Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Social Development is pleased to provide its report on the review of Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act, and commends it to the House.
Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development October 29, 2020. Bill 13 amends Interpretation Act to remove references to Mountain Standard Time and Daylight Savings Time and replaces them with a reference to one standard time. Bill 13 will allow the Commissioner in Executive Council to replace the current Daylight Savings Time regulations, with permanent year-round time standard regulations.
Committee invited written and in-person submissions from municipal and Indigenous governments, organizations, education councils, and the business community. Committee received seven written submissions from:
Nahanni Construction Ltd. / Cold Weather Construction Experts
Dehcho Divisional Education Council
Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Dettah Administration
Sahtu Divisional Education Council
Mayor and Council, Town of Hay River
Dave Nickerson
David Wasylciw
Submissions received by committee are attached in appendix A, and committee thanks those who took the time to share their views. The submissions received by committee are broadly supportive of allowing the Government to amend Daylight Savings Time to one fixed time. Committee notes that the submission from the mayor and council of the Town of Hay River provided support conditional on Alberta advancing changes to one standard time.
Committee also considered recommendations from the work done by the 18th Legislative Assembly's Standing Committee on Social Development. In the report, Review of Motion 32-18(2), Referral of Petition 6-18(2), Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories, committee acknowledges an elevated level of attention from the public. Petition 6-18(2) had 533 signatures from residents of 18 different NWT communities, supporting the Government of the Northwest Territories to move to one standard time.
Prior to making any changes to the Daylight Savings Time Regulations, committee report recommendations advise the Government of Northwest Territories to consider conducting broad public and targeted stakeholder engagement and to consult with counterparts in Alberta.
In their review of Bill 13, committee shared concerns about the lack of options for government public engagement and consultation prior to the Commissioner in Executive Council making changes to the Daylight Savings Time regulations. This concern was addressed by a committee motion to amend Bill 13. Committee's motion requires the Minister to conduct public engagement with residents of the Northwest Territories regarding the elimination of the time change and prior to the setting of standard time.
A clause-by-clause review of the bill and public hearing was held on February 9, 2021. Committee moved one motion to amend Bill 13, which is attached in appendix B. The motion was carried, and the Minister concurred with the motion. Committee thanks the honourable R.J. Simpson, Minister of Justice, and members of his staff for their appearance before committee.
Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act, as amended and reprinted, as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Committee thanks all those who took the time to make written submissions on this bill. This concludes the standing committee's review of Bill 13. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Member for Kam Lake.
