Schedule B, Amendments to Other Statutes. Agreed?

If you could now please return to the front of the bill, Bill 1, Tlicho Statutes Amendment Act. Clause 1.

---Clauses 1 through 3 inclusive approved

Does the committee agree to the bill as a whole? Agreed?

Thank you. Does committee agree that Bill 1, Tlicho Statutes Amendment Act, is ready for third reading?

---Bill 1 as a whole approved for third reading

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Thank you, witnesses.

Committee, the next bill we are going to be looking at is Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Territorial Parks Act. I would like to ask Mr. Ramsay if he has opening comments on the bill.

I do, Madam Chair.

Please proceed.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to present Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Territorial Parks Act.

The first amendment is in relation to fire restrictions in territorial parks.

Additional authority is needed, as a matter of safety for parks users and to prevent damage to the park. The proposed changes now provide ITI with the ability to issue restrictions and bans with respect to fires in all territorial parks, and for regulation-

making power to prohibit or regulate the setting, use and extinguishing of fires.

This proposed amendment relates to safety precautions and procedures for regulating fire use that exist in all other Canadian jurisdictions. It is time to update our legislation to match the same level of protection and security in other Canadian parks.

The second amendment is in regard to parking issues. Controlling vehicles, including where they park, is also critical for the safe, enjoyable and efficient operations of our parks and campgrounds. ITI needs this enforcement tool to deal with the minority who choose to ignore the rules to the detriment, inconvenience and possible threat to safety of other park users.

These amendments will set a framework within the act that will give the department the authority to deal with specific concerns that were identified following the 2012 parks season. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Next I would like to go to the chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure, Mr. Hawkins.

Madam Chair, thank you very much. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on March 5, 2013, to review Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Territorial Parks Act. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 2 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

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

Thank you, Chairman Hawkins. I’d like to ask Minister Ramsay if he’d like to bring witnesses into the Chamber at this time.

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Does committee agree?

Thank you. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses to the table.

Minister Ramsay, for the record, could you please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. To my right is Ms. Kelly Kaylo, assistant deputy minister at ITI and to my left is Ms. Lucy Austin with the legislation and drafting division at the Department of Justice. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. I’m going to have to probably get someone to come here and take the chair. Sorry. Then we’ll go to general comments.

Committee, are there any general comments on the bill? Mr. Yakeleya.

Madam Chair, I wasn’t too involved with committee on this bill and my first question to the Minister would be on the Aboriginal rights, I guess, in these areas. I know there’s some discussion in some of the parks that we are establishing in the Sahtu and I know the fire restriction has to do with safety and precaution. People, when we go out on to the land, we like to make our fire and have some tea or whatever and sometimes these areas that we are protecting are used for public enjoyment. So I’m not too sure what provisions there are or how it’s being looked at in regard to having some of the older people who just want to go into a park and make a fire. Sometimes we explain to them that sometimes that’s not the case and they kind of get upset with us or ask why, we’ve done this all our lives. So those are the type of things I just want to ask the Minister to have some discussions in that area.

I know we’re having some discussions at the federal level of parks and our right to pursue the enjoyment of our land. That’s something that I wanted to raise so it’s clear on the record as to how this amendment to the territorial parks would affect the Aboriginal people and their right to enjoy the land as set out in several agreements. Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We had substantial consultation that took place with Aboriginal groups across the Northwest Territories and nothing in these regulations would be interpreted, or should be interpreted, so as to affect Aboriginal rights in any way. So that is in the regulations, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you. I appreciate the Minister being straightforward and clear with me. So thank you very much. I have no more questions.