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.