Committee has agreed we will go into details?
Agreed.
We will go to page 1. We will go back to the number and title. We have 16 clauses. Does committee agree we will take them in groups of four?
Agreed.
Clauses 1 to 4.
---Clauses 1 through 4 inclusive approved
Clauses 5 to 8.
---Clauses 5 through 8 inclusive approved
Clauses 9 to 12.
---Clauses 9 through 12 inclusive approved
Clauses 13 to 16.
---Clauses 13 through 16 inclusive approved
Bill as a whole?
Agreed.
Does committee agree that Bill 27, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2014, is ready for third reading?
---Bill 27 as a whole approved for third reading
Bill 27 is now ready for third reading. Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witness out of the Chamber.
Thank you, committee. We will turn our attention to Bill 34, 2015 Polling Day Act. I will go to the chair of Caucus, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to provide the opening comments on Bill 34, 2015 Polling Day Act.
Mr. Chair, the general election for the 18th Legislative Assembly is currently scheduled to take place on Monday, October 5, 2015. Prior to the passage of fixed election date legislation in the Northwest Territories, the timing of our elections was a moving target. Subsequently, the Parliament of Canada adopted similar legislation establishing the third Monday in October every four years as the date fixed for federal elections. This has resulted in an overlap in the campaign period for the upcoming federal elections and those scheduled to take place in several provinces and territories, including our own. If the NWT and federal elections are held on the dates planned, there will be a 21-day overlap in the campaign period for each jurisdiction. In a small jurisdiction like ours, it is often the same people who administer federal and territorial elections in our communities and volunteer for various campaign organizations. Concerns have also been raised about message confusion and the potential mixing of partisan debate with our consensus system of government if the two campaigns take place concurrently. It is for these reasons that the NWT, like some of the other provinces in similar circumstances, supports a rescheduling of our election date in 2015 to avoid this overlap.
Mr. Chair, Bill 34 establishes April 1, 2015, as a go/no-go date for our 2015 General Election. If on that day the federal election remains scheduled for October 19, 2015, this bill will automatically delay the NWT election until November 23, 2015. The campaign period for a November 23rd territorial election will commence on October 30, 2015, a full 11 days after the federal election. If the timing of the federal election changes prior to April 1, 2015, so as to avoid an overlap in campaign periods, the date of the 2015 NWT General Election will remain October 5th.
Finally, Bill 34 will only take effect if the Parliament of Canada passes legislation permitting the life of the current Assembly to extend beyond its current four-year mandate. Section 224 of Bill C-43 recently introduced in the House of Commons intended to do just this. Although Bill C-34 permits the life of the current Assembly to be extended by up to one year, the proposal before you today contemplates a delay in our general election of only just over six weeks. Bill 34 deals only with the timing of the 2015 General Election. Additional legislation may be required to avoid similar overlaps in future years.
This concludes my opening comments. I will be pleased to answer any questions from the committee.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Do you have witnesses to bring into the Chamber?
Yes, I do.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort in the witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left is Ken Chutskoff, legislative counsel; and on my right is Mr. Tim Mercer, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Committee, we’ll go to general comments on Bill 34, 2015 Polling Day Act. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a comment. I don’t have any questions on this. I think we’ve come a long way and it’s been an interesting discussion. I think we’ve come to the right conclusions on this. Of course, we could change legislation at the federal and territorial level to extend our mandate up to a year, but I think we’ve listened to the public who expressed some concern about that.
This is an extension, but it’s a modest extension and, I think, theoretically at this time, depending on when the federal election is actually finally decided to be, I think this is a very reasonable stance to take and I support our conclusions here and this legislation. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. I see that as more of a comment. General comments. Does committee agree that we go to detail?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will defer the bill number and the title. Clause 1.
---Clauses 1 through 3 inclusive approved
To the bill as a whole.
Agreed.
Thank you. Does committee agree that Bill 34, 2015 Polling Day Act, is ready for third reading?
---Bill 34 as a whole approved for third reading
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Thank you, witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses out of the Chamber.
What is the wish of the committee? Ms. Bisaro.
Mr. Chair, I move that we report progress.
---Carried
Good evening. I will call the House back to order. Can I have the report of Committee of the Whole, Mr. Bouchard?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act; Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act; Bill 27, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2014; and Bill 34, 2015 Polling Day Act, and I would like to report progress with one motion being adopted and that Bills 25, 27 and 34 are ready for third reading and that Bill 30 is ready for third reading as amended. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Do I have a seconder to the motion? Ms. Bisaro.
---Carried
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 35, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2014-2015, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. Bill 35, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2014-2015, has had third reading.
---Carried
Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 39, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2014-2015, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. Bill 39, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2014-2015, has had third reading.
---Carried
Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 40, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2015-2016, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. Bill 40, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2015-2016, has had third reading.
---Carried
