Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its review of Bill 59, Estate Administration Law Amendment Act, on September 15, 2015. A clause-by-clause review was conducted the same day. The committee would like to thank the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill.

Bill 59 is an omnibus bill that amends four separate statutes related to estate administration: the Children’s Law Act, the Guardianship and Trusteeship Act, the Intestate Succession Act and the Public Trustee Act.

A primary intent of the proposed amendments is to coordinate provisions of these acts with the new Estate Administration Rules of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories.

During the course of the review, the Minister agreed to consider the committee’s request for a motion to be drafted to amend the bill. The intent of the motion is to repeal and replace Section 50 of the Children’s Law Act to clarify the intent of this section and to make some modest wording revisions to improve the text.

It was agreed that this motion will be moved later today during our Committee of the Whole consideration of the bill. This was done to exponentially allow the standing committee clause-by-clause review to proceed at the September 15thmeeting without causing any undue delays.

Following the committee’s review, a motion was carried to report Bill 59, Estate Administration Law Amendment Act, to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s opening comments on Bill 59. Additional Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you.