Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about a highway toll, but it is a different one than we have been talking about in the past few days. I want to talk about the toll taken on our society because of drinking and driving and the deaths and injuries that we sustain.
October 16th was National Students Against Impaired Driving Day, Mr. Speaker, and you and our colleagues will recall the very visible and very sobering example of what can happen as a result of getting behind the wheel when we are drinking when the students who are active here in Yellowknife parked a wrecked car out in front of the Legislative Assembly for a few days.
Last year, the NWT sustained four motor vehicle deaths, Mr. Speaker, all of them alcohol related. There were 18 other accidental deaths in the NWT and eight of those were alcohol related.
In 1996, the national initiative was undertaken, the National Strategy to Reduce Impaired Driving. In that were a lot of tougher standards to help jurisdictions deal with this terrible problem, but we have not yet acted on this in the NWT. Organizations such as Mothers Against Drinking and Driving and students have organized and worked hard to do their part. We have seen evidence of that here in the NWT in dry grad celebrations, the CYAID national conference here in Yellowknife. As well, chapters of SADD are set up in Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Norman Wells, Yellowknife and other schools. The young people are doing their part and we in this Legislature have to look at where we can do our part.
Last year, the MADD organization, Mothers Against Drinking and Driving, gave our jurisdiction a failing grade. This year, they upgraded it to promising because there were promises that we have some tough new laws coming in. Students want to see tougher blood alcohol limits, Mr. Speaker. They want to see zero tolerance for drinking drivers under the age of 19. They know they are making a difference. They are appealing to the legislators and the government to do our part.
They need the endorsement and the support to help continue their work. This government has a pretty good record so far of helping, but we need to do more. I will be asking the Minister more questions later on today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause