Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Education Act, implemented in 1996, establishes district education authorities and divisional education councils as governing bodies for education in communities and education divisions. The act allows the Minister to allocate various powers and duties to these governing bodies.

An oversight in the act has resulted in the Minister being able to allocate the power to education bodies to acquire both personal property and lands and buildings, but not the power to dispose of it.

This matter was brought to my attention by Yellowknife District No. 1 Education Authority. They were not able to register a transfer of land at the land titles registry because the power for them to dispose of lands and buildings could not be found in the act.

Mr. Chairman, the bill under consideration will correct this oversight by adding a power to dispose of personal property and a power to dispose of lands and buildings to the powers the Minister can allocate to education bodies.

Since the lands and buildings owned by the education bodies include schools, the bill requires written approval of the Minister before the education body can dispose of lands or buildings. This will allow me to ensure that adequate facilities for the delivery of education are maintained.

Mr. Chairman, the bringing into force of this bill to amend the Education Act will allow education bodies to dispose of property when necessary for the effective management of education in their jurisdictions.