Status of Women Committee on Dec. 4th, 2014

[Djaouida Sellah, NDP, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

I also have a question about the network's 2013 report entitled “The case for a National Action Plan on Violence Against Women in Canada”. The report reviews gaps in policies and legislation related to violence against women in Canada.

What are those gaps in policies and legislation related to violence against women in Canada that the report points out? What are the main reasons why the network is demanding a national action plan on violence against women?

[Lise Martin]

We are calling for a national plan mostly to make sure that women all across the country can have access to the same level of services. A woman in Thunder Bay must have access to the same services as a woman in Toronto. Accomplishing that would be very significant.

If we really want violence against women to be reduced and eventually stopped, it must be a project for society as a whole. Our system has various levels of government and we must be able to work together. If we have to get into the sandbox together and play nice, as Sharlene just said, let's do it.

This is a society-wide project. It is not something that lasts only as long as a political mandate. It will take a number of years to achieve.

In federal policies related to violence against women, the women seem to have become invisible, in a way, because of the neutral terminology. The words “violence against women” are being used less often, and everyone is basically being placed in the same boat.

[Djaouida Sellah, NDP, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Thank you.

Madam Chair, I am giving the last minute of my time to my colleague Ms. Ashton.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Thank you very much for your feedback.

I do want to bring the attention back to the tragic case of Zahra Abdille because it is making national news and highlights the way in which the system is failing Zahra and women like her. Given the earlier discussion, I would like to take the opportunity to bring forward a motion. In the wake of the tragedy of Zahra Abdille and the fact that almost every witness this committee has heard so far has agreed that a national action plan is urgently necessary to help women like Zahra, I would like to take the last few minutes of this meeting to table a motion to expand the mandate of this study to include the study of a national action plan to address violence against women, including an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, so that Zahra and women like her don't go missing anymore.

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

Given that the motion is related to the study in progress, it is in order.

Ms. Truppe, you have the floor.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

If we're going to discuss the motion as committee business, I move to go in camera.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

A recorded vote, please....

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

We will move to a recorded vote.

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

I move to go in camera.

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

Yes, and we are having the vote on the motion to move in camera.

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

Too bad, because the witnesses—

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

Okay. The thing is that there is a request to move in camera, and we're voting on it, with a recorded vote, now.

The vote to go in camera—

[An hon. member]

There's a point of order here, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

Yes, Mr. McColeman.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

My experience as a committee chair is that recognition of the fact that you're going in camera is non-debatable, and you must go in camera for a recorded vote. That would mean that anyone in the room who is not a member or an assistant to a member needs to clear the room so that vote can happen in camera.

[An hon. member]

We're voting on going in camera.

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

One moment, please. Thank you very much. I'll confer with the clerk.

Thank you, Mr. McColeman.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

Madam Chair, maybe I'm misinterpreting your ruling here, but is the vote to go in camera? Is that what it is?

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

Yes, that's it. The request was for a recorded vote to go in camera, and after that we go in camera, discuss the motion, and then we'll—

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

I'm sorry, I was mistaken. I thought you were moving to the vote on the motion.

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

No, not at all, Mr. McColeman. The recorded vote was requested following the request from Mrs. Truppe to go in camera.

So let us vote on the motion.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 3) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

[Proceedings continue in camera]

[Public proceedings resume]

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

Let us resume the meeting.

My thanks to the witnesses for coming back.

Thank you very much for coming back.

Now I have Ms. Crockatt for five minutes.

[Joan Crockatt, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I feel compelled to explain to you what just went on because I'm really saddened when we have terrific witnesses like we have today, and then some sort of procedural snag is thrown in the middle that takes away from our time with you. I want to apologize and tell you that it was not our intention and we're very happy to have you back.

Many of us here today on both sides have a lot invested in trying to keep women safe. You heard a bit from Wai and from some of the others about the work they've done.

My mom started one of the first women's shelters in Alberta. I was a founding member of a sexual assault centre. We've all worked on these problems, and I understand the frustration that I hear in your voices because it is a very tough job. It's a burnout job, and we see the cycle of violence continuing. That's what we started talking about back in the seventies when my mom started shelters: how do we end that cycle of violence?

I think that's what we're here for today. We can talk about lots of other things. We know the problems exist. We know they're really tough to deal with on a daily basis, but what we're really trying to get at is—and several of you mentioned this and I love the fact that you see this—that we need to find ways to be able to change the channel on violence against women.

That's why we're looking for best practices today.

I was really interested, Lynn, to hear about the dog program that you briefly talked about and the aboriginal women's program and the tools that are being used, the danger assessment tool, in Alberta. I hope I can go through the three of you and have you....

Lynn, could you talk more about the dog program so we can hear what some of these best practices are because I think Sharlene and Lise both mentioned that we have all these programs out here. Some of them have their funding renewed and some of them don't, and often it's because we don't know what's working and it's very hard for people to assess where the money should go.

Today we're trying to find the cream so we know when these programs come up which ones you recommend that are really cutting edge, that are changing the channel, and we can start to have real progress in the areas you find are working.

Lynn, could I start with you, please, and then go to Sharlene and Lise. Thank you all very much for your contributions.

[Lynn Ward]

To start with, the therapeutic dog program we have in place is for all ages, so a child does not have to be reading, they can read from pictures. That comes from a therapeutic best practice approach of course when you incorporate that into a program.

[Joan Crockatt, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Sorry to interrupt you, but could you focus on the prevention aspect? It may help kids deal with the very difficult transition of getting their life back to normal, but will it help us stop the cycle? Is there a prevention component to it?