Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 19, 2008, I will move the following motion.
I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on June 19, 2008, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, October 1, 2008, and further, that any time prior to October 1, 2008, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as if it has been duly adjourned to that time.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Legal Profession Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill includes a number of amendments to update the discipline process in the Legal Profession Act, including amendments that would:
require that at least one layperson serve on the Law Society’s Discipline Committee and on any committee of inquiry set up to hear a discipline matter;
provide that certain complaints may be referred to mediation;
empower the chairperson of the discipline committee to designate a member of the committee to conduct an investigation into the conduct of a lawyer or student-at-law;
clarify the powers of a sole inquirer and committee of inquiry;
allow a sole inquirer or committee of inquiry to impose conditions on the practice of a lawyer or student-at-law, in addition to other remedies;
allow for the suspension or termination of the right of a lawyer or student-at-law to practise law if his or her membership is suspended or terminated in another jurisdiction; and
provide for the automatic suspension of the right of a lawyer or student-at-law to practise law if he or she is serving a term of imprisonment or is on parole.
The bill also includes an amendment granting the Executive of the Law Society the authority to set out the circumstances under which a student-at-law may appear before various levels of court; an amendment to provide more protection of privileged information used in a disciplinary procedure; and various amendments to simplify terminology and improve organization.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Bill 13 has had second reading.
Motion carried; Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Legal Profession Act, read a second time and referred to a standing committee.
The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 14, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill amends provisions in the Income Tax Act to make them consistent with parallel provisions of the Income Tax Act of Canada that relate to charitable donation and medical expense tax credits, to returns assessments, to withholding and payment and to tax avoidance.
Bill 14 has had second reading.
Motion carried; Bill 14, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, read a second time and referred to a standing committee.
The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers’ Compensation Board, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Workers’ Compensation Act to permit the Minister to appoint the chairperson of the governance council to a term not exceeding three years, and to reappoint that person so long as the reappointment does not result in a period of consecutive service exceeding six years. The length of service that the appointee previously had as a director of the governance council does not limit the term of his or her appointment as chairperson.
Bill 15 has had second reading.
Motion carried; Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, read a second time and referred to a standing committee.
The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 16, Write-off of Debts Act, 2008–2009, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the write-off of debts in accordance with the Financial Administration Act.
Bill 16 has had second reading.
Motion carried; Bill 16, Write-Off of Debts Act, 2008–2009, read a second time and referred to a standing committee.
The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 17, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2008–2009, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the forgiveness of debt in accordance with the Financial Administration Act.
Bill 17 has had second reading.
Motion carried; Bill 17, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2008–2009, read a second time and referred to a standing committee.
The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to Item 5 on our agenda, which is recognition of visitors in the gallery.
The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.
Unanimous consent granted.
The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I’d just like to recognize my two boys, Matthew and Mitchell, in the House today.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 5, Bill 6, Bill 8, Bill 12; Committee Reports 2-16(2), 3-16(2); Tabled Document 37-16(2); Minister’s Statement 62-16(2).
By the authority given me as Speaker by Motion 1016(2), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the hour of daily adjournment to consider business before the House, with Mr. Krutko in the chair.
I’d like to call the Committee of the Whole to order. We have several items to deal with: Bill 5, Bill 6, Bill 8, Bill 12; Committee Report 2-16(2), Committee Report 316(2); Tabled Document 37-16(2); Minister’s Statement 62-16(2).
What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to consider Tabled Document 37-16(2), the Main Estimates ’08–09, Volumes 1 and 2. Then we would like to go to Bill 8, the Appropriation Act, 2008–2009, then to the committee report on official languages, and then the rest, in order, as time permits today.
Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
With that, we’ll take a short break.
The Committee of the Whole took a short recess.
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order.
Prior to the break we agreed to continue. First, we’ll deal with Tabled Document 37-16(2), Main Estimates 2008–2009. The next item we’ll deal with is Bill 8, Appropriation Act, 2008–2009. The third item is Committee Report 3-16(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2006–2007 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner.
At this time I’d like to ask Mr. Roland if he will be bringing in witnesses.
No, I will not need witnesses at this point.
With that, Mr. Premier, I understand that you wish to make a statement at this time.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Over the past few weeks a number of motions have been passed during Committee of the Whole review of the 2008–2009 Main Estimates. In response to these motions and after discussions with the Members of this House, I would like to state that the government is prepared to make the following adjustments.
With respect to the Department of Justice:
the closure and of the Arctic Tern Young Offenders Facility in Inuvik will be deferred;
a reduced staff model will be implemented, incorporating 14.5 positions, plus relief workers when required;
$613,000 will be added to the budget;
$91,000 and four positions will be added to the budget for court worker positions in Tuktoyaktuk, Fort McPherson, Yellowknife and Fort Smith;
$161,000 and one position will be added back to the budget for the legal counsel position in Yellowknife to support devolution negotiations;
$742,000 and eight positions will be added back to the budget for court officer positions — two in Hay River, two in Inuvik and four in Yellowknife; and
$250,000 will be added to the capital expenditures budget to complete a program and facility review of women’s correctional programming prior to further decisions on the Arctic Tern Young Offenders Facility in Inuvik.
With respect to the NWT Housing Corporation:
a commitment has already been provided to reallocate $1.292 million from the Infrastructure Acquisition Plan to the Homeownership Repair Program to bring expenditures up to the 2007–2008 levels.
With respect to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment:
$100,000 will be added to the budget for contribution funding to the Diavik Community Advisory Board.
With respect to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources:
$108,000 will be reallocated from within the Wildlife activity for the two part-time renewable resource officer positions in Paulatuk and Sachs Harbour;
the Bear Fence program — one position will be added to the budget; and
the proposed move of staff to the Shell Lake facility will proceed, but the department will ensure that a storefront operation is maintained in Inuvik to ensure that residents have access to services; there are no changes to funding or positions associated with this issue.
With respect to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs:
$250,000 from the Community Initiatives Program will be re-profiled to retain the youth programs officer position in the Deh Cho region and a similar position in the North to work with the Sport and Recreation Council on youth-related activities;
$150,000 from the Community Initiatives Program will be re-profiled to retain youth contribution funding; and
$50,000 will be reallocated from existing resources for a volunteer forum.
With respect to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment:
$200,000 will be added to the budget to increase the income threshold to the Senior Home Heating Subsidy Program by $10,000.
Also, Mr. Chairman, the Oral Health Surgery Program that was discussed by the Minister of Health and Social Services will be re-established at the Hay River Health Authority to deal with the backlog of youth dental surgery.
Mr. Chairman, I propose to follow through with these commitments in the Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, which will be introduced into this House within the next day or two. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. With that, can I get your attention to consider those departments that have been previously deferred. Should we proceed?
Agreed.
The first department that we’ll list is the Department of Justice, on page 7-7, Volume 1 of the Main Estimates: Operations Expenditure Summary, Department Summary, Amended Table: $90.873 million.
Department of Justice, Department Summary, Operations Expenditure Summary, Amended Table: $90.873 million, approved.
Does the committee agree that the operations expenditure for Justice is now concluded?
Agreed.
So we can move to page 6-11, Volume 2 of the Main Estimates, Infrastructure, Investment Expenditure. This is the Department Summary, Department of Justice, page 6-11, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Services to the Public, Total Department: $1.307 million.
Department of Justice, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Services to the Public, Total Department: $1.307 million, approved.
Department of Justice, Total Department As Amended: $1.307 million.
Department of Justice, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Services to the Public, Total Department As Amended: $1.307 million, approved.
Does the committee agree that consideration of the Department of Justice estimates is concluded?
