Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Public Utilities Board of the Northwest Territories 2009 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table the Aklavik Community Economics Sustainability Development Plan. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010; Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act; Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Commissioner’s Land Act; Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Summary Conviction Procedures Act; Bill 10, Exemptions Act; Minister’s Statement 47-16(4), Transfer of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy; Committee Report 5-16(4), Report on the Review of the 2008-2009 Human Rights Commission Annual Report, with Mr. Krutko in the chair. By the authority given me as Speaker by Motion 12-16(4), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider the business before the House.
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. We have several items to deal with: Bills 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, Minister’s Statement 47-16(4), Committee Report 5-16(4). What is the wish of committee? Mr. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, today we would like to deal with the bills in numerical order. So Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts... Well, let’s just say Bill 2, 4, 5, 7, 10 and then moving on to Committee Report 5-16(4), Report on the Review of the 2008-2009 Human Rights Commission Annual Report. Thank you.
Does committee agree?
Agreed.
With that, we’ll take a short break and begin with Bill 2.
---SHORT RECESS
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to the break, we agreed to begin with Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the bill if he has any opening comments.
Mr. Chairman, I am here to present Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010. This bill requests authority for the forgiveness of certain debts listed in the schedule of the act.
Pursuant to Section 25 of the Financial Administration Act, the forgiveness of a debt or obligation to the government exceeding $1,000 must receive Legislative Assembly approval.
When a debt is forgiven, no further collection action shall be pursued. The forgiveness of certain debts being proposed in this act will not require a new appropriation. Allowances for doubtful accounts were charged to an appropriation at the time it was determined that collection of the debts was considered unlikely.
The accounts being recommended for forgiveness are the result of bankruptcy, compromise settlements or are in the public interest. In cases where a compromise settlement is reached, the following factors have been considered:
the possibility of future recoveries;
the cost to continue legal action; and
the value of security associated with the debt.
That concludes my opening remarks. I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. At this time I would like to ask the chair of the standing committee which reviewed the bill if he has any comments. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations reviewed Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010, at its meeting on December 9, 2009. The committee would like to thank the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill. Following the committee’s review, a motion was carried to report Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010, to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole. This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 2. Individual Members may have comments or questions as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister if he will be bringing in any witnesses.
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Sergeant-at-Arms, escort the witnesses in.
Mr. Minister, for the record, could you introduce your witness?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me is Mr. Warren St. Germaine, comptroller general, Department of Finance. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Welcome, witness. General comments on the bill?
Detail.
Detail? Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010, clause 1.
Agreed.
We will defer consideration of clause by clause and begin with the schedule of the bill? Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Page 3, schedule, debts forgiveness, total $535,564.96.
Agreed.
Agreed? Now can we turn back to page 1, Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010, clause 1.
---Clauses 1 and 2 inclusive approved
Bill as a whole?
Agreed.
Does committee agree that we’ve concluded consideration of Bill 2?
Agreed.
Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On Thursday, February 11, 2010, the Standing Committee on Government Operations tabled its report 5-16(4)...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m ahead of myself here, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much for recognizing me. Thank you.
I’d like to thank the Minister and the witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses out. Does the committee agree that Bill 2 is now ready for third reading?
---Bill 2 as a whole approved for third reading
Bill 2 is now ready for third reading. The next bill we agreed to deal with is Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act. At this time I’d like to ask the Minister responsible to introduce the bill. Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to introduce Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act. The proposed amendments to the act are technical housekeeping changes required to clarify provisions already established in the act. The amendments include:
ensuring the current confidentiality provisions apply to all persons who have access to child protection files, including casuals, clerical, and those who are not directly involved in child care matters, such as information technology services and custodial staff;
renaming the various ‘plan of care’ terminology, thereby clearly distinguishing each term from the other;
a correction in the child apprehension timeline, thereby restoring the timeline to the originally intended number of days; and
changing the process for obtaining a subpoena as well as an exemption under the ‘duty to report’ requirements for those informed of a child needing protection during the course of a judicial proceeding, thereby eliminating any possible expense, inconvenience and unnecessary work that is required when these incidents do occur.
All other recommendations before you, Mr. Chairman, are of a miscellaneous nature and are proposed in order to update the act.
That concludes my opening comments. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Minister. This time I’d like to ask the chair of the standing committee on the review of the bill if he has any comments. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted a public review of Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, at a meeting held on December 11, 2009. Bill 4 makes amendments to the current Child and Family Services Act, it clarifies the terminology description plan of care agreements, care plans and case plans. Bill 4 also addresses the handling of confidentiality of the child protection information as well as other protocols.
Following a clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report to the Assembly that Bill 4 is now ready for consideration by Committee of the Whole. This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 4. Individual Members may have comments or question as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. At this time I’d like to ask the Minister if she will be bringing in any witnesses.
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses in.
For the record, Ms. Lee, could you introduce your witnesses?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my right is Ms. Lisa Cardinal, director of policy, planning and evaluation of Health and Social Services. To my left is Mr. Mark Aitken, director of legislation division. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Minister. Welcome, witnesses. General comments in regard to Bill 4. Detail?
