Thank you so much, Chair.
I want to start out by thanking all the witnesses today. Your testimony is so critical, but I also know for many in the room, it's also very painful, and I want to acknowledge that. I hope I honour what you've gifted us with today with my questions.
I wanted to start out with Madam Anderson-Pyrz.
You spoke about how this needs to be a non-partisan issue. I agree with you. I think all levels of government—municipal, provincial, federal—have all failed since time immemorial to deal with gender-based violence. This is non-partisan, and every single political party is at fault for turning a blind eye to this violence, which is why this committee is so critical—women sitting together, and Marc, to address this ongoing issue.
You spoke about accountability, and I want to speak to that. Call for justice 1.7 says:
We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, to establish a National Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson, with authority in all jurisdictions, and to establish a National Indigenous and Human Rights Tribunal.
Then it goes on to talk about what the responsibility would be.
The federal government issued a report, I think it was last year, on how to put in place an ombudsperson position—call for justice 1.7. It's now November. We have another report—no action.
How critical is it to get in place that ombudsperson's office right now? I'd say it's right now. I'm saying it's that urgent, but I want to hear what you would say.