Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Drowning is the second leading cause of preventable death for children under 10 years of age in Canada. We can, we must, we need to do what is right, and not what is easy, to prevent further tragedy at our territorial park beaches.

In reference to my Member’s statement earlier today, I wanted to ask the Minister responsible for territorial beaches to do the right thing and bring our lifeguards back.

Since many of us have not read the soon-to-be tabled report from the Lifesaving Society of Alberta, could the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment quickly walk us...

Thank you, committee. Page 6-7, Health and Social Services, activity summary, community programs, infrastructure investment summary, infrastructure investments, $3.462 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, committee. Does committee agree we have finished consideration and concluded the Department of Environment and Natural Resources?

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Brezinski and Mr. Druyan, welcome back to the House. General comments, Bill 14. Committee, we’re going to go to clause-by-clause review of the bill. Bill 14, An Act to Repeal the Pawnbrokers Act and Second-hand Dealers Act. Clause 1.

Thank you, committee. Page 5-10, Public Works and Services, activity summary, petroleum products division, infrastructure investment summary, infrastructure investment, $910,000. Does committee agree? Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, need was just identified by some of the statistics we heard, only 33 percent of our community teens do have a driver’s licence. So I would be the first to agree that the creation of a DOT drivers’ education and licensing program in schools would open up questions such as liabilities, insurance premiums and overall costs of the program. However, with the GNWT having some of the lowest WSCC rates in the Northwest Territories and leveraging our access to fleet vehicles and insurance, I believe we are in a perfect position to initiate a pilot program.

So would the...

Thank you very much. Sergeant-at-Arms, could you please escort the witnesses into the Chamber? Thank you.

Minister Beaulieu, if you could introduce your witnesses to the House, please.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Committee, we are on page 5-4, Public Works and Services, activity summary, asset management, infrastructure investment summary, infrastructure investments, $25.572 million. Committee agree?

Great, thank you, and I appreciate the Minister’s response. As he mentioned, a new project that we just received here, a new news release from his office, Project Gearshift, we’re looking forward to reading the terms of that and looking forward to that.

Can the Minister of Transportation inform the House what percentage of our teen drivers aged 16 to 20, how many of them have a valid driver’s licence and if there is any regional disparity in that data? Thank you.