Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today I want to talk about victims' rights. I have said many times in this House that society has had an imbalance in

our justice system with the rights of the accused in that the rights of the convicted override that of the victims.

In seems to me now, Madam Speaker, that across the country victims are no longer on the mainstream political agenda. There is very little mention of victims in the Liberal red book. It doesn't say very much about victims and federal initiatives. We hear a lot more about the Charter of Rights and a lot more why the federal government cannot proceed in certain areas of victims' rights.

It was also interesting, Madam Speaker, that back in the 1980s, judges often bore the brunt of frustrations that people had with the lack of support for victims. Here in the Northwest Territories, over the past number of years, judges have attended many judicial education conferences and have had many sensitivity sessions. I think Judge Halifax deserves a lot of credit. He was in the forefront of judicial education. There were a series of conferences held in western Canada, and one of those held here in Yellowknife. I think now that the judges in the Northwest Territories are very aware of the harm caused by sexual and violent offenders. Their judgments and their sentences are generally reflecting that awareness.

Madam Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.