Thank you, Madam Chairperson. The Special Committee on Nunavut Legislation reviewed Bill 23, Nunavut Legal Registries Statutes Amendment Act, at its meeting on December 4, 1998. The committee would like to thank the Honourable Goo Arlooktoo and his officials for presenting the bill and responding to issues raised by the committee.

Madam Chairperson, this bill makes technical amendments to the Business Corporations Act, the Co-operative Associations Act, the Partnership Act and the Societies Act that will assist those bodies in making the transition to two new territories. The amendments provide that NWT corporations, co-ops, partnerships and societies primarily located in Nunavut as of March 31, 1999, will be deemed as of April 1, 1999, to have been formed under Nunavut legislation. NWT bodies will be able to carry on business in Nunavut without having to register as an extra-territorial body until March 31, 2001. Other transitional provisions allow Nunavut bodies to use offices and addresses in the NWT until March 31, 2001.

This bill would also amend the Land Titles Act to allow the Northwest Territories to provide land titles registration services to Nunavut for so long as the Nunavut Minister considers advisable. A further transitional section is added to the Securities Act to allow addresses in the NWT to be used.

Madam Chairperson, the special committee had no concerns with this bill. This concludes the special committee's comments on Bill 23, the Nunavut Legal Registries Statutes Amendment Act. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.