I think so.

Thank you, Minister. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please take your seat at the witness table. Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses to the House.

Yes, thank you. On my left is Mike Reddy, and on my right is Roger Shepard. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. We will open the floor to general comments. Do we have general comments? Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I was very glad to see that the Minister, in his opening remarks, referred to the extensive discussions that have taken place between the City of Yellowknife and the Department of Justice over this bill. This is something that was talked about when I was on city council between 1997 and 2006. This has taken over 12 years to finally end up here in the Legislative Assembly. I don't understand why there is such a backlog of these sorts of things to help our local governments. I am glad that it is here, but we have to start to address the other backlogs that are still there. I do support this bill. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Next, Mr. Testart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is a very welcome amendment to the Summary Conviction Procedures Act. The Minister, in his opening comments, mentioned that this amendment is expected to significantly reduce demand for parking ticket matters on Justice of the Peace court and related provision of sheriff services. I can attest to that, as a former deputy sheriff who has spent many long hours waiting for parking ticket matters to be resolved and seeing no one from the general public show up to attend on their trial matters. It is clearly a system that is antiquated. This brings us forward, and it allows more flexibility to the City of Yellowknife, less time for my former colleagues in Justice of the Peace Court, and a more expedient system to resolve parking matters.

This is an example of government moving forward in the right direction and addressing a very serious problem that affects our municipalities. I welcome the amendment, and I am pleased to support it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Seeing nothing further, we will proceed to a clause-by-clause review of the bill. We will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses.

Committee, please turn to page 1 of the bill. I will call out the clause number, and if committee agrees to the clause, please respond accordingly. Clause 1.

Thank you, committee. Clause 2.

Thank you, committee. Committee, to the bill as a whole. Does committee agree that Bill 5 is now ready for third reading?

Thank you, committee. Bill 5 is now ready for third reading. Does committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Summary Conviction Procedures Act?

Thank you. Thank you to the Minister, and thank you to the witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, you may escort the witnesses from the Chamber. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Testart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Chair of Committee of the Whole leave the chair and rise to report progress. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

May I have the report, Member for Hay River North?

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Summary Conviction Procedures Act; Minister's Statement 1-18(3); and Minister's Statement 19-18(3), and would like to report that Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Summary Conviction Procedures Act, is ready for third reading. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Masi. Do I have a seconder? Member for Kam Lake. The motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

Masi. Item 22, third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Masi, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 3:35 p.m.