Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sometimes I get the impression that as a Legislature we are regulated by the bureaucracy, instead of the other way around. The reason I make a sarcastic remark like that is that I remain convinced that the Department of Transportation is dragging its feet in implementing legislation duly passed in this Legislature. I refer, Mr. Speaker, to Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act and the Motor Vehicles Act, which was passed in this House last December. The bill removed the speed restrictions contained in these acts and allows the Commissioner and hence the Minister of Transportation to set the speed limits higher than the current restriction of 90 kilometres an hour.
Mr. Speaker, all Members of this House including the Minister of Transportation of the day, our Premier, Mr. Antoine, supported this bill. It has been four months, Mr. Speaker, more than adequate time in my opinion, to enact the legislation duly passed in this House to raise the speed limits on portions of our highways that are comparable with those in southern jurisdictions.
It seems to me, Mr. Speaker, that increases to the speed limits are being stalled and all that is required to make a decision is the necessary political direction.
The fact that certain sections of the highway are inundated with buffalo is no reason to not increase the speed limits on the entire highway system. Mr. Speaker, under the Motor Vehicles Act, people have a responsibility to drive to road conditions. They are warned by signs that there are buffalo on the road and that they should drive accordingly. I wonder, Mr. Speaker, how this impacts the speed limits. Later on today, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Premier of the Northwest Territories questions on this particular issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause