Question has been called.

---Carried

Bill 28, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014 has had second reading.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 29, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called.

---Carried

Bill 29, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014 has had second reading.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called.

---Carried

Bill 30, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2014-2015 has had second reading.

Item 19, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act; Bill 22, Territorial Emblems and Honours Act; Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act; Bill 27, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act; Committee Report 8-17(4), Report on the Review of Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act; Tabled Document 70-17(4), Electoral Boundaries Commission, Final Report, May 2013; and Tabled Document 107-17(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2014-2015, with Mr. Dolynny in the chair. By the authority given to me as Speaker by Motion 1-17(4), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider business before the House.

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We would like to consider Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act, then Bill 22, Bill 26 and Bill 27, if we have time. Sorry, and Committee Report 8-17(4).

Thank you. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. We’ll commence after a short break.

---SHORT RECESS

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Before the break the committee indicated that we were going to start with Bill 12. I’d like to ask Minister Jackson Lafferty at this time if he would like to deliver his opening remarks. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. I am pleased to be here today to speak about Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act.

I’d like to thank standing committee for their thoughtful and important work on the bill. In particular, I congratulate the committee on going into the schools and speaking with the students and providing us with their feedback.

This is important information which will shape the action plans as we move forward.

Bill 12 speaks to the Motion passed by the Legislative Assembly on February 16, 2012,

recommending “the Government establish a territory-wide campaign to denounce bullying, including cyber-bullying, and to provide information and resources for schools, parents, victims and bystanders, and that the government review anti-bullying legislation measures being undertaken in other jurisdictions and bring forward a bill for consideration by this Assembly within 18 months.”

This bill supports and strengthens clauses already contained in the Education Act requiring school staff, teachers, principals and education boards to take action if they become aware that students are being mistreated or threatened. It defines bullying, including cyber-bullying, and provides for the creation of a territorial school code of conduct and the creation of safe school plans.

The safety and security of our students is always at the forefront of our actions and this bill underscores that tenet.

I would be pleased to answer any questions committee members may have. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber.

Yes, please.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Does committee agree?

Agreed. Thank you. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

For the record, Mr. Lafferty, if you could introduce your witness.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. I have with me Ian Rennie, legislative counsel, Department of Justice.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Before we go to general comments, I’d like to ask the chair of the standing committee that reviewed this bill if he would like to please provide committee’s remarks. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs has completed its review of Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act. Public hearings were held in Yellowknife on September 23 and 25, 2013, and Norman Wells on September 25 and 26, 2013.

For the first time in committee history, public hearings were held in various high schools. The committee thanks the many students and teachers who helped to facilitate the meetings and provide valuable input.

The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill. The bill is a reasonable first step in NWT’s efforts to prevent bullying. It amends the

Education Act to establish a definition of bullying, including cyber-bullying. It provides for the establishment of a territorial school code of conduct and a corresponding safe schools plan for each district education authority.

The committee received substantial input from the public, both written and in person. This, combined with the committee’s work, resulted in three proposed amendments to this bill. First, to strengthen the definition of bullying; second, to strengthen the definition of cyber-bullying; and third, to clarify that a principal may establish school rules in the school for which he or she is responsible. The Minister concurred with these amendments during the committee’s clause-by-clause review on October 24, 2013. The committee’s report on the bill includes over a dozen recommended actions, all based on what the committee heard during the review. Following the committee’s review, a motion was carried to report Bill 12 as amended and reprinted to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s opening comments on Bill 12. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Madam Chair.