Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice and I recently met with Mother�s Against Drunk Driving to discuss this province�s role in decreasing impaired driving.

I wish to inform Honourable Members that the Department of Government Services and Lands and the Department of Justice are committed to working closely with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to address this extremely important issue.

Mr. Speaker, in Spring 2000, my department established a committee which is currently examining this matter in detail. This committee has representatives from our Motor Registration Division, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Community Services, the Newfoundland and Labrador Safety Council and the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

The committee is considering a number of issues including driver licence suspension periods; vehicle seizure/impoundment; alcohol ignition interlock, education, and treatment.

As members are aware, the House of Assembly passed a private members� resolution in Spring which urged the provincial government to implement the use of the alcohol ignition interlock device in this province.

Mr. Speaker, we continue to act while we await the report of the Impaired Driving Committee. Yesterday, in this House, I spoke to a Bill which, when passed, will enable us to amend our Highway Traffic Act and impose longer suspension periods for repeated drinking and driving offences.

Mr. Speaker, impaired driving is a criminal offence and it applies to all types of motor vehicles. The Canada Safety Council has estimated that every day, four people in Canada die due to impaired driving and that every five minutes someone is injured.

I commend Mothers Against Drunk Driving for their efforts and assure them that this government will continue to work with them to reduce these alarming statistics.

2000 12 06 2:10 p.m.