Thank you. The Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 69(2). Do we have any nays? Mr. Dent, you have unanimous consent. Bill 28 is ordered into committee of the whole for today. Second reading of bills, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek consent to proceed with the second reading of Bill 33, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Member for Baffin South is seeking consent to deal with Bill 33. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Arlooktoo, you have consent.

Bill 33, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 33, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, be read for the second time. Mr. Speaker, this bill extends the period of time before the provisions of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act will prevail over the provisions of any other act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive rule 69(2) and have Bill 33, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, ordered into committee of the whole for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. First of all, Bill 33 has had second reading. The Member for Baffin South is seeking unanimous consent to waive rule 69(2). Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Arlooktoo, you have unanimous consent. Bill 33 will be ordered into committee of the whole for today. Second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in committee of whole of bills and other matters. Bill 19, Bill 20, Bill 21, Bill 22, Bill 23, Bill 24, Bill 25, Bill 26, Bill 27, Bill 28 and Bill 33 with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

Agreed.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I have some opening comments. If you wish, I will proceed with them. I am pleased to be here today to present Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act and the Motor Vehicles Act. This bill is quite straightforward. Right now our Public Highways Act is unusual in Canada, in that it places restrictions on the maximum speed limit that may be set on our highways. Under Section 4 of the act, the Commissioner may set maximum speed limits for any class of highway outside a municipality and for primary highways within municipalities. However, the Commissioner may not set a maximum speed limit of more than 90 kilometres per hour or 50 kilometres per hour for all-terrain vehicles within communities. This bill removes the restrictions placed on the Commissioner. This does not mean that speed limits will automatically be raised, but it does allow the Minister and the Department of Transportation to examine the issue so that the Commissioner may set maximum speed limits of more than 90 kilometres per hour where it is appropriate.

Madam Chairperson, in the course of drafting these amendments, my legal counsel discovered a similar section in the Motor Vehicles Act. The Motor Vehicles Act allows the council to set maximum speed limits on highways within the municipality. In certain cases, a council may also set limits on primary highways within a municipality, but only if the council has an agreement with the Minister. I understand that there are, currently, no such agreements. Section 344 of the act, provides that a bylaw may not set a maximum speed limit of more than 90 kilometres per hour. This bill would repeal this restriction as well, which is consistent with repealing the restriction on the Commissioner. This concludes my opening comments. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Madam Chairperson, with the knowledge and consent of myself, as the

Minister of Transportation, and my department, the Member from Yellowknife South has introduced Bill 19, a private Member's bill to amend the Public Highways Act and the Motor Vehicles Act. The affect of the amendments will be to remove the restrictions presently in these laws that prohibit the setting of maximum speed limits on territorial and municipal highways greater than 90 kilometres per hour.

Most importantly, Madam Chairperson, the amendments will place no obligations on the ministry and the department to do anything at all. However, the amendment simply removes the restrictions on the prerogative to set maximum speed limits. On passage of the bill, Madam Chairperson, as the Minister, I will be instructing my department to review some of the maximum speed limits that are out there now and in effect, and possibly look at raising some of them when it is deemed safe and sensible to do so on the existing highway system. With that, normally the practice of this House is that members of the Executive Council abstain on private Member's bills, but in this case, Madam Chairperson, I will be voting in favour of this bill. Thank you.

--Applause

Madam Chairperson, no I would not. This is certainly a low-budget bill. I do not have any legal counsel, but I have assistance should any of the Members have questions they wish to ask.

Agreed.

Agreed.