David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to see the Minister ask the department that question specifically, because I’d hate to see other employees have to go through the same thing that these two constituents of mine had to recently go through. I wanted to ask the Minister as well, is it common practice for pay and benefit officers to go to meetings with predated and pre-signed forms for employees to fill out? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, committee. Thank you, Minister Roland. For the record, could you please introduce your witnesses?

Thank you, gentlemen. We will go now to clause by clause. Bill 6, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2005, Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations Certification Act, clause 1.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In both cases that I have outlined for the Minister earlier today, there is also the issue of severance. Both are being grieved right now. I would like to ask the Minister if he can address that issue as well, because on the forms that FMBS is filling out for people, they are putting in "resignation," not "retirement." They are only giving these employees 13 weeks' severance, not the 30 that they are entitled to. I would like to ask the Minister if he can address those two issues as well. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I would now like to ask Minister Roland if he has witnesses that he would like to introduce.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Minister Bell.

Clause 5.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from what I’ve heard from constituents of mine and from others is that it’s an actual disaster, the human resource service centre today, and people are having a heck of a time trying to get any service. I want to ask the Minister why it should take my constituent 13 attempts to contact FMBS to set up a simple meeting to go over their paperwork so they can retire with the dignity that they deserve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Bill 6 is now ready for third reading. Thank you, committee. As agreed, we will proceed now to Bill 10. That is An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. I will go to Minister Roland for opening comments. Minister Roland.