Status of Women committee  Again, if I may be permitted to say so not on behalf of CHRC, protective orders are always wanted in urgent or emergency situations. Unfortunately, we know that whether in a first nations community or beyond, the protective orders do not always provide safety and security for the person.

Status of Women committee  Let me say that we certainly advanced a similar position regarding the repeal of section 67. All Canadians—and it should not be restricted to non-aboriginal or non-first nations—should have the same rights as all other Canadians. That was the argument we advanced then for the repeal of section 67.

Status of Women committee  Yes, and thank you for the question. You may recall we had spoken to the transition period during the repeal of section 67, and it was changed to the three years by agreement. Our experience was...in the three years we had done modelling after constitutional amendments that occurred as well.

Status of Women committee  Absolutely, I do. I would view the alternative dispute mechanism, depending on what each community chooses for itself to have...it could have a very broad application covering all disputes. The model we're promoting isn't restrictive only to those issues that could arise under the Canadian Human Rights Act as a complaint.

Status of Women committee  I certainly do not mean to speak on behalf of and for first nations women, aboriginal women, living on reserve. I would invite Valerie Phillips, who is legal counsel with our legal advisory service and has been engaged in...we're conducting aboriginal women round tables as part of our access to justice, meaning access to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the complaint process, and the provisions of those services.

Status of Women committee  From the Canadian Human Rights Commission's point of view, and not being in a position to necessarily address what issues might face residents of a reserve, and again, not wanting to speak on their behalf...having said that, let me say that having as many options to protect and having greater access to justice would be something that would always be supported, if somebody truly has the choice and the option and the access and are aware of their rights, since if they're not aware of their rights, they can't exercise them.

Status of Women committee  I suppose the question we've been addressing—not directly answering that, but certainly in terms of access to our system of complaints—is that as much as we say let's go online and have online complaint forms, especially for remote communities, first nations communities, there may not always be Internet access, and there may not always be the ability to access.

Status of Women committee  Certainly. In a like manner with our advocating for the repeal of section 67, it has always been the position of the Canadian Human Rights Commission that all Canadians ought to have the same access to human rights protection. Certainly that was the argument advanced then, that for 35 years first nations people—over 700,000 people in this country—were not afforded the same opportunity as every other Canadian.

Status of Women committee  It would be our view, and certainly my personal view during my 15 years as a family law practitioner, that the system being proposed in S-2 would be similar, as it affords the same rights for off-reserve people, which is access, in the absence of development of their own matrimonial real property regime in a first nations community, to provincial and territorial courts after the one-year transition period, which would be similar to others seeking recourse.

Status of Women committee  Madam Chair and honourable committee members, thank you for inviting the Canadian Human Rights Commission to speak to you today on the traditional territory of the Algonquin people. I have three main points. First, the need for fair, available and accessible systems to deal with matrimonial real property on reserves is an urgent human rights matter.

Status of Women committee  Yes, certainly we can provide our results, which also include the benchmarks of the whole public service.

Status of Women committee  I will take up the offer to provide that when I send the rest of the information to answer that question.

Status of Women committee  That is correct. Yes.

Status of Women committee  But I live in Winnipeg.

Status of Women committee  We are independent of government, because, of course, we receive complaints against the federal government, including complaints against Treasury Board.