Thank you.
In terms of the victims, as I think your members and other members of the committee are well aware, our organization and the Native Women's Association of Canada work with women who have been victimized as well as those who are criminalized. It's our experience that most people, if they're basing their information on what's in the media, don't have the full information or the full picture. It's our experience that those who are victimized are more likely to be women, and especially aboriginal women, in the context of some of the serious offences being talked about. I think the report that has come out recently about the rate of victimization and criminalization of aboriginal women speaks to that. I'll just underscore what Ms. Saulis said about the report that was released today.
We also have to take into account the fact that we've heard MPs from the party that introduced this legislation talk about the legislation and clearly make mistakes about it. If we're relying merely on what people are being told when you go out to speak, without first giving information, I think we're following a false premise. I would suggest that once people have the full information, understand why a sentence was imposed, more likely than not you'll see support for those sentences. That certainly has been our experience working with those who are victimized as well as those who work in the system, including the police.