Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Member for Great Slave for bringing forward the motion that’s before us today. I agree with the principle of the motion. Being the chair of EDI, any proposed changes to registration from the Department of Transportation would be vetted through the committee. I think a lot of the concerns — and concerns I share with Members…. I am not going to support any increase, especially in the smaller communities, for operating a vehicle. That’s just something I wouldn’t condone.
If we do move to something like this, I could see folks who want to buy a hybrid or want to buy a more fuel efficient smaller vehicle being given a break on the registration fees. I can’t see myself supporting any increase to registration fees for vehicles in the Northwest Territories. I could see us lowering them for the more fuel efficient vehicles.
In the smaller communities, like some of my colleagues were saying, there isn’t much of a choice. The roads are such that you need a truck. A truck is a way of life in small communities for people who are out harvesting caribou or on the land. They need a big vehicle. And for transporting their families in the small communities, a small vehicle is just not going to do it. There are potholes.
I’ve been to a number of small communities myself, and the roads are oftentimes a sad state.
Again, I want to say that I do support the motion in principle. To the Members who are opposing the motion before us today, I want them to take some satisfaction in that all of this, if it happens, is going to be vetted through committee. There will be ample opportunity to discuss this again.
Again, to the principle of the motion I do agree, Mr. Speaker, and I’ll be supporting the motion.