Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 08/99) - A bill to amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act is the main reason MLAs are sitting this week in what is likely to be the last time for the current assembly.

The act proposes changes to legislation that determines what and how MLAs are paid, conflict of interest laws and the appointment and administration of cabinet.

Other bills that the government is expected to introduce include changes to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Public Colleges Act, the Supplementary Appropriation Act and the Workers' Compensation Board Act.

The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act's proposed changes alter 10 bills to address which bills are paramount.

"The changes make clear which acts are paramount," said government house leader Charles Dent.

Dent said the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act does not necessarily take precedence over other legislation.

For the Education Act, as an example, the conditions of access with regard to student records would still take precedence over the Access to Information Act.

Changes to the Workers' Compensation Board Act would protect workers from being sued in cases where there is a vehicle accident.

Here, Dent gave the example of two truck drivers where one driver was doing the driving while the other one was asleep.

If an accident were to happen, the bill would make it clear that the sleeping worker would not be able to sue the truck driver, but instead would seek money from the WCB.

Changes to the Public College's Act will enable Northern colleges to grant degrees.

Changes to the Supplementary Appropriation Act ensures the government has appropriate money from funds such as the more than $30 million supplementary reserve fund.

For example, Dent said money from this fund could be moved around to provide for the $3 million to recruit and retain nurses that Dent mentioned in the budget speech.

"The supplementary reserve fund is money that is set aside in the budget in the expectation that you're going to have wage settlements or you'll need money for forest fires and you'll have to come back to the legislature and say that we want to move that money around."

The bill changes would ease being able to move money around, but Dent said the changes will not necessarily enable the government to spend more money.