Debates of Oct. 23rd, 2025

Clauses 11 to 20, does the committee agree?

Thank you. Clauses 21 to 28, does the committee agree?

Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Family Law Act, does the committee agree?

Thank you. To the bill as a whole, does the committee agree?

Thank you. Does the committee agree that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Family Law Act, is now ready for third reading?

Thank you. Does the committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Family Law Act, does the committee agree?

Thank you. Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the chambers. Thank you.

Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 27, An Act to Amend the Protection Against Family Violence Act. I'll ask the Minister of Justice to introduce the bill. I'll go to the Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm here today to present Bill 27, An Act to Amend the Protection Against Family Violence Act, for consideration by Committee of the Whole.

The Protection Against Family Violence Act provides emergency and long-term protection for victims of family violence. Bill 27 proposes to broaden those who can apply for an order under the Act if they have experience or are in danger of experiencing family violence and in the situations in which someone can apply for an order by recognizing various forms of stalking as constituting family violence.

The bill also proposes to allow that information may be provided to persons applying for a protection order and provides a civil court option for victims of family violence.

The amendments follow a 2022 court decision arising from a review of an emergency protection order as is required under the Act.

This, combined with the findings of an independent report and the practice in some other jurisdictions, prompted the Department of Justice to identify specific areas that could benefit from legislative amendments at this time.

In addition, as is the standard with legislative amendments, Bill 27 makes the language used throughout the Act more gender inclusive.

I would also like to thank standing committee for its study of the bill. I concurred with five motions proposed by standing committee.

The first two motions amended the definition of stalking to require that any form of stalking must occur repeatedly in all cases before it would qualify as stalking.

The next two motions replaced the term dating relationship with intimate personal relationship in section 2(1.1) of the Act and defined that new terminology under section 2(1) further clarifying that both family and intimate personal relationships apply regardless of whether the person have resided together at any time.

The fifth motion updated section 2(5) which allows the RCMP to disclose the identity of a person reasonably believed to be stalking an applicant. To use more consistent language and added 2(6) to clarify the application of the federal Privacy Act applies to the RCMP disclosure under 2(5).

This concludes my remarks and I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have regarding Bill 27. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Does the Minister like to bring witnesses into the chamber?

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Does the committee agree?

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

Thank you. And the Minister please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Assistant deputy minister, attorney general, Brad Patzer. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I will now turn to the deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development Committee who reviewed the bill for any opening comments on Bill 27. I'll go to the Member from the Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, Bill 27, An Act to Amend the Protection Against Family Violence Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on May 28th, 2025, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review.

On October 20th, 2025, the standing committee held a public hearing with the Minister of Justice and completed its cause-by-cause review of the bill.

I thank the committee for their efforts in reviewing this legislation. Individual Members may have additional comments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 27. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.