Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'll speak very briefly in favour of this bill. I think that it's important to send the message that we will not tolerate drinking and driving on our roads, and I am pleased that the government has taken the initiative to bring forward this legislation.

The statistics have told us that 75,000 Canadians are affected in some way by drunk driving each year. While it's getting better, unfortunately far too many Northerners are still driving after drinking. The statistics are, per capita, worse in the North. In fact, more than half of Canadians say that governments are not doing enough to combat drinking and driving, and a quarter of Canadians say that drinking and driving is the greatest highway safety concern. I'm hearing those concerns from my constituents, and they have told me that they support this action that we are taking here today.

This generation's young people have worked hard to send the same message to legislators, proving to us that this pending legislation is widely supported by the public. Young people are telling us that we need stricter laws and tougher consequences for drunk drivers. I'd especially like to salute the efforts of SADD here in the Northwest Territories -- the Students Against Drunk Driving -- and recognize, Mr. Chairman, that there are three members of SADD in the audience here today. Michele Thoms is the student advisor, Matthew Harvey is a young gentleman who, by the way, represented the constituency of Frame Lake during Youth Parliament and did an admirable job, and he's here. I'm afraid that I don't know the name of the other young lady. But we do have representatives; they are watching us because they too are very concerned that we move forward with this kind of legislation.

In terms of the graduated driving regulations, the research and young people are again telling us that we need safer roads. I know that research has shown that the restrictions that we're proposing do in fact result in significantly fewer injuries and death to young people in the first little while after they get their driver's licence. So this act, overall, will help to make sure that we have safer roads with more experienced and safer drivers on them.

So once again, this is a good bill. I would like to thank the Minister and the government for bringing it forward, and I look forward to its implementation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.