I agree. This is the third time around now dealing with gender equality.
Justice Canada and the minister testified in the Senate, in the other place, that in fact they know it doesn't deal with all gender discrimination. They testified otherwise, but they have since testified that they know that what they're dealing with is simple gender discrimination instead of complex, the complex meaning we have multiple layers of discrimination on us as indigenous women and that shouldn't be dealt with.
They should definitely get an extension from the court, which they got in McIvor twice, no problem. The court seemed very willing for Canada to go broader and deal with gender discrimination, and had they consulted back on August 15, when this decision was handed down with first nations and indigenous women, we could have all told them these problems. However, they didn't tell us and they didn't consult. That's why we're here using the election as an excuse.
Their processes do not detract from our equality rights. None of the bureaucracy...and the very officials who were testifying here are the same ones who have been working on this for decades. They weren't in an election. It was just the minister.
They have no excuse not to do this right. We now know there is a problem. They have admitted there's a problem, so let's just deal with it. With regard to phase two, yes, we should be having the conversation about whether they should be doing status at all, and getting out of our business and us being self-determining, like they promise under UNDRIP.
For every day that there's an Indian Act, there legally and constitutionally cannot be gender discrimination. They should seek an extension and do this right.