Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to introduce Bill 10, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act.

This bill would allow the Minister to appoint by-law officers serving in liquor prohibited communities as special by-law officers with the authority to search for and to seize liquor in vehicles.

The bill also includes new provisions that specifically allow peace officers, as well as special by-law officers, to stop vehicles for the purposes of searching them.

Mr. Chairman, it should be made clear that these special by-law officers would only be appointed from the group of by-law officers who are already in place within a municipality. Such appointments would be made only in communities where the population has voted to establish liquor prohibition.

It is anticipated that these new provisions will be helpful for dry communities where there is no RCMP presence. They are aimed at empowering communities with options that can be used to take on increasing levels of responsibility for liquor regulation, if that is what the community chooses to do.

Mr. Chairman, in this respect, these amendments are very much in keeping with the recommendations in the Final Report of the Special Committee on Health and Social Services that called for better local measures for combatting the flow of illegal alcohol into our communities.

They are also consistent with comments the department has received over the course of its comprehensive liquor law review, Mr. Chairman. Many groups and individuals who took part in this initiative were clear that this government should be moving now to provide communities with authority over mechanisms that control liquor at the local level.

Mr. Chairman, this government recognizes that effective enforcement is an important component to strong regulatory systems. Through this amendment, and through subsequent changes that will be forthcoming when the liquor law review is complete, we hope to move toward a better working and more locally-accountable liquor control system in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. The Standing Committee on Legislation has reviewed the bill. Mr. Whitford.

Standing Committee On Legislation Comments

Thank you, Mr. Whitford. Mr. Nerysoo, for the review of your bill do you want to remain in your seat or do you want to bring in witnesses?

If I could, Mr. Chairman, seek the support of my colleagues to bring in witnesses.

Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Sergeant-at-Arms, maybe you could bring in the witnesses, please.

Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo, for the record, would you like to introduce your witnesses to us, please.

Thank you, if I could, Mr. Chairman. On my right is the deputy minister, Mr. John Quirke. On my left is the legal counsel, Mr. Shawn Flynn.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Members, general comments on Bill 10, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act. Mr. Zoe.

General Comments

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. Maybe you could clear up that confusion, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I cannot say either one is wrong. Except I can say to the honourable Member that section 3, more specifically, clause 49.1(2) where it deals with persons eligible, the clause reads "special by-law officers shall be appointed from among the by-law officers of that municipality," so it is very specific.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Mr. Zoe.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Chairman, that is correct.

Anybody else? General comments. Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am supporting this bill also. I think it's quite a good bill, especially for the small, dry communities. I have only one concern: with smaller communities, with a population of about 150, there won't be as many vehicles running around in those communities. When they are talking about vehicles, does that include all-terrain vehicles and skidoos?

Thank you, Mr. Pudluk. Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Chairman, if I might give the definition because the definition of a vehicle is quite substantive, it includes a lot of other issues and, if I could, the definition given to a vehicle means "any means of transportation by land, water, or air and includes any motor car, automobile, truck, snowmobile, tractor, airplane, vessel, boat, launch, canoe, or any other thing used in any way for transportation." So it's quite a broad interpretation that could be given.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Is that okay, Mr. Pudluk? Are you satisfied, Mr. Pudluk?

Thank you. My supplementary is does that include dog teams, too? Because there are a few dog teams in the communities.

Thank you, Mr. Pudluk. Mr. Nerysoo.