Status of Women Committee on April 4th, 2012

Evidence of meeting #28 for Status of Women in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was women.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

  • Bonnie Brayton  National Executive Director, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada
  • Peggy Taillon  President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Council on Social Development
  • Jocelyne Wasacase-Merasty  Regional Manager, Prairie Region, National Centre for First Nations Governance
  • Paige Isaac  Coordinator, First Peoples' House

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet Hochelaga, QC

Thank you very much.

Ms. Freeman will use the rest of my time.

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

Thank you.

Thanks to both our witnesses for being here, for taking the time to speak with us today.

My questions are for Ms. Isaac.

Aboriginal peoples in Canada are the fastest-growing population, comprising about 13%. Do you know the average percentage of McGill students who are first nations, Métis, Inuit, etc.?

4:55 p.m.

Coordinator, First Peoples' House

Paige Isaac

It's very small. We have about 120 self-identified aboriginal students among 3,200 students across undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education. It's very small.

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

That's too bad.

I mean, it's great; really I love McGill—I went to McGill—and I know you guys do good work.

I'm actually just going to take a side note here and go and correct something that Ms. Bateman had said earlier, which was that the gender gap is getting smaller in Canada. Actually, the OECD shows us that it's been getting larger since 2006.

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

Joyce Bateman Winnipeg South Centre, MB

And I appreciate, Madam Chair, with your permission, my colleague's correction—

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

I actually don't want you to take any of my time.

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

Joyce Bateman Winnipeg South Centre, MB

—but it's not wrong. I was not—

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

No, I'm sorry, you're taking my time.

4:55 p.m.

NDP

The Chair Irene Mathyssen

Order.

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

I just wanted to correct that on the record.

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

Joyce Bateman Winnipeg South Centre, MB

But that's a falsehood, because I was quoting our witness's—

4:55 p.m.

NDP

The Chair Irene Mathyssen

Order!

Madam Bateman, please; I want to hear from these—

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

Joyce Bateman Winnipeg South Centre, MB

But that's a falsehood.

4:55 p.m.

NDP

The Chair Irene Mathyssen

I want to hear from our witnesses, and we'll have to be very, very quick, because—

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

Joyce Bateman Winnipeg South Centre, MB

On a point of order, Madam Chair, my integrity has been impugned by this woman, and you are not permitting me to clarify it.

She misunderstood, because she may not have been paying attention.

What I said was that the Canadian Council on Social Development, in their 2006 labour force profile of youth, stated—they stated—that the gender gap had reversed, and that the employment market had improved more for girls than for boys.

I was quoting one of our witnesses. My words were misdirected.

I have been maligned in front of these people and I would like an apology.

Thank you.