Finance elaborate on his emergency statement where he says that, indeed, it is PSAC that continues rhetoric of criticizing the Hay Plan Job Evaluation Pay System and their substantiation of same? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.