Hi. I will ask my questions in French, which is my first language.
Good morning, and thank you, everyone.
I would first like to say that I'm replacing a colleague today. I am interested in the topic we're discussing today, but it is outside of my comfort zone. I normally sit on the Standing Committee on Official Languages, where members work hand in hand, and where we have the right to ask any questions we may have.
I was left wanting more, and I'll tell you why. It concerns the agency's impact assessment. Paragraph 22(1)(s) of the proposed bill mentions “the intersection of sex and gender with other identity factors”. Both you and the minister talked a lot about indigenous peoples.
Do you take gender-based analysis into account when drafting such a major bill?
If so, what impact will this bill have on women and children? We talked a lot about indigenous peoples.
I also have another question. I'll ask both of my questions, and then the witnesses can answer them however they want.
Could Bill C-69 be an obstacle to the economic development of certain remote areas, for example, regions that aren't populated by indigenous peoples, given all the analyses you will conduct? In my region, there are few indigenous communities, if any.