Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We as a government have decided that this is the right thing to do in moving this forward. In Canada, we live with a Charter of Rights. It is the overriding constitutional document that prevails across all governments and all legislation. This is what we accept. It is there to put an end to discrimination and to legislation that would be deemed unfair to individuals that live within this country. We have the view that these proposed amendments are the right thing for us to do as a government and our duty as legislators to enact and support.

One of the great pains or vacuums that some of us have grown up with is the denial of rights. Aboriginal people grew up with that. Until we experience it and live with it, it is difficult sometimes to understand how those who are oppressed and denied rights feel. There is no dignity in it. There is no respect and your self worth is something you have to struggle to maintain.

One way to look at this is, would you feel any different if your own children were born gay or born of a different sexual orientation, or some of your grandchildren were born with these different sexual orientations? Would you love them just as much as if they were born of the orientation you would prefer? Or would they be banished or treated different or denied the love and support and the fair treatment they should be accorded?

This is the way I look at this particular piece of legislation. We all have children. We all have grandchildren or are going to have grandchildren. It is up to us to prepare the future for them. It must be a future that strives to eliminate discrimination in whatever form it manifests itself. So I will be again, and the Cabinet will be, supporting the proposed amendments. Thank you.