Thank you, Madam Chair.
It's apparent we've got a full and ambitious agenda with all the suggestions being put forward. It strikes me as I'm listening to it that a number of different ideas can be integrated under one broad umbrella.
Ms. Guergis talks about income splitting, and to my mind it is very much part of income security--a piece of it for women. I think that's something that's important to move forward on.
I would like to make a number of points.
I concur with you, and I think it's important that we resubmit to the government all the reports that were tabled by the committee last year. They were all unanimous reports of the committee, and they all came about after consultation with women's groups from all over the country. That is work that has been done already; we don't need to reinvent, and we can ask for a government response.
The matter of matrimonial property rights has come up, and I think many members of the committee are aware the aboriginal affairs committee did an extensive study on it last year and had a response from the government. I am a member of that committee. I have given notice of motion to that committee that we resubmit that report and ask for a response from the government on it. To study it in this committee is to basically redo what another committee has done. Given that our agenda is so full, I don't see the purpose of it when the work is being done and there is a lot of material on it.
Last year the election was called, but we were attempting to have a joint committee with the aboriginal affairs committee to discuss the issue of matrimonial property rights. It's a far-reaching one, and we just had a presentation yesterday in the aboriginal affairs c ommittee. When we looked at the whole issue of Bill C-31 and the implications for the demographics of aboriginal communities, matrimonial property rights is an issue that I think should be dealt with in conjunction with Bill C-31. I would urge this committee to try to do it jointly with the aboriginal affairs committee rather than reinventing it. It's a priority for everybody, and that would give it significant impact and weight.
The other comment I would like to make, Madam Chair, is that we did extensive consultations last year with community groups. Probably 50 or 60 community groups across the country appeared before this committee. We asked to hear from the communities what their priorities are. I think as we make our decisions we should keep those in mind. I'm sure all members of the committee have had an opportunity to do it, but pay equity was certainly a priority; income security or poverty against women—however you want to describe it—was certainly a priority; poverty for senior women, aboriginal women; violence against women; trafficking--we've made some moves on trafficking, but there's more to do. We heard that very much from the community groups.
Our agenda is full, and I would suggest that, after everybody has an opportunity to talk, we try in a collaborative way to prioritize by a show of hands, informally, what we would like to move forward on.