Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, colleagues. Again, I’d like to state that it’s not only what’s in the land claim agreements. I know I spoke about IAB lands and treaty rights. I think that these conflicts can exist simply by going ahead without getting a band council motion. People have tried that in the past, and they’ve basically learned the hard way and they’ve ended up in court. I think that’s what we’re trying to avoid here, that we avoid a long, drawn out process, and take the time to consider those other legal binding obligations we have, whether it’s through treaty entitled lands, land claim agreements or even developments adjacent to municipalities that may have...(inaudible)...through resource development or a simple thing like expanding a municipal boundary outwards on different types of land.
That is something we have to be conscious of. We do have to ensure that whatever legislation we put forward, you have the provisions up front so people realize that that is imperative to any legislation we pass in this Legislative Assembly.
With that, I’d like to request a recorded vote, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Krutko, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Ramsay, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Beaulieu, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Yakeleya.
All those opposed. All those abstaining.
Mr. Lafferty; Mr. Roland; Minister McLeod, Deh Cho; Minister McLeod, Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, committee. The results of the recorded vote are: eight in favour, zero opposed, and four abstentions. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Clause 1 as amended.
Agreed.
---Clauses 1 through 7
Mr. Krutko.
Mr. Chair, if it’s acceptable to the House, can we do this in blocks? We’ve got 80-something clauses, so it could save us some time. So if that’s acceptable to the rest of the House, maybe we could consider that.
Agreed.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Committee agree?
Agreed.
I was going to do that anyway. Clauses 8 through 20.
---Clauses 8 through 20 inclusive approved
Clauses 21 through 30.
---Clauses 21 through 30 inclusive approved
Clauses 31 through 40.
---Clauses 31 through 40 inclusive approved
Clauses 41 through 50.
---Clauses 41 through 50 inclusive approved
Clauses 51 through 60.
---Clauses 51 through 60 inclusive approved
Clauses 61 through 70.
---Clauses 61 through 70 inclusive approved
Clauses 71 through 80.
---Clauses 71 through 80 inclusive approved
Clauses 81 through 88.
---Clauses 81 through 88 inclusive approved
Bill as a whole as amended.
Agreed.
Does committee agree that Bill 7 as amended is ready for third reading?
---Bill 7 as a whole as amended approved for third reading
Okay, Bill 7 as amended is now ready for third reading. Thank you, committee.
Okay, I believe it’s going to be the same witnesses, Minister McLeod? No? ...(inaudible)...and escort the witnesses out of the Chamber.
Is it agreed we proceed with Bill 19?
Agreed.
Agreed. The first thing we’ll do is we’ll get the Minister responsible to introduce the bill. Minister McLeod.
Mr. Chairman, I am here to present Bill 19, Cost of Credit Disclosure Act. This act fulfills a commitment made by the Premier of the Northwest Territories, who was a signatory of the Agreement on Internal Trade (1994).
That agreement was signed by Canada`s First Ministers in July 1994, to reduce barriers to the movement of persons, goods, services, and investments within Canada. The objectives of the reforms in the agreement are to harmonize laws and develop simplified, uniform cost of credit disclosure requirements to reduce compliance costs and provide uniform consumer protection across Canada.
Changing patterns of credit use among Canadians resulted in the need to modernize laws governing credit. This act will apply to a wide range of credit arrangements and leases in the Northwest Territories, and will set out specific disclosure requirements for all forms of consumer credit.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to hearing comments from the Members, and answering any questions.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. We’ll now go to the chairman of the standing committee responsible that reviewed the bill to make committee comments. Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on August 16, 2011, to review Bill 19, Cost of Credit Disclosure Act. Following the public hearing and clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 19 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 19. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Would the Minister responsible like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?
Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Is committee agreed?
Agreed.
Sergeant-at-Arms, if I could get you to escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. If I could get you to introduce your witnesses for the record.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. With me today I have Mr. Mike Aumond, deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs; Laura Gareau, director of corporate affairs with MACA; and Kelly McLaughlin, legislative counsel with the Department of Justice. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. General comments on the bill, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of general comments on Bill 19. There is a section, I think it’s 31, that talks about reporting. I had questions at committee about that. I got a response from I believe it was the deputy minister and the Minister that it wouldn’t cause an administrative burden on the various lending agencies that the government has, such as the BDIC, student financial assistance and ITI. Obviously it looks like it’s going to pass. You know, next year or the year after, are the departments, BDIC or ITI coming forward looking for new positions to deal with billing or making statements on a monthly basis?
I just don’t want to see us again creating an administrative burden for ourselves when we don’t really need to. That was my big fear, Mr. Chairman. I just want to put that on the record again. I will be watching closely as things unfold. Hopefully I’m back next time to keep an eye on things, but thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Any more general comments? Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had raised concerns about people who avail themselves of payday loans who are ending up getting charged more than is legally correct for loans, and it was discovered sort of incidentally through associated court cases. This legislation came forward and I am happy to see that it does profile that and address it in the Northwest Territories.
I think especially payday loan-type companies can, through various fees and charges, interest rate applications, end up overcharging people accessing these lendings. Typically, a lot of these people will not have the skills or the inclination to read the fine print and that’s often where these charges are. So it will be critical for clients who use these services to be provided the information in this bill in a plain language form to ensure that they, indeed, understand the law and that consumer protection is achieved. It’s on that basis that I just want to hear the Minister confirm that that communication plan is in place, and that those materials will be provided and readily accessible at all companies providing these sorts of services.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Aumond.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. When this act comes into force and the regulations are drafted by April 1, 2012, we will have communications materials available, not only to help the institutions themselves but also with the purpose for making it easier for the public to understand the transactions they are entering into. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Aumond. General comments. What is the wish of committee? No more general comments?
Detail.
Detail? Does committee agree that we proceed through a clause-by-clause review of Bill 19?
Agreed.
There are a substantial number of clauses. Committee agree that we do the clauses in bulk?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We’ll do that. We’ll start with clauses 1 through 10.
---Clauses 1 through 10 inclusive approved
Clauses 11 through 20.
---Clauses 11 through 20 inclusive approved
Clauses 21 through 30.
---Clauses 21 through 30 inclusive approved
