Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide this House with an update on the proposed Human Rights Act for the Northwest Territories.

As you remember, the proposed act was tabled for consultation purposes last November. Since that time, the department staff have met with interested groups and many individuals have provided their comments on the project.

The three main features in the proposed act are:

• • A Human Rights Commission;
• • Greater protection for human rights; and,
• • An easy process for dealing with complaints.

The proposed act builds on the Fair Practices Act, which is the human rights legislation we have now. It would offer protection against more types of discrimination than the current legislation. It would also apply in more situations than the Fair Practices Act.

Another major change is the proposed Human Rights Commission. Right now, the Department of Justice administers a fair practices office. Complaints are dealt with by lawyers who provide services part time under contract. A Human Rights Commission would be independent of the government. It would investigate complaints, promote human rights in the Northwest Territories and provide advice to the government.

Our consultation with the public is continuing, Mr. Speaker. A brochure that explains the proposed act in clear language is being printed right now. We expect to have the finished product by early March. The brochure will be distributed in territorial newspapers. It will also be sent out in the mail to all Northwest Territories community governments, aboriginal organizations and other organizations that have an interest in human rights issues.

The brochure sets out a description of the proposed Human Rights Act. It describes the changes from the Fair Practices Act. It also invites people and groups to get in touch with the department for more information, if they have comments or if they would like to meet with staff and talk about the proposed act.

We will also be holding a series of public meetings for people to discuss the proposed act. We are in the process of hiring a consultant to run these meetings. The point is to give northern people many opportunities to voice their opinions on this legislation.

The department plans to meet with people and organizations until the end of May. After that, the proposed Human Rights Act will be revised based on the consultations. I expect that a bill could be ready for introduction in the fall.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank those who have already taken part in the consultation. I would also like to encourage everyone to get involved in this process and help us create a Human Rights Act for the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause