Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Safety and Public Services, I am pleased today to announce that the new mining safety legislation will come into force on Friday, December 15, 1995.
Mr. Speaker, the new Mine Health and Safety Act represents a major step toward ensuring safer working conditions in the northern minerals sector. It places an increased emphasis on safety training and provides improved standards for technology and operations in the mining industry. This act will replace the Mining Safety Act, which is outdated and ineffective. Mine safety legislation in the Northwest Territories has been in need of reform for the past decade.
The process leading to this reform has included all facets of the industry: managers, unionized labour, non-unionized workers and government. Their involvement will not end with the proclamation of the new act. This legislation allows for the appointment of an expanded mine occupational health and safety legislation committee, with responsibility for advising the Minister and recommending any further amendments to the act and regulations.
While the act specifies that the Minister has up to 12 months to establish this committee, I want to indicate today that I intend to proceed with committee appointments as quickly as possible, and will be informing the House as progress is made in this area.
As well, the Department of Safety and Public Services will provide a series of technical seminars to explain new regulatory requirements. The chief mine inspector will also be issuing a series of directives to clarify the way in which some of the more complicated regulations are supposed to be interpreted.
Before concluding, it is important to acknowledge the leadership provided on this legislative initiative by previous Ministers, especially the Honourable John Todd, Mr. Nerysoo, Mr. Whitford and Mr. Patterson. I also want to note the many valuable comments and recommendations made by the last Assembly's Standing Committee on Legislation, which you chaired, Mr. Speaker.
Responsibility for reviewing over 750 new regulations was undertaken by the existing Mine Occupational Health and Safety Board. Representatives who served on the board during this period should be commended for their hard work and commitment.
I am sure that all honourable Members of this Assembly will join me in looking forward to the proclamation of the Mine Health and Safety Act, and to a new era of mining safety in the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause