Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to rise to speak on the issue of treatment of the government employees. Mr. Speaker, some time ago, a decision was made by the 13th Legislative Assembly that there would be mandatory days off during the Christmas period. Mr. Speaker, the employees were told they would have to do with five days less pay. It would happen between Christmas and New Year's and many Members of the Assembly felt it wasn't fair for our employees to go without a pay cheque or half a pay cheque during that critical time of year when expenses are high, especially around Christmas. So we urged the government to make the change necessary and felt that they had come to a reasonable compromise. Mr. Speaker, the government began taking off 1.92 percent from employees' payroll to cover off that one week, so throughout the year they would have an equal amount every two weeks of the year, so that five days of mandatory leave would not be harshly felt.
Mr. Speaker, it has just recently come to my attention that our government has dealt with the employees in a way that seems quite arbitrary and unfair. We know the 1.92 percent is taken off from salary they have earned throughout the year, but what I have heard is if an employee is to resign or step out of this government before they receive that pay cheque in December, that they forfeit that money, that one week's pay, if they have been employed all year.