Canadian Heritage Committee on Oct. 4th, 2016

[Marion Lay]

We've sort of defined—and it might be a bit old-fashioned—what national sport organizations and multi-sport organizations get funding. There's no reason why a professional women's team—especially as an affirmative action effort—couldn't be eligible for federal funding in the same way that national sport-governing bodies are. If they're providing the service and we're.... It could be something that could be worked out. We need to ask or we need to put that forward.

Now that continuum from start to professional league is very different from what it used to be when we created our NSOs and our PSOs.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

I have a quick question.

If you all recall, in June 2012 the federal, provincial, and territorial sports ministers actually endorsed the Canadian sport policy 2012. Does anybody know whether that had a focus at all on gender equity in sports? Has it been doing anything with regard to women? They're looking at this from school as well as amateur and professional athletes. Does anybody know what's happened? Have they been focusing on that?

[Karin Lofstrom]

On one of the these I can add quickly—and Marion, you can jump in.

In this last policy, women, discrimination, and equity were not even mentioned. It's kind of like thinking that the work is done, but it's not. We don't want to take that foot off the gas pedal because we're not over the hump yet, and that everything is fine. It had had focus in previous versions of policies but not in this last one, specifically.

[Marion Lay]

Yes, there was a commitment from our most recent minister of sport, Minister Carla Qualtrough, that she is going to put girls and women in sport back on the federal-provincial agenda, that it has slipped off, and that it needs to go on, as well as more work around sport for people with disabilities and special needs.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

I want to thank all the witnesses.

I think this was a very interesting session, and I want to thank again Julie Dabrusin for bringing the motion forward to study this.

I just wanted to call for a motion—

Yes, Marion.

[Marion Lay]

Do we have one minute? I have one thing I would like to say that I didn't get a chance to get in there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

We should be leaving this room but go ahead. You have one minute.

[Marion Lay]

I think we have a lot of really important things happening in Canada, like our 150th birthday and money for infrastructure coming from the federal.... We have Calgary going after a bid for the Olympics. Hosting is coming back on the agenda.

All of those federal initiatives should look at what they want for people with disability and for gender equity, to ensure they're starting to answer some of the issues we've brought up in these discussions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

Now I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

I move we adjourn.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Mr. Maguire.