Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that others will want to refute some of my arguments; however...I do want to say welcome to Lynn Brooks in the gallery. It is probably by invitation that she is here.
One has to recognize the principle by which this bill is being put forward. Mr. Speaker, I don't know how many people here have ever had the opportunity, the disappointment and the hurt of having someone being beaten in front of them. Those who are proposing a bill of this particular type should have felt that kind of pain before they proposed the kind of bill that is being brought before us.
It is one thing about having to stand up, Mr. Speaker, and talk about what other people feel; it's another to have experienced it. Long before I was in this Assembly, I saw my mother beaten. I saw my mother hurt. I saw my sister-in-law beaten. Now, some Members have had that experience before and some see it even today, but the fact is, Mr. Speaker, you cannot simply introduce legislation in this Legislature or any parliament without recognizing the consequences of that piece of legislation. It is our responsibility as legislators to pass laws in this House that reflect not only the conduct of this Assembly, but the conduct of people outside of this Assembly.
It is simply not good enough to rise in this House and say that we agree on zero tolerance as a principle and then pass laws that do not reflect the facts and circumstances of people who live in small communities and have to deal with these issues. I think it's the wrong way to do business. It's a disservice, whether or not the women of the Northwest Territories want a piece of legislation that addresses the concern of violence, to simply say to the people of the Northwest Territories that all violence and the methods by which we deal with these issues cannot be dealt with through proper legislation.
It is wrong to say that this House, Mr. Speaker, has not had the courage and responsibility inherent in the traditions of this Legislature to discipline and remove Members, to have no courage to use the rules as they are now and then say that judges should make those decisions. If we are incapable of making those decisions in this House then what are we doing here? Why did people elect us? It is to make decisions, and if those decisions mean that we have to throw out a Member of this House, then why don't we live up to that responsibility?