Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Could the Minister provide a detailed list of what services will continue to be provided by the Yellowknife and Inuvik offices respectively once the Sahtu Health Authority is fully operational?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services:

1. What is the plan for the department to establish a long-term care facility for Fort Liard?
2. What is the plan for the department to expand current long-term care facilities in Fort Simpson to accommodate more patients?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, replies to budget address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Before I go into Committee of the Whole, I will turn the chair over. By the authority given to me as Speaker, by Motion 2-15(3), I hereby resolve the House into Committee of the Whole to sit beyond the hour of adjournment until such time as the

committee is ready to report progress, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

I will call Committee of the Whole to order. We have a number of issues. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act, as well as Bill 19, Appropriation Act, 2005-2006, specifically the main estimates for the Financial Management Board Secretariat.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. If the committee is agreed, we will do that right after we have a short break.

Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

I will call Committee of the Whole back to order. The first item on our agenda today is Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act. I would ask if the Minister responsible, Mr. Dent, would like to please proceed with his opening comments. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This bill amends the Territorial Court Act to remove restrictions that affect territorial court judges and deputy territorial court judges when they turn 65. Presently the judges cease to hold office on attaining age 65. However, they may be reappointed on the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee for fixed terms of three years for territorial judges, and two years for deputy judges. The ultimate requirement that the judges cease to hold office upon turning 75 is retained, consistent with the mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges and for justices of the peace.

The act is also being amended to remove a five-year limit on the term of deputy territorial court judges, and to provide authority for the first time appointment of deputy judges who are already 65 or older. The removal of the barrier on appointing deputy judges who have reached 65 will assist recruitment, since retired provincial court judges form a significant pool of potential appointees. As a result of these amendments, deputy judges will no longer be appointed for a fixed term, though they will cease to hold office at age 75.

The removal of restrictions that force territorial court judges and deputy territorial court judges to seek reappointment upon attaining 65, and that limit deputy judges to five-year or two-year terms depending on their age, will eliminate the administrative inconvenience and the cost of having routine reappointments approved by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee. Just as important, the removal of these restrictions eliminates any perception that requiring the reappointment of judges limits judicial independence.

The territorial court judges requested the amendments made in this bill.

Madam Chair, I would be pleased to answer any questions the committee may have.

Thank you, Minister Dent. At this time, I will ask the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Programs to please provide the committee's comments on the review of this bill. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Madam Chairperson, the Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act, on December 9, 2004. The committee would like to thank the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill. Following the committee's review, a motion was carried to report Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act, to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee's opening comments on Bill 18. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Does the committee agree that we ask the Minister if he would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Agreed. Thank you. Mr. Minister, if you would like to invite your witnesses into the Chamber, we will have the Sergeant-at-Arms escort them in.

Minister Dent, for the record, could you please introduce your witness?

Yes, Madam Chairperson. I have with me Mr. Mark Aitken, director of legislation division.

Thank you. General comments from Members with respect to the bill. Any general comments? Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I just want to make a very short general comment to say that I support this bill. I think it is a bill that makes sense, in light of the workload that we have to have in the North and with lots of potential for conflict. There is always a need for an additional pool of judges, which we often get from down South on a case-by-case basis. Many of the judges that we do get from the South are retired judges. In light of the fact that retirement age is very flexible these days, I just want to put on record that I support the principle and the details of this bill. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Any further general comments on the bill? We will proceed with the details. If the committee agrees then that there are no further general comments, do you agree to proceed with a clause-by-clause review of the bill?