Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following up on the earlier questions regarding the Collective Bargaining process, there were two major issues which have caused the impasse in the Collective Bargaining process, Mr. Speaker, that was, of course, the UNW did not want to bargain pay equity at the bargaining table, and the second was the classification of the new Hay Plan Job Classification System. My question, Mr. Speaker, to Mr. Todd, the Minister in charge, is the Hay Plan Classification System that the GNWT wants to implement, is it gender neutral? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If my memory serves me correct, in the Tribunal's decision, I believe there is a section in it, I do not have it with me today, where the Tribunal actually says that they used the Hay Plan Evaluation System as a means to determine a gender neutral workplace. We believe the Hay Plan evaluation system is a gender neutral method to determine the workplace. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

That is it, Mr. Speaker. That is the crux of the problem, because there is no outside agency that actually looked at the Hay Plan Job Classification System, because the Minister and this government is using a modified Hay Plan Classification System. So can the Minister tell me, has an outside agency actually looked at the modified Hay Plan Job Classification System that this government is using that they are saying is gender neutral? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I am not aware that we have had an outside agency review whether our Hay Plan Job Evaluation System is gender neutral. We believe it is. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that is the concern from our union people and our employees, that indeed, the system may not be gender neutral. The Minister tells me he has no outside agency looking into it. Can the Minister tell me will he take it upon himself and this government, to actually have their system, the modified Hay Plan System that they are using, to actually have an outside agency look at it, to ensure that indeed it is gender neutral? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I have every confidence that our Hay Plan Job Evaluation System will stand up to scrutiny and have no intention at this time of asking for a third party to determine whether it does or not. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so if the Minister is so adamant and so secure at his government's feeling that this Job Classification System is gender neutral, can he give us the reasons why this modified plan is gender neutral? Why does he think that? He has not told us why he

thinks it. Who has given him the information that the modified Hay Plan Classification System is gender neutral? Why is he so adamant about that? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I would be only too happy to provide my colleague with justification for my position, with respect to the Hay Plan Job Evaluation System.

Oral questions, Mr. Steen. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is to Minister Todd, the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board. In his address to the House today, under Collective Bargaining, the Minister touched on northern living allowances. Back on May 22nd and again on June 4th, I asked questions of the Minister regarding the Northern Living Allowance for GNWT employees who were living in Yellowknife. I pointed out to the Minister at that time, that there were employees in Yellowknife who did not get an increase in the Northern Living Allowance from the old agreement, even though there were other communities where the cost of living was lower than in Yellowknife and they did get an increase.

I believe at that time, the Minister had agreed that did not sound reasonable and he was going to look into the situation. My question Mr. Speaker is, has the Minister had an opportunity to look into this inequity in the Collective Agreement? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have to be extremely careful that I do not preempt any negotiations between Organized Labour and the Management team. What I indicated to my colleague that I would look into his concerns he raised, and see if in fact there could be back on the table. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also respect the Collective Bargaining process and the importance of not interfering with two parties. My question to the Minister is, has the question of the unfairness in that particular area of the Collective Agreement, has that been brought up again with the Ministers' representatives at the table? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we have not been able to get back to the table and so I would have to say to my colleague at this time, it has not been discussed.