Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Transportation. I’d like to ask some questions of him with regard to programs that the department runs relative to distracted driving. It’s well known that distracted driving dangers are out there and that they’re really quite valid.

Early in 2011 the Minister made a statement or comment that the Drive Alive program would have different facets to it. In February, I believe, I made a statement about distracted driving and I asked the Minister about the Leave the Phone Alone pledge campaign, which he had indicated was...

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. Yes, I will be happy to see it when I can see it. I guess I would like to ask the Minister: can he give me a date when I can go to the website and see a Leave the Phone Alone pledge access site? Thank you.

All the objectives of the department are certainly laudable. I certainly support them. In all of the words in the Minister’s response, I really heard very little reference to the Leave the Phone Alone pledge campaign. In March of this year, again the Minister made a statement on the Year of Road Safety. He mentioned the pledge campaign as one of the initiatives. Again there was no real detail to it. To this day -- I checked the website before I came down today -- there is no mention on the department’s website, there is no mention in any communications plan, that I can find for the department...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve been an outspoken supporter of legislation to ban the use of handheld devices while driving and I’ve spoken many times about the dangers of distracted driving in this House. But, Mr. Speaker, it’s taken too long to get to this point, but I am, anyway, extremely pleased that we will soon have legislation which outlaws driving and cell phone use.

I want to congratulate the Department of Transportation for planning ahead. They have developed a communications plan for educating NWT residents about the upcoming changes to the Motor Vehicles Act and the impact it will...

I appreciate that all options will be considered. I guess it’s a matter of when we can expect something to come back, when the report will be evaluated. We’re getting on to almost a year since it was received.

Another quote from the summary findings is: “Any difficulties with the EPO hearing appear to be in its application, not its design.” It goes to the heart, I think, of the matter of some of the difficulties that have occurred in the last while. I’d like to know if the department will consider, when it does its review, the application process and the specific finding from this report.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask some questions today to the Minister of Justice and at the outset I’d like to thank the Minister for the information he recently provided to Members about emergency protection orders, or EPOs. It’s very helpful information.

Earlier this week we heard a concern raised by a constituent of Yellowknife Centre around a recently issued EPO, and there have been other similar concerns about EPOs in the last year. It would suggest to me that there are some flaws in the EPO process and that some adjustments are necessary. In light of these incidents, I would like...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

No, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m done.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I’m really glad to hear that the department is actively looking at this report and is actively considering making some changes. I think that there are some necessary. The report presumably was received late last year. It’s dated October 2010. I’d like to ask the Minister, if this is going to the 17th Assembly, when we might expect to see some recommendations for change from this report.

It’s interesting to note that there are two reviews relative to the Protection Against Family Violence Act which were posted recently on the Justice department website. I think it was on Monday. The one the Minister refers to, I think, is called an Analysis of Emergency Protection Order Hearings in the NWT and it’s dated October 2010. In the summary of findings in that report it says: “The EPO legislation is well conceptualized and well written, but may need some modification to deal with special circumstances.” The Minister says he’s considering this report. I’d like to know whether or not...