Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Transportation. It has to do with my Member’s statement with regard to identity theft. It is an issue that is an increasing problem right across Canada, the Northwest Territories and in the United States, as well. The numbers are increasing dramatically. I was wondering if the Minister of Transportation could tell this House whether his department has any statistics on the number of thefts that go on in the Northwest Territories with regard to vehicles, and drivers' licences that do result in loss of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and have Committee Report 4-15(3) moved into Committee of the Whole for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to shed some light on a matter that has been increasing dramatically in Canada and one that we as a government can take steps to improve. Mr. Speaker, the issue that I refer to is the growing trend of identity theft in Canada.

Identity theft has become one of the fastest growing crimes in both Canada and the United States. Mr. Speaker, the statistics are staggering. In Canada alone, the Phone Busters national call centre received 7,629 identity theft complaints in 2002, which resulted in a reported total loss to people of more than $8.5...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear that the department is working on it and hope to have something come forward fairly quickly on this, but it is an issue that I think needs some public awareness on as well, because it leads to not only changes of identity, but also in losses in revenues, and people can access different things with different identities. So I think one of the big areas that is happening is that people tend to leave their driver's licence, their registration, their insurance cards in their vehicles, and the number of vehicles that are being stolen today...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the issues that was brought up yesterday by my colleague, Mr. Hawkins, was drivers' licences, and the importance of us doing work to correct the problems with our drivers' licences. In following up with that, that is an area where a lot of theft is going on to get new identities, and our drivers' licences being plasticized leads to that quite easily. Can the Minister tell this House when his department is going to be coming forward with changes to our drivers' licences and, more importantly, when will we get to see what changes are being made...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to be back with yourself and all of my colleagues in this wonderful House as we commence another session of this, the 15th Legislative Assembly. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to focus on a couple of events that will be occurring in Hay River in the very near future.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend I will be returning home to Hay River to volunteer at the 20th Annual Knights of Columbus Lobster Fest. This event has long proven to be a premier social event of the year in Hay River. This is a major fundraiser for the Hay River Knights...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report that the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development has reviewed Bill 5, Tlicho Community Government Act, and wishes to report that Bill 5 is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted and, Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 70(5) and have Bill 5 ordered into Committee of the Whole for tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just in closing, I have a few comments on this motion. I want to thank my colleagues for their comments and support on this motion. Mr. Speaker, I sense a strong willingness on the part of industry to take part in this process of dealing with the business incentive policy.

Mr. Speaker it’s not a secret that a lot of businesses look to government for a portion of their business and a lot of businesses have built some capacity to supply a niche in the market that is created by government and to meet the requirements that government needs. For those businesses who have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the intent of the business incentive policy, as stated by the Premier in a return to written question on March 25, 2004, is to support the development and growth of NWT businesses;

AND WHEREAS northern businesses support the NWT economy by purchasing local goods and services, providing jobs and training, and reinvesting their earnings;

AND WHEREAS, due to the higher costs of operating a business and developing new products in the NWT, northern businesses may need preference adjustments to compete successfully with southern firms for government contracts and tenders...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, April 2, 2004, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that the Government of the Northwest Territories use the spirit and intent of the business incentive policy to its fullest advantage in promoting and growing NWT-based businesses;

And further, that the government undertake to conduct a comprehensive cost and benefit analysis of the business incentive policy and table it in the House during the fall 2004 sitting of the Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate...