Thank you very much, Chair.
Terry, thank you so much for being here and for this bill.
I'm from Nova Scotia. In 2015, a bill was created that is very similar to yours. It was called Ruby's Law. That bill was used to create a job protection strategy for leave when a pregnancy ends without a live birth. It applied before the parental leave had ever existed.
Ruby's Law, similar to yours, was only about loss and bereavement in a medical event. It was very limited. There was nothing in terms of pay. It was just protection of job loss for taking an extended bereavement leave.
As a newer member of Parliament, in reading your bill, Terry, I was very moved by that, in conjunction with something that Nova Scotia fought really hard for in the past decade or so for when there is loss of life giving birth. I want to commend you to the utmost for that, because as you said earlier, any time we can show compassion in how we treat families in this country is a win for everybody. It is—or should be—a non-partisan issue.
I have a couple of quick questions for you today. My riding in Nova Scotia is quite rural. We have very limited access and means for families within our riding, which means that our constituency office acts as a saving grace. We regularly spend time behind the scenes making phone calls and helping with paperwork when people are going through these momentous occasions.
With that in mind, and with families dealing with this unimaginable loss, my question for you is, how do you think Bill C-222 will help ensure that these parents, particularly in rural communities, receive compassionate and coordinated support without unnecessary administrative burdens?