Bill 18 has had second reading.

---Carried

The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 19, Cost of Credit Disclosure Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes rules for the disclosure of cost of credit information by credit grantors to consumers. It also repeals Parts I and II of the Consumer Protection Act and makes other consequential amendments to that act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 19 has had second reading.

---Carried

Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other matters: Bill 11, An Act to Amend

the Public Service Act; Committee Report 1-16(6), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General’s Report on the Deh Cho Bridge Project, 2011; Committee Report 2-16(6), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General’s Report on NWT Health Programs and Services, 2011; Committee Report 3-16(6), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2009-2010 Human Rights Commission Annual Report; and Committee Report 4-16(6), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the NWT Languages Commissioner Annual Report 2009-2010, with Mr. Bromley in the chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to deal with Bill 11 and all four committee reports today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Committee agree?

Very good. We’ll take a short break first.

---SHORT RECESS

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. Before us we have Bill 11, committee, and I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the bill if he has any comments. Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, Minister Bob McLeod.

I do, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Please proceed.

The Public Service Act currently allows for the appointment of three staffing review officers from outside of the public service to hear appeals of appointments made by competition. Staffing review officers provide an independent review of the competition process by determining whether procedural fairness occurred in the application of applicable legislation, regulations, policies, directives and procedural guidelines.

Under policy and regulation, staffing appeals have time limits for a response. Delays can prolong competitions in hiring of qualified candidates, which can result in interruption of government programs and services to Northwest Territories residents. An

increase in the number of staffing review officers is intended to improve appeal and competition time frames.

Work undertaken by the Department of Human Resources on the strategic goal one, Fixing the Foundation, of 20/20, A Brilliant North, Northwest Territories Public Service Strategic Plan, identified delays in completion of staffing competitions due to the amount of time required to complete the staffing appeal hearing. Three staffing review officers are no longer adequate to hear staffing appeals within appropriate time frames.

The proposed amendment will enable more staffing review officers to be available to hear appeals. There will be no increase in costs and this will have no impact on the number of appeals received or number of appellants involved. An increase in the number of staffing review officers available to hear appeals is simply intended to improve appeal and competition time frames. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Given that this bill was referred directly to Committee of the Whole and there are no remarks from standing committee, I think we’ll proceed onwards here. So would you like to bring witnesses into the House?

Yes I would, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Does committee agree?

I will now ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses into the House.

Thank you, Sergeant. I’d like to ask the Minister to please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With me I have Tom Williams, the deputy minister of Human Resources, on my left; and to my right, Mark Aitken, the director of legislation with the Department of Justice.

Thank you, Minister. Welcome, witnesses. I will now proceed and ask for general comments on Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act. General comments? Hearing none, does committee agree we go to detail?

Thank you, committee. We’ll start on page 1, clause 1.

---Clauses 1 and 2 inclusive approved

Thank you, committee. The bill as a whole?

Thank you. Is committee agreed that Bill 11, An Act to Amend the

Public Service Act, is ready for third reading? Agreed?

---Bill 11 as a whole approved for third reading