Yes, Mr. Chairman, I do have a statement. Mr. Chairman, the purpose of Bill 7, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2000, is to amend various statutes in the Northwest Territories for which minor changes are proposed or in which errors, inconsistencies or anomalies have been identified and brought to the attention by the Department of Justice by other departments and by the Department of Justice staff.
Departments responsible for the administration of various statutes being amended by the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2000, have each reviewed and approved the changes to the statutes under their authority.
Most changes proposed in Bill 7 are minor in nature and many consist of technical corrections to either the English or French version of the statute. Other changes have the effect of repealing certain provisions of the statutes that have expired, lapsed or otherwise cease to exist.
The amendments are of such a nature that the preparation and legislative consideration of individual bills to correct each statute would be time consuming for the government and the Legislative Assembly.
In order for an amendment to be included in the bill, it had to meet the following criteria:
- a) it must not be controversial;
- b) it must not involve the spending of public funds;
- c) it must not prejudicially effect the rights of persons; and
- d) it must not create a new offence or subject a new class of person to an existing offence.
Mr. Chairman, in our view the amendments proposed in Bill 7 meet those criteria. My official and I would be pleased to answer any questions the committee may have. Mahsi cho, Mr. Chairman.