I would like to call the committee back to order. We are dealing with Tabled Document 42-14(4), Report of the Independent Commission on Members' Compensation. General comments? Mr. Braden.

1. (Carried)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To this report, I have a motion that I would like to make. Mr. Chairman,

I MOVE that this committee recommend that Tabled Document 42-14(4) and the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Members' Compensation contained therein be adopted by the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Braden, are you making a motion? The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. General comments? Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In a related matter to the report of the independent commission is an item that the commission looked at but declined to make recommendations on. This is in the area of pensions and specifically, a supplementary pension plan.

The commission declared that while it was originally requested to consider this, the report states that it is not in the mandate of this committee to overturn decisions of past Legislative Assemblies. That responsibility lies clearly with the Assembly itself.

Taking the finding of the independent commission into account, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Assembly wanted to make some action on this. As a follow-through to that, I am prepared to put forward a motion which will direct some action through the course of the Assembly. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make the following motion.

I MOVE that Members of the 14th Legislative Assembly be offered participation in a supplementary pension plan offering the following benefits:

1. Members have to contribute;
2. Members have to apply to join, participation in this plan is not compulsory;
3. Members' pensions would be calculated at two percent; and
4. Eligibility for a pension to be four years or one full term of an Assembly.

AND FURTHER, Mr. Chairman, that the Board of Management prepares the required amendments to implement this motion and that they be presented to the Legislative Assembly during the next session. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The motion is in order. To the motion. Ms. Lee.

I would like to request a recorded vote.

Ms. Lee has requested a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand.

All those against, please stand.

All those abstaining, please stand.

Those for, 10; those against, 3; abstentions, 3. The motion is carried. Does the committee agree that consideration of Tabled Document 42-14(4) is concluded?

The next item on the agenda is Bill 8, Motor Vehicles Act. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister if he has any comments. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, Members of the committee, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to present Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, for your consideration. During the 2nd Session of the 14th Legislative Assembly, this Legislature considered Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act. During its review and consultation of Bill 5, the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development received and noted concerns with the current Motor Vehicles Act, specifically the lack of statutory authority in respect of overloading of vehicles with passengers.

The standing committee noted that this overloading results in the lack of proper seat restraints for occupants of the vehicle. As Minister of Transportation, I committed to look into this matter. Very simply, Mr. Chairman, Bill 8 proposes to remove some of the few remaining exemptions for wearing a seatbelt in a motor vehicle. Specifically, these amendments will require any passenger travelling in a motor vehicle shall wear a seatbelt. Motor vehicle equipment design has developed over the years that all seating positions in a vehicle today are now equipped with seatbelts. This amendment requires passengers use them.

We now have over 30 years of working data for proving beyond the shadow of a doubt the effectiveness of seat belts in preventing injuries and deaths in automobile accidents.

Unless we choose to disregard the evidence, there is not much room for debate on the constructive and beneficial nature of this amendment.

Secondly, Bill 8 will amend the Motor Vehicles Act to prohibit the carrying of passengers in a box of a pick-up truck. The bill will now include legislation that will permit a municipality, settlement or an unincorporated community the authority to pass a by-law permitting a person to ride in the box of a truck that is being operated within the community at a speed less than 25 kilometres an hour.

The bill will also allow band councils, settlements, and unincorporated communities to request an exemption where circumstances are satisfactory to the Minister of Transportation to approve an exemption.

Mr. Chairman, it is important to understand that the intent of Bill 8 is public safety. A vehicle operator assumes responsibility for all occupants in his or her vehicle. Children or other occupants should never be placed into a situation where their safety is jeopardized.

These past weeks, I had the opportunity to appear before the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development to discuss Bill 8. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the standing committee and members of the public for their review of the proposed amendments.

Mr. Chairman, I trust the members of the committee will agree that the amendments proposed in Bill 8 are straightforward, sensible and sound. In closing, I would ask the committee to give them its approval. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Does the Chair of the standing committee that reviewed the bill have any general comments? Mr. Roland.