Evidence of meeting #43 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was women.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
All right. Is there any discussion on this motion?
Just for your information, though, because I would like the committee to make informed decisions, today we have some witnesses coming on pensions. The last hearing on pensions will take place next Tuesday.
It would seem to me that we're pretty far into finishing our pension debate anyway, or finishing with pension witnesses anyway, so this may or may not be moot, but let's go ahead and hear the discussion.
Madam Demers.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
On November 3, a representative of the Department of Finance testified. I asked that witness at the time whether the work that we were doing would be useful to them in the context of their process of amending pension plans and so on. Mr. Forbes' response was very eloquent on that point:
Certainly the consultations of this committee and any committee are important for informing the work the department does. We have just gone through a tri-annual review with the Canada Pension Plan and the next round won't be done for three years. We have a budget-making process ongoing, though, and these are issues that come to the attention of the department. So the work of this committee and any other committee is of course useful to us in how we help to advise the minister.
So a process is currently ongoing. For that reason, Madam Chair, I will vote against the motion because we've been told that would help the minister make his decision and that he will meet with the ministers of the other provinces in Yellowknife in December.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Thank you very much.
I will be supporting this motion. It has been quite interesting over the last few weeks in my riding. I know we all represent different demographics and different people, but so many of the women I've been talking to, when I told them that we were doing this study, were so pleased and felt that it was so relevant.
The pension study is extremely relevant as well. It seems to me that the official said this information would be useful, but he didn't give a certain timeframe on that. So I think there's a timeframe we can work within.
My concern is, again, and I know I've said this several times, that it's so important that we represent all Canadian women. There are a lot of young women right now who might not be thinking about pensions, and maybe they should be, but they are looking at their future. They're looking at the decisions they're making. They're looking at university. Some of them are only in junior high and maybe they're thinking about the typical women's jobs. I think we have such a great opportunity and we need to take it. We don't know what's going to be coming up when we come back in January, what kind of other important issues will be before us. We have a chance to continue talking, even if it's just for a few sessions, on women in non-traditional roles.
I think we can inspire women. It was such a great study, and so far we've heard from very good witnesses. So I would be supporting this. I think our initial decision was a good one and we need to go back to looking at women in non-traditional roles.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Given the information you provided, inasmuch as we will be concluding the witness portion of our study on Tuesday, and the fact that Mr. Forbes, as Madame Demers pointed out, thought our work would be quite useful in regard to the budgeting process, it doesn't make sense to me that we would abandon a pension study now when we are so close to finishing. As significant as non-traditional work may be, I think we can easily pursue that in the new year.
In regard to Ms. Hoeppner's concern about young women not having access to good information, I would suggest as a teacher that some guidance departments in the secondary schools do quite a lot of work, and very good work, in regard to providing young women with information about the kinds of opportunities they may pursue. I'm at a loss to understand how it could be the least bit sensible for us to abandon a study that is almost complete.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Lise Zarac Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I don't believe that continuing to give priority to the pension study in any way reflects the atmosphere of this committee. I think it is up to each of us to do our best. Whatever the subject, that is what we should do.
Furthermore, I'm not at all belittling the study on non-traditional occupations. Recently, moreover, I suggested a number of witnesses for the study, and I believe that should be a priority in 2010.
However, we are completing our study. As Ms. Demers said earlier, this is a study that will be very much appreciated by the Department of Finance. We are almost there. So we have to finish it, since we'll be starting the study on non-traditional occupations early in the new year.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Alice Wong Conservative Richmond, BC
I was able to meet some post-secondary instructors just today, and we discussed the good studies we've been doing. They were very, very happy that we're looking at jobs of the future. So this is a very, very important study.
In my riding, a lot of young people, young women, were so excited when we started talking about this. I was talking to university professors and trainers, and they think that, yes, this is an excellent study because it goes all the way to post-secondary as well. You don't stop at grade 12; you go on in order to go into other non-traditional jobs, which require more than grade 12. That's why I'm supporting this motion.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you.
We have witnesses who are going to come to this committee. We've heard from Ms. McLeod, Ms. Hoeppner, and Ms. Wong that the reason this should be repeated is because the study on non-traditional work is of vital importance to women, etc., and we've heard from the other side that, indeed—as the finance department official, Mr. Forbes, had said—this is an important part to feed into the government's decision-making.
Unless anyone has anything new to add, other than those two, because we should really get on with the other business of the day...
4 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON
Am I to assume, then, that we intend to have this completed? You said the last witness was coming out on Tuesday—
4 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON
How many more meetings do we have after that? Three?
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
We will then have December 3, 8, and 10. Of course, the draft report—and I was going to discuss that at the end—will be handed to everyone on December 2, so we could deal with the draft report on Thursday, December 3, and on Tuesday, December 8, and have the report ready to roll on December 10.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON
So you think we're going to finish this thing?
4 p.m.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
A few minutes ago I was criticized for bringing forward a motion on having the minister come at a late date. I would say to you that this motion has been on the table since November 3. There had been every opportunity for this motion to have been brought forward at an earlier date. I don't know the motivation for bringing it forward at the last minute, but I'm certainly questioning it. I think it's incumbent upon us to finish what we started.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you.
Madame Boucher, and then...
Mr. Van Kesteren, do you want to speak again, or have you already asked the question?
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Ms. Boucher, do you want to speak, or do you wish to cede the time to Ms. McLeod?
4 p.m.
Liberal
