Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Transportation. Just recently I was in the community of Arviat. The airport there is under the auspices of the hamlet council, and they were having some difficulty ordering lights for their tower. They indicated to me that they were having this difficulty because of a problem they were having with the agreement that was made between the territorial government and the federal government. I would

like to find out if this agreement has been finalized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the community of Arviat there is an organization called the Inuit Cultural Institute, a non-profit organization, which collects traditional interests of the people of Arviat and the region. Since its inception it has been in Arviat. The Inuit Cultural Institute was moved this summer to Rankin Inlet against the people of Arviat's wishes. Although this is not a GNWT matter, I would like to make the Members aware and to show on record that I, as the representative of Arviat, agree with the elders.

At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will table a letter written to me by Joe Manik, who is a resident of Arviat. He wrote this letter as a representative of the elders of Arviat. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On implementation, the standing committee on legislation recognized that certain proposals for revising the 12th Assembly's legislative process, if passed by this House, will require amendment to the Rules of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

Motion To Refer Report To Standing Committee On Rules, Procedures And Privileges, Carried

Therefore, the standing committee on legislation recommends that the report of the standing committee on legislation on its review of the legislative process for the 12th Legislative Assembly be referred to the standing committee on rules, procedures and privileges to prepare the necessary rule amendments to implement all foregoing decisions, and I so move, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I have just two more and they are short. In the review of delegated legislation, the standing committee on legislation proposes to take a more active role in the review of regulations. The committee may ask sponsors of bills to bring forward significant proposed regulations at the time new bills are under review or at a subsequent time. As well, twice yearly, the standing committee will undertake a selective review of existing regulations. The committee will monitor the Northwest Territories Gazette for the publication of new regulations and may undertake a review of any which are of particular interest. An additional option will be for the cabinet to seek committee and public input on proposed new regulations by forwarding them for review by the standing committee on legislation. In each case, the standing committee will place a report of its review activities before the House under reports of standing and special committees.

Motion That Standing Committee Undertake Regular Review Of Delegated Legislation, Carried

Therefore, the standing committee on legislation recommends that the standing committee on legislation undertake, as part of its terms of reference, the regular review of delegated legislation, and I so move, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the process track two is being suggested a procedure for reviewing legislative action papers.

The standing committee on legislation also recognizes that in some cases the government may wish to seek the opinion of Members of the Legislative Assembly on potential legislative initiatives before they are drafted as bills and introduced in the House. Similarly, ordinary Members who are thinking about sponsoring a private Members' bill may wish to propose preliminary ideas before proceeding to the drafting stage. The standing committee on legislation proposes that a second track should be adopted as a mechanism for allowing communication to take place on legislative principles and priorities ahead of time.

It is proposed that the Legislative Assembly should recognize the concept of a legislative action paper. This will be a written description of elements which could be contained in legislation in a standardized format, outlining principles that could become a future bill. An initial draft of clauses could be attached if the government believed it would assist in the review of the document. Ordinarily this would be provided for the House under tabling of documents, at the discretion of the sponsoring Minister or ordinary Member, although there should be nothing that would prevent the public distribution of a legislative action paper prior to tabling.

The main objective of this second track would be to provide a vehicle through which the standing committee on legislation, ordinary Members and the public at large, to provide feedback on potential legislation before the bill is actually drafted. In the case of the standing committee on legislation, each legislative action paper would be considered in open public meetings and feedback would be provided in the form of a report submitted to the House under reports of special and standing committees.

After this feedback has been forwarded, the government or ordinary Member will be able to draft the bill and proceed to formally introduce it to the House. The bill will then follow the track one process and will be referred to the sanding committee on legislation after second reading.

At its meeting on December 2 and 3, the standing committee on legislation agreed that the use of legislative action papers would provide a flexible vehicle for the public review of legislative concepts and highlight the advantages of our consensus style of government.

Motion To Adopt Procedure For Reviewing Legislative Action Papers, Carried

Therefore, the standing committee on legislation respectfully recommends, and this is my motion as well, Mr. Chairman, that the procedure for reviewing legislative action papers be adopted.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In our proposal it is proposed that confidential draft versions of bills should no longer be considered by our standing committee meetings which are closed to the public. The "closed door" cannot remain shut when we are considering legislation for the NWT. Instead, the standing committee on legislation proposes that the cabinet should have the prerogative to publicly introduce any bills which it considers ready for the House and proceed to give notice of first reading. Procedures for first and second reading of bills will remain as they were during previous Assemblies.

Once a bill has been read for a second time, it will automatically be referred to a committee comprised of the chairmen of all five of the Legislative Assembly's standing committees. This chairmen's liaison committee will arrive at a consensus on which the standing committees should undertake a formal review of the bill.

It is anticipated that most bills would be referred to the legislation committee, although financial bills dealing with taxation, borrowing authorization, revolving funds, assets and debts management and so on, would be referred to the standing committee on finance.

The standing committee on legislation will review bills referred to it in meetings that are open to the public. Specific procedures may be used to hear from public witnesses or receive written submissions from the public whenever it will assist the committee review. As was customary during the 11th and earlier sessions, the Minister sponsoring the bill will have an opportunity to present the legislation to the standing committee and respond to any concerns raised by committee Members. A clause by clause review of the bill will take place with the Minister. The standing committee and the sponsoring Minister will be able to arrive at a consensus for amending the content of specific clauses, but the bill may also be amended by a motion passed by the Members of the standing committee.

Once the review is completed the standing committee will report that the bill is ready for consideration by the House, and the bill will be referred: into the committee of the whole. Where amendments have been made during the committee's review, the bill will be reprinted so that Members of the Legislative Assembly are able to review any changes made since the bill was passed at second reading. It is proposed that the rules should state that there should be at least 24 hours between the time a standing committee reports a bill as ready for the House and the time it is considered in committee of the whole.

It is proposed that bills should remain at the committee stage for no more than 120 days. If the standing committee does not complete its review in that time period, the bill will automatically be referred to committee of the whole without the standing committee's report.

General comments and clause by clause review will take place in committee of the whole consideration as it has during the previous Assemblies. Amendments to clauses will be considered at that time. These could potentially include amendments which return clauses amended by the standing committee to the way they were when the bill passed second reading.

Members of the Legislative Assembly who wish to sponsor private Members' bills will be accorded the same consideration in the track one process, as cabinet Ministers who sponsor government bills. As the cabinet has the responsibility to ensure that territorial legislation meets drafting standards and to administer statutory requirements, it will be incumbent on the standing committee on legislation to ensure that a priority is placed on considering government input into any private Members' bill during the committee review process.

At its meetings on December 2nd and 3rd, the standing committee on legislation agreed that this proposal would result in a truly public process while enhancing the opportunity for consensus decision making and a sound examination of the merits of each bill.

Motion To Adopt Standard Legislative Process For Review Of Bills, Carried

Therefore the standing committee on legislation recommends that the standard legislative process for the review of bills in the House and by standing committees be adopted, and I so move, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seconded this motion because I believe that wherever there are aboriginal people there is always a requirement for some kind of freezer, because most aboriginal people do their hunt in the fall and not necessarily when it is frozen out there, when you are able to freeze things outside. In my area there are instances of botulism, created by unpreserved native foods. I believe that freezers play a very important role with aboriginal people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Christmas is coming upon us very quickly. On this occasion all the people will be celebrating the birth of one of the most influential persons in history. During this time of the year many people will celebrate by exchanging of gifts. This is possible for those people who can afford to buy these gifts. In my constituency the majority of the local people are not able to afford these gifts as a result of the high unemployment as well as the inability to get into the system of higher learning.

This is not to say the people will not celebrate Christmas. As always, Inuit will celebrate Christmas regardless of their dilemma. I hope that this government will be able to assist me and members from the Keewatin to improve the employment in my area, and enable more people to enjoy Christmas more. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Has there been community consultation with the communities affected? If not, will there be consultation at a later date?