Clause 5.

Clause 6.

Thank you. To Bill 13 as a whole?

Does committee agree that Bill 13 is ready for third reading?

Bill 13 is now ready for third reading. I would like to thank the Minister and the witnesses for their appearance here today. Thank you.

We will just give them a second to depart and we will get on with Bill 14.

Thank you, committee. We will now go to Bill 14, Public Airports Act. I would like to ask the Minister responsible, the Honourable Michael McLeod, if he would like to introduce the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present for your consideration Bill 14, Public Airports Act.

In 1990, the federal government devolved the authority for the smaller airports in the Northwest Territories, also referred to as the Arctic B and C airports, to the territorial government. A similar process transferred the six larger, or Arctic A, airports in 1995.

Since that time, the Government of the Northwest Territories has been operating these public airports through the powers granted by the airport devolution agreements, the Commissioner's airport lands regulations, and the Financial Administration Act. This piecemeal legislative approach was intended to be temporary. I must tell you that I am very pleased to have Bill 14 before you today for consideration.

The new Public Airports Act spells clearly the powers of the Minister of Transportation respecting public airports. This act will provide greater clarity and transparency with respect to airport operations.

The proposed act sets out the statutory authority of the Minister of Transportation to establish, construct, operate, maintain and close public airports in the Northwest Territories. It also consolidates, clarifies and more clearly defines the authorities of the Minister with respect to public airports, and will enable the Minister to operate public airports more effectively.

The proposed act specifically authorizes the Minister's legislative authority over the following five areas:

First of all, the act provides regulation-making authority to designate Commissioner's lands as Commissioner's public airport lands.

Secondly, the proposed act authorizes the Minister to establish, administer and operate public airports and to designate a pre-existing NWT airport as a public airport.

The proposed act authorizes the Minister to establish leases, licenses and other agreements in respect of public airport lands.

Fourth, the proposed act includes provisions for the regulation of commercial activities and vehicular traffic on public airport lands.

Finally, the act authorizes the development of regulations for fees, rates and charges to assist in offsetting the costs of public airports.

Throughout the development of the proposed Public Airports Act, extensive consultations, with a range of stakeholders, have taken place. We have consulted with the aviation industry and other stakeholders, including the Northern Air Transport Association. In addition, we have consulted Government of the Northwest Territories departments and Transport Canada.

I am pleased to report that throughout the extensive consultation process, no major concerns were received from any of the stakeholders consulted. One minor concern raised by Transport Canada resulted in a revision to the draft bill. This revision provided further clarification to the distinction between the authority of the Parliament of Canada and that of the Government of the Northwest Territories. As you may be aware, the federal government maintains authority over civil aviation, including safety, security and commercial, business and general aviation activities. For clarity, federal legislation still applies to airside operations, such as runway and taxiway operations, while Bill 14 generally applies to landside operations, such as air terminal buildings and parking.

There has been a need for this legislation since the transfer of the public airports from the federal to the territorial government in the 1990s. The interim approach used since the transfer has limited the ability of the Minister of Transportation to operate the public airports in the most effective manner. For example, the Minister's authority to regulate motor vehicle traffic at airports, to assign and administer public parking, and to regulate the provision of commercial services is not clearly defined in the existing legislation. The proposed Public Airports Act would clearly define these and other authorities in the same way as the Public Highways Act establishes the Minister's authority over the highway system.

As the territorial airport system matures and becomes more sophisticated, many of the issues related to the day-to-day activities that occur on NWT airports have become more difficult to address and resolve using the transitional provisions that were put in place at the time the airports were transferred.

After 10 years of experience operating the airports, this legislation is required to address many of the issues related to commercial activities, traffic management, parking control, and managing fees and charges that have become more complex and complicated.

In closing, I sincerely thank you for your time today and for your consideration and review of this important legislation. I look forward to any questions and comments you may have. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. I would now like to ask the chairman of the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development, Mrs. Groenewegen, to provide the committees comments on the bill. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development met on January 18, 2006, to review Bill 14, Public Airports Act. The committee received a written submission from Mr. James Pokiak of Tuktoyaktuk, asking that the rules restricting public access to the apron be made less restrictive in smaller communities. The committee also received a letter from the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation in support of Mr. Pokiak's submission.

Mr. Pokiak gave the examples of family members needing to unload coffins and people wanting to access aircraft

that they have chartered. As Mr. Pokiak stated, people going out on the land often have bulky and heavy items and it does not make much sense for a family on their way to a camp to have to drive to the fence with a load of 45-gallon gas drums, unload the drums from the truck and then roll them over to the aircraft to reload by hand.

While committee members are sympathetic to Mr. Pokiak's concerns, we understand that airside operations are regulated by the federal government and it is, therefore, not possible for the GNWT to address this issue in its own legislation. However, impractical or unreasonable the rules may be in situations such as the ones Mr. Pokiak described, the Minister advised us that the federal government is unlikely to change them.

Committee members questioned the Minister on whether the act would allow for the creation of airport authorities. The Minister and his staff confirmed that it does not.

Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 14 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.

The committee would like to thank Mr. Pokiak and the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation for their letters, and the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill. This concludes the committee's general comments on Bill 14. Individual committee members may have questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I would now like to offer the Minister to bring in any witnesses. Does the committee agree?

Thank you. Mr. Minister, if you would like to bring in witnesses, please proceed.

I would now like you to introduce your witnesses that you have with you today.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to introduce Mr. Russell Neudorf, the deputy minister of the Department of Transportation; to my right, Mr. Paul Guy, the assistant director of airport programs and standards, Department of Transportation; and, Ms. Janis Cooper, legislative counsel for the Department of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. I welcome witnesses this afternoon. I would now like to open the discussion to general comments on Bill 14. Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a couple of quick comments in regard to Mr. Pokiak's request. I understand the legislation. If they were to go onto the apron, how will they be penalized if they happen to take in all of their equipment to the small aircraft? What steps will the airport manager take to penalize them? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chair, the authority for vehicles to go onto the airside of an airport is not in this legislation. This legislation is intended to reflect authority over the groundside of the airport. However, having had the question raised to us at the committee and also a letter from Mr. Pokiak, we did take a look at it and review the Aeronautics Act that governs the airside of the airport. There is allowance for the airport manager to authorize vehicles to go on. We have had our staff go into Tuktoyaktuk to talk to the individual there and also the airport people. We will make that information available to all of our airport managers and have that information circulated.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you. Will the notification be given after this legislation is passed, or is it in the process now? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chair, we have already been to Tuktoyaktuk. This legislation is already in place. However, that information regarding the access to the airside is not part of Bill 14.