Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I too feel that at this time we should withdraw this bill and allow for a more meaningful involvement and meaningful role for the aboriginal communities. I have heard these similar concerns from my community, especially from the chief and band council. When children are taken from the community because individuals may have personal problems socially in regard to alcoholism or whatever, it should be the decision of the aboriginal community to say where these aboriginal children are going. The whole idea of custom adoption which is an aboriginal phase and process has been done for numerous years in which we are trying to deal with the whole aboriginal question at the community level and allowing the communities to have a more active role in regard to how those adoptions take place, also exactly how it affects the aboriginal organizations regardless if it is the Gwich'in, Inuvialuit, the Sahtu or whomever. There has to be a more meaningful role for the aboriginal community. We have heard from the numerous federal reports in regard to the commission on the aboriginal process which was chaired by Mr. George Erasmus. There were a lot of concerns regarding adoptions and that process. I feel there has to be more meaningful role, especially when it comes to aboriginal people and children who lose their aboriginal culture through adoptions and not knowing where they came from, whom they are related to and also what their cultural background is.

I feel, Mr. Chairman, there should be a standing down of this bill in which there should be more meaningful involvement by aboriginal communities, organizations, and exactly as to how the aboriginal child will be dealt with and also, exactly what rights do the family have as an aboriginal person who may not understand the rights they have as parents in giving up the rights of their children to the Department of Social Services or whoever may be the agency. Mr. Chairman, we should at this time withdraw this bill and allow for a meaningful discussion by the aboriginal groups and the people in the Northwest Territories.