This outlines regulations making power in respect of forms and other matters under this bill.

This clause contains the transitional provisions.

This clause repeals the Matrimonial Property Act.

This clause deals with the coming into force of this Act.

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I seek unanimous consent to proceed with a motion that if passed would add a preamble to Bill 3.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the purpose of this bill is to allow the Business Corporations Act to be brought into force before the Personal Property Security Act. Both acts have been passed. Implementation of the Personal Property Security Act involved the development of a new computer system. This system is not expected to be completed before the Business Corporations Act is ready to be proclaimed. The Personal Property Security Act will repeal the requirement to file a corporate debenture under corporate law. The Business Corporations Act was drafted in anticipation of this having already occurred. If the Business Corporations Act is proclaimed first, the debenture filing requirements of the Company Act would apply to companies still governed by that act. However, there would not be a corresponding requirement under the Business Corporations Act. The result may be uncertainty regarding the priority of debentures in certain cases. The Business Corporations Act

provides that existing companies must continue under the new Act by March 31, 1999. In order that this Act may be brought into force as soon as possible, the proposed bill provides that the debenture filing requirements of the Companies Act apply also to corporations governed by the Business Corporations Act. This will be the case until they are repealed entirely by the Personal Property Security Act. Additional amendments not related to the primary purpose of the bill are of a housekeeping nature. I would like to thank the standing committee for its review and support of this bill, and I will be pleased to respond to any questions or comments that Members may have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 21, an Act to Amend the Companies Act. The committee supports the amendments proposed in this bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Not at this time, Mr. Chairman. Unless there are specific questions. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. The purpose of this amendment to the Corrections Act is to remove the requirement for mandatory participation of the warden in a disciplinary board established for each institution. It allows for the warden to appoint the members of the disciplinary board. Under section 20 (1) of the Corrections Act, the disciplinary board is established for each correctional centre consisting of the Warden and two other employees appointed by the Director of Correctional Services. The practice that has evolved is that the wardens appoint members to the disciplinary board.

Because of the considerable commitment of time required to participate in these hearings, wardens have delegated the responsibility to other staff at the correctional centre. However, the department has obtained a legal opinion which contradicts this established practice and concludes that a warden may not delegate his or her authority to sit on a disciplinary board.

The obvious person to identify the composition of a disciplinary board is the warden, rather than the director. While it may have made sense for appointments to be made by the director when YCC was the only institution in the territories, there are now institutions in Fort Smith, Hay River and Iqaluit. Decisions must be made quickly and must be based on the availability of staff. It is estimated that if the wardens are required to participate in hearings, it would involve a minimum of 20 percent of their time and up to as much as 40 percent for a larger correctional centre. If wardens are required to continue to be represented on disciplinary panels, it will compromise their capacity to manage the institutions effectively.

The amendments provide that disciplinary boards will be composed of either the warden and two employees appointed by the warden, or three employees appointed by the warden. This is consistent with the practice in other jurisdictions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Social Programs has completed its review of Bill 22, An Act to Amend the Corrections Act. The current Act provides that the warden and two corrections' employees comprise the main disciplinary board of the centre. The two employees are appointed to the board by the director of corrections.

The committee supports the amendments that would eliminate the requirement for the warden to sit on the disciplinary board, and further, would allow the warden to appoint the officers of the corrections facility to sit on the board.

The committee has also requested that the Minister examine further possibilities and options for inmate input into the appointments of the board. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Not at this time, Mr. Chairman.