This is page numbers 4635 - 4688 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was know.

Topics

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. To the motion. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Madam Chair. My problem is it's not the minimum wage. My problem is it isolation allowance? You know, we give -- I know my CA's getting more than $25 an hour but we should be giving them isolation allowance. That's what we should be doing. So this motion here doesn't address that, especially for our constituent assistants outside of Yellowknife. So that there is where I'm -- you know, I'm already paying more than $25 an hour but isolation allowance is where the impact on -- in my riding, I have staff that, you know, my CA works with me but he could work for the government and get the same amount of money plus get the isolation allowance. So that there I think the Legislative Assembly needs to look at that for the next time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Oh, abstentions? None. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the budget amounts available to MLAs for constituency assistant salaries be increased by the Canadian consumer price index annually. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Madam Chair, Members' constituency expense allowances are increased annually by the Canadian consumer price index. So funding available to extend this increase to constituency assistants already exists and it is at the discretion of the Member. I recommend that this recommendation be defeated. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. To the motion. Oh, Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. This is something I already do as a Member, and I'm just trying to weigh whether this is something we want to put into the rules or not, in one way or another. But that's what I do already. Well, I guess given that I generally try to come down on the side of workers, I am going to support this. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. To the motion. Member for Hay River North.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I don't think anyone in here -- well, I know no one in here pays their CA less than $25 an hour. We know that from the previous motion. And I think people in here understand that if you want a good CA, you have to pay them. You know, that's the market across the Northwest Territories, across Canada right now. If you want good people, you have to pay them. That's why I voted against the last recommendation. I'm voting against this one because we're getting to the point now where the Assembly is really controlling how I run my constituency office. And I think that, you know, it's a bit of a slippery slope before we move it to something -- you know, something less flexible, something where it is the Assembly, not the MLA who is managing their office. And so that's my concern here, is that we're encroaching a bit into the independence of MLAs and their ability to operate their constituency office and work in their constituency in the way that they best see fit. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. To the motion. Member for Range Lake.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

I spoke to the other one too but this is kind of in the same concept, I guess, is that my issue is that we have people that are making minimum wage in society and currently, at this point, they don't get a CPI increase although I would like to see that. I know that we are looking at changing that. But at this point -- and the other thing is that some Members have more than one constituent assistant, Madam Chair. Some of them have two, one in their riding and one here in the capital is what I've noticed as well. So I think in the spirit of fairness to Members that may have more than one or two people in lower income bracket, then I'd have to vote against this. But I do want to stress to all MLAs that your constituent assistants are valuable; they're doing hard work; and so again, I would recommend that all of them get -- you consider increases to them on a regular basis. But I can't support it on the principle that we don't allow that for all people. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that a shared office space for Yellowknife Members of the Legislative Assembly be established that is located in a central part of the city that is accessible to all the Yellowknife constituents and others who are seeking information or support. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Madam Chair, as MLAs we have to be accessible to our constituents; therefore, I think the Members' handbook should be amended to allow the Board of Management to consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. I support this recommendation.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't agree with this. We have offices in this building. This building is open to the public during regular office hours and failing that, we can go to a common space in the community such as a coffee shop. I feel that this $90,000, or a total cost $160,000, could be better spent than on yet another office for government services. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. To the motion. Member for Range Lake.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Madam Chair, I am also not supporting this. We're getting to the time that post-COVID, or in COVID, that people are making tough choices and inflation is hitting people. And as the previous Member stated, we have offices in this Assembly. So at this point, with what's going on in society and the struggles that people are facing with inflation, I cannot justify spending taxpayer money on another office. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. To the motion. Member for Great Slave.