The motion is in order. To the motion?

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you, committee. Do you agree that you have concluded consideration of Committee Report 24-19(2): Standing Committee on the Economic Development and Environment Report on the Statutory Reviews of the Species at Risk (NWT) Act and Wildlife Act?

Thank you. Committee, we have concluded consideration of Committee Report 24-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Statutory Review of the Species at Risk (NWT) Act and Wildlife Act.

So committee, we will now take a short recess.

---SHORT RECESS

I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 37: An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. I will ask the Minister of Justice to introduce the bill.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here today to present Bill 37: An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Bill 37 is a somewhat administrative bill, proposing three amendments to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, in order to clarify certain provisions.

First, the bill proposes an amendment to the definition of "business day" to account for mandatory leave days during December and January, when GNWT offices, including the Information and Privacy Commissioner's office, are closed. This will ensure these mandatory leave days, in addition to weekends and holidays, are not included in the timelines prescribed under the act.

The bill proposes to remove the words "agency" and "agencies" from the definition of "common" or "integrated" programs. Currently, the term "agency" is used in two different ways in the act, and neither are defined. This change will not affect the purpose of common or integrated programs, which is to allow disclosure of personal information between public bodies to benefit the public. The term "agency" will remain in the act as a type of public body.

Finally, the bill will also clarify the Information and Privacy Commissioner's order-making authority at the conclusion of a privacy review.

This concludes my opening remarks, and I would be pleased to answer any questions that the Members may have regarding Bill 37. And I do have witnesses I wish to bring into the Chamber. Thank you.

Thank you. I will now turn to the chair of Standing Committee on Government Operations, the committee that considered the bill, for opening comments. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Our report was already read into the record, and I think the Minister has summarized the bill pretty well. It's rather administrative. I'd just like to thank him and his staff. There was quite a back and forth with the lawyers on getting the wording of "business days" just right. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, can you please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you. We have Elizabeth Doyle, GNWT access and privacy officer. And Ian Rennie, legislative counsel for the Department of Justice. Thank you.

Thank you. Welcome. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 37.

Does the committee agree that there are no further general comments, we can proceed to a clause-by-clause review of the bill?

Committee, we will defer the bill number and title after consideration of the clauses. Please turn to page 1 of the bill.

Clause 1, does committee agree?

Clause 2, does committee agree? Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, this is the section that was moved as amended and essentially we just clarified that statutory leave isn't being included in business days, but the mandatory -- sorry -- mandatory leave for the period of December 19th and January 5th. Prior to that, it didn't include that we're -- we're really just doing a very GNWT amendment and making Donny Days a business day.

But my question for the Minister is business days are, you know, a very important definition in a lot of acts and have very significant consequences in other legislation. I'm just wondering if this issue is expected to arise or exist in any other pieces of legislation, or if there's something the Minister is looking into? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Thank you. It's a bit beyond the scope of this bill so I don't have that information on hand. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Maybe I could just get a commitment that the Minister ask one of the lawyers to go look and make sure that we're not going to get in a fight about business days in a bunch of other pieces of legislation at some time. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Thank you. I can commit to getting back to the Member with some information on this. Thanks.