Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The motion is being distributed. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question is being called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

We should move on to Bill 56 now, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015, and I’ll ask Minister Ramsay if he has opening comments.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to be here today to discuss Bill 56, Miscellaneous State Law Amendment Act, 2015.

The purpose of Bill 56 is to amend various statutes of the Northwest Territories for which minor changes are proposed or errors or inconsistencies have been identified.

Each amendment included in the bill had to meet the following criteria:

1. It must not be controversial.

2. It must not involve the spending of public funds.

3. It must not prejudicially affect rights.

4. It must not create a new offence or subject a new class of persons to an existing offence.

Departments responsible for the various statutes being amended have reviewed and approved the changes.

The amendments proposed in Bill 56 are minor or non-substantive, and many consist of technical corrections to a statute. The amendments are of such a nature that the preparation and legislative consideration of individual bills to correct each statute would be time consuming for the Government of the Legislative Assembly.

I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Social Programs for its review of Bill 56 and would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have regarding the bill. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Does the chair of the standing committee have comments regarding the bill? Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 56, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, on September 15, 2015. A clause-by-clause review was conducted the same day. The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill.

Bill 56 corrects inconsistencies in various statutes of the Northwest Territories and deals with other matters of a minor non-controversial nature. Following the committee’s review, a motion was carried to report Bill 56, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s opening comments on Bill 56. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. At this time I’ll ask the Minister if he would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I would.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Does committee agree?

Agreed. Thank you. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort witnesses to the table.

Minister Ramsay, for the record, could you please introduce your official.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, to my right is Ms. Kelly McLaughlin, director of legal division.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. At this time I’ll ask if there are any general comments by Members with respect to Bill 56. Not seeing any general comments, are we ready to move into detail?

Bill 56, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015. Clause 1.

---Clauses 1 through 9 inclusive approved

Thank you, committee. To the bill as a whole.

Agreed. Does the committee agree that Bill 56 is ready for third reading?

Agreed. Thank you. Bill 56 is now ready for third reading and I’d like to thank Minister Ramsay and Ms. McLaughlin for your attendance here today. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witness from the Chamber.

If committee agrees, we’ll move on to Bill 59.

Agreed. Thank you. Then we will ask Minister Ramsay if he has opening comments on Bill 59. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to appear before the committee today to assist in your review of Bill 59, Estate Administration Law Amendment Act.

The Estate Administration Law Amendment Act is an omnibus bill that would amend four separate acts that deal with estate administration: the Children’s Law Act, the Guardianship and Trusteeship Act, the Intestate Succession Act and the Public Trustee Act.

A primary focus of the proposed amendments is the changes necessary to ensure that existing legislation is consistent with the new Estate Administration Rules of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. Those rules will replace the current Probate Rules, which have been in place for many years. The rules have been under development by a drafting committee, led by the Supreme Court, since September 2009 and are expected to be completed later this year. Bill 59 will eliminate references to the Probate Rules and add regulation-making authorities to address requirements relating to the filing of accounts by trustees. The bill also includes amendments that will increase the amounts that may be paid on behalf of a child where there is no appointed guardian, increase the entitlement a spouse receives where the deceased has surviving children, and allow the Office of the Public Trustee to administer an estate having a value less than $75,000 without obtaining a grant of probate or administration.

The department consulted on the proposed amendments with the Law Society of the Northwest Territories and the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. The department also consulted with the public guardian with the Department of Health and Social Services.

I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Social Programs for its careful review of Bill 59, and I am pleased that a motion resulting from that review will be brought forward this afternoon to help improve the bill. I would be happy to respond to any questions Members may have. Thank you.