I just want to add to Shirley's comments about housing and support by Inuit communities and first nations groups. There definitely needs to be some sort of accountability. It is the same with Inuit organizations. They do not always have to table their financial statements. A lot of words are spoken, but there's not much action on that.
We have all these companies that are owned by Inuit. How do I or anyone else benefit from that as an individual? Is my skin colour being used for some ownership of some million-dollar company? How is the average person benefiting? Just like the persons with disabilities, I think the HAP program is an excellent idea. Inuit are very intelligent. It's the same with first nations. They can construct homes. They have been doing it for years. They can put in equity. It doesn't always have to be monetary, but having the support of the Inuit communities and the first nations groups--right now we're using up the rental housing that is there. People who need to be homeowners are taking up that valuable social housing. They're stuck in there because they're paying maximum rent on the rent scale and they have no money to save for a down payment on a house, so we are using housing that persons with disabilities or other people could be using. We need to change the way we think.
As for the matrimonial bill, some housing authorities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have already adopted a policy whereby if there is any violence in the home, any separation, the women and children automatically get the home, but unless we support this and the community supports it, women cannot stay in their homes while being ostracized by the community because they were abused. They get on an airplane with their last few dollars and end up in Arlene's hands. It doesn't matter if there is a policy. It has to be supported by the community or it's not going to work. They cannot stay in a community and be ostracized by the entire band or the entire community for standing up and saying they are not going to be abused, they are not going to be violated. A policy doesn't work unless it is supported.
Thank you.