I know you're concerned about the timeframe and about one year maybe being not long enough. I know you're probably aware that there have been four iterations of this particular bill. The planning actually began way back in 2000 or 2001, but consultations across this country started in 2006. I believe there were over 100 consultations spread over 76 different sites.
I just wonder if the reason the timeframe isn't long enough, even given an additional 12 months after this legislation is actually approved or receives royal assent, is that some of these first nations were maybe not in the initial consultations or they have never heard of this. I'm just trying to get an understanding, because some of us around this room.... In fact Mr. Langtry from the Human Rights Commission was here yesterday, and he described this issue of matrimonial real property as an urgent human rights matter.
He said:
Both international and domestic human rights standards call for the equal treatment of women under the law. These same standards also call for the protection of women and their children against violence.
When I hear the word “urgent” and I think that the legislative gap for this has been 25 years and it is growing, and I think of the consultation process and the planning, and we're talking about an additional one year to actually implement your own legislation...I'm having a difficult time understanding why there hasn't been enough time.
But I just want to switch over to something else at this point. It has to do with something I believe you mentioned, Chief Louie. You were concerned about leased property on reserves. I don't know exactly what you said, but there was some concern that the leased property would not be kept up or there could be a problem with that. I wonder if you're aware of the clauses within the bill with respect to leases.
I just want to read something, and I want to make it very clear that where a spouse or common law partner or survivor is granted exclusive rights to a leased premise and is not actually named in that original lease, the provisions deemed in that original lease apply to the person who now becomes the lessee. I know you said something and there were some concerns about someone maintaining or keeping up the property, and I just want to clearly indicate that this bill, Bill S-2, actually covers that, and it should not necessarily be one of the major concerns that you did forward today.
Madam Chair, how much time is left?