Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d just like to offer up the specific commitment, proceeded by just a couple of points.

Court orders for restitution become statute barred in the Limitations of Action Act after 10 years, not six

years, as with other debts. The courts will not impose additional conditions on the debtors, such as keeping the GNWT informed of their employment status, whereabouts or marital status. It is the responsibility of the party whom the judgment is in favour of to be diligent in their collection efforts, because the courts will not take further action.

Additional action can be taken at the time of an application for judgment that would require the debtor to disclose, under oath, assets and particulars of employment. If the GNWT feels there are assets available to satisfy a debt, this information could then be used for additional collection action, such as writs against property or garnishees against wages.

It is possible to apply to the courts to renew an order prior to reaching the 10-year limitation. After reviewing these facts, the office of the comptroller general will implement processes pertaining to debts that arise from fraudulent activities to ensure departments that have secured judgments for restitution renew them with the courts if the judgment has not been satisfied within 10 years.

Procedures will also be established to ensure more aggressive action is taken at the outset of the application of a restitution order to take all possible steps to secure all possible assets of the debtor to settle the amounts outstanding.

Finally, I would just make the observation that as was pointed out by Ms. Lavoie, the assistant comptroller general, in her 10 or 12 years in her position she had never seen this type of restitution write-off before. So it’s brought to light a gap and we believe that this commitment will help close that gap and I thank the committee for raising the issue with us. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to thank the Minister and the comptroller’s office for making that commitment to making sure that people who steal from us don’t get to keep the money they stole. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Mr. Minister.

Thank you. Committee, general comments? Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is a similar issue I had as well in the committee, and it’s really about involvement from the Department of Finance side in the courts, whether it’s using our Justice people in particular to make a position known to the courts to ensure that the GNWT’s interest is exercised and acknowledged before the 10 years lapse through statute barred.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the Minister of Finance, obviously through the comptroller general

for providing us this briefing note on debts that arise as a result of court ordered restitution. In short, the Minister read his briefing note that explained the process that they’ll start, and this was truly identified by committee at large to try to figure out ways to ensure that people who commit fraud aren’t, for the lack of a better term, rewarded by that process.

I want to acknowledge the work provided by the comptroller general who has found a way to help address this particular problem. As I explained to committee, my particular position is if we can articulate our voice early, if the person does fail to comply within a reasonable amount of time, hopefully the Department of Justice can make application to the court to either, as stated by the Minister, continue another order going forward or, of course, then proceed for failure of following through on a court order and then let the courts decide what’s appropriate at that time.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. General comments. Hearing no more general comments, we’ll go to clause by clause. Is committee agreed?

Before we start that, we’ll defer that until we have looked at the schedule to the bill. Is committee agreed?

Going to pages 3 through 5, schedule of debts forgiven, total $1,375,491.32.

Returning to clause by clause, page 1 of Bill 6, clause 1.

---Clauses 1 and 2 inclusive approved

Bill 6 as a whole.

Does committee agree that Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011, is now ready for third reading?

---Bill 6 as a whole approved for third reading

I’d ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the witness from the Chamber. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Can I have the report from the Committee of the Whole, please, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bills 3, 4, 5 and 6, and would like to report progress. Bills 3, 4, 5 and 6 are ready for third reading. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. A motion is on the floor. Do we have a seconder? The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

---Carried

Before we go onto the next item on the Order Paper, colleagues, earlier today in the House the Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley, tabled a DVD video disk entitled Hand to Toe – And Explanation of the Art of Giving. Article 43 of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly permit a Member to table any document which is required to be tabled in the House by any act or order of the Assembly or which may be in the public interest. Upon initial review of the item tabled earlier today, I am not satisfied that Mr. Bromley’s item meets the test laid out in Article 43 of the Rules as it is clearly not a document.

As well, the Chair has some concerns about the reproduction of this item in the absence of the expressed written consent of the DVD’s producer.

As a result of these concerns, I am ruling Tabled Document 26-16(6) out of order. Thank you, colleagues.

Item 22, third reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affair, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Bill 8 has had third reading.

---Carried

The honourable Minister of Finance.