Status of Women committee  Absolutely not. It's absolutely backwards. We should be taking that money and reaching out to these women and giving them a chance. I think what we've heard, what I've heard, certainly, is that every time these women take a step forward, the rug's pulled out from underneath them, time and time again.

Status of Women committee  Thank you. Again, I'll go very quickly, because I think it's much more important to hear the voices of the women to my left than anything I have to say. My exercise or experience in listening is just to begin with an open mind and listen. Although everybody is unique, and their own individual journey is unique, there's a lot of commonality here.

Status of Women committee  In our communities we see aboriginal women in lineups for soup kitchens, food banks, or quite often standing on a street corner. We do not see a lot of aboriginal women playing the parts of physicians, lawyers, teachers, or other visible professions, yet we clearly know that these women are intelligent, capable, and strong.