Thank you. I am speaking as the MLA for the Nahendeh here and not the Government of the Northwest Territories. So in the last Assembly, my colleague from Frame Lake talked about what happened to us where we said we'll do two years of zero and then move on from that, the message was wrong. We -- it said that, you know, the negotiations, we're going to go this way. And we shouldn't be sending that message. I also don't agree with the fact that if we deal with the cost of living which, you know, my colleague from Hay River North says, you know, there was independent commission, they said that inflation -- well, if you look at inflation, we're at seven point whatever it is. That in my books could not be something that I could live with. But I thought that when we had this conversation and we looked at the various options available to us to do the model that we are presenting here is a good balance between what was proposed and the -- or the Member for Hay River South's motion. Again, I appreciate the Member's comments and his ability to bring forth this. Again, though, I look at it; it's about the work we do. The Member from Great Slave talks about we work 24 hours every day. I get phone calls at two, 4 o'clock in the morning. It's just the way life is. You know, we signed up for this. If we wanted more money, we'd go out and do another job. But that -- I understood that when I became an MLA, I knew what my salary is going to be. I knew where I was going to do it because we all do it for the one reason and one reason only. It's the residents of the Northwest Territories. I can sit here and say every one of you have had those calls late at night and got out of bed and started working. And that there I say this, we may not always agree, but the work that everybody does in this House, to me, speaks volumes when I can see texts or emails saying -- getting an email saying at 3 o'clock in the morning saying hey, you got to do something, or you send a text at 2 o'clock in the morning and a Minister responds to you at 2:05. So people are working hard, and I think this is a good balance between what the independent commission decided and where we are. So I appreciate the Member's bringing forth the motion, but I will not be supporting this amendment. Thank you Madam Chair.
Shane Thompson on Committee Motion 406-19(2): Bill 73: An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 4 - Amend Clause 2, Defeated
In the Legislative Assembly on March 28th, 2023. See this statement in context.
Committee Motion 406-19(2): Bill 73: An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 4 - Amend Clause 2, Defeated
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 28th, 2023
Page 5979
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