Statement made on 28 June 2010 by Senator Sandra Lovelace Nicholas
Hon. Sandra Lovelace Nicholas:
Honourable senators, I rise today to ask you not to vote for Bill S-4. The bill is terribly flawed. My honourable colleagues, Senator Jaffer and Senator Dyck, clearly outlined reasons why this bill does not meet the needs of those who will be most affected. I speak from experience as an Aboriginal woman from the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick. I was that woman that was beaten and kicked out of my house with my small children because I did not have resources or housing. I was forced to go back, only to have it happen time and time again. My own mother went through the same abuse, as did my daughter. There are thousands of stories that tell of experiences of abuse.
I cannot believe honourable senators would pass Bill S-4 without proper consultation with the very people it will impact, without knowing what it is like to feel helpless and without the proper resources, as do so many First Nations women and children.
As honourable senators know, any laws that were passed on our behalf failed, for example, the Indian Act, the residential schools and the reserve system. It is time for the government to step back so First Nations can determine what is best for them.
Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!