This is page numbers 4691 – 4742 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was program.

Topics

Motion To Amend Committee Motion 86-17(5): Statement Of Campaign Accounts, Defeated
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Question.

Motion To Amend Committee Motion 86-17(5): Statement Of Campaign Accounts, Defeated
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Abernethy.

Committee Motion 87-17(5): Regulating Third-Party Election Advertising, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Chief Electoral Officer provide additional research on the regulation of third-party election advertising for future consideration.

Committee Motion 87-17(5): Regulating Third-Party Election Advertising, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Committee Motion 87-17(5): Regulating Third-Party Election Advertising, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Question.

Committee Motion 87-17(5): Regulating Third-Party Election Advertising, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Abernethy.

Committee Motion 88-17(5): Strengthening Enforcement Powers Of The Chief Electoral Officer, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

June 4th, 2014

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to strengthen the enforcement powers of the Chief Electoral Officer, by conferring the specific power to summon persons to appear, produce documents and give evidence under oath.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Does committee agree that we have considered the Report on the Review of Auxiliary Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the Issues Arising from the 2011 General Election strengthening enforcement powers of the Chief Electoral Officer as being considered and concluded?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Next on our list we have Committee Report 9, Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2012-2013 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, information and privacy legislation for municipalities and we’ll go to the opening comments to the chair of that committee, Mr. Nadli.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Today the Standing Committee on Government Operations presented its report on the Review of the Northwest Territories Information and Privacy Commissioner’s 2012-2013 Annual Report.

The committee thanks Ms. Elaine Keenan Bengts for her report and for her appearance before the committee on April 25, 2014.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner has been encouraging the GNWT to find ways to include municipalities under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act or under their own legislation since her annual report of 2007-2008. The Commissioner has again repeated this recommendation in her 2012-2103 Annual Report.

The GNWT has responded to this recommendation in the past, acknowledging the importance of this work and has provided a timeline for its completion. Accordingly, the standing committee is recommending: • that the Government of the Northwest

Territories make every effort to complete the work necessary to bring municipalities under Access to Information and Protection of Privacy legislation; and

• that the government table its review report and

discussion paper in the 2014 fall sitting, identify next steps and resources necessary to complete this legislative initiative within the life of the 17th Assembly.

In the same vein, the Information and Privacy Commissioner has advised the GNWT that the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act is woefully out of date. The Commissioner has recommended to the GNWT that this legislation needs to be updated and has included this

recommendation in her annual report every year for the last five years, including again this year.

The ATIPP Act is now 18 years old. We have allowed it to become antiquated, even as we recognize that most important pieces of legislation should be reviewed after five- or 10-year intervals.

The standing committee is concerned that the GNWT’s legislation governing the use and disclosure of information has been allowed to become so outdated in this information age when we are increasingly recognizing the importance of information as a valuable resource that needs to be handled with care.

The committee believes that this situation cannot be allowed to persist and, therefore, recommends that: • the government provide an updated and

detailed progress report to this Assembly on work done towards a comprehensive review of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act; and

• that updates to the act be introduced during the

life of the 17th Legislative Assembly.

Other Members may have additional comments.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. We’ll open up the floor to general comments. We’ll go to detail then, committee. I’ll turn it over to Mr. Nadli.

Committee Motion 89-17(5): Information And Privacy Legislation For Municipalities, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Government of the Northwest Territories complete the work necessary to bring municipalities under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy legislation; and further, that the government table its review report and discussion paper in the 2014 fall sitting, identifying next steps and resources necessary to complete this legislative initiative within the life of the 17th Assembly.

Committee Motion 89-17(5): Information And Privacy Legislation For Municipalities, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Committee Motion 89-17(5): Information And Privacy Legislation For Municipalities, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Question.

Committee Motion 89-17(5): Information And Privacy Legislation For Municipalities, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Nadli.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide an updated detailed progress report to this Assembly on work done towards a comprehensive review of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act; and further, that updates to the act be introduced during the life of the 17th Legislative

Assembly.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Nadli.

Committee Motion 91-17(5): Comprehensive Response To Report Within 120 Days, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this report within 120 days.

Committee Motion 91-17(5): Comprehensive Response To Report Within 120 Days, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Committee Motion 91-17(5): Comprehensive Response To Report Within 120 Days, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Question.