Status of Women Committee on Feb. 15th, 2024

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

You have 35 seconds.

[Fae Johnstone]

In rural communities in particular, it's a whole different conversation, and in smaller towns the rights and freedoms and the space for yourself are much more constrained. I think that is why we need more public education. We need more initiatives to help folks talk about gender and sexuality.

Again, these things become such abstractions. I played 12 years of boys' hockey and I'm from two military parents. My mom went to RMC back when it was even worse to be going to RMC as a woman. We need to have these conversations in a sphere that isn't partisan and politicized. I think we can actually get through to most folks, because whether you live in a big town or a small city, you deserve the freedom to be yourself, and that's what this is really about.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Fae, I don't know how you knew exactly to the second, but that's two minutes. We're done. That was perfect.

We'll move it to Andréanne for one minute, please.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

I will try to be brief.

As a government and public sector employer, what should be the priority to ensure that we create a drive towards private enterprise and encourage more women to become heads of businesses, sit on boards of directors, dare to go into business and deal with bankers who will trust them?

What should be the priority?

[Lohifa Pogoson Acker]

I look around this room and I don't see anyone who looks like me. I'm going to walk out of this room and you're going to have discussions about me and my challenges. You're going to offer solutions. You're going to write a report. That report is going to be policy. I imagine, since there's no one who looks like me here now, that there won't be anyone who looks like me at that point.

I think representation is important. You need to prioritize that. More importantly, though, you need to engage the community in your decision-making. I know you're doing that here and now in this way, but you need to use us in the community to achieve these goals.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Wonderful.

I'm now going to pass it over to Leah for one minute.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you so much.

I want to talk about Canada's federal 2SLGBTQI+ action plan. With the rising hate and disproportionate impact of economic uncertainty on 2SLGBTQI+ communities, what kinds of changes or updates are required?

[Fae Johnstone]

When it was launched, it was billed as being evergreen. It was promised to the queer and trans communities as a vehicle to deliver complete equality. It did not have much on economic development. It did not have much on the role of Canada on the international stage.

These anti-gender movements are not just a local issue; they're often funded by America, but they're pushing out around the world. We need further investments in anti-hate efforts. We need further investments in local queer and trans communities.

In particular, they have to span beyond this government. What happens if government change comes? What happens to the queer and trans community organizations that need sustainable funding?

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thanks very much.

That was perfect, once again.

I'm now letting everybody know that the bells are coming. They're on, but we're at the end of the panel.

I'm going to end by saying, Lohifa and Fae, that this was amazing. Thank you so much for bringing your voices here. I think it's really important that we hear from everybody, and that was just wonderful.

I have to get unanimous consent so that we can continue on with our committee business once we clear the room, which will also be a challenge.

Do I have unanimous consent to carry on?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Okay. I'm suspending the meeting.

[Proceedings continue in camera]