Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I mentioned in the official report from the committee, the support for making National Aboriginal Day a statutory holiday among the Regular Members was unanimous. I am certainly part of the group that supports making the holiday a statutory holiday.

Like Mr. Bell, I had been approached by a number of business people who outlined their concerns about the cost to their businesses, to the economy in adding a holiday. A number of them had pointed out that a day like the first Monday in August, which has no other real name other than the first Monday in August, does not recognize anything so we were not really giving anything up if we eliminated that day. We could have honoured the contribution of aboriginal people and culture to the Territories and still kept the costs the same as what it is to both the public and private sector.

I regret that the government was not willing to agree to that proposal but I do think it is important that we move forward and make National Aboriginal Day a statutory holiday. I certainly am in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.