Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the Minister responsible for Justice told us in this House about the consultation process that his department was undertaking to inform the residents of the Northwest Territories about the Human Rights Act.

Mr. Speaker, by way of background, basic notions of human rights have been around since the early ages of human civilization. The modern concepts of human rights emerged in 18th century Europe from the struggles for the rights of man. Mr. Speaker, these struggles focused on the rights of individuals to be left alone by the state, and were more negative in that they only required that the state not interfere. These were known, Mr. Speaker, as first generation rights and included the rights of expression, religion and assembly.

Mr. Speaker, presently in the Northwest Territories we have a very unique opportunity to look again at our current human rights legislation and to mould it into what we think should be protected under the general term "human rights." Mr. Speaker, there are those who state that expressive instances of discrimination in Canada are on the decline. However, more subdued and harmful discrimination persists. Equal treatment for all people does not produce equal rights.

Mr. Speaker, as we know, fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS, is a medical diagnosis that refers to a set of alcohol-related disabilities associated with the use of alcohol during pregnancy. Possible fetal alcohol effect, or FAE, indicates that alcohol being consumed is one of the possible causes for a child's birth defects.

Mr. Speaker, I submit to you that persons with these types of disabilities will be affected by the definition of disability that will be included in the proposed Human Rights Act. At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Justice how persons with these types of disabilities will be protected by the new human rights legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause