Mr. Chairman, in March 2000, our Legislative Assembly passed a motion calling on the Department of Justice to develop a bill for a Human Rights Act for the Northwest Territories. Bill 1 was introduced last February after broad consultations.

This past summer and fall the Standing Committee on Social Programs held its public review and made a number of improvements to the bill. I want to thank the Members of the standing committee and their staff for the hard work they have put into this important project. I am pleased to be here today as this committee begins the review of Bill 1.

Many people face discrimination in their day to day lives,. Human rights law is society's way of saying that all people should be treated with dignity and respect. Discrimination is not acceptable. People should not be treated badly because of characteristics like their gender, race or religion. Human rights legislation can also be a way to recognize that people are not always aware of discrimination and may need more information about it. People should be assisted when they confront discrimination and there should be a process to help them work through these problems.

The call for updated human rights law shows that we want to move a step closer to having a society where all people are treated with dignity and respect. Where everyone knows they have protection against discrimination regardless of personal characteristics like race, religion, gender, age, disabilities or sexual orientation.

The bill under review today is to replace the Fair Practices Act a form of human rights law developed in the mid-1960's.

Over the years, the Fair Practice Act in been updated but it still falls below the standard of Human Rights Legislation in most other provinces and territories. It fails to reflect many of the things that people of the Northwest Territories say are important today. The new Human Rights Act will be a progressive piece of legislation we can all be proud of.

The Department of Justice consulted broadly on the development of this bill. The people we heard from provided a lot of input and support. That consultation helped to shape Bill 1. In addition, after the bill was introduced a few concerns were raised. The government reviewed these concerns and as a result will be moving a few motions to Bill 1.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, the Human Rights Act will be an important piece of legislation for the Northwest Territories. It signifies our recognition of the importance of tolerance, dignity and respect and the commitment to uphold these principles. I look forward to our discussion today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.