Clause 5. Minister Beaulieu.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to move a motion.

Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. We’ll just circulate the motion.

Committee, the motion has been circulated. The motion is in order. We’ll turn it over to the Minister to comment on the motion. Minister Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that Bill 30 be amended by

1. renumbering clause 5 as clause 5(1); and

2. adding the following after renumbered clause 5(1):

3. Subsection 34(8) is amended by striking out “the Minister” and substituting “the deputy minister of the department responsible for administration of this act.”

Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. To the motion.

Question has been called. Motion is carried.

---Carried

We will continue on with the clause. Clause 5 as amended.

---Clause 5 as amended approved

Thank you, committee. Clause 6.

---Clause 6 approved

Clause 7.

---Clause 7 approved

Bill as a whole.

Does committee agree that Bill 30 is ready for a third reading as amended?

---Bill 30 as a whole approved for third reading

Thank you, committee. Bill 30 as amended is now ready for third reading.

I’d like to thank Minister Beaulieu this afternoon for joining us. Mr. Chutskoff, Ms. Desjardins, Ms. MacNeil, thank you for joining us. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses out of the Chamber, thank you.

Thank you, committee. As agreed upon earlier today, we’re going to continue our deliberation this afternoon on Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act. With that, will go to the Minister responsible for the introduction of the bill this afternoon, Minister Lafferty.

I am pleased to introduce Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act.

The purpose of this legislation is to bring education superintendents, other than Yellowknife Education District No. 1 and Yellowknife Catholic Schools, into the public service.

Currently, there is a wide discrepancy in pay and benefits between superintendents. This change will help create equitability in the pay and benefits offered to superintendents.

This change will also make it easier for divisional education councils to hire qualified northern educators, many of whom are already, and wish to remain, within the public service pension and benefits system.

Of the five superintendent positions impacted by this bill, three incumbents are already seconded from within the public service. The bill includes a transitional provision to honour the existing contracts of the two superintendents who are outside the public service. We engaged all boards and superintendents on this proposal, and they are in agreement with this change.

I want to be clear: this bill does not change the reporting relationship between a divisional education council and their superintendent. The divisional education council will also continue to hire, supervise, evaluate and, if necessary, discipline and fire their superintendent. This is set out in the Education Act.

In terms of following my direction, superintendents are already required under the Education Act to follow ministerial directives, and nothing will change in this regard.

Having superintendents within the public service will also help strengthen accountability in the education system. It will create consistency between the employment status of superintendents and their staff and teachers. It will also clarify that superintendents must comply with GNWT acts and policies, such as the Public Service Act and the Human Resources Manual.

Overall, this bill will improve our education system and help attract and retain the best northern educators for the important position of education superintendent.

I would be pleased to answer any questions.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Minister Lafferty, we will offer the committee that reviewed the bill to make some opening comments on the bill. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act, on May 28, 2014. A clause-by-clause review was conducted on October 5, 2014. The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill.

The bill is intended to bring superintendents of the district education councils and the Commission scolaire francophone into the public service. Three school boards would not be affected. The Tlicho Community Service Agency has a unique structure and will not be affected by this legislation. As well, the two Yellowknife superintendents will remain outside the public service.

The bill makes corollary amendments to the Public Service Act to address the employment status of superintendents.

The committee consulted with the chairs of the affected education bodies and no concerns were identified. However, during the public hearing in the clause-by-clause review, Members expressed some concerns about the implications of bringing superintendents into the public service. Specifically, some Members were apprehensive about the potential for the authority of superintendents to be unduly constrained. Members also noted that some superintendent pensions are currently provided through NEBS, the Northern Employee Benefits Services, and asked the Minister to clarify who will cover the costs of converting pensions from NEBS to the GNWT Public Service Plan.

The Minister subsequently advised that if there was a cost to the employer to convert pensions, the department would cover that cost.

Following the committee’s review, a motion was carried to report Bill 25 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s opening comments on Bill 25, and individual committee members may have additional questions and or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, committee chair, Mr. Moses. With that, I’ll ask the Minister if he has witnesses he’d like to bring into the House today. Minister Lafferty.

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could be kind enough to bring our witnesses into the Chamber.

Mr. Lafferty, if you would be kind enough to introduce your witnesses to the Chamber tonight.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I have to my left Rita Mueller, assistant deputy minister, Education, Culture and Employment, and Ian Rennie to my right. He’s the legislative counsel within the Department of Justice. Mahsi.