Does committee agree that Bill 12 is ready for third reading as amended?

---Bill 12 as amended approved for third reading

Bill 12 is now ready for third reading. Does committee agree that we have concluded consideration of Committee Report 8-17(4), Report on the Review of Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act?

Thank you, committee. That concludes consideration of Committee Report 8-17(4). I would like to thank the Minister today and thank the witnesses for joining us here this evening. Thank you.

Does committee wish to begin review of Bill 22?

Thank you, committee. With that, we’ll go to the Board of Management representative here to introduce it, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On behalf of the Board of Management of the Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to present Bill 22,

Territorial Emblems and Honours Act. This bill will establish an Order of the Northwest Territories to honour current and former residents of the Northwest Territories for outstanding service and achievements.

The bill also formally recognizes the official emblems of the Northwest Territories. Those include the armorial bearings, the shield of arms, the flag, the tartan, the mountain aven, the gyrfalcon, the Arctic grayling, the tamarack, the mineral emblem, which is gold, and the gemstone emblem, which is diamond.

The Flag Act and Floral Emblem Act are repealed, as their provisions are included in Bill 22.

Mr. Chair, I welcome any questions and comments Members may have.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Mr. Bouchard, do you have any witnesses you’d like to bring into the House?

Pardon?

Do you have any witnesses? Committee agree? Please escort the witnesses into the House.

Mr. Bouchard, if you would like to introduce your witnesses to the Chamber, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have Mr. Ian Rennie, legislative drafter, to my right; and to my left, Ms. Collette Langlois, Acting Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Mr. Rennie, Ms. Langlois, welcome to the House. General comments, Bill 22. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My comments are brief. I just want to say that I’m very pleased to see that this bill has reached this stage, and I would like to give credit to a constituent of Frame Lake, Mr. Jeff Corradetti, whose idea it was to push this forward. He pushed me, I pushed the Board of Management, and here we are. I’m really pleased that we have this bill here and that we will be putting in place an NWT award. I’ve forgotten the term, an Order of the NWT. Thank you very much, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro, for that pushy comment. Any other general comments? Is committee prepared to go clause by clause?

Thank you, committee. Bill 22, Territorial Emblems and Honours Act, Clause 1.

---Clause 1 through 33 inclusive approved

Committee, the bill as a whole.

Thank you. Does the committee agree that Bill 22 is ready for third reading?

---Bill 22 as a whole approved for third reading

Thank you, committee. Bill 22 is now ready for third reading. I’d like to thank Mr. Bouchard and our witnesses here for this evening. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses out of the Chamber.

Is committee agreed to proceed with Bill 26?

Thank you, committee. With that, we’ll go with the Board of Management representative here, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On behalf of the Board of Management of the Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to present Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. This bill amends the act to modify the allowance and expense entitlements of Members of the Legislative Assembly. The main changes are:

a new option for out of town Members to move

their families to Yellowknife and still receive a capital accommodation allowance if they keep their home in their constituency;

it will no longer be assumed that Ministers live in

Yellowknife;

clarifying the travel benefit that was intended to

allow out of town Members to go home or bring someone in every second weekend during long sittings or meeting periods.

There are a number of housekeeping amendments in addition to these changes. I welcome any questions and comments Members may have