Status of Women Committee on April 10th, 2008

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

I'm not going to accept that as an addition to a motion. That's a separate motion, and if you wish to put that forward as a notice of motion, that's fine. We can deal with that at another meeting.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Okay.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Is there any other discussion on the motion before us?

Go ahead, Mr. Stanton.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'm exploring the direction of this, and I'm sorry I missed Madam Minna's initial comments.

Considering that we haven't finalized our study on gender-based analysis and gender budgeting, that overlay, certainly this is the kind of recommendation that would come in the form of a report. I sense from Madam Minna's comments that because of the frailty of our existing Parliament, we want to jump the queue here a little bit and try to get this out in play, and perhaps that's not such a bad strategy. One never knows.

By the way, I've stopped guessing on when that might happen. To be honest--

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

So have I. I just want to play it safe all the time.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

It's to the point that we're just going to move on until we see what happens.

Really, there have been a number of good proposals and suggestions. We heard another direction here this morning about how to improve and how to enshrine the culture of GBA into our policies and decisions. I'm not necessarily speaking for or against this specific idea; I'm just saying we need to look at it in the full context of our ultimate report. I'm just suggesting this might better be left until we finish up.

I see from our work study plan that we're looking at moving on to other business beyond May. I know initially this gender-based budgeting work plan had us going right into June, but I sense from the proposals that have come forward that if we are going to move on to other work vis-à-vis the action plan and begin work on that, we might be wrapping up this gender budgeting study earlier. Certainly members are well able to incorporate these kinds of recommendations into that report.

That was my only thought and suggestion on it.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Are there further comments on the motion?

Ms. Minna, would you like to make a closing comment before I call the motion?

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

I have a couple of comments.

There was a side question, and I might as well deal with it directly. There was some concern earlier on the part of some members that this may be considered a confidence motion because it mentions the budget process. I don't believe it is. It's talking about the government appointing a commissioner. It's not about voting on the budget. It's about getting a commissioner--and that would take some time--whose mandate would be to analyze government policies with GBA in mind, and also the pre- and post-budgetary processes. It doesn't affect the current budget. It's not a confidence issue. It's giving a commissioner the ability to evaluate and then report to the House whether he or she believes a gender-based analysis has been done, or is being done in the general planning of the government, and where we're failing. So it's not really about the budgets per se.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Ms. Demers, do you have a comment?

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Excuse me, Madam Chair.

That is indeed one of my concerns. We are ready for an election. In fact, we have been for a long time. I really hope that we will pass this motion, but I want to be sure that the government will not use this pretext to turn the motion into a confidence vote. If the government fell, it would die on the order paper. I want to be sure that things will not go that way no matter what.

If we have to appoint an independent commissioner right now, that involves money that does not appear in the 2008 budget. In that case, the government is going to have to release funds. That is the only question I am wondering about. I would like to get an answer to that question before voting. I am going to vote for the motion, but I want to be sure that it won't be just wishful thinking.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

I'm not sure there's anybody here today who can give you that hundred percent assurance, is there?

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

I don't know, Madam Chair. I think it would be logical to ask our analysts whether the motion has an impact on the budget. If so, it could be made into a confidence vote.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Madam Chair, may I make a suggestion?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Yes, Ms. Minna, and then we'll ask the researchers for a statement.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Do you want to hear from them first?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Okay.

The researcher is telling me that based on what the Auditor General said here this morning, resources have to be dedicated to this position.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

But that would be post-budget.

In any case, Madam Chair, to accommodate our colleagues--I don't intend to not accommodate them--and in the spirit of cooperation, I understand that Madame Demers may wish to check with her researchers, and her leadership. And that's fine.

Would the committee agree to have this at the top of the agenda on Tuesday morning?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Does the committee agree to defer it to the top of the agenda on Tuesday morning?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

The other thing we apparently have an issue with is the French translation. That will be clarified, and we'll bring that up on Tuesday.

Will we deal with your other motion on Tuesday as well?

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

No, I think we can deal with that one now, Madam Chair.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Continue with the second motion then, please.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Thank you.

The second motion is as follows:

That the government introduce gender analysis legislation as recommended in the 2005 final report by the Expert Panel on Accountability Mechanisms for Gender Equality, entitled “Equality for Women: Beyond the Illusion”, and that the Chair report the adoption of this motion to the House without delay.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Patricia Davidson]

Are there any comments?

Madame Boucher.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Is this motion a response to the Liberals' report? In 2005, it was the Liberals who were in power.