Merci, Monsieur le President. For the second year running, Hay River residents have been driven from their homes and jobs by mandatory natural disaster evacuation orders. A recent letter from the Union of Northern Workers sent to all Members details these hardships and points out that many workers can't work remotely or don't have access to emergency leave. Workers are burning up their vacation leave to keep receiving a paycheque and likely don't have any sick leave credits coming out of COVID. Once evacuated, people face extraordinary costs of buying meals, gas, and travel expenses, and even hotel costs. The UNW's calling for the GNWT to establish an evacuation relief fund to cover lost wages, including lost banked leave, transportation, accommodations, food, and other necessities. Payments would be a dollar amount per adult and child.
This government has announced wage replacement support for individuals evacuated more than seven days of $750, and that's a good start. And some community funding as well to help cover the costs of hosting evacuees. But the $750 support is not nearly enough, and community government support doesn't put money in evacuees' pockets. The fact that appeals for support are being made also reflects the deficiency of our Employment Standards Act when it comes to paid emergency and paid sick leave.
Make no mistake, climate change has made these needs business as usual or what should be part of a reasonable response to the climate emergency. Consultations to improve the Employment Standards Act are now underway, and these issues need to be addressed in updating that legislation. Improved worker protection should include discussion and contributions from employees and employers in both the public and in a private sectors as mandated under the Employment Standards Act. These protections will become all the more necessary as the climate emergency progresses.
The Yukon has enacted legislation providing up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year at no cost to the employer. Ontario has introduced declared emergency leave providing support to those prohibited from working by public orders. But this is new ground, and we need to take the opportunity of opening up our employment law to address these needs. I'll have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment responsible for the Employment Standards Act later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
