Thank you for that comment, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Lafferty, would you care to respond?
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Yes, I did commit to the standing committee that I will be working with Mr. McLeod, Municipal and Community Affairs Minister, on this consumer protection, whether it be updates or upgrades to the specific policy. Mahsi.
Committee, further comments, general comments?
Detail.
Hearing none, does committee agree we go into detail?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We’ll go to page 4 and we’ll go clause by clause. Do you agree?
Agreed.
Clause 1.
---Clauses 1 through 22 inclusive approved
Thank you, committee. Committee, going back to the bill as a whole, the Electronic Transactions Act. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Does committee agree that Bill 3, Electronic Transactions Act, is ready for third reading?
---Bill 3 as a whole approved for third reading
Thank you, committee. I’d like to thank the witnesses and ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort them from the Chamber.
Next on our list here, committee, is Bill 4, the Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011. I’d like to call on Minister Lafferty. Would you have opening comments?
Yes, Mr. Chair.
Please go ahead.
Mr. Chair, the purpose of Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011, 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; and
it must not create a new offence or subject a new class of persons to an existing offence.
The departments responsible for the various statutes being amended have reviewed and approved the changes.
Most amendments proposed in Bill 4 are minor in nature and may 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.
Mr. Chair, I will be pleased to answer the committee’s questions on Bill 4.
Thank you, Minister Lafferty. I’d like to give the chairman of the Standing Committee on Social Programs the opportunity to also give comments on the bill. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 4, the Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011, on May 12, 2011. The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill.
The bill corrects small inconsistencies and errors in various laws in the Northwest Territories. All of the changes proposed are minor in nature and non-controversial.
Following the committee’s review, a motion was carried to report Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011, to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
This concludes committee’s opening comments on Bill 4. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. I’d like to ask the Minister if he wishes to bring in witnesses. Mr. Lafferty.
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. I’d like to call on the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
If I could ask Minister Lafferty to please introduce your witness.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I have Mark Aitken with me, the director of the legislation division within Justice.
Thank you, Minister. Committee, we’re open for general comments on Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011. General comments? Hearing none, does committee agree we go to clause-by-clause? Agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We’ll begin on page 1 of the bill with clause 1.
---Clauses 1 through 27 inclusive approved
Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that this completes Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011? Bill as a whole?
Agreed.
Does the committee agree that Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011, is ready for third reading?
---Bill 4 as a whole approved for third reading
Thank you, committee. Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011, is now ready for third reading. I would like to thank the witness and ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witness from the Chamber.
Moving on, committee, next on the agenda is Bill 5, Write-off of Debts Act, 2010-2011. I’d like to ask the Minister if he has opening remarks. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I am here to present Bill 5, Write-off of Debts Act, 2010-2011.
Bill 5, Write-off of Debts Act, 2010-2011, authorizes the write-off of the debts listed in the schedule to the act.
Pursuant to Section 24(3) of the Financial Administration Act, Legislative Assembly approval is required for the write-off of government assets or debts exceeding $20,000.
Pursuant to Section 82(2) of the Financial Administration Act, Legislative Assembly approval is required for the write-off of debts owed to a public agency exceeding $20,000.
I wish to emphasize that the write-off of a debt does not relieve a debtor of the liability for repayment. The government will continue to attempt to collect the outstanding amount.
Through continued reviews by staff, future recovery of the debt may still be achieved. In addition, in the case of debts owed by companies, staff will track the principals of each firm for future credit reference.
That concludes my opening remarks. I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have.
Thank you, Minister. I’d like to call now on the chair of the standing committee, if he has comments. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations met on May 9, 2011, to review Bill 5, Write-off of Debts Act, 2010-2011.
Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 5 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.
This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 5. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. I’d like to ask the Minister if he wishes to bring in witnesses.
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Minister. I’d like to ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Minister Miltenberger, if you could please introduce your witness.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Warren St. Germaine, the comptroller general for the Department of Finance. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Committee, we have before us Bill 5, Write-off of Debts Act, 2010-11. Comments, general comments. I’m hearing none. Does committee agree we go to detail?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee, and before we go to the detail, clause by clause, I’d like to first consider the schedule to the bill. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Schedule, debts written off, total, $771,983.85 on page 3. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Returning to page 1, on clause by clause, clause 1, clause 2.
---Clauses 1 and 2 inclusive approved
Thank you, committee. The bill as a whole?
Agreed.
Does committee agree that Bill 5, Write-off of Debts Act, 2010-11, is ready for third reading?
---Bill 5 as a whole approved for third reading
Thank you, committee. Bill 5, Write-off of Debts Act, 2010-2011 is now ready for third reading. Thank you, Minister and your witness, and I ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort your witness from the Chamber, or did you wish to have him stay for the next bill? In which case, I will call on the Minister to introduce Bill 6, the Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011.
Mr. Chairman, I am here to present Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011.
Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011, authorizes 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. Chairman.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. I’d like to call next on the chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations, Mr. Hawkins, for comments based on the bill. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Your hardworking Standing Committee on Government Operations met on May 9, 2011, to review Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011. Following a clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 6 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.
This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 6. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
