Status of Women committee  Thank you. In discussing the preamble to this bill, we are unfortunately and gravely having to address the fact that the objectives of the bill are timely and important and that addressing violence against women and issues of fairness is hugely important, but that most of the witnesses have been very, very clear that this bill will not address the problem as set out.

Status of Women committee  Yes. I think—

Status of Women committee  We haven't had the question yet.

Status of Women committee  We obviously have an amendment that is virtually identical and will support Ms. Crowder's amendment. We really do believe that all aspects of this bill require 36 months as a minimum, as we've heard from pretty well every witness who has been asked. The reality is that the centre of excellence won't be set up; it's not anywhere close to being ready.

Status of Women committee  Can we have a recorded vote for this? This is appalling.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much. Seeing we only have five minutes left, I think it would be very important for you to say what you need to say. I think that you didn't get a chance, Madam Gabriel, to answer Ms. Ambler's question, where she made the assertion that this would help. I think we've heard strongly that you're not sure this will help.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and thank you, Deputy Grand Chief and Ms. Fletcher, as well as the chiefs. Reflecting on what Ms. Tilly O'Neill Gordon has said, I think it speaks to how this government has drafted a bill and simply doesn't understand the situation. Some of the grandparents that Chief Maracle was referring to in a house with 12 people, some of those grandparents may be 40 years old.

Status of Women committee  They've been pretty clear. They don't like it.

Status of Women committee  Thank you for addressing the complexity of this and making the point that without core funding, project-by-project piecemeal ways will never put in place the kinds of programs that you know need to be there. Would you agree with Wendy Grant-John, who wrote the original paper for the minister, that without these kinds of supports from the federal government, matrimonial real property protections will simply not be accessible to the vast majority of first nation people?

Status of Women committee  Madam Chair, seeing that I was unable to ask the AFN... As you know, I do believe that this bill was sent to the wrong committee. Without the expertise, the knowledge about the collectivity of first nations, and seeing this is a bill of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, as well as what we've seen today even in the way the panels are structured—to not have a full hour for the AFN—this has caused huge problems in terms of the way that we need to proceed.

Status of Women committee  At no time did we think that the government should have more time than the opposition.

Status of Women committee  But Madam Chair, we expect you to impose some fairness on this committee and to make that crystal clear before you give the government more time than the opposition. The purpose of committee is to hold the government and the government bill to account, not to have cheerleading from the other side.

Status of Women committee  Madam Chair, I tend to be the one who will be given only two minutes after the Conservatives have had two full sessions. This is really not the way the time should be divided at this committee.

Status of Women committee  I would like the member to at least stop now and bring us closer to what would be the appropriate time. That means that the time has not even been divided equally between the opposition and the government.

Status of Women committee  We did assume there would be time on both sides when we agreed to divide it equally.