Debates of May 27, 2004 (day 14)

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 compensation and new identities being formed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 148-15(3): Incidence of Identity Theft In The Northwest Territories

Mr. Speaker, no, I don’t have those statistics. I know it is a concern, it has been a concern raised to us by a number of organizations and individuals. However, I do not have that information in front of me. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 148-15(3): Incidence of Identity Theft In The Northwest Territories

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 because there is more than one problem with the drivers' licences when it comes to identity theft? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 148-15(3): Incidence of Identity Theft In The Northwest Territories

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I indicated yesterday that we have been working on this issue with a number of jurisdictions, and also the Canadian Council of Motor Transportation Administrators and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. We are trying to develop standards that will receive national consensus. We are doing a needs analysis and we have hired a contractor, and we expect those results very shortly. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 148-15(3): Incidence of Identity Theft In The Northwest Territories

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I had mentioned previously, there are a number of flaws in our drivers' licences that lead to identity theft, and one of the very important ones that was the fact that drivers' licences in the Northwest Territories, people who hold a driver's licence are allowed to have a driver's licence and only have a box number, no street number on their driver's licence. So it could be a box number from anywhere, but there is no street address on their driver's licence. I think we are the only jurisdiction in Canada that allows that. Will that be addressed, and is it a concern that the Minister is aware of? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 148-15(3): Incidence of Identity Theft In The Northwest Territories

Yes, Mr. Speaker. There is that issue. There are other issues that are a concern regarding security, and the issue of drivers' licences and the issue of using drivers' licences as identification documents. We are looking at it. We intend to proceed with the development of a new format. We’d like to have that in place at least within the next year. It is something that we tamperproof, bulletproof, digitize, and we will have something to present to the committee fairly soon, as we’d like to have this document in the works and out in the next year or so. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 148-15(3): Incidence of Identity Theft In The Northwest Territories

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 lead to that information being out there. So I am wondering if the department is doing any public awareness campaign to make owners of vehicles, drivers to not leave those pieces of information in their vehicles for that very reason. Once people have them, they can do all kinds of things with that information. I don’t even know what the laws are around leaving all of that information in your vehicle, or taking it out, but I think it is an area that should be addressed. Is the department doing anything to make the public aware of that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 148-15(3): Incidence of Identity Theft In The Northwest Territories

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated, the Department of Transportation has been working on this issue for a number of years; I believe it is since 2001. However, we are trying to get national consensus from a number of different agencies, and everybody has to be in agreement with these national standards, and we can only operate as fast as those standards are set. We intend to try to get something done in the near future; we are near conclusion. The information that the Member is asking is usually provided at the time of issuing licences. We ask that these documents are kept secure. Thank you.