Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am aware that what I have to say has to be very carefully worded, since it covers a subject which is of tremendous political sensitivity in our communities. I agree that the major issues in many of our communities over the last several years, Mr. Speaker, have been on family violence. It has been covered by one of the reports tabled by Mr. Kakfwi yesterday. It concerns women and children as victims of violence. I agree that violence against women and children in our society is a symptom of the breakdown of many of our traditional family values. Over the past six years, however, I have received much information expressing concern about two other groups of very vulnerable people in our society. I refer to our senior citizens and to our disabled people. These groups are not always identified as victims of violence. But I am pleased, in the case of our seniors, that they are identified in our Special Committee on Health and Social Services report as being victims of violence. I fully appreciate that this is going to be given some exposure in the debates in this House.
It is my hope that when witnesses are called to comment on the issue of family violence in committee of the whole, that the Minister will invite representatives of disabled people and senior citizens to help us more fully understand the dimensions of family violence. When we discuss the whole issue of zero tolerance towards violence, we will come up with something that is very definite and concrete so we can understand how we intend to implement such a policy.
For example, in this House, if I am violent the Speaker will make sure that the Sergeant-at-Arms will take me out of this place. I will not be able to sit here. That is an example of something definite and concrete. So I am hoping that when we get to this issue, we will nail down what it is we can do to find some resolution to the problem of family violence.
---Applause