Evidence of meeting #36 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was women.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Lynne Groulx  Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
Melody Lepine  Director, Government and Industry Relations, Mikisew Cree First Nation
Phil Thomas  Scientist, Mikisew Cree First Nation
Gabriel Miller  Vice-President, Public Issues, Policy and Cancer Information, Canadian Cancer Society
Sara Trotta  Senior Coordinator, Public Issues, Canadian Cancer Society
Verna McGregor  Environment and Climate Change Project Officer, Native Women's Association of Canada

November 17th, 2016 / 5:15 p.m.

Vice-President, Public Issues, Policy and Cancer Information, Canadian Cancer Society

Gabriel Miller

—but we do need to know where it is.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

Okay.

5:15 p.m.

Vice-President, Public Issues, Policy and Cancer Information, Canadian Cancer Society

Gabriel Miller

Also, we need to monitor it, because some of it will be a hazard, and all of it will be a hazard if it's disrupted or handled in the wrong way.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Just to be clear, I wasn't intending it to be deemed to be exactly similar. I was looking at mechanisms to be able to identify it or to tell people that if they find it in their home, they don't necessarily have to extract it, but they need to let the next person who's buying their home know so that they're not cutting into the wall or the tiles and exposing themselves. I wasn't exactly aiming for identical. I was just looking at mechanisms.

I have one more question, and then I'm out of time.

Lynne, you mentioned that you would have the ability to look at CEPA or would be interested in looking at CEPA with a first nations lens, and I'm very interested to see that. It's very hard for us to apply a first nations lens in looking at what we might need to do to CEPA, and it would be very helpful to have a first nations group do that. I'm wondering if you can share with me a bit more about what would be involved in doing that and what it would take.

5:15 p.m.

Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada

Lynne Groulx

What we do, basically, is take the piece of legislation, go through it clause by clause, and look at the perspective. Is it taking into account first nations indigenous legal traditions or customary laws? If yes, we wouldn't make a comment, and if no, we would provide some commentary and advice.

I'm also referring to gender-based analysis, which is more commonly known within the government. I believe Justice does a gender-based analysis, or is supposed to, because there is a policy.

We use the two lenses. We use the gender lens and the indigenous lens. That's the way we would do it.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

I guess what I'm looking for.... You don't have to tell me the answer today, but maybe you can let us know what it would take—

5:15 p.m.

Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

—and what you would need to be able to do that. I think that would be helpful.

5:15 p.m.

Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada

Lynne Groulx

Thank you.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

All right.

Go ahead, Mr. Eglinski, and then we really do have to call the time.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

Jim Eglinski Conservative Yellowhead, AB

You know, I'm going to hold off, because I think it's something for us to have a discussion about later when we go through this. I won't want to bring it up here right now.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Sure.

I want to thank all the guests very much for the wisdom that you've shared with us, and the good discussion and answers. It's been an excellent panel today.

We're going to move into a closed session, so I'm going to end the meeting very quickly. We're going to have to clear the room so that we can do a bit of business, if you don't mind.

I'm sorry to do that to you. Thanks so much.

We'll suspend for just a few minutes. Thank you.

[Proceedings continue in camera]