Thank you. General comments. Mr. Krutko.
Debates of May 29th, 1996
Topics
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 771
The Chair John Ningark
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 771
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
You are saying that you don't think it's going to have an effect but, right now, the Gwich'in agreement has been in place for almost five years, yet a lot of that legislation in the Wildlife Act hasn't even been implemented in this House or an attempt made. Right now, the Department of Renewable Resources is backing down from trying to put resources and people in to try and get the legislation drafted to put into the House. So where is your priority going to be? You said you are going to complement the claims, but I don't see it; I see it as possibly slowing down the process which is, right now, at a snail's pace to try and get anything done. Plus, now you have two agreements which haven't been converted. The Inuvialuit just got their act amended. The Gwich'in agreement has not been enacted with regard to the Wildlife Act. The Sahtu agreement hasn't been put in there. Now the North Slave agreement is on its way. So we are talking about a lot of legislation changing those acts to complement those other agreements. Because of the change of focus here, that's where my concern is. The focus might be strictly, let's establish an NWT Act for the West and a Nunavut Act for the East, but there are also other acts that have to be considered. Under section 35, which a lot of these agreements fall under, which is federal legislation, that legislation has to be transferred to be implemented into this. So that's where I am sort of confused on this one.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are all sorts of legislative proposals, because of the priorities of this government, in consultation with Members of this House through the Government Operations committee, that have identified the precedents and the priorities for putting forward during the term of this Assembly. I can't say that we have all the resources to do all the acts or the legislation that's required to bring everything up to par, so it's a matter of setting priorities, which are political priorities that are set by this House. Thank you.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Krutko.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
So basically, you are saying that division is more important than land claims settlements.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
No, Mr. Chairman, I am not saying that. I am saying that, with existing land claims agreements and the regulations or new legislation that's required, it may not have taken the same precedence as some of the other bills that have had to be put together for presentation to this House for approval, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. General comments. Do we have further general comments? Mr. Steen.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister indicate about the funding for this legislation; does he also receive funding from the federal government for more staff to handle the implementation?
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, there was incremental funding identified in the Nunavut implementation incremental costs for the Statute Revision Commissioner. I believe the budget was approximately $1 million. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. General comments. Mr. Krutko.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
How many resource people do you see dealing with this, with regard to making amendments, within the Department of Justice?
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
I will ask Mr. Aitken to respond, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Aitken.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
Aitken
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The budget that went forward to the federal government provided for a Statute Revision Commissioner. It would be a lawyer who would be responsible for preparing the revision. There would also be an editor and a keyboarder to prepare the work that is being done by the Statute Revision Commissioner. In the final year, the third year of the budget, there would be a possibility of having an additional editor, an additional keyboarder and also a translator, if one is needed. These were developed in the budget that I understand was submitted to the federal government, and they were provided within the $1.041 million that was approved by the federal government. Thank you.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. General comments. Clause by clause? We are dealing with Bill 15, Statute Revision Act. Mr. Krutko.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
I don't believe the Minister has yet answered my question with regard to the priorities for claims agreements. A lot of those agreements have committees and boards that they have established today and this government is obligated under those agreements to implement legislation to go along with those agreements.
You're saying it's not a priority of government operations and yet you are the Minister of Justice. This is an obligation you have with regard to those agreements.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, our department carries out legislative priorities based on direction from the government, which takes recommendations from Members of this House. If there are regulations or acts that the Member feels have a higher priority than some of the bills, such as spending bills, then he can put forward that position, argue it and try to reach support to bring that forward as a priority. Thank you.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Krutko.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
This government is the signatory to those land claim agreements. You're just as much obligated to those agreements as the people that those agreements are for.
Bill 15: Statute Revision Act
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 772
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.