Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The four family law bills cross the broad range of family law issues. At some point, most Northerners are affected directly or indirectly by this legislation. My apologies, Mr. Speaker, I thought I was in committee of the whole.

For this reason, the committee felt it was important to allow all Northerners to comment on the bills. Unfortunately, financial realities prevented us from personally reaching all communities. However, we did provide opportunities for people to come to the committee through meetings in every region.

To maximize the use of resources, we split into two subcommittees for the purpose of public hearings. The first group including myself, Mr. Enuaraq, Mr. Ningark and Mr. Barnabas, we travelled to Rankin Inlet, Iqaluit and Cambridge Bay. In addition to the public meetings, Members also took part in local radio shows, with a particularly successful phone-in show in Rankin Inlet. The second group consisted of Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Erasmus and Mr. Roland, who travelled to Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Hay River and Fort Smith.

The full committee then met in Yellowknife in June for the final public hearings. Written submissions were accepted until late August. In mid-September, the Committee held clause by clause reviews on three bills with the Minister.

The family law bills expand eligibility from married couples to married and common-law couples. However, they stop short of recognizing same sex couples. The definition of spouse is limited to homosexual couples. There were two areas where this area was an issue. The proposed Adoption Act does not allow for both partners in a same sex relationship to adopt a child. Partners in same sex relationships are not given rights to spousal support and division of property under the proposed Family Law Act.

The committee received many presentations relating to the inclusion of same sex couples in these bills. However, presenters were split on whether to amend the bills to include same sex couples. The committee members agreed that a change to include same sex couples would be a substantive change to the legislation. Since there was no clear indication on the preference of the public during our hearings, we have decided to leave this matter to debate in the House.

Any Member of the Assembly will have the opportunity to introduce amendments to one or both of the bills in question during committee of the whole. To assist in the debate, the committee wrote to each MLA in early July. We provided an information sheet on the proposed changes and asked each Member to consult with their constituents on this matter.

The committee asked that the preamble be added to each bill. These preambles will set the philosophical context of the legislation. During the public hearings, people raised concerns about issues such as the importance of family and making sure family law matters are dealt with quickly. We hope that preambles will address these kinds of concerns. The committee wants any legislation to be understood by the people who read it. In our opinion, the proposed legislation is not yet written in plain language. We hope in the future the government will attempt to revise the Acts so they are written for all to read and understand.

The success of these new bills will depend a large part on their implementation. Part of the implementation process will be the drafting of the regulations. We are pleased that the Minister has committed to working with us to ensure that the regulations will be consistent with the public direction. We also are pleased with the government's commitment to ensure adequate training and support for front-line workers as they adjust to the new approach in family law. We look forward to regular updates on this work by the Minister.

The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Commissioner raised a number of concerns with the bills. The departments have been working with the commissioner indirectly to identify the key issues. Amendments will be introduced in the House to address these concerns.

In the two bills put forward by the Department of Health and Social Services, there is a particularly strong focus on community involvement and community decision making. The committee agrees with the approach. We encourage the government to take this opportunity to expand the role of local justices of the peace. As community residents, they have knowledge of families and individuals which make them uniquely qualified to deal with many family law issues.

The committee would like to thank many territorial residents who made presentations or wrote us with the concerns about the proposed family law bills. We appreciate your comments and have done our best to ensure the issues are addressed by the Minister. We would also like to thank the Minister and his staff for their efforts working with us to produce the best possible legislation.

Finally, we would like to express our appreciation for the members of the original family law review in the early 1990's. While the bills cannot accomplish everything they recommended, we believe they go a long way toward achieving the results the review members envisioned.

Mr. Speaker, that concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs, and therefore, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs on the Review of the Family Law Bills be received by the Assembly and moved into committee of the whole. Thank you.