Yes, Mr. Chairman, let me say again that I understand the issue that Mr. Lafferty is raising along with Mr. Krutko. It is a good question, but it goes far beyond the purpose of this legislation. Let me say again that the government employees, the Government of the Northwest Territories employees got the right for equal pay for work of equal value through the Canadian Human Rights Act. They have that right. We then passed our own Human Rights Act. The committee took it out to consultation and in that Human Rights Act we agreed to a provision that was different. We agreed to a provision that basically said people would get equal pay for the same or similar work with the same employer.

The purpose of this legislation we are looking at today is simply to do a couple of things. First of all, to put into our Public Service Act the right our employees already have, which is the right to equal pay for work of equal value and, second, to enable us to have an exemption from the Canadian Human Rights Act. Section 66 provides for that, so that our Human Rights Act applies to everybody in the Northwest Territories. That is bringing home the responsibility and the rights of our people, including government employees, to our legislation.

Further on Mr. Lafferty's comments, he mentioned the Dogrib Community Services Board. The employees who work for those boards, the teachers, the health workers and so on, are government employees, and there may be a few exceptions, but I think they are all pretty much government employees. They are covered by this legislation because they are considered to be public servants.

If we want to take on the whole issue of wage parity across the Northwest Territories, it is very complex. Because when we do that we would possibly have to start imposing compensation regimes on other employers, saying here is what you have to pay. Job evaluation systems, here is how you evaluate your jobs, the same as the government does. Hiring qualifications and practices. Labour relations systems. It is not easy just to declare through an amendment that we are going to have our pay system apply to everybody else. That is what I am saying.

The purpose of this legislation is very simple. The task that Mr. Lafferty and Mr. Krutko are referring to is a big task. I am not saying it is wrong, but it is a big task and it goes far beyond the purpose of this legislation. We could not include that with just a few amendments. It would change the purpose completely. Thank you.