Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The National Council of Women of Canada thanks the committee for the opportunity to present some observations about our brief. We've been making annual briefs to this committee for years, so I will refer to the fact that some issues have recurred year after year.
The National Council of Women, founded in 1893, is a non-denominational federation of women's organizations, taking in organizations and individuals. It works on a very broad, holisitic approach and has presented to the government steadily. We were known as the Parliament of Women when women had no vote and no representation.
We also wish to congratulate our sisters in the Catholic Women's League on the excellent presentation they just made. We agree with everything they said this morning. You'll be interested to know that women present a very unified front on some very basic issues.
On taxation, the National Council of Women notes that the government has once again forecast a large surplus in revenue but has only incrementally increased the basic personal income tax for all taxpayers. I note that it's around $8,800 for the coming tax returns. There's been no real attempt to address the growing gap between the well-to-do and the lower-income citizens. The reduction in the GST, which is a consumption tax, benefits higher-income persons more, since only the most basic needs--food and children's clothing--are not subject to this tax. NCWC would like to see the basic exemption increased to $15,000 per year.
We remind the government of the continuing case of our aboriginal peoples. Their housing, health care, and educational needs are not being met. We urge that the Kelowna accords be reinstated. Prolonged and continuing negotiations while aboriginal children live in third world conditions will not meet their needs and is unacceptable in a country as rich as Canada.
Recently publicized reports also establish that a child raised in poverty will have more illness as an adult, costing our taxpayer-supported health care system more.
We also repeat our support for the Canada Health Act. We remind this consultation that we wish to have a single-payer system, a one-tier system.
On child care, the National Council urges most forcefully the reinstatement of the early learning and child care agreements. Canada, as a state party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, has a binding obligation to facilitate the implementation of such programs for all children, regardless of their parents' level of income.
On the social safety net, the National Council strongly supports maintaining the gun registry. We also urge greater and assured support for a comprehensive approach to alleviating the causes and effects of violence on women and children in Canada.
Speaking on the environment, the National Council has asked for programs designed to assist and encourage individual citizens in alleviating air and water pollution. We are aware that Canadians are the greatest producers of greenhouse gases per capita in the world. We believe that strong action is needed, with government leadership setting firm goals now for all players and stakeholders to reach.
Pay equity is an issue that concerns us greatly. We note that Canada still falls short in this important step to implement its commitment under the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. Statistically, we know women still earn 72ยข for every dollar earned by a man for work of equal value.
Connected to the whole issue of pay equity is that of maternity leave benefits. The National Council reminds the government again that self-employed women and those in part-time or seasonal employment do not have equal access to this benefit. This does not maintain an equal earning field for them.
The recognition of unpaid work in the national accounting system is also part of this whole question of pay equity. National Council deplores the failure to recognize the value to the economy of unpaid and often uncounted work, which is done mostly by women, to the gross domestic product. It is a grave shortcoming. We need pro-rated benefits for part-time workers.
I wish to call particular attention to the justice issue. We're part of a stakeholder group examining the treatment of women in Canada's federal justice system. We repeat our support for the recommendation of the stakeholder group that an independent, external oversight mechanism be established for federal prisons for women. We note that although there are fewer than 500 federally sentenced women, almost 50% of that group are aboriginal, an indicator of racial prejudice in our society.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.