Mr. Chair, I want to thank the member for London North Centre for her work on the status of women committee dealing with this piece of legislation and her participation on the special committee for missing and murdered aboriginal women.
Working for more than 20 years, in eight of those years working as a nurse, as well as being a business person and a lawyer, meaning involvement in health, economic development and justice, I know there are several important pieces to develop any one of these particular areas.
One of those important pieces is actually this legislation, because unlike the majority of Canadians, individuals residing on most reserves do not have the same rights and protections that you and I and women do in the event of a relationship breakdown, death of a spouse or family violence. Women and children in families living on reserve have been waiting for this for more than 25 years. Without those matrimonial property rights, particularly the emergency protection orders contained in them, these vulnerable people will continue to be defenceless, and we are here to fix it with this piece of legislation.