Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. During the public hearing in Hay River, Mayor John Pollard voiced concerns with clause 160 of the Bill, which continues the requirement for municipal governments to notify the WCB of building permits for projects in excess of an amount prescribed by regulation, which is currently set at $10,000. In his view, this provision places an excessive burden on municipalities. When the committee raised this issue with the WCB, they replied that they had not received any complaints from municipal governments that the provision is too onerous, but that a potential solution would be an amendment to the regulations to raise the amount that triggers the requirement for the municipalities to notify the commission of a building permit. The committee urges the Governance Council to initiate discussions with the NWT Association of Communities to determine what, if any, changes should be made.

Another concern raised at the public hearing in Hay River was the commission's involvement in safety, both because of the additional cost to employers, and the potential for conflict when the same body that provides safety advice to employers is also investigating compliance and enforcing the act. As safety matters are

addressed in other legislation and fall outside the scope of this bill, the committee did not investigate the possibility of amendments on this issue, but did research practices in other jurisdictions. We found that WCBs across the country have a mandate for safety education and promotion, and also have an investigation and enforcement role in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Quebec and the Yukon. As this issue is of concern to at least some employers, the committee encourages the government to initiate consultations with stakeholders on the appropriateness of continuing to have the safety investigation and enforcement function remain with the commission.

Conclusion

Bill 6 is the culmination of several weeks of work...