Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Social Programs held a public hearing on August 15, 2011, to review Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act. The purpose of this bill is to create a new type of leave from work called reservists leave. It enables civilian members of the Canadian Military Reserves to take unpaid time off to serve without fear of repercussion at their regular workplaces.
The bill would prohibit employers from terminating a reservist or changing his or her conditions of employment due to military service.
Witnesses appearing before the committee included chair and vice-chair of the Canadian Forces Liaison Council North and retired Canadian Forces members. The committee also received correspondence supporting the bill from the NWT Chamber of Commerce. The committee would like to thank all of the witnesses for their oral and written submissions.
Hundreds of Northerners serve our country proudly as Canadian Rangers and primary reservists. Northern employers have a fine record for releasing reservists for duty and this bill provides legal recognition of that tradition.
The committee’s clause-by-clause review was also completed on August 15, 2011. Three amendments to improve the bill were made, with the consent of the bill’s sponsor and the Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy. A clause was added allowing the Minister to deny reservists leave if it would adversely affect public health or safety, or would cause undue hardship to the employer. The second amendment clarified that part-time employees can become eligible for reservists leave. The final amendment delayed the coming into force provision to allow adequate time for implementation of the bill.
The standing committee then adopted a motion to report Bill 21 as amended to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
This concludes committee’s general comments on Bill 21. Individual committee members may have questions or comments as we proceed.