Status of Women committee  I absolutely think it would be beneficial. I use an analogy borrowed from someone else: We need a conductor. That type of role and that type of person could help to serve as the conductor to be able to think about all the different pieces and how to allocate the monies and look at midwifery from that big-picture perspective.

Status of Women committee  Claire, why don't you take that one?

Status of Women committee  One of them, of course, is the PPE. Another is about the different supports that can be in place. There are different structures across Canada for how midwives are compensated. In some jurisdictions it is an employment model and in other jurisdictions it's a fee-for-service model.

Status of Women committee  Sure. I'll start with the positive. I think the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us, across the board, to think outside the box, and in some ways jurisdictions have looked to midwives to solve some of the issues that have come forward. In some cases, they have expanded the scope of midwives.

Status of Women committee  Thank you for the question. I think it's really important that midwives are regulated health professionals, that we are able to provide the safety that comes with being part of a regulated college. It speaks to the registration requirements, those education requirements. It speaks to the quality assurance programs that we put in place, and in particular the ability to respond to any complaints and address any conduct or competence issues that might exist.

Status of Women committee  At the moment, there are two bridging programs for internationally educated midwives in Canada, one in Ontario and one in B.C. The method for getting registered in Canada as an internationally educated midwife is to take one of the bridging programs in order to bridge to the Canadian model of midwifery.

Status of Women committee  Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Louise Aerts and I am the board chair of the Canadian Midwifery Regulators Council. I am speaking to you today from the unceded Coast Salish territory, represented by the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.