Mr. Chairman, Bill 9 is a minor amendment to change the present requirement under the Motor Vehicles Act from two licence plates on a vehicle to just one. As I understand it, the automotive industry has been lobbying the North American jurisdictions to move to the single plate system because newer, more fuel efficient aerodynamic body designs leave less and less room for a licence plate on the front.
---Laughter
I am sure they are talking about the car. At the same time, the Department of Transportation saw an opportunity to trim its licensing costs. The motor vehicles division began issuing single plates last year. In this amendment, we want to bring the law up to date with our current practices. I can tell the Members of the committee that the conversion to a single plate system has gone smoothly and we have not identified any problem areas that call for any more extensive amendments to the act. I hope the committee approves the new licensing system and agrees to the proposed amendments. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.