Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. Bill 30 has had second reading and is referred to committee.

---Carried

Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 31, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2014-2015, be read for the second time.

The bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. Bill 31 has had second reading and is ready for third reading.

---Carried

Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with the second reading of Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Pharmacy Act.

---Consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. Bill 32 has had second reading and is ready for third reading.

---Carried

Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, with Mr. Dolynny in the chair.

By the authority given to me as Speaker by Motion 10-17(5), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider business before the House.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We wish to consider Bill 26, Committee Report 8-17(5) and Committee Report 9-17(5). Thank you.

Does committee agree?

Alright. We’ll commence after a short break.

---SHORT RECESS

Welcome back, committee. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. We’ve agreed to consider Bill 26. I will ask the Member responsible for the bill, Mr. Bouchard, to introduce the bill, Mr. Bouchard.

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 Elections and Plebiscites Act.

This bill includes a number of changes to our elections legislation that were recommended by the Chief Electoral Officer and the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures following their respective reports on the 2011 General Election.

These changes will result in: • more

accurate voters lists;

• better access to mobile polls and absentee

ballots;

• changes to the vouching rules, so that a voter

can vouch for another elector in the same riding even if they are not in the same polling division; and

• clarifications to some elections processes and

procedures that have raised questions in the past.

The bill will also strengthen the integrity of our electoral process by prohibiting elections officers and official agents from becoming candidates and by making it an offence to threaten a candidate or to impersonate an election officer.

Mr. Chair, those are my opening comments on Bill 26. I welcome any comments or questions Members may have.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Do you have any witnesses you would like to bring into the House today?

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Does committee agree?

Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses into the House, please.

Mr. Bouchard, if you would be kind enough to introduce your witnesses to the House.