Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, about 1,500 people die in Canada each year as a result of impaired driving and thousands more are injured. Per capita, statistics are even worse in the North. In June of 2003, the last Assembly approved amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act targeted at impaired driving. The intent of these amendments, Mr. Speaker, was to put some teeth into the Motor Vehicles Act, to create tougher sanctions aimed at getting impaired drivers off the road, and encouraging drivers with alcohol dependency issues to get help.
There are several programs available in the NWT designed to teach residents of the NWT how to use alcohol...Pardon me.
---Laughter
...how the use of alcohol and drugs impairs a person's ability to operate machinery or drive snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, boats and vehicles. These programs are available, Mr. Speaker, and they are effective. Members who were here during the last Assembly will remember that the amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act allows the registrar of motor vehicles to require any individuals convicted of an impaired driving offence to participate in one of these drug awareness education programs before
their licences are reinstated and they can get behind the wheel again.
I was very supportive of this amendment when it went through last June. Drug and alcohol awareness is a crucial component of the fight against drunk driving in the NWT. To my knowledge, the Minister of Transportation has yet to implement the amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act. As we wait for the Minister to do this, appalling and preventable alcohol-related accidents continue to occur on a regular basis in the NWT. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation at the appropriate time. Thank you.
---Applause