Madam Speaker, the fact is, aboriginal custom adoption is recognized in the jurisdiction of the Northwest Territories. It always has been. That is not in dispute here. There is a process outlined now that says if you are adopted through custom adoption, you have to apply to the Supreme Court. You have to fill out an application form and have it heard in the Supreme Court, the social worker has to be involved, the natural parents have to fill out the forms, and affidavits have to be signed.

It is quite a process and it is only readily available here in the capital, it is not easily done in the remote communities. It is our own people, the Inuit, Dene and Metis families who have asked that we try to simplify the process so as to not allow the process to cause hardship on the parents who are adopting and on the children who are adopted. This act just deals with the process. The process was cumbersome before and it is much less cumbersome now. Thank you.