Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to make a statement on the absolute discharge for Paul Quassa. Mr. Speaker, like my honourable colleagues for Deh Cho and Thebacha who spoke on this subject last week, I am dismayed and offended by the territorial court's decision to reward the anti-social and criminal behaviour of a political figure by granting an absolute discharge.
Last July, Mr. Speaker, Paul Quassa came into my home town of Coppermine and committed a sexual assault. As a guest at a private house party he made lewd and suggestive comments to a respected female member of our community, and then he followed this uncouth conduct with unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature.
It was not an outsider who behaved in this way, Mr. Speaker. This insult came from a so-called leader of our own people. As president of the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut, Mr. Quassa should be committed to protecting Inuit women from this sort of dehumanizing experience.