Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to take on a difficult subject. It is difficult for me, but I know it is far more difficult for many others. It affects communities right across Canada, and yet it is something we are hesitant to put on the table. If we shine some light on it, our tendency may be to quickly move the light away because it is so painful. Yet, it needs to be acknowledged and addressed. I am talking about the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

Mr. Speaker, we hear it whenever the Commission holds hearings, and especially when they visit the North. This is a pain and grief that families are suffering from, many for years and years. This tragedy needs to be addressed, out of respect for the victims and their loved ones. Their pain and grief needs to be recognized so that their burden can begin to be shared.

Mr. Speaker, as a white male, I find myself struggling to know the right way to address this tragedy. I have lived in the North my entire life. I admire and respect the Indigenous people of this land, and I strive to demonstrate that in my daily life. However, I know that maybe I cannot understand life from their perspective.

I know I need to acknowledge my white privilege, whether that is comfortable or not. I know I need to be open, to listen, to learn with humility and with respect.

When it comes to the tragedy of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, it is hard to know what to say, or even how to start. I know I need to use great caution. Sometimes it feels like maybe it is easier to just not to say anything. I hope I show humility, compassion, and empathy. I want to recognize that the families are going through a grief and pain that maybe I can never truly understand.

Even if that is true, Mr. Speaker, I feel that it is important to raise my voice and to express caring, compassion, and respect for the victims and their families. As leaders, we must commit ourselves to confronting hate, misogyny, xenophobia, and racism whenever and wherever it confronts us, and we must dedicate our lives to words and actions that will make sure that the tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls ends now and can never happen again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.