Debates of October 29, 2004 (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, growing up in Fort Norman as a young boy I first began to notice that not all people are born the same. Mr. Speaker, it was my grandfather who taught me this. You see, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Noel Gladue, my grandfather, was in his latest stages of his life as being labelled “normal person” as I saw him as a young boy. Mr. Speaker, shortly after that, my grandfather was confined to his wheelchair until he passed away in the early '80s.

Mr. Speaker, I watched on CBC last night about a young boy who was born disabled, and yet he made great strides to live his life to the fullest in spite of the challenges he faced everyday. Mr. Speaker, what my grandfather taught me, my brothers and sisters, was patience, persistence, life is what you make of it, and count your blessings, just do things.

Mr. Speaker, there are people with disabilities in each of our communities and there are specific programs and services available to them offered by this government and the Government of Canada. However, at times these programs and services make it very difficult to make the most of these programs by our special people. We need to pay close attention to these issues. They often go unnoticed or are pushed aside as not being important. Mr. Speaker, some of these people who are labelled disabled have a hard time living in our small communities or even in larger centres. We, as government legislators, must really step up to the plate and hit a homerun for our special people. Mahsi.

---Applause