Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this is the report of the Standing Committee on Legislation on Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Arctic College Act. This is the second time this committee has had the opportunity to review this particular piece of proposed legislation. Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Arctic College Act, was reviewed by this committee in March 1994. The committee reported to this House that it would be unable to complete its review prior to the prorogation of the Fifth Session. The government reintroduced the bill on April 6, 1994, at the beginning of the Sixth Session of this Assembly.

The standing committee has since had an opportunity to review Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Arctic College Act. The committee began its review on May 16, 1994 and held public hearings in Iqaluit, Fort Smith and Yellowknife. The committee is prepared to report its findings at this time.

The standing committee fully supports the creation of two colleges in the Northwest Territories to prepare for Nunavut. This committee is concerned, however, that this bill places the authority to establish and name colleges in regulation. The decision to create or dissolve colleges is important to the public as well as Members of this Assembly. The committee is not convinced that the establishment and naming of colleges should be decided behind closed doors. The committee believes that these decisions should have a level of accountability to the Members of the Assembly attached to them.

Recommendation 1

Therefore, the committee recommends that the establishment and naming of colleges be established in legislation where Members of the Assembly may participate in the process, and further that the legislation expressly limit the creation of colleges to two, one in the west and one in Nunavut.

On The Matter Of This Bill Repealing The Science Institute Act

The committee feels that by becoming part of Arctic College, a larger institution, perhaps more resources will be available to the Science Institute. In addition, there may be a strengthening in terms of science training and linkages to community education. However, the committee feels that the potential loss of the Science Institute's entrepreneurial abilities when the arm's-length relationship is dissolved and the encumbering of the opportunity to enter into contracts, third-party arrangements and collaborative ventures, may have serious implications on science research and activity in the north. Further, the committee feels that it may be seen that the Science Institute, under the Education umbrella, is losing its objectivity and this could affect the credibility of northern science in general.

The committee is concerned that the college's priorities of training and education could overshadow the Science Institute. The range of functions that the Institute currently has in terms of research support, conducting research, conducting technological development programs and so forth, may be relegated to the back burner. Although this bill does not preclude those activities from taking place, there is no direct legislative mandate for those activities in this bill.

The committee is also concerned with the fact that accessibility to science advice will twice be removed from the Legislative Assembly. Under the previous Science Institute Act, the Legislative Assembly could access research through a motion in the House to have the Minister responsible for the Science Institute direct the Institute to provide the House with information on particular science matters. This bill gives the powers that currently reside in the Minister responsible for the Science Institute, to an appointed board. This bill would see an advisory committee appointed by a board that reports to a Minister who then is accountable to the Legislature.

The committee feels that, due to these areas of concern, the committee cannot support the integration of the Science Institute with the Department of Education.

On June 1, 1994, the committee passed a motion to recommend this bill to the committee of the whole for debate. Further, the committee passed a motion not to support Bill 7 in its present form.

Motion To Receive Committee Report 7-12(6) And Move To Committee Of The Whole, Carried

Madam Speaker, that concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Legislation on Bill 7. Therefore, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the report of the Standing Committee on Legislation on Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Arctic College Act, be received by the Legislative Assembly and moved into committee of the whole.