Evidence of meeting #18 for Status of Women in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was departments.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
I call the meeting to order.
The first order of business is a motion by Ms. Mathyssen.
Ms. Mathyssen, could you read the motion for the record, please?
9:20 a.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
The motion is as follows:
That the Committee for the Status of Women conduct pre-budget consultations with groups and individuals able to direct the government to ensure that the budget does include gender based budgeting and reflects the needs of women;
And that the Committee for the Status of Women conduct a post budget review with groups and individuals to assess how the budget addresses the needs of women;
And that these consultations be reported to the House of Commons.
I think this would be very helpful in terms of the committee coming to terms with a very complex kind of analysis, and that would help us to do our job in terms of promoting the needs of women through this committee.
Also, in the testimony we heard a week before last, the presenters indicated that there are several levels of gender-based analysis training that's made available. I'd like to suggest that perhaps we could avail ourselves of one of those options so that we were indeed apprised of how a good gender-based analysis proceeds. Then we can evaluate what we hear from civil society and assess the budget as it comes forward.
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you.
We'll have questions and comments.
Ms. Minna goes first, and then Ms. Davidson.
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I like the motion, but I would suggest two amendments. One is that we do a joint consultation with the finance committee on this and set aside a special time to do it. I was on the finance committee, and sometimes they try to do a.... We can do separate...and then we'd report to the House and there would be two separate reports. But it would be even stronger if there was a joint consultation, and then a stronger report that was adopted by both committees, as the finance committee has a fair amount of weight.
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Ms. Minna, where specifically would you like us to put the joint consultations--
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
If I could finish, then I'll give you the words. That's one amendment.
The second amendment would be in paragraph two, and this goes back to my recommendation--which was agreed to by this committee, if I recall--that we hire consultants to do work for us. This is an ideal place. The reality is, women's groups out there, while they have some expertise, are losing money and they do not have the time. And it's not fair to expect them to have to do a thorough analysis of a budget, because it is complicated and it is a lot of work.
I also think it has more weight if the consultant is here to advise, as Budlender does for her country, on whether or not the government has met its targets or how it has done that budget or not. So I would change that to say that the consultant to the committee would in fact do that post-review on the budget.
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
I would say “That the Committee on the Status of Women, jointly with the Standing Committee on Finance, will do pre-budget consultations specifically with groups and individuals able to direct the government.... ” The rest of it is okay.
And then the second one would be, “That the Committee on the Status of Women conduct a post-budget review with the support of consultants....”
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Yes, to contract experts who would advise the committee. I think that would strengthen this piece considerably.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Before I make a comment, if I can just clarify, the second paragraph then reads that the committee “conduct a post budget review with the support of contracted experts”.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Okay.
Am I discussing the amendment or am I discussing the motion?
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
You are discussing the motion, because we have not come back to Ms. Mathyssen yet.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Okay. I definitely had some difficulties with the first paragraph. I really don't think it is this committee's role to conduct pre-budget consultations, so I did have some big concerns about that. I know the proposed amendment has changed that somewhat, but I really feel it is up to the finance committee to do those pre-budget consultations. I think they should be done, but it's the finance committee's role.
I really didn't have a whole lot of problem with the second paragraph. If it is done as in the proposed amendment, with consultation with experts, I think that's what this has been all about for us, trying to determine how it can be evaluated. So I don't have a problem with that. The experts may be our analysts who are providing expertise. We haven't got that far yet.
I think leaving it as “experts” leaves that discussion open. We are going to determine that before we're done, I'm quite sure.
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Just to bring it back to people's attention, when we do any contracting of experts we should say “under the supervision of the Library of Parliament”, so that there is a control mechanism in place and the liaison committee would have no problems if we did certain things. So we need to be cognizant of that.
Ms. Mathyssen, concerning the proposed amendment, is this a friendly amendment? Are you in agreement?
9:25 a.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Yes, I think that does indeed strengthen the initial motion, and I do welcome it.
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Okay. Is there any other discussion?
Somebody now has to read the proposed amendment so that we know what we are voting on.
9:25 a.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Danielle Bélisle
It reads:
That the Committee for the Status of Women, jointly with the Standing Committee on Finance, conduct pre-budget consultations with groups and individuals able to direct the government to ensure that the budget does include gender-based budgeting and reflects the needs of women;
And that the Committee for the Status of Women conduct a post budget review with the support of experts under the supervision of the Library of Parliament to assess how the budget addresses the needs of women;
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Sorry, “contracted experts”; otherwise why would they be under the supervision...? It just says “experts”; we're contracting out.