The Family Law Act is good legislation
I spoke in the legislature last week in support of the Family Law Act, during its second reading debate. The government did a good job on this one, consulting widely and taking its time in crafting the wording.
Most importantly, the Act focuses on major issues that need fixing in B.C., such as custody and mediation.
But it was the family violence section of the Bill that I addressed in the legislature. Domestic violence is a blight on society and in some communities in Stikine the number of assaults per capita is far beyond the provincial average.
There are many factors that contribute to this unacceptable state of affairs, and the solution requires a multi-faceted approach. The Family Law Act introduces some new tools on the court side, such as a new protection order.
These are much needed as the perpetrators of domestic violence (mostly men) are often able to continue intimidating their targets (mostly women) while court proceedings are under way. Yet, the court system needs to also have resources to support women while these cases are in progress.
The West Coast Environmental Legal Education and Action Fund pointed out in a submission on Bill 16 that the new provisions will mean little unless women have access to legal aid which has been decimated in the last 10 years.
If we are going to commit to a comprehensive approach to eliminating domestic violence, we must also recognize it as a cultural issue – one that has much to do with men as women. Men need to teach their sons that being a “real man” doesn’t include violence. Unfortunately, the Northern Society for Domestic Peace (NSDP) receives no funds from the province for men’s programming.
I will continue to work to ensure these shortcomings are addressed. In the meantime, the Family Law Act is a good step forward and this week in Victoria it will likley get unanimous support from MLAs as a much needed piece of legislation.