Roland Butler, Liberal MHA for the District of Port De Grave,
feels that there are substantial problems with proposed changes to ATV
regulations, and feels that government should reconsider its implementation
until concerns are addressed."If government took one step back and
considered the public concerns already raised about the impact that its
implementation will have on the citizens of the province, it clearly shows
that more consultation is needed to develop the best approach to dealing
with ATV-related problems," said Butler. "Numerous citizens have contacted
me with their concerns, and they believe that some of these regulations will
do more harm than good."
Butler notes that law enforcement officials already have had trouble
enforcing existing ATV laws and wonders how they can take on more
responsibility. "If police did not have the resources to enforce the
previous laws, how does government expect them to be able to enforce new,
stricter ones? There is a real fear among the people of the province that
government will rely heavily upon neighbours to report offenders. This is
not acceptable. If government plans to enforce these new laws, there must be
a substantial influx of money to hire new enforcement officers. We have yet
to see this implemented.
"The new regulations will make criminals out of law-abiding citizens and
owners of illegal ATVs will be left with expensive machines they will no
longer be able to use. Will there be any compensation for these people or
for businesses who now have stock they cannot sell?"
The Liberal MHA says this is yet another instance of this government not
consulting and listening to the people of the province. "On paper, it may
seem appealing to introduce legislation as a quick-fix to any problem, but
the views of the general public must also be taken into account. The
implementation of new, stronger regulations for ATV use in this province are
necessary. It is unfortunate, like with other initiatives, this government
prefers to ram new regulations down the throats of the people instead of
initiating proper consultations that would result in a well planned and well
thought-out approach.
"This is another example of government trying to legislate instead of
educate. The key here is to ensure that individuals who operate these
machines are capable of doing so safely. Randomly choosing age and machine
restrictions will only encourage people to break the law, and will do
nothing to address the real issue concerning safe ATV use in the province."