Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In our proposal it is proposed that confidential draft versions of bills should no longer be considered by our standing committee meetings which are closed to the public. The "closed door" cannot remain shut when we are considering legislation for the NWT. Instead, the standing committee on legislation proposes that the cabinet should have the prerogative to publicly introduce any bills which it considers ready for the House and proceed to give notice of first reading. Procedures for first and second reading of bills will remain as they were during previous Assemblies.

Once a bill has been read for a second time, it will automatically be referred to a committee comprised of the chairmen of all five of the Legislative Assembly's standing committees. This chairmen's liaison committee will arrive at a consensus on which the standing committees should undertake a formal review of the bill.

It is anticipated that most bills would be referred to the legislation committee, although financial bills dealing with taxation, borrowing authorization, revolving funds, assets and debts management and so on, would be referred to the standing committee on finance.

The standing committee on legislation will review bills referred to it in meetings that are open to the public. Specific procedures may be used to hear from public witnesses or receive written submissions from the public whenever it will assist the committee review. As was customary during the 11th and earlier sessions, the Minister sponsoring the bill will have an opportunity to present the legislation to the standing committee and respond to any concerns raised by committee Members. A clause by clause review of the bill will take place with the Minister. The standing committee and the sponsoring Minister will be able to arrive at a consensus for amending the content of specific clauses, but the bill may also be amended by a motion passed by the Members of the standing committee.

Once the review is completed the standing committee will report that the bill is ready for consideration by the House, and the bill will be referred: into the committee of the whole. Where amendments have been made during the committee's review, the bill will be reprinted so that Members of the Legislative Assembly are able to review any changes made since the bill was passed at second reading. It is proposed that the rules should state that there should be at least 24 hours between the time a standing committee reports a bill as ready for the House and the time it is considered in committee of the whole.

It is proposed that bills should remain at the committee stage for no more than 120 days. If the standing committee does not complete its review in that time period, the bill will automatically be referred to committee of the whole without the standing committee's report.

General comments and clause by clause review will take place in committee of the whole consideration as it has during the previous Assemblies. Amendments to clauses will be considered at that time. These could potentially include amendments which return clauses amended by the standing committee to the way they were when the bill passed second reading.

Members of the Legislative Assembly who wish to sponsor private Members' bills will be accorded the same consideration in the track one process, as cabinet Ministers who sponsor government bills. As the cabinet has the responsibility to ensure that territorial legislation meets drafting standards and to administer statutory requirements, it will be incumbent on the standing committee on legislation to ensure that a priority is placed on considering government input into any private Members' bill during the committee review process.

At its meetings on December 2nd and 3rd, the standing committee on legislation agreed that this proposal would result in a truly public process while enhancing the opportunity for consensus decision making and a sound examination of the merits of each bill.

Motion To Adopt Standard Legislative Process For Review Of Bills, Carried

Therefore the standing committee on legislation recommends that the standard legislative process for the review of bills in the House and by standing committees be adopted, and I so move, Mr. Chairman.