Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the concern around a strike action is that, if the mediation process on the weekend does not go well, it will be a strike come Monday. We have an opportunity to stop that from happening by agreeing to binding arbitration before they get to the table. Is the Minister willing to consider that to prevent any potential for a strike, to cut it off from happening at all? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Finance.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I responded to the Member for Yellowknife Centre before, we are going into mediation this weekend, and we are going there with an attitude that we would like to see an agreement reached that benefits both the UNW, GNWT, and the people who we have been elected to serve from across the Northwest Territories. So I am not going to commit to anything until we get past this process of mediation, and I would like to see an agreement reached through that process.
I appreciate the Minister's optimism. I have been optimistic for three years, and now we are at a really very dangerous situation for bringing additional division into our communities. Mr. Speaker, I asked about information the government is providing. The Minister spoke of an email he sent out earlier in question period, and he said that he'd read the email and it did not seem to inflame tempers. I have the text of the email, and it says "unionized employees who are considering coming to work during job action are encouraged to discuss their choice with their union representative," and then further, "If you would like to come to work during job action, you must contact your immediate non-unionized supervisor." Mr. Speaker, "encouragement" is different than contacting "your non-unionized supervisor." Is the Minister sure that he has read this email and that the message sent to employees is clear?
The Member said in his Member's statement before and he apologized for missing the boat for the last three years, and now he is telling us he has been optimistic for the last three years. Which one is it? I did read the email correctly. It is encouraging them to speak to their union representative, and, once they speak to their union representative, then they can speak to their supervisor if they think they would like to come to work. Mr. Speaker, it's quite simple there, in the text, and I am sure most people out there understand it.
What I meant in my Member's statement is that I should have been asking these questions three years earlier because the Minister has not led this process to a successful resolution. The Minister has led this process to a potential strike. So what is he doing, what actions, how is he approaching this differently, to result in a fair deal for northern workers?
What I am doing is I am leaving it to those whom we have tasked to negotiate on our behalf and those who are tasked to negotiate on the union's behalf, with the understanding that I would like to see them come to a resolution through mediation this weekend, and, failing that, then we will take the next steps then.
Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister believe that, at this point, new direction is required, either a new strategy, either a new leader for that team? It just seems like things are at an impasse, and I am fearful to gamble on optimism at this point.
Much like the Member for Hay River North, I am optimistic. I have been optimistic in the 14 years that I have been in here, and I would like to see them come to an agreement this weekend that is beneficial to all. Failing that, again, we will have to decide on the next step. There is some back and forth that needs to be had yet, so let's let the people who we have tasked do that, and then, failing that, let's go political with it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
