Currently, the Manitoba labour code provides for paid leave in domestic violence. The Ontario government recently had a broad consultative process regarding updating their employment standards and labour code. Currently, there are recommendations from the committee before the legislature, and very shortly the government will be announcing the position they will be taking on paid versus unpaid in regard to domestic violence.
The point we have enunciated is that it's good that the government has recognized this in the federal code and is providing for time off. The challenge is that, for individuals who are facing domestic violence, you are quite often going to perpetuate the situation they are in.
We can see from other jurisdictions, certainly from Manitoba, that you can achieve pay. Countries where this has been adopted and in place longer than in Canada—Australia, for example—do provide for domestic violence. More importantly, when people have to exercise this leave, they use only about two and a half days, on average, in situations where they need time off.
Our argument is that it's good that the government is moving in the right direction, but we would prefer they look at the importance of addressing the need for providing paid leave for individuals who may require it to deal with domestic violence.