Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report success on two outstanding matters that fall under my responsibility as the Minister responsible for the Public Service Act.

The first is a matter of a collective agreement. I am pleased to report that the Government of the Northwest Territories employees who are represented by the Union of Northern Workers have voted to ratify a new collective agreement for the period of April 1, 1998, to March 31, 2000.

--Applause

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important collective agreement. On April 1, 1999, this collective agreement becomes the collective agreement both for the employees of the Government of the Northwest Territories in the west and the employees of the Government of Nunavut in the east. This collective agreement also contains a new job evaluation system and new rates of pay that we can rely on with confidence as being in full compliance with both the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Northwest Territories Fair Practices Act.

The second matter I am pleased to report success on, Mr. Speaker, is the settlement of the outstanding equal pay complaint.

Mr. Speaker, both current and former employees who may have been covered by the complaint have spoken loudly and clearly. To date, 63 percent of affected individuals have accepted their offers and withdrawn from the complaint. These accepted offers represent 69 percent of the total amount of money in all of the offers issued. By March 31, 1999, we expect that 74 percent of the offers, representing 81 percent of the total amount of money, will be accepted. These current and former employees must be commended for their foresight and willingness to resolve this matter in a fair way and move on.

Mr. Speaker, the high number of acceptances clearly shows that the Public Service Alliance of Canada, or PSAC for short, no longer represents the majority of individuals who may have been covered by the complaint that is before the Tribunal.

Mr. Speaker, these numbers should also be sufficient for the UNW Executive to realize that it must take control of this complaint from the PSAC and work with the small number of remaining employees to try to conclude a settlement for them. It would be most unfortunate if the UNW does not seek to act in this manner, as the alternative is a long, costly and uncertain litigation process. The risks in this litigation process will be high, and the potential rewards low, for the UNW and its members. The whole substance and legitimacy of the complaint and the Tribunal process are in serious question. There is a very strong legal argument for joint union liability in any finding the Tribunal or the courts might make.

Mr. Speaker, later today I will be tabling two background documents that provide additional information about the matters I have spoken about in this statement. One tabled document will be a status report on individual equal pay settlement agreements. The other tabled document will be a background paper on negotiating equal pay at collective bargaining. Thank you, Mr. Speaker