Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to the Commissioner's address. Petitions. Reports of Committees on the review of bills. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act.

Bill 11 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on November 1st, 2024 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment for review.

The standing committee held a clause-by-clause review of the bill on February 13th, 2025, with the Minister of Infrastructure. The committee moved to amend three clauses in Bill 11 during the clause-by-clause review. The Minister of Infrastructure concurred with all three amendments.

Mr. Speaker, the committee reports that Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Bill 11 stands referred to the Committee of the Whole.

Reports of Committees on the review of bills. Reports of Standing and Special Committees. Tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 16-20(1), Report on the Statutory Review of the Mental Health Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Tabling of documents. Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 19-20(1), Report on the Statutory Review of the Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Finance. Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Motions. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Bill 12, Tabled Document 275-20(1), with the Member from the Deh Cho in the chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee wishes to consider Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act; and, Tabled Document 275-20(1), 2025-2026 Main Estimates, Education, Culture and Employment and Housing Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Does the committee agree?

Thank you, committee. We will take a short break.

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Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act. I will ask the Minister of Justice to introduce the bill.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm here today to present Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act. The purpose of Bill 12 is to fix an error that was made in 2017 when amendments to the Interpretation Act resulted in some government offices technically being required to be open on Sundays. This was not the intent of the changes in 2017.

Bill 12 will amend four pieces of legislation to deal with this problem and to ensure Sundays are not interpreted as business days, including

• Subsection 150(5) of the Business Corporations Act;
• Section 59 of the Consumer Protection Act;
• Section 62 of the Judicature Act; and,
• Section 24(2) of the Mechanics Lien Act.

This concludes my opening remarks. I'd be pleased to answer any questions. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Would the Minister like to bring witnesses into the chamber?

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Does committee agree?

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

Minister, please introduce your witnesses.

With me today I have Victoria Carmichael, legislative counsel with the Department of Justice. Thank you.

I will now turn to the chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations, the committee that reviewed the bill, for any opening comments on Bill 12.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The comments are certainly brief.

Madam Chair, Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 30th, 2024, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review. On February 10th, 2025, the standing committee held a public hearing with the Minister of Justice and completed its clause-by-clause review of the bill. I thank the committee for their efforts in reviewing this legislation. Individual Members may have additional comments. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 12. We can proceed to a clause-by-clause review of the bill, committee?