Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am very disappointed that there was a lack, or there was no allowance for public consultation to take place through the review process of this legislation. I think it is appalling that we allow an act which will have a major effect on the majority of the population of the Northwest Territories, especially aboriginal people and aboriginal children.

I have a real concern that presently under the existing acts that we have for adoption that are in place, that the lack of consideration we have for the aboriginal cultures, the aboriginal groups and aboriginal people is not taken into consideration when children are given up for adoption or allowed to be adopted through the existing system we have. There is very little consideration given to aboriginal bands, communities, family units, grandparents.

If anything, the biggest concern I have is the effect we see in our society with the whole idea of the family unit, marriage and parents as husband and wife being diminished to a point where it is being pushed aside, yet we have nothing in legislation to enhance that idea. Instead we have legislation to deplete the whole idea of the existence of families and marriage as we know it. I think my biggest concern is the whole area of aboriginal children, their parents and grandparents and aboriginal organizations such as band councils or tribal councils realistically having a meaningful say on what happens to those children through this process.

Can you unilaterally say, "No, I do not want any of our children, through any band council or band corporation, to allow for the adoption of those children into gay or lesbian relationships, where you have that type of a unit"? I do not see it in this legislation. I do not see it anywhere in the existing legislation. We have legislation with regard to adoption where it says that you are supposed to notify the band council or organization that those children are from or the family unit, yet when the band chiefs or the communities get involved in these things, they are the last to be able to be involved in this process.

The system that we have now is deplorable. It is problematic in that it does not involve that aspect of the existing legislation. If it does not work in the legislation that we have now, what assurances do we have that this legislation will protect those children and those families and those aboriginal cultural groups in the communities I represent?

I am afraid that this will become the grounds of what we have seen through the hostel systems, where we have seen the effect on our small children in our communities being taken away to be put into an institution, regardless of if it is a family institution or an institution of government. Have we not learned anything from that?

For myself, I thought this legislation would have more teeth to ensure that would not happen. As a government, we are basically legislating into law to make it happen. I think that to say that we as a government are doing the right thing, sure we are doing the right thing under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but what about the rights of the aboriginal people and their aboriginal children? When will that come into the picture in regard to this legislation?

I find it deplorable for this committee to go out of its way to say we had public involvement. We got a whole bunch of submissions -- that is the involvement? They did not even step outside of the boundaries of Yellowknife to get that submission or even make an attempt to sit down with the aboriginal organizations to see what they think about this legislation. No attempt was made. To say that this legislation had due process and went through the process in place to allow public input is deplorable.

I have a real problem and concern, especially when we talk about self-government, land claims rights, where we want to be in regard to the aboriginal people governing themselves, when we as a government establish legislation that undermines that whole idea of assuring the membership of those organizations that those self-government agreements will allow those organizations to establish their own membership is being undermined by this type of legislation, before we even have a chance to implement or conclude that legislation.

I think it is pretty apparent how fast this legislation was rushed through, and then when it comes to the public consultation aspect, how fast we find reasons or excuses to not allow for public input, especially to ensure that this did go through due process, to allow for the only avenue that the public has to have any say on any legislation that comes through this House. Once it goes to the committee for public hearings, that is the only avenue that the public has to have input to legislation in this House.

Yet, for us to sit here and say we can stand up and say that we tried, I do not think that we tried hard enough. I have a real problem with the question of aboriginal children and aboriginal people's rights. To basically have their children, knowing that the majority of children in the Northwest Territories that are adopted are aboriginal children, and not make one window or one ounce of energy put towards ensuring that that aspect is being protected. There has to be some type of a process in place to allow for and to ensure that those children who fall within the family unit of those organizations, regardless of if it is an aboriginal tribal council, a band council or a community Metis local, that there will be due process. That before anything happens, there will be a process to ensure that there is some means or some test that has to be followed before that takes place.

I think it is crucial that we vote against the bill today, knowing it probably will not make a difference. I feel that this definitely should be challenged on the basis that we did not follow the due process that is required under the existing rules and procedures of this House. We have undermined our fiduciary obligation to First Nations people when it comes to treaty rights, aboriginal rights and land claims rights for their memberships.

I have to sit here being totally embarrassed to be a Member of this House and say that we have a vote that some people can live with, knowing that most of the people outside of this Legislature did not have the opportunity for due process to have allowed public hearings in all of the regions, or at least in one or two communities in each of those regions to see what the public thinks, not what we think, knowing that the numbers are there to get it through. With that, thank you, Mr. Chairman.