Yes. I think you've pointed out the challenges and complications of this and why it is so important that judges be so critically educated in this. There's a nuance here. For anybody who has had experience in an abusive relationship, sometimes the abuse or the toxic relationship between the intimate partners is vile, but they're able to have relationships with their children, or the children need to see each parent, but the system is set up now so that the children are pawns for money, for all these things.
The cost of living crisis further alienates or forces women into abusive relationships. There are stats now. A National Post article had the headline, “Divorce rates in Canada falling because Canadians simply can't afford it”. We already know that money is one of the biggest reasons you can't leave a relationship, if they have financial control.
Thank you for the great handouts. They're super helpful in educating the public in terms of the definitions.
Many people don't even know they're in an unhealthy relationship because that's all they've ever known, and the children don't know. We want to intervene and pull that apart and break that pattern, and then you have articles like this saying, “the main reasons wedding bells aren't ringing seems to be the hefty price tag and overall cost of living”, or the inability to afford to leave or to access housing.
I don't know who wants to chime in on that, but I'd love to see something in the report around that. The cost of living is a very big factor in allowing women to break free from abusive relationships.
I see Louise making eye contact, so I'll ask Louise to comment.