Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been widely recognized for some time that the NWT legislation governing family law requires updating and reform. Family law and its renewal touches on the lives of everyone in the Northwest Territories.
For this reason, we involved and consulted with a broad spectrum of interest groups. We also spent considerable time researching customary family law as it applies to our northern aboriginal population. This process led to passing and implementing the Aboriginal Custom Adoption Recognition Act and resulting in the four bills I will introduce later today.
These bills I will introduce are the Child and Family Services Act, the Adoption Act, the Children's Law Act, and the Family Law Act.
The Child and Family Services Act provides a northern solution that allows communities to become responsible for child welfare issues at the local level. It builds on the desire to promote healthy communities that deal with child welfare matters according to community standards. Many aboriginal children were adopted under previous legislation and this made access to their records difficult. They are now seeking information about their birth parents and extended family. The Adoption Act proposes a more open process to facilitate searches and reunions when adopted children become adults.
The issues covered in the proposed Children's Law Act include the legal status of children, the establishment of parentage, custody of and access to children, guardianship of the estates of children, and child support. When parliament amends the Divorce Act to provide guidelines for child support, I will begin the process to change our legislation to harmonize the two schemes.
The main issues covered in the proposed Family Law Act are domestic contracts, spousal support, division of family property, and possession of the family home.
The proposed Children's Law Act and Family Law Act will modernize family legislation in the Northwest Territories and replace the following existing legislation: the Domestic Relations Act, Maintenance Act, Minors Act, Matrimonial Property Act, Extra-Territorial Custody Orders Enforcement Act, and parts of the Child Welfare Act dealing with the status of children and paternity.
In future, other legislation that relates to family law issues will be amended accordingly. Mr. Speaker, this is a comprehensive package of family law legislation. I look forward to these bills going before the Standing Committee on Social Programs and I am confident that this process will generate useful public consultation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.