Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to address the subject that was brought up by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, on behalf of the Ordinary Members' Caucus, last November. In the statement, it was pointed out that declarations of zero tolerance, and the document on violence that was tabled in the last session, are "nice encouraging words, but still only words." He said, "We need to turn those words into action."

Mr. Speaker, I couldn't agree more with the Ordinary Members' Caucus. If we were to stop here, satisfied with expressions of good intent, then clearly this would not be enough. But we have no intention of stopping here and I'd like to talk more about that in a minute. But first I'd like to look at the declarations on family violence themselves, because I don't think that we should take them for granted.

Family violence is not only a problem in our homes and in our communities here in the Northwest Territories. Family violence is a problem across the country and around the world. Yet, to my knowledge, this Assembly is the only one in Canada, and probably beyond, that has taken such a clear public stand against family violence. Over a dozen communities and organizations in the NWT have followed our lead and I hope that more will do so in the coming weeks and months. These kinds of actions keep the issue of family violence front and centre where it belongs.

Mr. Speaker, it was not very long ago that family violence was considered to be an internal family matter, something not of concern outside the immediate family. The justice system certainly treated family violence this way up until about ten years ago. Some people still have trouble realizing that family violence is a crime. Changing social attitudes about violence, or anything else for that matter, is not something that happens overnight. It is a process; a process that starts with one person, one family, one community and spreads from there.

Our attitudes on this subject have changed a lot in the last few years and they will continue to evolve. The declarations are a vital element in the process of building zero tolerance for violence. They are part of the process of change and we must do whatever we can to encourage that change. As an MLA, I have contacted communities in the Sahtu and encouraged them to follow the example of Norman Wells in adopting a declaration of zero tolerance for family violence and I encourage all Members to do the same with political leaders in the constituencies.

All of us can do more. Declarations of zero tolerance are about providing leadership, role-modelling and sending the right message. If the Members of this Assembly are serious about wanting to send the right message out about violence, and I have no reason to doubt that we are, we are in an excellent position to do so by introducing a requirement that any one of our Members who is convicted of a violent offence will be obliged to resign his or her seat in this Assembly. In my mind, this is a concrete step that we could take collectively, that would send a clear signal that we mean business. I, for one, would be among the first to support such a measure.

---Applause

Certainly, Mr. Speaker, declarations of zero tolerance for violence, although positive steps in themselves are no substitute for actions. Nor are they meant to be. In fact, there are a number of areas where we are moving ahead. The Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake alluded in his statement last November, to significant capital expenditures in the area of corrections. I will have more to say about these expenditures later in this session, but I want to mention now that the purpose of these expenditures is not just to build more buildings to warehouse more offenders. The hope is that, by bringing them closer to the communities, by making appropriate programming available, and by involving community members in running these facilities, we will be more effective in reaching offenders and in changing their behaviours, with the result that there will be less violence.

Another very significant change that is under way is the attempt to deal with the underlying causes of violence. This approach starts with acknowledging that violence, although itself a very serious problem, is also a symptom of other underlying and connected problems. In this, it is similar to alcohol: alcohol abuse is a huge problem in its own right but is also a symptom of something else. This approach that is being pursued by all the departments within the social envelope process, we are calling community wellness. Again, more will be said about this later in this Assembly, but it is important to mention it here.

I agree completely with the honourable Members of the Ordinary Members' Caucus that well-supported victims are essential to the effective prosecution of domestic violence offences. I believe the best way of ensuring that victims of violence get the support they deserve, both in the courtroom and in the community, is to do everything we can to erode the belief that beating your wife and abusing your children is somehow excusable. We have to undermine the idea that somehow abused women and children are to blame for the abuse they receive. One way of achieving these goals is to erode the degree of tolerance for violence that still exists in our society, a tolerance that allows the cycle of violence to continue.

Community-based victim service groups provide a much needed service. Volunteers and staff with these groups deserve our recognition and our thanks for the good work that they do.

Declarations of zero tolerance, the modelling of healthy and non-violent behaviour by political leadership, tackling the underlying causes of family violence, supporting projects that build on community wellness; all of these are building blocks toward a society without violence, and they all deserve our support.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate, once again, those municipalities and organizations which have passed resolutions. Once again, I invite the Members of the Legislative Assembly to contact their constituents and urge their municipal councils, band councils and other organizations to adopt the principle of zero tolerance for family violence. It does make a difference. Mahsi.