Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to both Minister Ambrose and Minister Valcourt for being here today and speaking on Bill S-2. I know that both of you feel very strongly about this particular piece of legislation, as I do.
This past weekend I spoke to my husband about this very bill. I spoke about the current situation facing aboriginal women on reserves and what this legislation will mean to every one of those women.
Minister Valcourt, I know that in your opening remarks, you talked about this day and age—and my husband said exactly the same thing. He looked at me as if I were speaking a foreign language. He could not believe that in this day and age, in Canada, aboriginal women on reserves do not have the same interest and access to matrimonial property as does every person in this room today. He was shocked. I have to be honest, and I apologize for getting emotional, but as a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, this is a priority. We have to pass this legislation
Minister Ambrose, I know that one of the things you said in your opening remarks is that you considered the most important aspect of this bill to be the access to emergency protection orders and temporary exclusive occupation orders. I agree with you on that. I think it's paramount. I think we need to protect women and we need to make it happen now—not in another year, not in another two years. We need to pass this legislation now.
I'll be honest with you, before I became a member of Parliament, before I read this bill, and before I understood the breadth of what this would mean to aboriginal women, I had no idea there was an issue of such inequality on reserves and this legislative gap. I was shocked. I think most Canadian listening to this committee today would be shocked and surprised to hear of this legislative gap. I think they're standing behind this government to make sure this legislation goes through.
Minister Ambrose, this question has to do with the protection of a violent spouse in one's own home, which is currently not extended to aboriginal women on reserves.
If someone were to break into one's home right now—hopefully not in my riding of Scarborough Centre or in any riding across this country—and became violent or abusive, the police would be called and that person would be removed. That's a given, and no one would question that.
When a spouse becomes violent and abusive, they should be the ones removed from the family home, not the victim of violence. Yet on reserves, the opposite is true today. I think Canadians need to understand that, and know this bill is going to protect those women. In cases where the need for protection is extended and where children are involved, having extended access to the family home is crucial.
Bill S-2, in addition to providing access to emergency protection orders, also allows the courts to take these factors into consideration and provide extended, exclusive occupation access to the family home. This is paramount. We need this legislation.
Minister Ambrose, could you speak in more detail to the need for emergency protection orders on reserves and the need for access to temporary exclusive occupation orders? I know you did in your opening remarks.
Thank you.