Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I have a letter dated August 30th from an Anna Bouvier. She is the chairman of the Zhati Koe Friendship Centre. I think a lot of other Members got the same types of letters about a territorial-wide campaign to increase wages and provide benefits to family violence prevention workers and also to encourage the government to do something about the issues that face agencies dealing with family violence

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For example, Madam Speaker, in my home town of Fort Providence, the Zhati Koe Friendship Centre does an excellent job of administrating a family violence program, despite the fact they have not received an increase in their core funding for over 10 years. As a point of interest, Madam Speaker, I'm aware of one employee who has not had a raise in 10 years.

She has not complained in the past, Madam Speaker, because of how strongly she believes in the importance of her work.

However, Madam Speaker, when this individual heard that a first-year family violence worker in other communities receives more money for the same work, she understandably became upset and discouraged. Madam Speaker, when the executive director of the Zhati Koe Friendship Centre tried to right the wrong by diverting some money for the operational budget to the employee benefit budget, she was shut down by the program administrator in Yellowknife and consequently had to take back the wage increase she had given. This went a long way in improving staff morale among family violence prevention workers in Fort Providence.

Madam Speaker, one of the primary recommendations that came out of the report of the Special Committee on Health and Social Services was that we, as a government, must give front-line workers in the field more support. Family violence workers in the Northwest Territories are on the front lines, Madam Speaker. They are providing options and hope for many women and children who have no place else to turn. The full and part-time workers are on call 24 hours a day, ready to respond to the requests of the RCMP and Social Services.

The vast majority of family violence workers receive no housing or settlement allowance and are paid at a rate which is 40 to 50 per cent less than people doing comparable work with the territorial government. Madam Speaker, it strikes me that a lot of the arguments I am using to speak to this motion are the same ones that we used last year to support the alcohol and drug workers in their successful struggle for wage parity.

Madam Speaker, not only do I believe that we, as a government, have a responsibility to these family violence prevention workers to ensure we can attract and keep good people in these positions, I also believe we have a responsibility to women and children who usually, through no fault of their own, are forced to use these facilities or resources.

Madam Speaker, at this moment, there is a conference taking place in Hay River for all the leaders in the Deh Cho area to work towards the inherent right to self-government. One of the directions that the leaders have taken is that they have to start with the healing process of their people and their leaders. I think it is a positive step to reduce the issue of family violence.

The other thing I would like to say, Madam Speaker, is that most family violence workers are women. The government has also taken steps to ensure wage equity between women and men. I think the motion also addresses that issue and the direction the government would like to go. The other thing is, although family violence workers take in abused women, they also take in women to prevent abuse.

I don't think family violence workers should only help assist victims, they should go beyond that to try to deal with the offenders and to play a role in intervention in the courts, too. I believe those are the things that need to be addressed. I think in most cases where there is family violence, the victims are always taken care of but the offenders are left on their own to face their charges and pay the consequences. Families are split up, women are in shelters and that is where it ends. I think family violence workers should not only talk to the wives, but also to the husband to try to address the issue when it starts, not after the fact.

Yesterday we had a workshop and one of the things that came out of the workshop was the importance of coordination between organizations, between RCMP, nurses, educators, and even alcohol and drug counsellors in the community. I think there are a variety of ways to deal with the issue when it happens. I don't think we should continue to think the issue ends when we address the victim.

With that, I would like to urge Members to support the motion. I think most Members already dealt with the declaration by this House regarding zero tolerance and family violence. There have been all kinds of letters written to the Minister. I have copies of 65 letters that were written by native organizations, the YWCA, women's resource centres, the municipalities, the Tree of Peace and all kinds of band councils and organizations that deal with the issue and who are administering programs. I don't think I have to go on. I'm sure a lot of other Members have a lot to say about the issue. I believe family violence prevention workers should be supported and I'm sure all Members will agree.