Debates of Dec. 5th, 2007

Jacques Gourde Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

Recognizing the Quebec nation in Ottawa means having Conservative members with the means to put words into action.

Stéphane Dion Leader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government ignores the issues facing women today.

Women still face discrimination and violence every day in Canada and yet the Conservative government went so far as to delete the word “equality” from the mandate of Status of Women Canada.

The only question is, why? Why would the government delete equality as a goal for Canadian women?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth.

I read that the Liberal Party has released a new book on women's issues but I read in the wire story here that the leader of the Liberal Party would not commit to putting these recommendations in his electoral platform.

I guess, having read that the leader of the Liberal Party has adopted the strategy of General Kutuzov, I wonder if this is just another example of him retreating from his own positions.

Stéphane Dion Leader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, wait until the Prime Minister sees the Liberal platform in the next election.

Look at what his government has done to women. It abolished the court challenges program. It closed 12 regional Status of Women offices. It abolished federal-provincial child care agreements, robbing women and thousands of parents of thousands and thousands of child care spaces.

Why is this government so indifferent to the serious difficulties facing women?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Liberal Party retreated from his own position twice on the first day of his new policy.

This government has replaced funding for bureaucracies with funding that goes directly to women's programs. This government has replaced funding for child care bureaucracies with payments that go directly to women and their families.

The Leader of the Liberal Party has promised to eliminate these benefits and that is just bad policy. This party is going to maintain these benefits for Canadian women.

Stéphane Dion Leader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is very nervous about the progress his platform will have in the next campaign for women in Canada.

Women in Canada continue to suffer discrimination. They continue to suffer abuse and violence. They continue to struggle for basic equality and, on all of this, the government's track record is abysmal.

Why should Canadian women trust anything the government says?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, this government has brought in new laws to protect women from violence. Members of that party have said that their government would repeal those laws.

This government has brought in new benefits for women and for children and their families directly to those families. The leader of the Liberal Party says that he would take those things away.

This government has taken programs that used to spend money on offices and bureaucracy and has spent it directly on Canadian women and the Liberal Party is opposed to that. That is why men and women will vote against that party and re-elect this government.

Belinda Stronach Newmarket—Aurora, ON

Mr. Speaker, many women in Canada--

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Order, please. I know it is Wednesday and there is plenty of enthusiasm but we have to be able to hear the member who has the floor.

The hon. member for Newmarket—Aurora now has the floor. We will have some order.

Rob Nicholson Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting. The Liberals say that they were working on it. In fact, the whole question of civil legal aid was cut by that group of people in 1995. It was their own action that did it.

That being said, we are committed to the family violence initiative. I am pleased the Department of Justice is involved with that. We help individual groups that address domestic violence. It is an important issue and a serious one for Canadians.

I continue to work with federal-provincial counterparts. We have done a lot and we will do more.

Belinda Stronach Newmarket—Aurora, ON

Mr. Speaker, in October the minister threatened that the organizations that criticized the government may lose their funding. She said, “I am surprised that certain organizations that receive our financial support criticize our support for the cause of women”.

These organizations defend women's rights and try to improve the quality of life for Canadian families. Why is the minister threatening these groups?