Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank Mr. Kakfwi for his initiative in this area, to bring to our attention that this problem has to stop. I would like to encourage him to keep going and I will give him all the support he needs. Moral support and any other suggestions he may seek from us. I would also like to acknowledge Nellie's work in this area. She has done quite a bit to make us aware that this is an unacceptable practice.

And, also, I would like to commend the NWT Status of Women Council for their work which they have done for a long time. As well, I would like to thank the Native Women's Association, the Council for Disabled Persons, Bertha Allen for the community work she does in her region and Abe Okpik. I would like to thank them all for being with us and making us aware of the intensity of this problem.

Mr. Chairman, I consider myself very lucky. I was born in a small camp. I have a small family and I have never seen somebody beating up anyone. I recall, very vividly, the very first time one of our community members hit his wife. Everyone felt the hurt. In the Inuit way, if anything like that happens, the community gets together and deals with that person. My father was a leader of the camp and he got all of the people together to deal with that person.

I remember hunting and trapping was an everyday event. Because of that event, no one went out. It was such a big issue that everyone stopped. Now that we are living in the communities, the leaders have changed. We are in a changing time. The old leaders are not leaders any more. The leaders in the camps were not elected. They were leaders and they controlled the community and made sure everyone was fair to everyone else.

When the government structure came in to our communities, back in the 1960s, we were told to move into a community. It was a big thing for our family.

I have seen a statement, at some time, that says abusing is not a native way. I think that is true. I think, Mr. Chairman, in your earlier statement, you hit the nail on the head saying it is because we are in changing times, the people are frustrated about jobs, et cetera. They become abusers. I think it is not our way to abuse other people. It is the conditions in which we live and also a lack of education. The breakdown of our human values are causing us to be abusers.

I would encourage the government and also the native organizations, women's organizations or any other organizations that have concern in this area to work together. Like Bertha Allen said, the government cannot do it alone, the communities cannot do it alone and organizations cannot do it alone. Why don't we jointly approach this problem?

Mr. Patterson's statement that convicted people, if they hold a position, should resign. Convicted people should not be running for office. I agree with that. But it is difficult to convict people who are abusers. For instance, I went home for Christmas and one of my constituents was beaten very badly by her husband. I knew that husband had beaten her before. So I went to see that person at the hospital. She had broken ribs and wasn't feeling well. I said, are you going to charge your husband? She said, no. She said, he is really sorry. I said, that doesn't matter. There might not be a next time. Why don't you do something about it? She didn't want to. I called a lawyer in Iqaluit to see if anything could be done. I asked if the wife, who has been beaten up and is physically broken, doesn't want to charge her husband, could anything else be done? The lawyer told me if she doesn't want to do that, then the law cannot do anything. I think we have to encourage the federal government to change that law. So that people like nurses, doctors, teachers or RCMP can charge those people. Then it would be automatic. I think we have to do that.

I was listening to Abe Okpik. He made a statement to the effect that the abusers, before they abuse their wives or kids, should always remember where they come from, where they were born. I think we have to start saying that to the public. Like Mr. Antoine, I would agree, if I was prone to be abusive, then I should not be here. I think that goes for everyone, not just to legislators, but to mayors and regional boards, which are funded by this government. Thank you very much.

---Applause