Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For myself, I’m happy to see this coming forward. I’ve been a Ranger for 21 years now and I’m a proud Ranger. The program is an awesome program, because we work together with the local community and the RCMP when called upon for search and rescue and anything that’s needed in the community. It’s not only for the Rangers, but for all the reservists I think it’s a good thing, because at least you know you’re going to come home and have a job at the end of the day. It’s not being held over your head now. It’s either you do and you go, or you’re not. It’s a support system that’s going to be good. We’re supporting our Rangers and Joint Task Force North in supporting all of the reservists across the North. For myself, there are a lot of good role models that come out of that.
I compliment Glen. I know you didn’t get the chance to go to the communities, but the uptake of this is going to be good. I thank you for bringing it forward for all Rangers and all reservists in the Northwest Territories. I’m in full support of this. Thank you for your time.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Committee, we’re on general comments. Before I go to Mr. Abernethy, any further general comments? Seeing none, I will go to Mr. Abernethy to respond.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank the Members for their comments and support. With respect to Mr. Krutko’s comments, when we did take the bill out, I did go to the military and to the reserve units, and some of those individuals that we had talked to had a significant amount of experience with Rangers throughout the Northwest Territories. We also did go to the NWT Chamber of Commerce to get their perspective from a territorial perspective.
The Member is right, though; it would have been beneficial to go to some of the local governments to get their input, and in the future I would encourage anyone doing a private member’s bill to do such. But I do feel that we do have the territorial perspective on this bill and people from around the Territories were involved. It was also opened through the committee process to go out for review, and everybody had an opportunity to submit their input and feedback, and people did.
So that’s all I have on that. Thank you to committee for considering this bill.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. If there are no further general comments, does committee agree to go clause by clause?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We’ll go clause by clause, Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act. We’ll start on page 1, clause 1.
---Clauses 1 through 8 inclusive approved
Bill as a whole.
---Agreed
Does committee agree that Bill 21 is ready for third reading?
---Bill 21 as a whole approved for third reading
Thank you, committee. Bill 21, a private member’s public bill, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act, is now ready for third reading. I’d like to thank Mr. Abernethy for bringing this forward, and your witness. Please escort the witnesses from the House, Sergeant-at-Arms.
And the wish of the committee, Mrs. Groenewegen?
Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.
---Carried
May I have the report of Committee of the Whole, please, Mr. Bromley.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 20, Vital Statistics Act, and Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act, and would like to report progress, and that Bills 20 and 21 are ready for third reading. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The motion is on the floor. Do we have a seconder? The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
---Carried
Item 22, third reading of bills.
Colleagues, before we conclude with orders of the day, it is my duty to advise the House that I have received the following message from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. It reads:
Dear Mr. Speaker,
I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, the passage of:
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2011-2012;
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures) No. 2, 2011-2012
during the Sixth Session of the 16th Legislative Assembly.
Yours truly, George Tuccaro, Commissioner.
Orders of the day for Thursday, August 18, 2011, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Bill 20, Vital Statistics Act
Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Madam Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Thursday, August 18, 2011, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 4:21 p.m.
