Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is more of a comment than an question. Feel free to comment yourself and to let me know if my grasp of the issue is correct.
To my way of thinking, your experiences are related to government autonomy issues and to problems with human rights violations. I'm not trying to shock anyone. I'm simply letting my emotions speak for me. The Government of Canada has never recognized you and has never given you the opportunity to take responsibility for your lives. Some laws are restrictive in nature, a reality that was acknowledged decades ago. If the government were to grant you this autonomy and stopped trying to deny you your rights by claiming that it knows what's best for you, maybe then some of the problems you're experiencing would be alleviated.
We're seeing a kind of power struggle taking place within your groups. How odd is that. When women make certain demands, invariably men are the ones who make the decisions. They claim to know better than anyone how to meet women's needs. My sense is that you're now experiencing this very situation and that is unfortunate. I've observed that both Aboriginal and non Aboriginal people grapple with the same problems.
In my opinion, immediate action is warranted on this front. You're dealing with serious poverty and violence issues. You've experienced water and housing problems which haven't helped your cause any. If your needs were met, I believe you would be eminently capable,as Aboriginal peoples, to organize and engage in a dialogue amongst yourselves.
Everyone here realizes that your voice is being heard. Lovely reports have been tabled. In fact, I can't believe the number of reports that have been written. Even Senate reports have failed to produce anything of real substance. I hope the Standing Committee on the Status of Women will stand firm and not be content with merely producing a report, and that it will formulate serious recommendations that will be implemented. We must stand together and address the problem that these women have been struggling with for so long. I've been hearing about this since 1974. And over the years, the situation has deteriorated further.
I leave this in your capable hands, Madam Chair. You're familiar with the ins and outs of our system. We mustn't leave here, either today or at the end of June, without a plan of action. All of the women here today must unite in supporting this cause. I'm not talking necessarily about lawyers, but about women in general. They know what they need and they are the ones who want a solution.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
