It's time for a political push for Sharon McIvor and Aboriginal women and their descendants. The trade unions have generously supported Sharon McIvor's fight to remove sex discrimination from the status registration provisions of the Indian Act.
As you know, Sharon won her constitutional challenge in the B.C. Supreme Court and the B.C. Court of Appeal in 2007 and 2009 and both courts ruled that s.6 of the Indian Act discriminates on the basis of sex against Aboriginal women and their descendants.
Things are now moving VERY quickly. The Conservative Government introduced Bill C-3 on March 11 to respond to these court rulings. But Bill C-3 is very narrowly framed and will not completely remove sex discrimination from the Indian Act.
Bill C-3 does not provide equal registration status for the female lineage descendants that it proposes to take in, and it still leaves many Aboriginal women and their descendants out, purely because of sex discrimination.
Further description of the flaws in Bill C-3 can be found here:http://womenscourt.ca/2010/04/bill-c-3-is-sexist-racist-and-fatally-flawed/
Since the introduction of Bill C-3, a lot has happened. The Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs held hearings, and heard consistently from witnesses, including Sharon McIvor, the Native Women's Association of Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Bar Association, LEAF, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, and more, that Bill C-3 will not correct the sex discrimination in the Indian Act.
In response, the Liberal Aboriginal Affairs critic Todd Russell introduced an amendment to Bill C-3 that would have the effect of completely eliminating the sex discrimination. All Opposition Parties supported this amendment, and the Bill was amended in Committee. However, at the end of April the Government challenged the amended bill in the House, on the grounds that the amendments are outside the scope of the bill as originally presented. The Opposition parties will get to speak to the issue next week, and the Speaker will have to rule.
The focus now needs to be on the Conservative government and what is wrong with them trying to make this unethical procedural move, rather than getting down to cleaning up the sex discrimination once and for all. The point is to try to shame the Conservatives into doing the right thing, and support the Opposition members of the Parliamentary Committee (Liberals, NDP, and BQ all together) who have shown real leadership by voting unanimously to amend Bill C-3 to totally remove the sex discrimination, and have put forward specific language that is intended to do precisely that.
The Conservatives are attempting to pass legislation that they know perpetuates sex discrimination, contrary to Canada's human rights obligations and the purpose of the Bill itself.
Sharon McIvor is asking for your support now to see this through to it rightful conclusion. Can you make contact with the Conservatives to demand that they do the right thing - letters, press releases - would be helpful. Also, the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc, who are doing the right thing, need support. Only registered users can write comments.
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