Status of Women Committee on March 19th, 2013

[Suzanne Clément]

My response was specifically to the question of the inquiry and that it is an inquiry on the policing response to the situation.

Following the end of the Sisters in Spirit project, Status of Women Canada funded two subsequent projects with NWAC to continue some of the work to build on the information that had been gathered in the first initiative. The first project was $500,000 and the second was $1.8 million that we funded with NWAC. It was to look at some of the root causes of what makes aboriginal women more susceptible to violence. That project is ongoing.

I wouldn't want you to take my answer to the inquiry as meaning Status of Women is not concerned about violent situations with aboriginal women. It's quite the opposite. When we put out a call for proposals on violence, definitely one of the target populations that we want to look at is aboriginal women and girls in Canada.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

What is the program that you are currently funding?

[Suzanne Clément]

With NWAC? It's a project called Evidence to Action to end violence against aboriginal women. It's a $1.8 million project. It has a number of sub-activities but its main function is to look at some of the root causes that have led women to be vulnerable to violence and try to address that. They also work with the families of some of the victims.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

It's a very important program. I know people in my constituency find that kind of programming essential, given the tragedy they face.

Given the emergence of this special committee, this parliamentary committee, what role does Status of Women Canada envision itself playing—this is something we raised with the minister as well—around making sure that this committee takes into account the work that you've done, but also the work that you may realize needs to be done to put an end to violence facing aboriginal women?

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

You have one minute left.

[Suzanne Clément]

For the time being what I can say is we will be following the work of the committee with a great level of interest. To determine what our role will be I don't think is up to us but up to the parliamentary committee to decide.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

I have a quick question with reference to the priorities in terms of funding. Does Status of Women Canada give preference to grants that focus on working with men and boys?

[Suzanne Clément]

Preference? No. We did a call on violence, and there were four sub-components of that call that we wanted to address. One of them was engaging men and boys to end violence. Another one was to address issues of violence within high-risk neighbourhoods—

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

If I could just note, we have received some questions from funded organizations, organizations that have had their funding rejected—

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

Please be very brief, Ms. Ashton.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

--around the concern that perhaps their proposals were too focused on women and girls rather than engaging those two priorities, especially the male gendered priority.

I'd like to put that on the table.

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

Your answer will have to be very quick.

[Suzanne Clément]

I would just like to say that—and I heard him mention it again recently in New York at the UNCSW—one of our key partners in Canada on engaging men and boys is the White Ribbon Campaign in the person of Todd Minerson because he's such a great leader for that organization.

He mentioned again that the absolute last thing that they would ever want to do is to take funding away from women's organizations or women's issues, that the work that they're wanting to do is to complement the work that they're doing.

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

I am sorry, but I will have to stop you there. We are pressed for time. It is not always easy to interrupt people like that.

My sincere thanks to all of you for coming here and for sharing your expertise with the committee. I will now let you go.

On our side, without further ado, we will proceed with the votes.

HUMAN RESOURCES AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT The Office of the Co-ordinator, Status of Women Vote 25—Operating expenditures............$9,339,148 Vote 30—Grants listed in the Estimates and contributions...........$19,033,333

You have all received the document with the votes. You must have surely taken the time to familiarize yourself with it. Let me read you a quote from the House of Commons Journals so that everyone is aware of what we are voting on:

Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, were deemed referred to the several standing committees of the House as follows: [...] (22) To the Standing Committee on the Status of Women Human Resources and Skills Development, Votes 25 and 30

Shall vote 25 under Human Resources and Skills Development carry? You will have that...

Yes, Ms. Ashton?

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

We would like to make a request. We think it is a bit too early to vote today. We would like to have some time to review the main estimates and to defer the vote by one day.

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

Okay.

Does anyone have something to say about that?

Yes, Ms. Sgro?

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

There are some timelines here. What are they? Do we have enough time? What's the deadline that we need to have this approved by the committee or else it's automatically adopted?

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

We have until May 31 to table the report in the House.

Does that answer your question?

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

... it seems to me that there would be no reason why we couldn't defer the actual adoption of the report until a later point.

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

Actually, the clerk told me that the reason why we are voting today is to determine whether we are going to continue our study or not. In terms of money, it means that, if we are going to continue it, it will be after April 1, 2013.

I am sorry. I am not an expert in finance.

Yes, Ms. Truppe?

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, London North Centre, ON]

That's correct, Madam Chair, and we would like to vote today.

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

Ms. Truppe is asking that we vote today.

Yes, Ms. Ashton?

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

I would like to thank the members for their comments, but our team has provided us with some information about the vote. This is not even the last week of March. You said that we are a bit pressed for time, but I think we could still wait a few more days.

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

Okay.

Let me remind you that another committee is sitting at 1 p.m.

Yes, Ms. Sgro?

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

What we are doing here is important, equally as important as what they are going to be doing.

Would you just clarify with the clerk? What we're talking about is moving forward. If we have this vote next week or after the April break, it's not going to have anything to do with what our schedule is, other than putting the time for the vote in it. No funding or expenditures are going to stop, if this isn't approved for, let's say, three weeks.

Could you just answer that?