David Ramsay

What does the Department of Transportation base its safety inspection on? Is it tagged to another jurisdiction? How does that work? How they did arrive at what vehicle is safe and what vehicle isn’t safe on the road?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had a couple of questions today for the Minister of Transportation to get to the issue of right hand drive vehicles and their registration here in the Northwest Territories.

I do believe that rules have to be applied equally and fairly across the board when dealing with our residents. In a case that was brought to my attention over the summer, there was a vehicle purchased back in May of this year. It was taken to be registered at Motor Vehicles here in Yellowknife and was denied registration. It still hasn’t been registered to this date.

At that time, the Department of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS Section 48(1) of the Human Rights Act provides for the establishment of an adjudication panel composed of at least three persons appointed by the Commissioner on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS the Board of Management has considered a number of qualified individuals for appointment and reappointment as adjudication panel members and the designation of an existing member as Chairperson;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following persons be recommended to the Commissioner of the Northwest...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I think it’s important that the government keep its eye on what is happening around the world. Like I said earlier, the Bank of Canada is predicting that Canada is on the brink of a recession. I would hope that the government could at the earliest possibility brief Regular Members on where the government’s exposure is in terms of credit and commodity prices. It’s going to hit us. We’re not going to be immune to what’s going on. Will the Premier commit today to brief Regular Members on where the government’s exposure is on this?

The financial targets that were set at the beginning of this year by the government obviously didn’t hit the targets on the reduction side that they were hoping for. They’ve rushed into a lot of other reinvestment scenarios that see them spending almost as much money as they’ve reduced.

I’m wondering: is the government the least bit concerned that this spending spree that we seem to be on is going to come back and haunt us? I know it’s almost Halloween, Mr. Speaker. Is it going to haunt us?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This being the last day of the fall session, I wanted to speak again about where our focus needs to be as a government.

I recently had a constituency meeting where I heard from many constituents that are adamantly opposed to tax increases that will increase the cost of living. Apparently, Mr. Speaker, this is the biggest issue facing our residents. Obviously, I share their concern, and I’m interested in trying to find ways to make it less expensive for people to live here. That is why I will fight any proposed tax that increases the cost of living, whether directly or...

Mr. Speaker, I hear the Minister on this: it’s the only women’s facility we have in the Northwest Territories. But for persons who are in remand, who are charged with serious and heinous crimes, why would you keep them locked up in a facility where they could climb out the window or walk out the front door? That doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s not good from a public safety standpoint. Why wouldn’t an individual like this be sent to the South into remand at a secure location where they couldn’t walk out the door or escape through a window that’s unlocked?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, in the news earlier this week there was a story about two women who had escaped from the women’s jail in Fort Smith. It caused a great deal of concern, especially here in Yellowknife. It wasn’t too long ago that we had a fire that left eight families out in the cold at Bison Estates, and the person who committed that crime was in this facility and escaped. This was a very serious crime, and I’d like to ask the Minister how it is that an individual who commits a crime like that ends up in a jail where she can basically walk out the door.

I thank the Minister for that. I certainly do understand the aspect of public safety on this. It seems, in terms of dealing with right hand drive vehicles, the department seems to be making things up as they go along. On the Internet, on the website, there are no policies or information posted for residents who are entertaining the idea of purchasing a right hand drive vehicle. Will the Minister make sure the information gets out there for the public so that if they are looking at purchasing a right hand drive vehicle, they know what the rules are, they know what the policies are that are at...

The vehicle in question was over 15 years old, and according to national standards, that vehicle would be able to be registered in Canada.

It’s insured. It was able to get insurance. There is a bill of sale. It had all the necessary documentation. I’m just wondering, after this happened, what would allow another right hand drive vehicle to be registered in the Northwest Territories when this one couldn’t.