Item 3, Members' Statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, as Members of this House are well aware, a public inquiry has been appointed to inquire into the management of health services and the problems of medical services at the Fort Smith Health Centre. I feel very strongly as do my constituents that this process must be open to the public. We have a right to have confidence in our health care system and this can only happen if we are given complete and accurate information.

The opening session of the public inquiry will be held this Friday in the Fort Smith Court House at 2:00 p.m. November 27, 1992. I wish to speak about the public inquiry in the Assembly today to assist in making the inquiry known to people in my constituency, and to encourage all those who have an interest to attend. All members of the public have a right to watch the proceedings.

There may also be people who have information or experiences that they feel should be told to assist the inquiry. Anyone who feels they may have such evidence to give may contact legal counsel for the inquiry, Mr. Brian Barrington-Foote in Calgary. Mr. Barrington-Foote will be calling witnesses to give their evidence before the inquiry. Members of the public are also requested status or standing before the inquiry. Gaining standing gives an individual or group certain rights such as the right to call witnesses, to cross-examine witnesses called by other parties and to make submissions to the inquiry. Anyone who wants to request standing should give notice to Mr. Barrington-Foote by today and should be present at the opening session of the inquiry on November 27, this Friday afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, I have sent information to my constituents about the inquiry through the mail. I want to encourage anyone who wants to participate in the process to get in touch with Mr. Barrington-Foote immediately. Thank you.

Item 3, Members' Statements. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I never cease to be amazed at the moral perfidy and outrageous self-righteousness of the animal rights fanatics. I refer to a very expensive and hysterical two page ad including a full page picture of a doe-eyed harp seal pup on a floe edge in yesterday's Globe and Mail. The international fund for animal welfare had the nerve to decry the plight of unemployed fishermen while ignoring the devastation they have wreaked on the incomes and self-sufficiency of the Inuit seal hunters of the Northwest Territories, Quebec, Labrador and aboriginal trappers across the country. That people in this country are contributing generous money to fund this kind of emotional propaganda says that the aboriginal people and their representatives must again loudly speak of the devastating effects these evil people have wreaked on a key element of the very cultural identity of my Inuit constituents.

How many more young people must be killed by suicide? How much more alcoholism? How much welfare dependency will be required before these people realize what harm they have done and are doing to the self-reliant subsistence hunters of Canada's north. Shame on you that you could put the protection of a population of seals, now growing out of control in numbers ahead of the survival of a proud way of life and source of independent income from a race of people who have always reached out a helping hand of friendship to visitors from the south.

My Inuit constituents think these well intentioned do-gooders from the friend to animals movement with their questionable scientific facts are not only patronizing but genocidal in their missionary zeal. The Inuit hunters from northern Canada, the people from my constituency struggling to make a living in a southern style wage economy on Baffin Island, in one of the most costly locations in the country, are saying that the people from Greenpeace and its descendants are committing the worst crime of all: exploitation and colonial style eradication of the subordinate culture all in the name of protecting what they call "a beautiful and trusting creature, a fitting symbol...

Mr. Patterson, your allotted time has elapsed.

May I ask for consent to conclude, Mr. Speaker?

Perhaps you would like to ask for unanimous consent.

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Patterson.

The Inuit subsistence hunters from northern Canada, the people from my constituency struggling to make a living in a southern style wage economy on Baffin Island, in one of the most costly locations in the country, are saying that the people from Greenpeace and its descendants are committing the worst crime of all: exploitation and colonial style eradication of the subordinate culture all in the name of protecting what they call "a beautiful and trusting creature, a fitting symbol of Canadian wildlife."

What about the other species under attack by these friends of animals, the Canadian Inuit? When is someone going to speak up and advertise for the cultural survival of a race of human beings? The ad is titled "It's Not A Seal, It's A Scapegoat." Mr. Speaker, I say to the international fund for animal welfare "it is not the seals, it is the Inuit who are the scapegoats." Qujannamiik.

Item 3, Members' Statements. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Honourable Members are aware of my long outstanding concerns about our present adoption legislation. Recently a constituent came to me for assistance with contacting children whose whereabouts are unknown following an adoption. Although I believe strongly that there should be some way to initiate

contact, I am unable to help parents and children in this situation because of outdated, poorly thought out and culturally insensitive legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I think Members will agree that all children wherever they live have a right to know as much as possible about their background and culture. In some provinces there have been moves to accommodate some cultures. I am told that Quebec has recently given its assurance to China that children adopted from that country will be provided with full information about their cultural background. Children who have been adopted within Canada are not given any assurance of this basic right. Our laws do not take into account aboriginal traditions and values.

Family laws across Canada at the present time prevent a child who is adopted through Social Services, or his or her parents, from obtaining any information about each other in most circumstances until that child turns 18 years old. This is true even if a child, both parents and the adoptive parents all agree that some type of contact would be beneficial. I really do not see how government can feel that they have the right to assume this amount of control over peoples lives.

The long awaited Family Law Review report includes some recommendations on adoption. I do not agree with everything in this report. However, it does recommend that in the case of departmental adoptions, where children are older and have ties to their families or communities, the court should have the discretion not to sever all bonds and that access to parents or other family members should be considered. I agree strongly with this recommendation.

Mr. Gargan, your allotted time has lapsed.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to continue my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to continue. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and honourable Members. The long awaited Family Law Review report includes some recommendations on adoptions. I do not agree with everything in this report. However, it does recommend that in the case of departmental adoptions where children are older and have ties to their families or community, the courts should have the discretion not to sever all bonds, that access to the parents or other family members should be considered. I agree strongly with this recommendation.

I believe that the need for contact with some family or community is even more crucial for aboriginal children. Therefore I agree with a further recommendation which provides that in the case of a private or departmental adoption of a Dene or Metis aboriginal child, confidentiality will not apply unless the birth mother applies for it for a specific period of time.

Mr. Speaker, now that this report, which we waited over four years for, is completed, I trust the Minister of Justice will be moving quickly to bring all outdated family law legislation to current status which reflect and respect the needs, traditions and values of aboriginal people. It is time that our views were respected instead of ignored. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' Statements. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There have been several irresponsible statements recently attributing reasons why wildlife seems to be behaving in a strange fashion. We have so many animals which are not following their traditional paths, etc. This happens from time to time, Mr. Speaker. I am very interested, and always have been, in the environment. I think it is irresponsible for people to say that caribou are behaving this way because of all the mining activity, the helicopters, planes, etc. without having any evidence of it. In fact there is quite a body of evidence to suggest that one of the things that affects human beings and animals more than anything else is climate. I am not trying to present any scientific case but we know the weather has been unusually mild and pleasant over the last while. If there is anything which affects people and animals it is the climate. When it is hot you take your coat off and so on and if you find you are cold you go to a warmer climate. These things affect people and animals.

I would like to suggest that those people that like to attribute the strange animal behaviour, for example just outside my house recently in the back there was a mink in the tree just looking down at me as I was putting out the garbage. There was also a fox the other night on my back porch. These had nothing to do with helicopters, Mr. Speaker. I would suggest that they were around because it happened to be a good place to be at this time of year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Item 3, Members' Statements. Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. On September 29, 30 and October 1, 1992 the Deh Cho Tribal Council hosted the "Justice In Deh Cho, 1992 Forum on Justice and Legal Issues". Sixteen resource people attended the conference to share with the community their knowledge, experience and feelings in relation to justice issues.

The aboriginal justice directorate, the aboriginal policing directorate and the aboriginal corrections directorate are all federal initiatives helped to fund the conference as well as send key facilitators to explain what their directorate did as well as to offer some suggestions. The Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Justice also helped to fund and send facilitators to inform the communities what the direction the G.N.W.T. is starting to take. Key aboriginal resource people also participated. These people shared with the communities their experiences, difficulties and suggestions to deal with justice issues and aboriginal communities and organizations.

Joan Ryan and Marie Dell Rabesca from the Dene Cultural Institute justice project in Lac La Martre made presentations regarding Dene traditional justice. Joe Tambour and Roy Fabien presented workshops on alcohol and drug abuse, family violence, sexual assault and healing. Aboriginal people from the south such as Frank Brown from Bella Bella, B.C., Chester Cunningham from the Native Counselling Service of Alberta and Liz Scout, an aboriginal policing consultant to the Woodlands Cree Reserve, all participated.

The "Justice in Deh Cho Forum" consists of plenary sessions and workshops. The topics covered were the tribal and police band forces, community based policing and the R.C.M.P., alternative youth corrections, aboriginal correction models, justice of the peace program, community justice committees, elders' circles and reflections on possible ways to integrate community justice with the existing system.

Twenty seven recommendations were made, Mr. Speaker. They were presented to the Deh Cho Tribal Council. These recommendations had three main themes, there is a need for more workshops, education...

Mr. Antoine, your allotted time has lapsed.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There were three main themes. One, there is a need for more workshops, education, resources and discussions on both alternative measures and the current system of justice functioning in Canada today. The communities would like more information on how other aboriginal are dealing with crime and social problems.

Two, the pilot project for the Deh Cho region has been requested.

Three, a full-time staff person to assist the communities with their justice concerns and initiatives as required.

There were 12 recommendations presented regarding policing. It was felt that there should be more interaction and more information sharing between the R.C.M.P. and the communities. More aboriginal police forces for the Deh Cho regions were requested. Non-aboriginal police officers should be given in-depth cross cultural awareness training as the majority of the people in the communities are Dene. The tribal council has been directed to continue working in the area of determining the approaches each member of its communities wishes to take in developing community based justice projects. A regional proposal should be advanced to ensure that the follow-up and support work required in justice projects is available to the tribal members.

The recommendation of the forum indicated that there is a definite need to continue this process of discussion and development. The initiative will require the support of federal, territorial, aboriginal and community resources. Mr. Speaker, the support of the Legislative Assembly to the Deh Cho Tribal Council in its initiative to develop reform in the area of aboriginal justice is crucial. Mahsi Cho.