Madam Speaker, I wish to present to the House that Bill 71, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2023-2024, be read for the first time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Pursuant to Rule 8.2(3), Bill 71, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2023-2024, is deemed read for the first time and now is ready for second reading.

First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Minister of Justice.

Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Bill 65, Builder's Lien Act, be read for the second time.

This bill repeals the Mechanics Lien Act. It replaces it with a new act that sets out modern law regarding builder's liens, an area of construction law. Specifically this new act sets out the following:

• trust provisions and the duties of owners, contractors and subcontractors and vendors as trustees of revenue received;
• details respecting how liens are created and calculated and how they can be applied as interest against land;
• holdbacks and finishing holdbacks to ensure that contractors and subcontractors are not left out-of-pocket and the consequences of non-payment of holdbacks;
• expiry, preservation and perfection of liens;
• rights to information about contracts, subcontracts, trust funds, substantial performance and accounts;
• examination and liability for not providing that information including for costs;
• discharge of a preserved or perfected lien;
• jurisdiction by the Supreme Court;
• appointment of trustees and their powers;
• priorities of liens over other interests and agreements;
• surety bonds, their use and the rights of action that they impart;
• miscellaneous provisions including acting in bad faith, abuse of process, service, how rules of the Supreme Court are applied;
• regulation-making authority; and,
• transitional provisions.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In my previous life, I've had the experience of dealing with our Mechanics Lien Act, and I just want to commend the Minister on getting this done. It was a severely outdated piece of legislation, and I'm quite excited to get this done and review it in committee. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion is carried. Bill 65 has had second reading and is referred to standing committee for further consideration.

---Carried

Second reading of bills. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion is carried. Bill 66 has had second reading and is referred to standing committee for further consideration.

---Carried

Second reading of bills. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 67, An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act, be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Fire Prevention Act to

• add a liability exclusion provision for fire officials;
• authorize the fire marshals to delegate their duties and powers;
• make any requirements made in a plan review report by the fire marshal to be binding as orders;
• establish a plan review appeal board and mechanism for an appeal of plan reviews made by the fire marshal instead of an immediate recourse to the Supreme Court;
• authorize codes of rules and standards adopted under the Act to have legal force of effect; and,
• modernize language including the use of gender-neutral language.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion is carried. Bill 67 has had second reading and is referred to standing committee for further consideration.

---Carried

Second reading of bills. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Child Daycare Act, be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Child Daycare Act in order to

• clarify exemptions from the application of the act;
  • establish a complaints process for parents to ensure compliance with prescribed rules of conduct;
  • provide for maximum childcare fees that can be charged by operators;
  • provide for minimum pay rates for the employees of certain early learning and childcare facilities;
  • provide for the establishment of a certification process and for mandatory qualifications for early learning and childcare facility operators and staff;
  • update reporting requirements and provide for assigning unique identifiers for children that attend an early learning and childcare facility; and,
  • provide additional authorities for the regulation of childcare services.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? Motion is carried. Bill 68 has had second reading and is referred to standing committee for further consideration.

---Carried

Second reading of bills. Minister of Finance.

Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Boot Lake, that Bill 71, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2023-2024, be read for the second time.

This bill authorizes the Government of the Northwest Territories to make appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? The motion is carried. Bill 71 has had second reading.

---Carried

Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Bill 23, Bill 29, Minister's Statement 264-19(2), Tabled Document 681-19(2), Tabled Document 694-19(2), with Member of Deh Cho in the chair.