Thank you committee. Bill 17 is now deemed ready for third reading. I would like to thank the Minister and his witnesses. If I can please get the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the witnesses out of the Chamber. Can we move along to Bill 18?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to present Bill 18, An Act to Repeal the Settlements Act.

Municipal and Community Affairs is proposing a Repeal of the Settlements Act. This legislation has ceased to have effect because there are no longer any settlements in the Northwest Territories.

The last settlements were Enterprise, Fort Resolution and Colville Lake. Enterprise and Fort Resolution became hamlets and Colville Lake revoked its settlement status entirely and became a band-governed community referred to as a First Nations designated authority.

There is no further need for the Settlements Act because there are now a wide range of governance options available to community governments, ranging from the many forms of municipal governance to designated authority. This is an arrangement where First Nations bands enter into contribution agreements with MACA for funding to provide municipal-type services to residents. This is a transitional mechanism for municipal-type service delivery until self-government arrangements are completed.

On repealing the Settlements Act, references to settlements in our other statutes will no longer be necessary, so those references will be removed through the consequential amendments to those statutes included in this bill.

I look forward to hearing comments from the Members and answering any questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. I would like to go to the chairperson

responsible for the Standing Committee on Economic Development, which reviewed this bill, to make general comments or to make comments. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on February 16, 2011, to review Bill 18, An Act to Repeal the Settlements Act. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 18 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 18. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Minister McLeod, would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

I would, Mr. Chairman.

Does the committee agree?

Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Thank you. Minister McLeod, if I could please get you to introduce your witnesses for the record.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me to my left Mr. Michael Aumond, deputy minister of MACA. To my right is Laura Gareau, director of corporate affairs for MACA; and Kelly McLaughlin, the legislative counsel, Department of Justice. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 18. Does committee agree that there are no comments on Bill 18 at this time?

Can we proceed to the clause-by-clause review of the bill?

Okay. We will defer the bill number and the title. We will proceed with clause by clause. Clause 1.

---Clauses 1 through 24 inclusive approved

Bill 18, An Act to Repeal the Settlements Act.

To the bill as a whole.

Does committee agree that Bill 18, An Act to Repeal the Settlements Act, is now ready for third reading?

---Bill 18 as a whole approved for third reading

Thank you committee. Bill 18 is now deemed ready for third reading. I would like to thank the Minister and his witnesses, but you can probably sit right there. Does committee agree that we move on to Bill 19?