Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Drinking and driving remains a serious problem in the NWT. Despite the introduction of new rules and harsher penalties in 2004, impaired driving is still the number one cause of death or injury on our roads.

We do have a useful tool to deal with the NWT’s worst drunk drivers. It is called the ignition interlock device and prevents drivers from using their vehicles if they are not sober. This device requires the driver to provide a breath sample before the engine can be started. It also demands random breath samples while the vehicle is being driven. If the driver does...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I was very happy to hear that our government took the initiative to comment on the events that occurred last week with the apology to residential school victims and survivors that was given by the Prime Minister of Canada. It was very timely, and the feedback over the last ten days of so has led me to believe that…. It was something that was long overdue. It was something that was needed to be heard by all the people who went to residential schools.

I, too, spent many, many years in the residential school system. When I gave my Member’s statement last week, I...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommend the Government of the Northwest Territories conduct a review of its Web site policies and report back on whether the Web site policies comply with the Official Languages policies, guidelines and legislation.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommend that the Housing Corporation include a risk-management component and a strategic plan that identifies and analyzes the risk for the NWT Housing Corporation’s plan for specific actions with details addressing the identified risks, include measures to report on the success of the action plan, and evaluate how the risks are mitigated in a timely fashion.

The committee also recommends that a program evaluation of home ownership programs be carried out to verify how much existing programs can contribute toward the goal of self-reliance and...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I think the course of action here is that there were up to seven recommendations, and they will become committee motions. I will begin with the first one here, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I will be voting in favour of this motion.

Constituents and businesses in my communities have indicated over and over again that the BIP provides an advantage to those in the communities. It supports businesses in our communities, and it supports the fact that outside businesses are not moving in and taking away opportunities and even jobs from the communities. It does assist our communities. Just once again, I’ll be voting in favour of the motion.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go back to Item 6 on the order paper.

I’m just concerned that if the department puts it off too long and tries to encompass the many, many changes that are contemplated for the Motor Vehicles Act, they’ll just push the date back for this. I’m just wondering if they’ve examined the possibility of doing separate legislation just for this alone.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement where I spoke about ignition interlock devices. A constituent from Fort Simpson recently advised me that Alberta is instituting theirs beginning July 1. In the 15th Assembly I did raise it in this House with the Minister of Transportation then. I’d just like to know how much work is being done with the ignition interlock device issue within our government and within the Ministry of Transportation.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommend that the Government of the Northwest Territories table a comprehensive response to the report within 120 days.