Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Members' salary be renewed on April 1 each year, calculated on the current Yellowknife Consumer Price Index or the increase negotiated by the Union of Northern workers, whichever is less. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion? Ms. Green.
Mr. Chair, I am not in support of this motion. Years ago, the annual adjustments to the MLA salaries were tied to the negotiated increases for our unionized employees. This created the perception of a conflict of interest. Under our current system, MLA compensation for an incoming Assembly is established by the outgoing one and based on the recommendations of an independent commission. Following that, these amounts are adjusted annually to keep pace with inflation. The decision to disentangle MLA compensation adjustments from those provided to the Union of Northern Workers has been to the detriment of MLAs over the years. I have no difficulty with this. However, this recommendation re-establishes a link with the UNW increases that I feel is inappropriate. It will ensure that, over time, MLA compensation will fail to keep pace with inflation and will fall further behind the positions of similar responsibility in the public service. The existing system is transparent, fair, and independent. Mr. Chair, I will not be supporting this motion, and I request a recorded vote.
Thank you, Ms. Green. To the motion? Minister Cochrane.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, as well, will not be supporting this motion. As I have said previously and many times, society is based on how we treat our most marginalized populations. It would be very hypocritical of me to look at any type of increase, no matter what, until society is treating those who struggle to provide food on their table with a decent level of care. I cannot, in all honesty, ethically support this motion. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Cochrane. To the motion? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I will not be supporting the recommendation from the commission which is the subject of this motion. It basically says that we should be taking the lesser of the cost-of-living increase or what the UNW negotiates, tying our compensation to what's negotiated with our workers. I don't think that's a good way to proceed. It creates an apprehension of bias, and I just don't think that's a good thing to do. The simpler way to do this is leave it as it is where it's automatically increased by the consumer price index. I think that is the best way to do this. I want to leave it that way. I will be voting against this recommendation from the commission and the motion. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Great Slave.
All those opposed, please rise.
The Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Frame Lake.
Thank you. All those abstaining, please rise.
The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha.
The results of the recorded vote: one in favour, nine opposed, four abstentions. The motion is defeated.
---Defeated
Ms. Green.
Mr. Chair, I wish to thank the 2018 Independent Commission to Review Members’ Compensation and Benefits for their important work and for their considered recommendations. As with previous recommendations, we have accepted some and rejected others. This process of reviewing MLA compensation by an independent commission is consistent with the practice of other Canadian jurisdictions and the process for setting judicial compensation in the NWT. It works. Contrary to recent media reports, MLAs have not voted themselves an increase in compensation above inflation for nearly two decades, despite at least one recommendation to do so from an independent commission in the 15th Assembly.
Mr. Chair, no one in this room entered politics for the money. Many around this room left higher-paying jobs in the private sector, public sector, or with Indigenous governments to seek elected office in this institution. The compensation system for MLAs needs to be fair, open, and transparent. It also needs to be effective. MLA compensation needs to be adequate to draw talented people away from their private employment yet not so low that only the rich can afford to seek office. I think we have struck a reasonable balance, Mr. Chair. Those are all of my comments.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Thank you, committee. Do you agree that we have concluded consideration of Tabled Document 237-18(3)?
Agreed.
Agreed. Thank you, committee. We have now concluded consideration of this tabled document. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move the chair rise and report progress.
Thank you, committee. There is a motion to rise and report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.
---Carried
I will now rise and report progress.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 237-18(3), Independent Commission to Review Members’ Compensation and Benefits 2018, Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits Report, August 2018, and would like to report progress, with seven motions carried, and that Tabled Document 237-18(3) is concluded. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.
Masi. Do I have a seconder? Member for Yellowknife Centre. The motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion carried.
---Carried
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 50, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2018-2019, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Member requested a recorded vote. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Mackenzie Delta, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Great Slave.
Good catch, Mr. Clerk. All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the recorded vote: 14 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 50 has had its third reading. Third reading of bills. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Bill 51, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2018-2019, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote.
The Member has requested a recorded vote. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Mackenzie Delta, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Hay River North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Great Slave.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the recorded vote: 14 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 51 has had its third reading. Third reading of bills. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Bill 52, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2019-2020, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The Member has requested a recorded vote. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Hay River North.
---Laughter
Oh, he's not here. I'm new at this game.
---Laughter
the Member for Mackenzie Delta, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Yellowknife South.
---Laughter
I'm sorry, Great Slave.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the recorded vote: 14 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 52 has had its third reading. Third reading of bills. Minister of Finance.
