Mr. Speaker, after hearing both of my colleagues' questions and responses to the issue of real matrimonial property rights for women on reserve, I am trying to understand the logic behind their opposition to it.
We have consulted with first nations groups and leaders on this but, more importantly, an individual's right to property is a basic human right. If we were talking about the right to be free from violence or to be free to worship on a reserve in any way anyone wants to worship, I do not think there would be opposition to those basic rights by the members. Both of these men would not have this problem if they were living on a reserve. It is only women on reserve who suffer from this draconian and very old law. There is no way to explain away this kind of law.
I cannot ask the member for Timmins—James Bay, but I can ask the member for Winnipeg North to please tell me why this basic fundamental right that every Canadian enjoys, that he and I enjoy, such as the basic right to property, as well as the basic rights to be free from violence and to worship in the way people want, is something he wants to continue to talk about and not actually act on.