Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Legislative Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Legal Profession Act, and Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act, and wishes to report that Bill 7 is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole and Bill 12 is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I ask why this cannot be done? We have over 2,000 or 3,000 employees and we have a computer system. This is the year 2004. We have approved a lot of money for computer systems. Why does this have to be gone through manually? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I suppose in my statement I laid out the problem and the answers. The reason I did that is for regular people with common sense, it’s really hard to believe that a government that runs a billion dollar budget, that were given the money to pay for these retroactive payments, that they could not find any resources within to accommodate this extra task and to say that it was a budget-cutting measure or that it’s a lack of money. That doesn’t make any sense at all. Maybe it speaks to a lack of an efficient computer system. What kind of payroll system do we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So my information is that even though there’s all this extra work that needs to be put through to do these retroactive files, which I hear is very labour -intensive, there are no additional staff being hired, so the contingent of payroll officers that are in place have to do this as extra work on top of their regular work. So, Mr. Speaker, this is outrageous, this is totally unacceptable and I urge the Minister of FMBS and this government to take immediate steps to do better and pay these officers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about the unjust delay the correctional officers are having to go through in getting their retroactive pay from this government.

First of all, I must tell you, Mr. Speaker, this whole issue has been an ongoing saga for over five years. Throughout that time a group of correctional officers had to fight step by step for an increase in pay from job evaluations given to other correctional officers doing the same jobs due to a technical error argument put forward by the government. They worked patiently through their appeal and grievance...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister indicated that there was a total of 30-some employees who were entitled to retroactive pay. My information is that there were 52 correctional officers, but no matter what number you look at, it’s really quite unbelievable that it takes a whole year to go through 52 files. I want the Minister to answer the question that he hasn’t answered yet, and that is whether or not he will pay the interest for those who haven’t gotten the money for a whole entire year by the end of December. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is one I asked before to the Minister and one that he said he would consider. He said he would consider giving interest for the money that he’s been keeping that belongs rightly to these people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, further to my Member’s statement earlier today, my question goes to the Minister responsible for FMBS, the Honourable Floyd Roland. Could the Minister tell this House what measures he’s taken to accommodate the extra work that’s been necessary to go through the files of all the correctional officers and the extra files that would have gone to that office from the health care professionals who have had their jobs re-evaluated over the last few months? I would like to know what extra measures he’s taken as the Minister to accommodate this task. Thank you...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I see in the gallery a constituent of mine, Mr. David Legrow. I know he listens to the goings on of this House very closely and I am happy to see him in the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause