Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. It has been a bit of an issue for me over my time here to try to advance the issue of minimum wage. So my questions to the Minister are in regard to the latest action, I guess, on the part of the government on minimum wage.
In the spring, in March and May, we had some talk about minimum wage and how to have a considered and constant increase to minimum wage. The Minister talked about establishing a minimum wage committee. My understanding is that that was done in the spring. So I’d like to first off ask the Minister if that committee was established, and if the committee was established, did it meet? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We did appoint those members to the committee: the Federation of Labour, the NWT Chamber of Commerce, a business owner, two members of non-profit organizations and two GNWT employees. The committee has held a meeting in October 2013 and will make recommendations to me for spring 2014. So these members are currently established, they’ve met and they are going to make recommendations to me to move forward. I will keep Members informed about the progress. Mahsi.
Thanks to the Minister for that update. The committee was supposed to meet in October. It’s gratifying to hear that they did meet at the time they were actually supposed to. It doesn’t happen all that often.
I’d like to know from the Minister, they met in October and they are going to bring results forward to the Minister in the new year, so when is the committee supposed to meet next. How often will they meet and consider minimum wage? Thank you.
The committee just met just recently. I believe the meetings required are on an as-needed basis between the parties, their availability and when the best time to meet will be. They will be providing recommendations to myself for the spring of 2014. I will be moving forward on it and working with the Members. I believe it will be on an as-needed basis when meetings are required. Mahsi.
Thanks to the Minister. I’m glad to hear the Minister say he’s going to work with the Members, so I look forward to see the results of this committee and what they’re proposing. My question about timing is a little more long term. I realize they may or may not meet while they prepare the results of this meeting held just last month.
Can the Minister tell me what the intention is of the department for his committee on an ongoing basis? Will they meet twice a year, will they meet four times a year, will they meet every two years, et cetera?
The timelines will be established by the said committee. My department will be working with the committee to establish those timelines. If it’s going to be once or twice a year or on a quarterly basis, we will soon find out. They just met this past October, this past month. I will keep Members apprised as we move forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding was when this committee was established that the periods when they would meet, the frequency of their meetings was established in the terms of reference for that committee. Can the Minister advise me whether that is so? Thank you.
The terms of reference has been highlighted and it does highlight a number of meetings, so it would capture when those committee members will be meeting, so I will be sharing that with the Members. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
