Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 23/98) - A little protest with your dinner perhaps?

That's what Yellowknife Liberals found they were in for upon arriving at a fund-raiser in the city Friday night. Held to mark the visit to the city by federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan, members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) used the event to protest government policies instead.

Complete with chants of "Liberal liars" and a member wearing a mask depicting Prime Minister Jean Chretien, the local PSAC chapter decided to let Liberals know they are angry with Ottawa's decision to appeal a pay equity ruling by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

The tribunal ruled in July Ottawa should pay out between $3 and $4 billion in back pay owed federal government workers.

Members also confronted Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew as she arrived.

"We asked her if she'd present a petition in the House of Commons," said Debbie McLaughlin, the regional PSAC representative. "Then I asked if a majority of the Liberal caucus support pay equity. She said yes. Then I asked if a majority of the cabinet supported pay equity and she said yes... She said we (Ottawa) have trouble with the methodology (involved in calculating the back pay)."

For her part, Blondin-Andrew, who told the protesters they were all NDP "anyway," said she and her colleagues do support the goal of equal pay for work of equal value.

"It really is a misstatement of fact to say we didn't agree with pay equity," she said. "We do. (If we didn't) we wouldn't have an offer on the table."

McLellan made similar comments when questioned by reporters as she waded through the crowd.

"What is important for me is to do the responsible thing," she said.

Ottawa has offered to pay the workers but not the full amount calculated by the tribunal.

Protester Jocelyne Johnson, a federal government clerical worker in Yellowknife affected by the ruling, said she didn't appreciate her MP's partisan comments about the NDP.

"I've been a Liberal since I was 21 -- my first vote was for (Pierre) Trudeau," she said. "I haven't been disappointed (in the Liberals) until Jean Chretien. I don't think he's stood up for the little people and women."

Blondin-Andrew said there were at least two former NDP candidates in the PSAC crowd.