Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to support this motion and say that coming from a small community, when there are weddings, feasts and other activities that happen in the community, everybody participates. Small businesses and even the local government give time off to their staff to participate. You have to recognize that aboriginal people opened their arms to Europeans when they landed and we were willing to share the land with them.

If they had not done this, we would not be celebrating Canada Day or the Queen's birthday. We have to recognize this and they need to have a day to themselves. Creating a day for them is not acceptable to a lot of the aboriginals. They think they need to have a day celebrating for themselves. I know that in the larger communities, the bigger businesses and the government, they are going to be taking a big cost to give this day up, but I have to say again that aboriginal people need to be recognized as do other groups. We celebrate other days that were created, like Mr. Braden said, so I just want to say that I support it. Thank you.