Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When someone works at one of the government customer service counters, they are providing an essential service as a front-line worker. At times, I’m sure, regardless of how hard they work and how hard they try, there are many days they think it’s probably a thankless job. I’m thankful and grateful that many of them keep coming back day after day and providing the essential services that we need so much. So when I come across a matter like I’m going to raise today, I want to raise it with both concern and respect for the job that our public service staff are certainly doing.
Over the years many of us have heard how the motor vehicle registry office is congested. I know the staffers are certainly doing the best that they can. I’ve been there even myself, sitting back and watching even the slightest conversation and hearing the tenseness and frustration that might be happening, but I’ve always watched and observed that the staff handle themselves very professionally. I certainly want to make sure that’s noted for the record and they’re given credit for that.
I thought personally, watching what the Department of Transportation did by putting a TV in the seating area was an excellent way to deal with possible frustration, and I thought that, watching most patrons there, they seemed to be preoccupied by watching cooking shows or fishing shows and they let the time go by unnoticed. The fact is, it still can’t change the reality that most people are unable to wait more than 15 minutes because of breaks that they’re getting away from the daily routine of their jobs or personal limitations. The suggestion was brought to me, why doesn’t the GNWT look at adding a couple of kiosks that people can self-serve themselves through the motor vehicle registration process. This could also include other types of renewals. This is done in other provinces, so why couldn’t it be done here?
Another suggestion, of course, was the motor vehicle registry hours are now, of course, as people are saying, better than bankers’ hours, officially. A person can look no further than across the street and see that the TD Bank is now open on Saturdays. The question would be why? The fact is, they know that not everybody can make 9:00 to 4:00 and they’re out there for customer service.
Another suggestion that came along in the same vein is what about moving to some of these things as on-line services? This has certainly been done in Ontario, where the government is trying to make their public services as accessible as possible.
Finally, good credit needs to go out to the City of Yellowknife who has rolled out many of their customer service-based priorities to the citizens on line, which makes it very convenient.
During question period I will raise many of these issues and ask the Minister of Transportation if there is a way they can look into these matters and address some of these concerns.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
