Robert Bouchard

I call the Committee of the Whole to order. Committee, we’ve agreed to review Tabled Document 79-17(4). We’ll go to the Minister responsible, Minister Miltenberger.

Total department, not previously authorized, $739,000. Agreed?

Advanced education, not previously authorized, $41,000. Agreed?

Management and recruitment services, not previously authorized, $1,000. Agreed?

Asset management, not previously authorized, $1.620 million.

Mineral and petroleum resources, not previously authorized, $343,000.

As a Member of the EDI committee, I’d be interested in that, and I will follow that up with my colleagues and see if we can get a briefing on that. Obviously, my concerns are definitely the fact that there is that inconsistency in the class 3 driver’s licence because there are businesses out there that are dependent upon unskilled labourers that only have a class 5 driver’s licence. Now they’re having to get a class 3 driver’s licence, which is more expensive and not conducive to doing business in the Northwest Territories.

Will the department look at this regulation of pick-ups requiring class...

Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member’s statement, I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation. I heard him talking about economic development today with his other hat, and I have concerns about how open for business we are here in the Northwest Territories.

My first question is: What is the department doing to recognize the configuration of a tri-drive truck that we currently do not recognize but Alberta does, the jurisdiction right adjacent to us?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today with concerns that I’ve expressed in the House before about NWT commercial vehicle issues.

I continue to hear complaints about how there are inconsistencies between the jurisdictions of NWT and Alberta, where we get the majority of our commodities from. In this House I’ve talked about tri-drives, and the fact that the GNWT and the NWT motor vehicles don’t recognize the tri-drive vehicle heavy truck. There’s an extra axle, but it’s supposed to be better for the roads. Some of the government departments actually request this type of truck when they’re...

That’s all, Mr. Speaker.