David Ramsay

Thank you. At the FPT table, it’s more high level. Certainly at the officials’ level, discussion is continuing on regulations and how we can best serve the people of the Northwest Territories and companies that are doing business here in the NWT.

Getting back to the issue of licence plates on the front of vehicles on commercial vehicles over 4,500 kilograms, it has always been the practice and the law here in the Northwest Territories that plates be in the front so that officers don’t have to go underneath the trailer to see what the plate is. That’s always been the practice and we did take a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few people in the gallery I would like to recognize today. Earlier today we had a press conference releasing the Economic Opportunities Strategy. With us today in the gallery we have Kathy Gray, the president of the NWT Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Kevin Lewis, the regional director with CanNor; and also a former mayor of Yellowknife, Gord Van Tighem, a member of the advisory panel. Welcome, folks.

Also with them is Ms. Kelly Kaylo, the assistant deputy minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. I also want to recognize my colleague over in the Yukon Territory...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled Northwest Territories Economic Opportunities Strategy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. We have five tridem drive tractor units that have been registered to three companies in the NWT; one in Inuvik, one out of Edmonton and also one out of the Member’s constituency in Hay River. They have submitted reports to the Department of Transportation.

Again, this is being done on a two-year trial basis to see what impact these heavier loads potentially will have on our infrastructure, our road infrastructure, especially on the chipseal portions of our highways. We’ll be glad to share the findings of these reports with the Member and other Members if they’d like to see the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Member for bringing the concerns to the House. Last year and again earlier this year, we were looking at harmonizing our regulations with other jurisdictions, especially in Western Canada. The Member had brought up the issue of tri-drive vehicles. We’ve got a two-year pilot project that’s underway, including a company from Hay River that’s taking part in that exercise. We also are looking at the Class 3 driver’s licence and allowing people with a Class 5 licence to tow or drive a commercial vehicle that’s towing a trailer up to 4,500 kilograms. So we...

Mr. Speaker, shortly after taking office, as we considered the economic opportunities, realities and challenges that lay ahead for our territory, the 17th Assembly highlighted the need for a comprehensive strategy to guide our economy though this time of unprecedented political and economic change. Today I am pleased to inform Members that the Governance Committee has completed an Economic Opportunities Strategy for the NWT, which I will be tabling later today.

The settlement of land claims, self-government agreements, and especially the pending devolution of governance responsibilities for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, October 30, 2013, I will move that Bill 27, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, with the economic activity construction happening in the Mackenzie Delta and also the activity that’s taking place in the Sahtu, it certainly is in our best interest to ensure that, at the high school level, youth have access to getting… One of the fundamentals is a driver’s licence. I think the more we can do that, the better off our young people will be and better able to get employment. I think, at the end of the day, really that is what this is all about, is independence and getting employment for young people across the territory.

On Project Gearshift, that would have to be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We recognize the regional disparity in numbers of young people in the territory that have a driver’s licence of one form or another, Class 7, Class 5 probationary, or Class 5 licence between Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith and the other communities in the territory. Certainly, we need to do something about that. The department is taking this challenge seriously. We have Project Gearshift that we’re allowing participation in schools. We are going to cover up to $3,000 or 50 percent of the cost for them to host professional driver trainers in their communities. We...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s a total of $595,000 and some of the work is going to be carried over. What we can do is commit to the Members there are a number of projects, Inuvik to Tuk highway test section, winter road vulnerability assessment, remote weather information system that we’re putting in, sensors and equipment and permafrost, a short course that was run. We would endeavour to get a report of those activities to the Members when they’re concluded, and again, they’re not all concluded, as you see the carry-over for $189,000.