The NWT Human Rights Commission is separate from the Government of the Northwest Territories. It is part of the human rights system set up under the Human Rights Act. Most legislation in the Northwest Territories has a Cabinet Minister responsible for the act. This is different for the Human Rights Act. It says the commission is responsible to the Legislative Assembly for the administration of the act. The Assembly's Office of the Clerk is responsible for the oversight of the territory's statutory officers, including the Human Rights Commission.

The commission's role is to protect people from discrimination. They promote equality through education, research, and advocacy. The act makes it illegal to discriminate or harass anyone based on age, disability, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, social condition, religion, political belief, or pardoned criminal conviction. The commission promotes the compliance with the act, and they also monitor and assess how well the act is working.

Transitioning to a Restorative Approach

The committee has followed the transition of the Human Rights Commission to a restorative practice approach with interest. It began in 2014, with the comprehensive review of the Human Rights Act. This was followed by the three independent agencies of the NWT human rights system: the commission; the adjudication panel; and the director accepting the review's recommendations. In 2015, the three agencies published an implementation plan for the commission's transition to a restorative approach to human rights work.

The restorative process moves away from the existing legal and confrontational court-like process. Instead, the process focuses on the relationship between the parties and on resolving the dispute. The goal is to "manage conflict and tension by repairing harm and building relationships."

The committee supports the commission's offering opportunities for settling complaints voluntarily through a dispute resolution process. During the public hearing, Director McLeod stated that the commission started with the restorative approach early in 2017, and immediately saw a large number of parties participating.

The commission reports that 40 percent of all files closed in 2018-2019 were settled through restorative dispute resolution. This is similar to 2017-2018, where almost half of the complaints settled this way.

Committee learned that, in 2018-2019, 60 percent of complaints went into the restorative dispute resolution process. This is a positive sign. It shows more people are sitting down together to work out their human rights issues.

Organizational Structure of the Human Rights Commission

When preparing the 2018-2019 annual report, the commission was composed of three agencies: the appointed members of the commission (five individuals); the director; and the adjudication panel (five individuals). Both the Office of the Director and the adjudication panel have support staff. Commission members are members of the public appointed by the Legislative Assembly. The director's office administers the complaint process, refers complaints to the adjudication panel, and acts as secretary to the commission.

The number of parties navigating the system without support or representation was a key concern in the comprehensive review of the act. The change to the structure of the commission by combining the commission and the director's office into one agency is part of addressing this concern.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pass it to the MLA for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Thank you.