Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate clarification of my colleague. Let me say, there is $25 million of retroactive pay, which is one-time retroactive pay. A nurse with ten years experience will get $30,000 before tax retroactive cheque. I want to give that nurse by Christmas time, if the union will take it out to the membership and let them vote on it. There is an additional $9 million of ongoing pay equity increases to our nursing fraternity, our secretarial fraternity, all females who are involved in the pay equity issue. On top of that, there is an additional $6 million worth of options we have put forward in the collective agreement. There will be significant increases. I repeat significant increases, to our employees in particular, to our female employees who are reclassified under the pay equity issue, if we can get an agreement. We have put the money on the table. This government has taken the responsibility to still balance the budget with that money on the table. What we cannot get is the union to let the membership vote on it.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, it would be completely inappropriate for me to say one way or the other in answering the question of my honourable colleague. There is a collective bargaining process in place. It is a negotiation between two parties. We are going back to the bargaining table next week. I am optimistic that at some point the UNW will allow its membership to vote on what we have presented. In what we have presented, we have presented some salary increases and some changes to the cost of living allowances, et cetera, out there. There is nothing in the collective agreement, the way I understand it, that reintroduces an antiquated form of compensation through VTAs. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

The Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a high level of frustration for myself, as you can see from my previous response to my honourable colleague from Tuktoyaktuk. The fact of the matter is, we are going back to the bargaining table with the UNW next week. I do not want to preempt those discussions, but I am confident that we have placed on the table a reasonable offer that is fair and affordable. I should also say to my honourable colleague that I have said publicly, and will say again today, I have been asked by many Members of this House, and by the UNW to remove pay equity from the discussions. I have done that. Twenty five million dollars is now off the table. That was not our decision. That was the request of others.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

I will caution the Minister on his response Mr. Todd.

We have placed what we think is a fair and reasonable offer on the table. I cannot prejudge what the UNW and the union is going to do. I hope, at the end of the day, that the membership, which we collectively represent here, as well as others, either politically or through organized labour, will be given an opportunity as they rightly should, to vote on what we presented to the membership in terms of a renewed compensation package in the coming months. As I said in both letters and some discussions I have had with the press, it certainly would be my desire as the Finance Minister to get an agreement early, like soon, in the next two or three weeks, so that we can make every effort to ensure that people get their retroactive cheques from April 1, 1998, and that they get the new compensation package before Christmas. It is certainly the desire of this government and this Cabinet to do that, but we are only one party at the table. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger

Mr. Todd

If it was unfortunate enough that through the collective bargaining process and mediation, that the UNW was not prepared, hypothetically now, was not prepared to take it out to the membership, and hypothetically, this government felt that our responsibilities to put more money into the hands of our employees and we had to impose it, then, my understanding of the issue, there would be no retroactive pay. I hope that answers the question. Again, hypothetically,

if the decision was not to take it to the membership, if the Cabinet chose then, to impose it because, we fundamentally believe it is in the best interests of our employees to put more money in their hands, rather than less, my understanding of the situation, we would not be able to pay any retroactivity. That is correct, thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Todd

Again, hypothetically, I will qualify it. If we had to impose an agreement, which we certainly want to avoid, my understanding is, there would be no retroactivity until we reach an agreement. If it was an imposed agreement and there was no way in which you could reach an agreement through the bargaining process, there would be no retroactivity, but if an agreement was reached at a later date, then, the retroactivity would kick in. That is the way I understand it. Thank you.

I would like to remind the Members about hypothetical questions. Oral questions. Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Broughton Island needs another breakwater. If a breakwater is not built or the homes are not moved back, these same homes will eventually be washed into the ocean. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Transportation, the honourable Mr. Antoine. When will the government be able to effectively resolve the shoreline erosion problem on Broughton Island? Thank you.

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Antoine