On teeth, the necessity thereof

NEWS RELEASE

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Opposition says ban on using hand-held cell phones while driving must have teeth to work

ST. JOHN'S, March 31, 2003 — Opposition Government Services and Lands critic Terry French responded to the following Ministerial Statement by Government Services and Lands Minister George Sweeney in the House of Assembly today:

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, the people on this side of the House certainly had no problem in supporting Bill 15, banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. If anybody has talked to a number of people around the Province lately, you certainly do not want to be on the phone while trying to navigate the holes and bumps that currently exist around this Province.

Mr. Speaker, one area of concern that we do have is with the enforcement of this bill. I say to the minister: Will this bill have any teeth? Currently we see the RNC - I believe they needed approximately eighty officers and they had some crumbs thrown at them in the recent Budget, Mr. Speaker. If this bill has no teeth, Mr. Speaker, it is obviously useless.

As well, Mr. Speaker, I now hope that the minister will take it upon himself to speak to the insurance industries and lobby them hard, so that we have a reduction on our rates as well as our accidents around this Province.