Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are here debating this act to amend the Legislative Assembly Retirement Allowance Act and the Supplementary Retirement Allowance Act. I have to stand here and say that I have no problem in supporting this bill.
This will allow Members of the Legislative Assembly to participate in this supplementary retirement allowance plan. As an MLA standing here, if we participate, we will have to contribute from our salaries to this plan. I have no problem doing that.
To buy into the plan, there is a surplus through investments of the retirement plan, so there are no additional dollars from this government to activate this plan. There is no new money coming from the government into this plan.
The only money that is going to be going into this plan from now on will be if I participate, it will be coming from my salary. I am willing to do that.
As a Dene person, it is difficult to talk about telling people how much you think you are worth. In this line of work, going to my constituents and talking to some of them, they realize the type of work that we do and the contribution that we are trying to make to people in the North. It is taking away from what we can do out there in the business world or your own business.
I can tell you that there are people who are not working as hard as we are, but they are comfortable and well off. We give that opportunity up to be here, to do the work that we believe in.
Like I said, Mr. Speaker, I have no problem in supporting this act. Hopefully everybody else does because it is for everybody. Thank you.