Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was shocked and dismayed yesterday with a response I received from the Minister responsible for the Status of Women Council during question period.
I am sure honourable Members will recall that I asked the honourable Member for Natilikmiot what action he had taken to seek the advice of the Status of Women Council on the shameful decision of our territorial court to grant Paul Quassa an absolute discharge. The Minister did not answer my question. He did not refer to the council or its executive director. His only comment was, "Since the decision has been made, on a number of occasions I have talked about this with my wife."
Mr. Speaker, this response is clearly unacceptable. The people of the Northwest Territories commit over a quarter of a million dollars yearly to support the council. The members of the council, and their staff, invest even more in terms of time, energy and devotion they bring to the cause. For the Minister to seriously suggest that he would not actively seek the opinions of this group of skilled and thoughtful Northerners because he had chosen to talk to his wife instead shows little respect for the members of the council or the work that they do. It also shows disrespect for women in general because it suggests that, unless you are married and have a husband who listens, your views will not be considered by this government. It is possible that the Minister may have been trying to make a joke with his answer. Mr. Speaker, this is not acceptable, either.
Throughout the Northwest Territories women, and men too, have taken note of the Quassa affair and what it says about both the justice system and our current constitutional political process. This is not a joking matter, Mr. Speaker, and the Minister should know that. We should take a serious position on the issue and should begin to rely on the advisory resources that exist within the Status of Women Council and our community organizations across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.