Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, February, 11, 2008, I will move the following motion.
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Thebacha, that the 16th Legislative Assembly refers
the review of the provisions and operation of the Official Languages Act required by section 35 of that act, to the Standing Committee on Government Operations, and further that the terms of reference for the review of the provisions and operations of the Official Languages Act by the Standing Committee on Government Operations be established as follows:
1) The Standing Committee on Operations, in
undertaking a review of the Official Languages Act, shall examine:
a) The administration and implementation of
the act, including regulations, policies and procedures established by the G.N.W.T.
b) The achievements of the objectives stated
in the preamble of the act.
c) The effectiveness of the provisions of the
act and, in particular, the extent to which they are contributing to the objectives stated in the preamble.
d) The roles and responsibilities of the
Minister, the Official Languages Board, the Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board, and the Languages Commissioner, and the extent which those roles and responsibilities have been fulfilled and are contributing to the objectives.
e) The Standing Committee on Government
Operations shall have access to such persons, papers and records as necessary for the conduct of this review.
f) The Minister, Languages Commissioner,
Official Languages Board and Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board shall provide all reasonable assistance to the Standing Committee on Government Operations as required by the Act.
g) The Standing Committee on Government
Operations shall be provided through appropriations of the Legislative Assembly with adequate funds to carry out responsibility.
h) The Standing Committee on Government
Operations shall be provided by the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories with the necessary administrative and professional support to carry out its terms of reference and assigned responsibilities as they associate with this review.
i)
The Standing Committee on Government Operations may make recommendations for amendments to the act that it considers desirable through a final report.
j)
The Standing Committee on Government Operations may table this report, which may be an interim report, during the life of the second session and a final report no later than February 2009.