Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? The motion is carried.
Carried
Member from Monfwi.
Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to Committee Report 220(1), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act, within 120 days. Thank you, Madam Chair.
The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? The motion is carried.
Carried
Thank you, committee. Do you agree that you have concluded consideration of Committee Report 220(1), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We have concluded consideration of Committee Report 220(1), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act.
Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 2, Missing Persons Act. I will ask the Minister of Justice to introduce the bill.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here to present Bill 2, Missing Persons Act.
Bill 2 proposes new legislation that will provide additional tools to assist police in investigating reports of missing persons.
The Government of the Northwest Territories committed to developing this legislation in response to Call for Justice 5.8 from the National Inquiry of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
In missing persons cases where there is no evidence of criminal activity, investigations can be slowed or completely halted. Missing persons laws in other jurisdictions across Canada allow police to seek court orders to access records and to enter premises to search for missing persons as well as to make emergency demands for information.
Bill 2 operates similarly and would allow police to move more quickly in their investigations while at the same time providing for oversight and accountability to protect individual privacy when police are utilizing the powers provided for in this legislation.
During the public clausebyclause review of Bill 2, the Standing Committee on Social Development brought forward three motions to amend the bill informed by their engagement with the RCMP and other stakeholders. These changes were focused on providing greater clarity that the RCMP not be inhibited when utilizing the legislation. The department concurred with these changes, and I would like to thank committee for their review. This concludes my opening remarks. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister, would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?
Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Minister, please introduce your witnesses.
With me today, I have Brad Patzer, assistant deputy minister with the Department of Justice. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll now turn to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development and the committee that reviewed the bill for any opening comments on Bill 2. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Bill 2, Missing Persons Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on February 26, 2024, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review.
Throughout the committee's review, the committee met with the Minister of Justice, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and over 55 members of the public in three public hearings held in Aklavik, Inuvik, and Yellowknife. The committee also received five written submissions on the bill.
On May 28, 2024, the standing committee held its clausebyclause review of the bill with the Minister of Justice. The committee amended three clauses in the bill with the Minister's concurrence.
I thank the committee for their efforts in reviewing this legislation. I would also like to graciously thank the courageous family members of missing people who also spoke to the committee to inform the committee's review of this bill. Individual Members may have additional comments. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 2.
Does committee agree that there are no further comments?
Agreed.
Can we proceed to a clausebyclause review of the bill?
Agreed.
Committee, we will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses. Please turn to page 1 of the bill. I will call the clauses in groups.
Clause 1 to 5, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clauses 6 to 10, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clauses 11 to 15, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Clauses 16 to 21, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Committee, we will now return to the bill number and title, Bill 2, Missing Persons Act. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
To the bill as a whole, does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Does the committee agree that Bill 2, Missing Persons Act, is now ready for third reading?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Does the committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 2, Missing Persons Act?
Agreed.
Thank you, Minister, and thank you to your witnesses. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 9320(1), 20242025 Main Estimates. We will now consider the Department of Infrastructure.
Does the Minister of Infrastructure wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Yes, please, Madam Chair.
Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, on my left is deputy minister Steve Loutitt. On my right is Amy Burt, who has a very important title I'm sorry, I've forgotten it director of corporate services. Every time.
Order. Does the committee agree to forego general comments on the Department of Infrastructure?
Agreed.
Seeing no more general comments, does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary beginning with asset management starting on page 263, with information items on page 266. Are there any questions? Page numbers are page 263 with information items on page 266.
Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to clarify that under division management, there's a huge jump in the budget line from 20232024. Well, the original main estimate's $361,000, and then by the end of last year, we had $6.5 million, and now this year we're looking at $7.265 million. Can the Minister clarify what was the cause of this big jump in funding.
Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.
