At this time, I'd like to ask the Minister of Justice if he has any comments in regard to introduction of the bill. Mr. Jackson Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The purpose of the bill — Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2008 — 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.
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 many 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 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 would like to thank the Standing Committee on Social Programs for its review of this bill. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. At this time, I would like to ask the Chair of the committee which is overseeing the bill if he has any opening comments. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs met on April 25, 2008, to review Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendments Act, 2008.
During the clause-by-clause review, the committee passed two motions to make minor technical amendments to the bill. The Minister concurred with the amendments.
Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 4, as amended and reprinted, to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.
This concludes the committee's general comments on Bill 4. Individual committee members may have questions or comments as we proceed.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. At this time, I'd like to ask the Minister if he would be bringing any witnesses into the House.
Yes, I will.
Does committee agree that the Minister brings in his witnesses?
Agreed.
Agreed. SergeantatArms, escort the witnesses in. Mr. Minister, can you introduce your witness, please?
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I have with me here today to introduce Bill 4 Mark Aitken, director of the legislation division.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Welcome, Mr. Aitken.
General comments. Are there any general comments? The floor is open to general comments. Is the committee agreed we go into detail?
Agreed.
Agreed. Tab 4 in the grey binders. Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act. Clause 1.
Clauses 1 through 20 inclusive approved.
The bill as a whole.
Bill 4 as a whole approved.
Does the committee agree that Bill 4 is ready for third reading?
Bill 4 as a whole approved for third reading.
Thank you, Mr. Minister, witness. Sergeant-at-Arms, escort the witness out.
Bill 7, Securities Act. It's in tab 7 of your grey binder.
