Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this week I had the opportunity to talk about anti-bullying and cyber-bullying and my commending the Quebec government for introducing new measures to counter bullying in schools. Questions earlier this week posed to our own Minister of Education also asked about the Northwest Territories embarking on a journey of creating better sound legislation to combat bullying. We have heard some promise, but we need these measures now.

I can’t tell you the vast number of parents, teachers and students that contacted me since my Member’s statement earlier in the week in support of stopping the violence against bullying. This just reinforces that this issue is well overdue. On top of that, I have to commend that we have some visitors here today from N.J. McPherson. Thank you guys for coming out today and supporting us.

Mr. Speaker, all of this should tell the government that the people of the Northwest Territories are concerned about our youth and that we, as legislators, need to rally together to stop bullying in its tracks.

I want to take a moment just to talk about victims of bullying. Shockingly, recent reports that we heard today that 50 percent of all Canadians have been bullied at one time or another in their lives, that a small minority were victimized regularly and repeatedly. Research has also shown that this minority is not very likely to outgrow the problems caused by such victimization. Without the proper help or intervention, these chronic victims very often are lonely, unhappy or depressed for many years after the bullying started. Admittedly and regrettably, some had no recourse and chose suicide as a means to escape their violence, and my heart goes out to those families.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot let this happen. We have to stop this pattern of behaviour. We cannot let this minority suffer anymore. In fact, we need to look at our very own Mental Health Strategy and open our doors to these people and give them the hope they so desperately deserve. We need to realize that we have the responsibility to both protect and help these victims who need us on their darkest days and hours, and this responsibility starts with us drawing a line in the sand to bullies everywhere in saying no more.

I wish to thank my colleagues here today, addressing in their own way and from their own point of view their support for anti-bullying. As I said the other day, together we can change behaviour and I think today, Mr. Speaker, we are. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.