The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Committee, we'll take a short recess and resume with the first item.

---SHORT RECESS

The Chair Lesa Semmler

I now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we agree to consider Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act. I'll ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to introduce the bill.

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here today to present Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act. This bill seeks to amend the Education Act to allow a term of office of four years for elected district education authority trustees in cases where a DEA's community government has a four-year election cycle.

Currently, only election cycles of two and three years for DEAs are permitted by the Act. The proposed amendment arises from the 2018 change in municipal election cycles in Yellowknife from three to four-year terms of office for mayor and council.

Bill 25 would allow the two Yellowknife DEAs, Yellowknife Catholic Schools and Yellowknife District Education No. 1, to move to a four-year election cycle and realign their DEA elections with municipal elections starting in 2022. The amendment will also allow the two Yellowknife DEAs to hold interim elections for one-year terms this fall, as the current three-year terms of the DEA members ends in 2021.

I am pleased to bring forward this amendment to support our education partners in ensuring the efficient administration of their board trustee elections.

This concludes my opening remarks. I would be pleased to answer any questions that Members may have regarding Bill 25. Thank you.

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. I will now turn to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development, the committee that considered the bill for opening comments. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on March 30th, 2021. It was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review.

On May 31st, 2021, the standing committee held a public hearing with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and completed its clause by clause review of the bill. I thank the committee for their efforts when reviewing this legislation, and individual Members may have additional comments or questions at this time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister, would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Yes, I would.

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses.

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. To your right is Mr. Mike Reddy, director of legislative division, Department of Justice. And to our left, making her first appearance in the chamber, Megan Wahlberg, director of policy, legislation and communications for ECE. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, and welcome. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 25. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. First off, I guess I'd like to say that I did raise -- I've met -- a number of the Yellowknife MLAs have met with the district education authorities here in Yellowknife, Yellowknife's Catholic School and YK No. 1, and we knew about the situation of how their length of term for their boards was now out of sync with city council. They requested that there be changes made to the Education Act to ensure that their term of office could be bought back in line again otherwise they'd have to hold separate elections from what the City of Yellowknife does and incur extra expenses, which I'm sure we would all rather see spent on education.

So, certainly, I supported that. I raised the issue in the House. I pushed it, even I-- earlier in this Assembly that this should get dealt with.

So I guess, first off, I'd like to know from the Minister and staff what consultation was done with the two Yellowknife school boards. And, for example, were they given a copy of the language in the bill? Thanks, Madam Chair.