Bill 13 has had first reading.

---Carried

Item 19, second reading of bills. Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with second reading of Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Human Rights Act, No. 2.

---Consent granted

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Human Rights Act, No. 2, be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Human Rights Act to add as a prohibitive ground of discrimination a conviction that is subject to a records suspension.

Bill 12 has had second reading and is referred to committee.

---Carried

Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with second reading of Bill 13, An Act to Repeal the Credit Union Act.

---Consent granted

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 13, An Act to Repeal the Credit Union Act, be read for the second time.

This bill repeals the Credit Union Act and makes consequential amendments to the Co-operative Associations Act and the Maintenance Orders Enforcement Act.

Bill 13 has had second reading and is referred to committee.

---Carried

Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2012; and Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Securities Act, with Mr. Dolynny in the chair.

Good afternoon, committee. I’d like to call the Committee of the Whole to order. We have on the order sheet here, Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2012; and Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Securities Act. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The committee wishes to consider Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2012, as well as Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Securities Act.

Does committee agree?

Great. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Committee, we will come back to order. We have agreed to consider Bill 2. The Minister responsible for Bill 2, Minister Abernethy, Minister of Justice, would you please introduce the bill?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here today to talk to you about Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2012.

The purpose of Bill 2 is to amend various statutes of the Northwest Territories for which minor changes are proposed, or errors or inconsistencies have been identified.

Each amendment included in the bill had to meet the following criteria:

a) It must not be controversial;

b) It must not involve the spending of public funds;

c) It must not prejudicially affect rights;

d) It must not create a new offence or subject a

new class of persons to an existing offence.

Departments responsible for the various statutes being amended have reviewed and approved the changes.

Most amendments proposed in Bill 2 are minor in nature and many consist of technical corrections to a statute. Other changes have the effect of repealing certain enactments or statutory provisions that have expired or have otherwise ceased to have effect. The amendments are of such a nature that the preparation and legislative consideration of individual bills to correct each statute would be time consuming for the government and for the Legislative Assembly.

I am prepared to answer any questions the committee may have.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. I would now like to go to the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Social Programs, the committee which reviewed this bill, to make comments. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, on August 23, 2012. The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill. The bill provides minor, uncontroversial amendments to several acts, most simply corrected translations and clarify wording in the acts. Following the committee’s review, a motion was carried to report Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2012, to the

Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s opening comments on Bill 2. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Abernethy, do you have witnesses you wish to bring into the House?

I do, Madam Chair.

Does committee agree to bring witnesses into the House?

Thank you, committee. Sergeant-at-Arms, would you please escort the witnesses into the Chamber?

Minister Abernethy, would you introduce your witness for the record, please?

Thank you, Madam Chair. With me today is Mark Aitken, the acting assistant deputy minister with the Department of Justice.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. I will now open the floor for general comments on Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act. Any opening comments, committee? Does committee agree to go to detail?