Does committee wish to proceed with Bill 14?

Thank you. With that, I would like to thank our witnesses for this evening and I’d like to get the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the witnesses out of the Chamber. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Bill 14, An Act to Repeal the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act. With that, we’re going to go to the Minister responsible for the introduction of the bill. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks for the opportunity to introduce Bill 14, An Act to Repeal the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act. There are currently no businesses in the Northwest Territories licensed as pawnbrokers or second-hand dealers under the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act. Furthermore, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has not issued a pawnbroker or second-hand dealer’s licence within corporate memory.

Many jurisdictions in Canada such as Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have repealed similar legislation, leaving the regulation of pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers to municipalities. Municipal governments in the Northwest Territories have the authority to regulate pawnbrokers, second-hand dealers and other business by creating classification and licensing schemes through bylaws. The absence of a

pawnbroker and second-hand dealer industry in smaller NWT communities renders the legislation largely irrelevant.

Should pawnbrokers or second-hand dealers open in smaller communities in the future, they may be regulated through the bylaws or through the territorial Business Licensing Act.

I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. We’re going to offer the chairman of the standing committee which reviewed the bill to make comments, and that’s Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on September 18, 2013, to review Bill 14, An Act to Repeal the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 14 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 14. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. With that, we’ll return to Minister Robert C. McLeod to see if he has any witnesses he’d like to bring into the Chamber.

Yes I would, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Does the committee agree?

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

Minister McLeod, if you could please introduce your witnesses to the House.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left I have Mr. Kevin Brezinski. He is the director of public safety. To my right I have Mr. Thomas Druyan, who is the legislative counsel. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Brezinski and Mr. Druyan, welcome back to the House. General comments, Bill 14. Committee, we’re going to go clause-by-clause review of the bill. Bill 14, An Act to Repeal the Pawnbrokers Act and Second-hand Dealers Act. Clause 1.

---Clause 1 approved

To the bill as a whole.

Does the committee agree that Bill 14 is ready for third reading?

---Bill 14 as a whole approved for third reading

I’d like to thank our witnesses here for this evening. I’d like to thank the Minister as well. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses out. Thank you.

Does committee agree to continue with Bill 15?

Thank you. With that, we’ll go to Bill 15, Gunshot and Stab Wound Mandatory Disclosure Act. We’ll go to the Minister responsible to introduce the act. Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m pleased to be here today to speak about Bill 15, the Gunshot and Stab Wound Mandatory Disclosure Act. I’d like to thank the Standing Committee on Social Programs for its review of this bill. This legislation will require health facilities to report instances where injured persons present themselves for treatment of gunshot wounds and stab wounds. It will also protect those involved in reporting from liability. Please note that this requirement does not relate to stab wounds that are believed to be either self-inflicted or accidentally inflicted. All gunshot wounds will require reporting. The purpose will be to assist RCMP to provide a prompt response to violence incidences, as well as to address firearms safety issues.

Currently, eight Canadian jurisdictions have enacted legislation of this nature. Five jurisdictions have enacted legislation for the reporting of both gunshot and stab wounds, while three jurisdictions have enacted legislation for gunshot wounds only.

I would be pleased to answer any questions that the committee may have.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. We will offer the opportunity for the chairman of the standing committee which reviewed the bill. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 15, Gunshot and Stab Wound Mandatory Disclosure Act, on September 17, 2013. A clause-by-clause review was conducted the same day.

The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill. The bill requires that all gunshot and stab wounds other than those wounds reasonably believed to be self-inflected or unintentionally inflicted be reported to health facilities and ambulance services that treat those injuries. The bill outlines the information that must be reported and the circumstances that trigger the reporting obligation.

Following the committee’s review, a motion was carried to report Bill 15, Gunshot and Stab Wound Mandatory Disclosure Act, to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s opening comments on Bill 15. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. We’ll return to Minister Abernethy to see if he has any witnesses he would like to bring into the House.

I do, Mr. Chair.