Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to make sure that I understood whether or not the interpretation had provided to the termination benefits in employment contracts would hold in the future. I am comforted that we can probably rely on the contracts themselves rather than an interpretation. Mr. Chairman, as I say I heard from an awful lot of people. I talked to an awful lot of people over the weekend and most of them felt that this issue and the way it was handled was the straw that broke the camel's back. About half of the people I talked to encouraged me to take up Mr. Handley's suggestion that we go early to the polls and at this point I am inclined to support that motion when it comes forward.
It has unfortunately taken the Premier too long to take responsibility. I have to say that one of the issues that I found really decisive in this for me was the merit pay. When the Premier on Friday provide the defence of they worked hard to explain why they were awarded maximum performance pay, it was just the wrong thing to say. When people are on the way out because of an unacceptable activity -- taping a phone call in a government office -- to say that they worked hard and deserved merit pay is wrong.
Mr. Chairman, based on that and my consultation I will maintain my position and support the committee motions. I too can do the numbers and it appears that the motion will fail if Cabinet is voting as a bloc, but I still think it is important to show the level of my dissatisfaction in this instance. I am glad though, and I have to say this, that the Premier is now taking responsibility, but why did he need the weekend to do the right thing? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.