I realize it's a very awkward position. With my background, most of my service was in aboriginal communities. Having to deal with domestic violence was always a priority, going into the homes of the victims. I can understand that when the police have to go in, we have to look at the safety of the victims and take measures.
I mentioned before in a committee meeting that the RCMP, or even police officers, are peacekeepers. They have to keep the peace. We take all the steps necessary. There are peace bonds, where the female can lay out information to keep the offender away. If it gets down to domestic violence, physical abuse, aggravated assault, or any type of violence, it's then up to the police to undertake to make the offender stay away from that home. It's also up to the courts to impose sanctions so the offender can't go back.
But the difficulty I've seen and some of the problems coming forward now, with this act mentioning real property, is that there is a little bit of hesitation from first nations communities. For one, they don't know how to adjust their band council resolutions to meet this act. But from where I'm sitting and what I've seen, I think this is probably good legislation to protect women.