Status of Women committee  When CAP testified before the Senate, it said it hoped there would be provisions where there would be emergency accommodations made for families to go to a safe place and be protected, particularly the children. Are you concerned that the bill doesn't deal with the practical things?

Status of Women committee  The law can only do so much. If there's not access to the law, both geographically and financially, are you concerned that there's no plan to allocate resources to women actually being able to access the law?

Status of Women committee  As you know, when the ministerial representative, Wendy Grant-John, actually wrote the report, her caution was that the viability and effectiveness of any legislative framework will also depend on the necessary financial resources being made available for the implementation of the non-legislative measures, such as programs to address, just as you've said, land registry, mediation, court-related programs, local dispute mechanisms, prevention of family violence programs, a spousal loan compensation fund, and an increase of funding to support first nations communities to manage their own land.

Status of Women committee  Could you table the drafting implementation plan and the budget that you would suggest?

Status of Women committee  No, no. We're talking about the complementary non-legislative things that are the big objections to this bill. People want to see those things in place.

Status of Women committee  But in terms of a real strategy of what, by, when, and how, what's the budget for those two pieces, as well as what would be the budget for the centre of excellence? It's not in this year's budget, that's for sure.

Status of Women committee  No, but in terms of the awareness program and the training, you don't need legislation for that. Women are still dying by the hands of intimate partners. There isn't the shelter space. Everyone's saying that this legislation will fix the problem—

Status of Women committee  —on its own.

Status of Women committee  If I may, she also said “a minimal role for federal legislation”—minimal role—“and a virtual universal opposition to the introduction of provincial laws (by incorporating them in a federal law) to deal with this issue.” She actually said, “there was a very strong preference for...First Nations' jurisdiction to fill the legislative gap”.

Status of Women committee  AFN has said that the transitional period needs to be at least three years. Right? I guess we have to ask the government members if that's something that they'd be prepared to consider.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much. As you know, there are still some serious objections to this bill from first nation communities and a lot of it is really, in the words of Wendy Grant-John, “The viability and effectiveness of any legislative framework will also depend on necessary financial resources being made available for implementation of non-legislative measures...”.

Status of Women committee  What's the budget? Has the awareness program begun, and the training? What's the budget for that? There's no real reason you have to wait for the legislation to do an awareness program or the training.

Status of Women committee  Was there money in the budget?

Status of Women committee  I accept my role of critic. Minister, I'm speaking with the instruction of native women across the country. They do not feel protected by this bill without the other issues being dealt with. Maybe there's something simple you could help me with, then. Can you address the concern over creating the potential for open-ended interests for non-first nation individuals on reserve?

Status of Women committee  The member should understand the issue. Perhaps I didn't explain myself properly. Wendy Grant-John cannot speak publicly without the minister's permission. Will she have the minister's permission to come before this committee?