Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to be here for the Department
of Justice to introduce Bill 42, An Act to Amend the Residential Tenancies Act.
Bill 42 addresses a number of concerns that have been brought to the attention of the Department of Justice through a series of engagements with stakeholders.
It includes amendments which will ensure that orders of the rental officer are enforceable by permitting them to be filed in the Supreme Court instead of the Territorial Court, allow a victim of family violence to make an application to terminate a tenancy agreement, and establish regulation-making authority to set fees for filing applications with the rental office.
These and other changes provided for in the bill will ensure that the Residential Tenancies Act continues to effectively govern the relationship between landlords and tenants, while defining and striking a balance between the rights and obligations of each.
The department undertook significant consultations while developing this bill. This process started with a review of the act during the fall of 2012. Information about the review and the issues identified was shared with the Standing Committee on Social Programs in December 2012. This early work allowed the department to focus on eight core issues in the development of a consultation document distributed in August 2013 to a list of housing stakeholders and MLAs and made available to the general public through the department’s website.
The consultation closed on September 30, 2013. At the request of stakeholders, departmental officials met in person to explain and discuss potential amendments to the act. This included meetings with the Coalition Against Family Violence, the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition, the NWT Housing Corporation and the two rental officers. Submissions were received from housing organizations, landlords, territorial and community agencies and individuals. The deputy rental officer and the NWT Housing Corporation also submitted responses to the consultation paper. Suggestions for improvements to the act were received from MLAs and were considered as part of the consultation.
I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Social Programs for its review of Bill 42 and for its willingness to advance two motions that have improved the legislation before you today. I would be pleased to answer any questions that Members may have regarding Bill 42. Thank you.