Northwest Territories.

• Position: Legislative Reports

The Third Session of the Fifteenth Legislative Assembly prorogued on March 10, 2005. Noteworthy House business included the passage of the 2005-2006 Budget, the third and final Bill establishing self-government for the Tlicho people of the North Slave, a Bill amalgamating two investment and business development arms of the Government of the Northwest Territories, and a Bill giving the same rights and obligations to people in different spousal relationships as those in traditional spousal relationships. A total of seven Bills received assent on March 10th:

* The Tlicho Community Services Agency Act (Bill 15) establishes an Agency, to perform functions related to education, health and social services in Tlicho communities and on Tlicho lands. The Agency is required by the Tlicho Intergovernmental Services Agreement made under the Tlicho Land Claims and Self-Government Agreement.

* The Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act (Bill 16) creates a Corpoation whose purpose is to support the economic objectives of the Government of the Northwest Territories by encouraging the creation and development of business enterprises and by providing information and financial assistance to, and making investments in, such enterprises.

* The Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act (Bill 17) amends several Acts to ensure that references to "spouse" appropriately capture persons who live in spousal relationships outside marriage, so that the rights or obligations provided for or imposed under those Acts are equitably applied to persons in different forms of spousal relationships, including same-sex relationships.

* An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act (Bill 18) repeals the requirement that territorial court judges and deputy territorial judges cease to hold office at age 65, subject to reappointment. The ultimate requirement that such judges cease to hold office at 75 is retained.

* The Appropriation Act 2005-2006 (Bill 19) and the Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2004-2005 (Bill 20 ) authorize the Government of the Northwest Territories to make operations expenditures and capital investment expenditures for the 2005-2006 fiscal year and supplementary appropriations for 2004-2005.

* An Act to Amend the Public Service Act (Bill 21) provides for the appointment of Staffing Review Officers who will hear appeals of appointments made by competition, and to authorize the enactment of regulations governing such...