Mr. Silver: It is with great pleasure that I rise today on behalf of the Liberal Party and the Official Opposition to pay tribute to Law Day and the anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Law Day was created by the Canadian Bar Association as a national day to mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It also provides an opportunity for those in the legal profession to educate the general public on Canada’s legal system. It was 33 years ago that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was signed into effect, enacting one of the strongest and most far-reaching pieces of our constitution. It was also on this day that patriating the Canadian Constitution formally took place, another landmark moment.

Sandy Silver today issued the following statement on the Auditor General of Canada’s report:

“The findings in the Auditor General’s report on corrections in Yukon are very concerning, as crime rates in the territory are among the highest in Canada. The OAG was very clear in its report that the Department of Justice is not adequately preparing offenders for successful reintegration into the community.

A lacklustre oversight on rehabilitation is at the heart of this issue, leaving many of those exiting corrections homeless, jobless, and at a high risk of reoffending.

Whitehorse: Liberal Leader Sandy Silver stood in the house today to question what action the Yukon Government was taking to keep Bill C-583, Yukon MP Ryan Leef’s private members’ bill on FASD, alive in the House of Commons.

“This spring our legislature passed a unanimous motion supporting a private members bill put forward by the Yukon’s own Member of Parliament,” said Silver “Bill C-583 seeks to amend the Criminal Code to add a definition of “fetal alcohol spectrum disorder” (FASD) and to establish a procedure for assessing individuals who are involved in the criminal justice system and who it is suspected suffer from FASD. It requires the court to consider, as a mitigating factor in sentencing, a determination that the accused suffers from FASD. Last week the federal Conservatives decided they didn’t support the bill and asked the member to pull it. For some reason he agreed.”

Mr. Silver: This spring, our Legislature passed a unanimous motion supporting a private member’s bill put forth by the Yukon’s own Member of Parliament. Bill C-583 seeks to amend the Criminal Codeto add a definition of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, FASD, and to establish a procedure for addressing individuals who are involved in the criminal justice system and who, it is suspected, suffer from FASD. It requires the court to consider, as a mitigating factor in sentencing, a determination that the accused suffers from FASD. Last week, the federal Conservatives decided that they didn’t support the bill and asked the member to pull it and, for some reason, he agreed.

Does the Government of Yukon support the decision by our Member of Parliament to kill his own piece of legislation?

WHITEHORSE - Darius Elias, Liberal MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin, and Kevin Barr, NDP MLA for Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes, today called for the establishment of an independent Aboriginal liaison position at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.