7 Friday, March 8, 1968

Every school bus on Prince Edward Island was inspected twice during 1967.

Once in April and May and again in September and October. School bus drivers were interViewcd and 215515th during these inspections.

. . In May of this year the Motor Vehicle Division will be offering a defensive drivmg course, which may be carried out by community organizations. I feel that

this course, which has met with tremendous success elsewhere, will be of great benefit to the training of drivers. 7

With the ever increasing number of vehicles on the highways, there are ever increasing chances for accidents. What good is it to spend thousands of dollars and years of effort to educate a youngster and have him snuffed out in an accident on the highway? Driver Education must be taught and we will bend every effort to improve and extend such a program as our finances permit. In this connection some of the statistics may be interesting. Last year, 1967, fatal accidents for all drivers —thirty five was the total number of drivers, and of this number 12 were in the 16-24 group. The non-fatal accidents were 673. One hundred and fifty were in the

16-24 group—about 22%, and property damage was caused by about 20% of those in that group. The average is about 20% for the total.

I would now like to say a few words about my Treasury Department. Last night my Honourable friend from Third Prince, who is not in his seat at the moment, quoted some figures about the net debt of the Province. I think there is a little

error in both the figures and the dates. Just to clear the record I Will indicate what the actual net debt and the indirect debt is.

On July 28, 1966, which were the figures he was purported to have quoted in comparison, the net debt was $55,000,000, not $49,000,000. $55,186,402.

M. Alban Farmer: March 31st. That was the figure for March Blst.

Hon. T. Earle Hickey: Yes, that was the figure for March 31st. It wasn’t a com— parable figure of the audit for July 28, 1966. The figure on March 31, 1967, is $61,445,617. Now this is the total net debt, $61,445,617. This is the net debt after the assets are deducted from the obligations. The indirect debt added to this for July 28, 1966, is $18,019,900. For March 31, 1967, $15,455,546.

M. Alban Farmer: I wonder if the speaker would permit a question? Do you regard those indirect liabilities as something that the Province will have to pay?

Hon. T. Earle Hickey: They are potential liabilities and I am sure some of them will have to be paid.

M. Alban Farmer: Would you mind answering my question? Do you expect that the province will have to pay those?

Hon. T. Earle Hickey: Some of them.

M. Alban Farmer: You think they will, but at the same time you propose to put through legislation to get more of those.

Hon. T. Earle Hickey: When?

M. Alban Farmer: Well, it is in the Speech from the Throne.

Hon. T. Earle Hickey: The next ones we take on will be more sure of being good risks. M. Alban Farmer: I submit that those will not have to be paid by the Province. Hon. T. Earle Hickey: Oh not all of them, but some will.

M. Alban Farmer: Very few. What have you written off for liabilities then? Hon. T. Earle Hickey: I don’t have that figure.

M. Alban Farmer: You don’t think you have anything written off.

Hon. Alexnader B. Campbell: I think you had better write off some of that money

in Georgetown.

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