Evidence of meeting #27 for Status of Women in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was projects.
A recording is available from Parliament.
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Emmanuella Lambropoulos Liberal Saint-Laurent, QC
I have less than 30 seconds left in my time, so I will stop here.
Thank you very much for all your answers.
2:05 p.m.
Senator and Former Commissioner, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, As an Individual
Thank you.
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Thank you so much.
I will now pass it over to Andréanne Larouche.
Andréanne, you have two and a half minutes.
2:05 p.m.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I was going to wipe my eyes. I realize that today's debate is making me particularly emotional. This is the last meeting of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women this session. For me, this session has been marked by the birth of my first baby girl. When we talk about violence against women, I am particularly affected at this time. I'm sorry, I'm a bit emotional today.
On the subject of violence against women, I wonder how we can increase women's sense of confidence in the communities. This is a determining factor, which can lead these women to denounce certain situations. That's what I was saying at the end of my first round.
Ms. Brady, you touched on this issue quickly. I would like you to tell me what more could be done at present to increase this feeling of safety.
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
2:05 p.m.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
I put my question to Ms. Brady. I believe she is the one who raised this issue.
Otherwise, Ms. Moran could also answer a question about human trafficking.
I talked about numbers earlier. In fact, I had the opportunity to replace someone on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. We saw, once again, that women were much more affected in certain interventions. In Bill C-5, I spoke this week on the impact of mandatory minimum sentences on the overrepresentation of women in prison.
Ms. Brady and Ms. Moran, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this sense of safety and confidence. Can you tell me what more could be done to increase that?
2:10 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Indigenous Secretariat, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Madam Chair, I note that the question was directed to me and Ms. Brady.
I am not in a position to answer that directly. I'll take note of it and provide you with an answer on that issue.
2:10 p.m.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Okay.
As I said earlier, behind the statistics, there is a reality. The bill deals with mandatory minimum sentences, but it also deals with diversion and the consequences it could have.
Senator Audette, you talked about the connection, the healing process, and the impact on communities, and you said that we need to look at this as a public health issue. We can come back to that in a future round and talk about some of the solutions.
2:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Andréanne, we absolutely will do so.
I'll now pass it over to Leah.
Leah, you have two and a half minutes.
2:10 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you.
Again, Senator Audette, thank you so much for being here. I lift you up for the work you've done on this critical issue.
I spoke a little bit about women not wanting to come forward when they experience violence, whether by perpetrators in “man camps” or by police. I gave a couple of examples of ongoing police violence. I'm wondering if you could share what needs to be done to ensure that the root causes are addressed to deal with this ongoing issue of violence and to put in place processes that are safe, accessible, transparent and accountable to make sure that women and girls are protected.
2:10 p.m.
Senator and Former Commissioner, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, As an Individual
Thank you very much for that important question, Ms. Gazan.
We have heard initiatives from members of the government. But initiatives go hand in hand with political will or political colour. The day we have our own autonomous governments, that will be another answer.
Before we get to that point, the federal, provincial and territorial governments have responsibilities. We need to change the culture and the way things are done in government. If there are no laws that impose accountability, transparency and forms of penalties to ensure respect for human rights, particularly in the areas of public health, individual health and safety, and if these rights are only taken into account in one-off initiatives, we will unfortunately see the same thing next year and in 10 years.
We don't know the laws and we don't see them. They need to have teeth, so that there is zero tolerance for any form of violence.
2:10 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you so much.
You spoke specifically of call for justice 1.7 to appoint an ombudsman to oversee...and you said that we needed it implemented “yesterday”. Can you expand on that?
2:10 p.m.
Senator and Former Commissioner, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, As an Individual
Of course.
We can draw the same parallel. What we're talking about here is everything that's happening in the aboriginal territories in the context of resource development, but it's also important to look at all the institutions, services, or programs that indigenous women and girls are entitled to, or would be entitled to, but don't even know about. If initiatives are always used to stifle a crisis, it is—
2:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Senator, we will have to get back to you. We do have lots of time still, so we'll get back to you on that.
2:10 p.m.
Senator and Former Commissioner, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, As an Individual
Sure.
2:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
I will now pass it over to Dominique.
Dominique, you have six minutes.
2:10 p.m.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I would like us to take a greater interest in the companies that exploit resources on the territory, which have all the permits to do so, and which take in employees who come from far away, for short periods at a time. These men go to work for these companies, leave and come back later, with money in their pockets, of course. We know what happens next. I would like us to look at the responsibility of these companies.
Ms. Zinck, you work for the Department of Natural Resources. Ms. Audette was talking about laws and the need to change mentalities. On the government side, but particularly in your department, what are the connections with companies? Do you have a certain clout? Are you able to follow up with businesses, to impose things on them or to ensure that they are good corporate citizens, that they adequately assume their responsibilities, that they apply zero tolerance to violence against women living in the environment where the businesses are located, that their employees are well informed and that they know the consequences they face?
Can you give me a quick answer, please?
2:15 p.m.
Director General, Reconciliation, Department of Natural Resources
Thank you very much for the question.
I'll answer in English.
What I can tell you is that the Canada Energy Regulator does require companies like Trans Mountain Corporation to put in place things like a socio-economic effects monitoring plan, a worker accommodation strategy and community benefits programs. The Canada Energy Regulator does hold the corporation to account with respect to the requirements that are set out. That's part of the 156 binding conditions—
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
In concrete terms, what are you telling me today?
2:15 p.m.
Director General, Reconciliation, Department of Natural Resources
What I'm saying today is that there are 156 binding conditions on the Trans Mountain expansion project and, as part of that, the corporation must have in place a worker accommodation strategy, which it does. There are also provincial conditions that are layered on top of that in addition: another worker accommodation strategy at the federal and provincial levels for projects like that as well as others.
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
How does that protect women?
I would ask you to answer quickly, Ms. Zinck, because I also want to talk to Ms. Audette.
2:15 p.m.
Director General, Reconciliation, Department of Natural Resources
The worker accommodation strategies are developed by the corporation in consultation with the indigenous advisory and monitoring committee, as well as communities that are on the ground, so that they are meaningful and take into account the unique circumstances of the communities in which those camps are situated.
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
That's fine.
Good afternoon, Ms. Audette. I am pleased to speak to you this afternoon, although I do not have much time, as you can see.
What can we say or do? How can we bring together people from the police, from the municipal governments, from the workers' unions, from the aboriginal communities, not to mention the bosses of these companies, to make sure that mentalities change and that there is someone who is watching what is going on?
2:15 p.m.
Senator and Former Commissioner, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, As an Individual
I really like your question, Ms. Vien.
That should be one of the recommendations in your report: in the various regions of Canada, a circle of organizations and people like those you have named should be involved in this kind of exercise. As it were, this is what we are doing in the context of the regional first nations economic circle, which is currently being held in Mashteuiatsh. It's a formula we like to use to talk about the economy, but we could also use a forum like this to talk about issues like the one your committee is studying. I'm sure there are companies that would say they've gone further than what's been proposed by some of the members of this committee.
There may be some good initiatives—
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
This seems to me to be the beginning of something. We have to get everyone together. No matter how many great policies are developed and how many generous funding envelopes are given to them, if we don't get people from the same community together to talk about the same things in the same language in order to identify and name the issues, mentalities will not change.