Debates of October 27, 2006 (day 17)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Legal Services Board, 2005-2006 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 30th, 2006, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that this Assembly strongly recommends the Department of Education, Culture and Employment change the maximum percentage of income that can be charged as rent for social housing from 32 percent to 18 percent for non-market communities and from 32 percent to 25 percent for communities with a rental and private housing market; and further that the NWT Housing Corporation do a better job in explaining their homeownership programs and in adjusting these programs to meet the needs of potential clients; and furthermore that the NWT Housing Corporation examine the issue of rental rates for those units that are old or in poor condition and provide clear direction to the local housing authorities on how to calculate condition discounts in calculating rent; and furthermore that the issue of free rent for seniors living in housing owned by the NWT Housing Corporation be re-examined and addressed in the interest of fairness to all seniors; and furthermore that the Department of Justice recognize that a rental officer based in Yellowknife may not meet the needs of all territorial residents and consider the need for this office to have a regional presence. Thank you.

Good afternoon, committee. I'll call Committee of the Whole to order. We have a number of items to discuss today. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Chair. The Members wish to consider Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Jury Act, and Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. Mahsi, Chair.

Does committee agree?

Agreed.

We shall resume after a short break.

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Good afternoon. I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. At this time I would like to ask the Minister responsible for changes with Bill 16, Mr. Brendan Bell. Does the Minister have opening remarks? Mr. Bell.

I do. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to present Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Jury Act.

This bill makes amendments to the Jury Act to provide the sheriff access to names and addresses of people over the age of 18 from health care plan registration information for the purpose of compiling a list of jurors. These amendments are necessary because provisions of the new Elections and Plebiscites Act no longer permit the sharing of elector lists to compile juror lists.

As Members know, the right to trial by jury is fundamental to our system of justice. The sheriff must have reliable and current data to work with when compiling a list of jurors.

The sheriff's office lacks the human and financial resources necessary to create and update lists of prospective jurors through a door-to-door enumeration. The Government of the Northwest Territories already collects names and addresses of NWT residents through registration for the NWT health care plan. Health and Social Services can provide the sheriff with just the names and addresses of individuals over 18 years of age. All other information, including medical information, would not be provided.

This approach is used elsewhere in Canada. Five other jurisdictions use health care plan registration data to compile jury lists. The proposed amendment upholds this government's commitment to respect and protect the privacy of personal information, while also providing a cost-effective means to generate jury lists.

The Department of Health and Social Services worked with the Department of Justice in the development of this bill and supports the amendment.

I will be pleased to answer questions the Members may have. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Bell. At this time I would like to ask the Minister if he would like to bring in any witnesses.

I would. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Can the Sergeant-at-Arms please escort the witnesses in? Does committee agree?

Agreed.

I'd like to ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to bring the witnesses in, please.

Thank you. Can the Minister introduce the witnesses, please.

Mr. Chairman, thank you. With me today, Colin Gordon, director of court services, also Janis Cooper, legislative counsel. Thank you.

Thank you. General comments. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of aspects of this bill. I speak in support of it. So we're changing, I guess, the resource or the data pool for names of potential jurors from the voters list to the health care plan. Is this bill potentially going to be an improvement in this data, Mr. Chairman? Will the courts have potentially more names and more current names than the voters list provided, Mr. Chairman?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, the voters list is not updated as frequently as this information will be, so we think we'll have more up-to-date, accurate information, so that should improve this, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Bell. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So having access, then, to the health care plan lists, of course there's the aspect of security in there and the protection of people's actual health care records. To what extent, Mr. Chairman, is that information protected from any outside source, of course, including the courts? What are the provisions for security and protection of privacy for those lists, Mr. Chairman?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, it's protected under our privacy legislation. The Department of Health won't be sharing that with us for this purpose. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Bell. Mr. Braden.

So the exact information that will be made available to the courts would be what then, Mr. Chairman?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Minister Bell.

Mr. Chairman, names and addresses of people who are over 18. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Bell. Mr. Braden. Thank you. Next I have Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Under the health care plan, is that list updated…You said it's updated more frequently than the elections one, which is probably every four years or so. I know under the health care plan it's for insured persons under the NWT health care. What about the non-insured health care beneficiaries? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Chairman, it's a good question; I'm not sure. Obviously, as I've indicated, the Department of Health was involved in the development of this with us. They've been consulting with Justice, so how the health care planning information works and how it's categorized is not something I have at my fingertips. But perhaps the Minister of Health might want to provide some information in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Roland

Sorry, Mr. Chairman, I'd have to hear that question again.

Thank you, Minister Roland. I think the question was in regard to the non-insured health benefits. Just for Mr. Roland, I'll go back to Mr. Villeneuve. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know under the current list that's been introduced, it's for the persons under the health care plan that are insured. I'm just wondering what about the people under the non-insured health care benefits plan. Are they included in this list when it's submitted or when it's requested? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, all people who receive health care services in the Northwest Territories fall under the registries portion. So individuals who receive non-insured health benefits, it's a part of the program we deliver for aboriginal peoples but they still are registered under our health care system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you. I'll save the next question for when we get into the detail, because we have in quotes here "insured persons" under the Medical Care Act. So all the insured persons under the Medical Care Act include the non-insured beneficiaries? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the way our program works is all individuals are required to register for health care services in the Northwest Territories. Those who receive non-insured health benefits receive over and above what other residents do receive. It's a staged program. So all people would be registered in the Northwest Territories and would end up falling under this category. I can get further detail to the Member if that's required. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Villeneuve.

That's fine. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

General comments. Detail. Does committee agree?

Agreed.

Okay. Clause by clause. Does committee agree?

Agreed.