Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I wish to speak about the four young aboriginal girls who have gone missing from the Yellowknife area over the past five years. I find it appalling that the RCMP took so long to form a task force to deal with these disappearances.

Madam Speaker, when a male trapper goes missing or is overdue, planes and ground searches are immediately organized. Because we were dealing with young women, the police and indeed the entire community looked at this issue as more of a runaway problem rather than the sinister tones these disappearances have taken.

Madam Speaker, one family can take solace in at least being able to bury their daughter. But, for the remaining families, it is a never-ending battle between hope and despair. They struggle to retain their faith while being burdened by media sensationalism surrounding prostitution and abduction of young people. These families deserve our sympathy and support during their time of need. We, as the government, should be doing everything in our power to ensure that the RCMP do everything possible to solve those cases.

Madam Speaker, we also need to change people's attitudes. I am positive it would have been much easier for the RCMP to find out what happened to these young women if they would have treated their disappearances as suspicious right from the start. Mahsi cho, Madam Speaker.

---Applause