Debates of August 15, 2007 (day 10)

Page 30, clause 48.

Agreed.

Clause 49.

Agreed.

Page 31, clause 50.

Agreed.

Page 37, clause 51.

Agreed.

Transitional, clause 52.

Agreed.

Consequential amendments, clause 53.

Agreed.

Page 38, clause 54.

Agreed.

Clause 55.

Agreed.

Repeal, clause 56.

Agreed.

Clause 57.

Agreed.

Commencement, clause 58.

Agreed.

Thank you very much, committee. Does committee agree to Bill 12 as a whole?

Agreed.

Does the committee agree that Bill 12 is ready for third reading?

Agreed.

Thank you. Bill 12 is now ready for third reading. I would like to thank you, committee, Mr. Minister and your officials who are here with us. Mahsi.

Thank you, committee. We will just give the officials a few minutes to clear out and we will proceed with Bill 11.

Thank you, committee. I would like to now ask the Minister responsible for Bill 11 if he would now like to introduce Bill 11, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2007. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Chairman, the purpose of Bill 11, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2007, is to amend various statutes of the Northwest Territories for which minor changes are proposed or errors or inconsistencies have been identified. Each amendment included in the bill had to meet the following criteria:

It must not be controversial;

It must not involve the spending of public funds;

It must not prejudicially affect rights;

It must not create a new offence or subject a new class of persons to an existing office.

Departments responsible for the various statutes being amended have reviewed and approved the changes.

Most amendments proposed in Bill 11 are minor in nature and many consist of technical corrections to a statute. Other changes have the effect of repealing certain enactments or statutory provisions that have expired or have otherwise ceased to have effect. The amendments are of such a nature that the preparation and legislative consideration of individual bills to correct each statute would be time consuming for the Government and the Legislative Assembly.

I will be pleased to answer the committee’s questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Bell. I would like to now ask the standing committee which reviewed Bill 11 to make committee’s comments on the bill. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight met on June 6, 2007, to review Bill 11, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act. This act makes minor amendments to a number of statutes. Following a clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 11 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 11. Individual committee members may have questions or comments as we proceed. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Lafferty. I would now like to ask the Minister responsible, Mr. Bell, if he would like to bring in witnesses.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Minister Bell. We will now escort the witnesses in. Thank you.

Sorry, does committee agree to bring in the witnesses?

Agreed.

Thank you. Minister Bell, if you could, would you please introduce your witness for the record?

Mr. Chairman, with me today is Mark Aitken, director of legislation division. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell, and welcome, Mr. Aitken, to the proceedings this afternoon. We will now open the floor to general comments by Members.

No!

Clause by clause?

Agreed.

Thank you, committee. Bill 11, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2007. We will start on page 1. Bill 11, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2007, Aurora College Act, clause 1.

Agreed.

Charter Communities Act, clause 2.

Agreed.

Flood Damage Reductions Agreement Act, clause 3.

Agreed.

Justices of the Peace Act, clause 4.

Agreed.

Local Authorities Elections Act, clause 5.

Agreed.