Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reform of NWT family law legislation has been a priority of this government for many years now, and we should acknowledge the contribution of the former Ministers of Justice, Mr. Ballantyne and Mr. Patterson, in this area. It has been acknowledged by them and certainly by us that our legislation is archaic and seriously flawed in many respects. In recognition of this, a working group was formed some time ago to advise the government in this area, and the Family Law Review report was produced.
The departments of Justice and Social Services have analyzed the report, developed responses and are in the process of consulting with groups on proposals for reform.
The Honourable Rebecca Mike and I intend to prepare draft legislation for tabling in the Legislative Assembly before the term of the current government expires. Our target is the winter session of 1995, or approximately one year from now. To meet this objective a massive amount of work is required, which will require additional resources dedicated exclusively to this project.
We are looking at three new pieces of legislation: a Family Law Act; a Children's Law Act; and, a Child Welfare Act. These will replace existing legislation in this area. In addition, we are looking at incidental amendments to other legislation.
Our intention is to complete consultation, prepare drafting instructions and commence drafting as soon as possible.
In our view, the reform of family law legislation is one of the government's priorities. In this area it impacts on the lives of our people on a day-to-day basis and the reform of legislation will have a positive impact for generations to come. It is the duty of this government to do everything within its capabilities to achieve real progress in this area in the lifetime of the current government. Thank you.
---Applause