Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the Government of the Northwest Territories has implemented a Hay Job Evaluation System to rate the Government of the Northwest Territories' jobs and all positions in the territorial government with a point system. Mr. Speaker, this system that we have has to be fair and equitable to all our employees to ensure that they have ways of evaluating performance in the job evaluations of our employees. It has to make sure that everybody is treated fairly and is paid for the services they provide to this government as our employees. In order to do that, we have to ensure that we continue to improve the pay scheduling system that we have in place.
I, for one, feel we do have to continue to improve it, but we have to be fair to all our employees. We cannot classify or declassify individuals for sake of promotion. I feel that we have to do an evaluation, especially when we have senior staff in this government whom we move from one position to another by simply giving them a new heading. I think it is important that the Hay Job Evaluation System is there for all employees and it has to be carried out by all employees. It has to be evaluated to ensure that they are being paid fairly, but also for the underpaid employees that we are not overlooking them in the area of benefits, services, and wage differences.
We have to clearly see if there is a job evaluation system in place for the new positions that have been announced by this government with regard to the chief of staff. I feel it is important that we look at that in conjunction with the position that was previously the executive assistant position. If this position is the same or this person took on more responsibility, how do you classify that position?
We have a system in place to evaluate the individuals and we also have a system to ensure that the job is also evaluated so that other people doing the same work are treated the same, and have the same opportunities to be treated fairly and equitably. All employees of this government have to realize that for the work they do, their performance on behalf of this government, they are paid fairly and equitably and it is distributed up and down the ranks. With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Premier questions on this matter later on. Thank you.