Finance Committee on Sept. 27th, 2010

[Asia Czapska]

I'm not sure I understand.

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Do you not think that having specific housing would end up creating ghettos?

[Asia Czapska]

Well, I'm think of having units in social housing that already exist that would be designated for girls. As you've said, there are units that are designated for people with disabilities in certain buildings that have social housing. Similarly, we would like to have units that are designated toward girls instead of saying, just blanket, “youth homelessness”.

And to your first question, the reason we say 6% is because the federal government previously said that about 10% to 30% of all of the homeless are youth, so we say 10% to 30%. And for us, it's clear that if you look at statistics, about 50% of homeless youth are girls. If you look at statistics of youth in youth shelters and how many are male and female, and the different studies on youth and youth homelessness, it's usually about 50%. We would say conservatively that 6% of the homeless are teenage girls.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you.

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

We could talk about this all day, just like sports.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you.

We'll go to Mrs. McLeod, for a seven-minute round.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am certainly going to start with the Southern Interior Beetle Action Coalition and focus on that area. For my colleagues from British Columbia, there is an incredible devastation of the woods when you fly over. If it's light today we will see the red that's gone to black. There has been a significant impact, and it is destroying some of our rural communities.

I'll ask some of my questions and then open it up. You mentioned $200 million. Could you first of all talk about the real successes, or what actually has made a difference, and how that $200 million has created a future? We had the community adjustment fund, and certainly, I know within the riding I live in, the work that was planned by the Beetle Action Coalition continued under that program. So I think over the last couple of years there was significant continuance of some of the work.

Could you also talk about what you see in the future, and how it's really going to make a difference? I'll open that up now for some real solid meat behind the issue.

[Donald Bassermann]

Thank you very much for the question. We do appreciate it. In my earlier enthusiasm to stay within the time limits, I did neglect to share a couple parts of our presentation.

In terms of the real successes, each of the three coalitions has substantially presented a series of strategies that we believe reflect the thinking of the people in each of those regions and what they see as the opportunities to maintain some degree of resiliency economically and to create some diversification.

As an example in our particular area--I hope to leave some time for Rhona to add from her area as well--clearly the mountain pine beetle has lent itself to advancing considerations of bioenergy in terms of an energy source for a world that's looking for greater energy opportunity. We're just strapped in terms of our financial ability to stimulate and motivate activity down that line.

We need to better understand how we're going to do it in terms of the future. I'm trying to give Rhona a heads-up here in terms of successes in the future. We are challenged on the natural resource front. We're optimistic people, by and large, in rural and remote Canada, but risks for flooding during certain times of the year are considerable issues for us. Drought is also showing up as a considerable issue for us. As well, climate change, which is a part of where the beetle has played out from, is an issue.

One of the things of considerable concern to small communities across the country, and certainly in the pine beetle areas, is the negative effect on drinking water. Those forests hold the water. We're optimistic and we think we can do some work there, but we need some help. Wildlife habitat has been significantly challenged. We think we can make some changes with some help.

The impact on traditional aboriginal livelihoods has been significant. I can quote from a number of the first nations communities where this has really, really set them back.

But we've also experienced a significant increase in fire risk. We have a strategy to help manage some of that fire risk. We just don't have the resources to do it. If you had travelled through British Columbia this summer, or even through western Canada, you would have appreciated and shared some of the smoke we all breathed. It is a big issue for us.

Rhona, I will pass it on to you.

[Rhona Martin]

In our region, what we've tried to do is partner with as many organizations as we possibly can. For the projects that we have approved at the SIBAC board table, the information or plan garnered quite often can be picked up and taken to another community so that it can be shared throughout the region and the province.

As Don has said, we lack the funding to go forward. There are so many communities that are at risk. We are losing the most important infrastructure in our communities. We're losing our schools. In my community, we had a school close after 108 years of education, but we've lost so many workers and have so few children left, and that is the reason it's happening.

Our main focus has been to partner, to share as many plans as we can. The federal government has been part of that, as has the provincial government, and it's shared information. We want something that is generic so we can share it with all of our friends and neighbours who are in the same predicament we are in.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

You have two minutes, Ms. McLeod.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

As a little bit of follow-up, here's what I'm really trying to understand. For example, in 100 Mile House they used some of the funding to create new industry. They are looking at the hemp industry; apparently, there are 3,000 potential uses for industrial hemp.

So I guess there's taking care of the hazard with the fires and those sorts of issues, but on the economic future--and I'm really interested in hearing from any of the beetle action coalitions--have you been able to do anything that's actually had glimmers of hope for a new economic future for some of these communities?

[Donald Bassermann]

I think I'd like to say the answer is “absolutely”, but not with the vigour we had hoped for.

I have another particular example. Northern British Columbia is blessed with vast quantities of land at reasonable prices. With a variety of changes, we are encouraging and trying to develop, with a variety of partners, the growth of agriculture.

As an example, in working with the University of Northern British Columbia and their research capacity, we are looking to establish an institute with them as a partner to explore the particular advantages of our region and the opportunities to provide food not only for our region, but for British Columbians and Canadians in particular, and in part for the world. We're recognizing some changes, but agriculture and that institute is a specific example of very solid partnership with a research university and our coalition to work forward.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Very briefly, Ms. Martin.

[Rhona Martin]

We have some successes. We have a pilot project in Princeton. It's a pellet plant project that has really increased the economic opportunity in that community, which was suffering greatly.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you.

We'll go to Mr. Davies for a seven-minute round.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you.

I'd like to thank all of the presenters for their thoughtful presentations. I think all are merited and worthy of inclusion in this year's budget.

I want to particularly single out the pine beetle need. You have our party's full support for the federal government delivering on that promise. I will personally take this back to caucus and advocate for that money to be delivered.

But I also want to say that in looking over the witness list across this country, I've been very dismayed over the lack of women's input in this budget process. In fact, “dismayed” isn't a strong enough word; I was horrified. So what I'd like to do is actually turn over the rest of my time to Ms. Day, Ms. Holland, Ms. Czapska, and Ms. Duncan to make sure their voices are heard as much as possible.

[Laura Holland, Spokesperson, B.C. CEDAW Group]

Thank you.

My name is Laura Holland. I'm an organizer with the Aboriginal Women's Action Network and we're part of the B.C. CEDAW Group.

I want you to take a moment just to acknowledge that you are on native land. I know this is a really important time for aboriginal peoples in British Columbia and in Canada as well because there are many land claims that remain unsettled, and there are many aboriginal women and children who still remain without access to lands and resources. I think it's really important that we pay attention to that.

It's also a really important time for aboriginal women in B.C. because we are looking at an inquiry into the Pickton case. It's really important that we pay attention to that as well as the fact that aboriginal women and children are still being murdered, and aboriginal women are still disappearing.

Today I want you to pay special attention and I know it's difficult to pay attention at the end of a long morning, but I would like your attention. I'd like you to pay special attention to our brief concerning police and government failure to prevent or effectively investigate violence against aboriginal women and girls.

All the indicators of equality and well-being, educational attainment, health status, income level, housing adequacy, participation in paid work, and rates of child apprehension reveal an entrenched pattern of inequality and dismal conditions of life for aboriginal women and girls. These disadvantaged conditions are the result of both historical and ongoing colonialism, including systemic racism and sexism.

It's really hard for me to say what the consequences of 500 years of colonialism and racist violence against women are, but I will do my best. Aboriginal women in Canada report rates of violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault, 3.5 times higher than non-aboriginal women. They experience high levels of sexual abuse and violence in their own families and communities and high levels of stranger violence in the broader society. Also, young aboriginal women are five times more likely than Canadian women of the same age to die of violence.

I totally support the housing initiative that Justice for Girls was talking about because I quite often house these young women at my house.

In March 2009 the Native Women's Association of Canada issued the second report of the Sisters in Spirit project, documenting 520 cases at the time, which I believe is now 586 cases, of aboriginal women and girls who have gone missing or have been murdered across the country in the last 30 years.

We also know there is anecdotal evidence or information that these numbers are much higher. They could be in the thousands. Most aboriginal and human rights organizations agree that the count of missing and murdered women is much higher.

In B.C., since the 1990s, 69 women have been reported missing from the downtown east side in Vancouver, Canada's poorest neighbourhood. The majority of these women were aboriginal. Many of my friends and my friends' sisters are included in those 69.

Two facets of this problem have been identified by aboriginal women, families, and non-governmental organizations: first, the failure of police to protect aboriginal women and girls from violence and investigate promptly and thoroughly when they are missing or murdered; and second, the disadvantaged social and economic conditions in which aboriginal women and girls live, which make them vulnerable to violence and unable to escape from it.

In its 2008 concluding observations, the UN CEDAW Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women wrote:

Although the Committee notes that a working group has been established to review the situation relating to missing and murdered women in the State party and those at risk in that context, it remains concerned that hundreds of cases involving aboriginal women who have gone missing or been murdered in the past two decades have neither been fully investigated nor attracted priority attention, with the perpetrators remaining unpunished. The Committee urges the State party to examine the reasons for the failure to investigate the cases of missing or murdered aboriginal women and to take the necessary steps to remedy the deficiencies in the system. The Committee calls upon the State party to urgently carry out thorough investigations of the cases of aboriginal women who have gone missing or been murdered in recent decades. It also urges the State party to carry out an analysis of those cases in order to determine whether there is a racialized pattern to the disappearances and take measures to address the problem if that is the case.

Moving to our recommendation, the B.C. CEDAW Group is calling on the federal government to take responsibility for determining the reasons for the failure to investigate the cases of missing or murdered women--and design and implement steps to remedy the system--and for the failure in compliance with Canada's international human rights obligations; and to implement a national strategic plan to address the disadvantaged social and economic conditions of aboriginal women and girls.

The Aboriginal Women's Action Network talks with women locally, provincially, nationally, and internationally. As aboriginal women, we are fighting for our lives, and we're asking for your help.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

You have about twenty seconds, Mr. Davies, if you want it.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Twenty seconds, then.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Just a brief comment, Ms. Day.

[Shelagh Day]

I think what I'd like to say is that we believe Canada's human rights treaties put obligations on the federal government. We're asking for budgets to actually reflect the human rights commitments Canada has made so that we put budgets and human rights together and we really start thinking about how we allocate money to fulfill the human rights of Canadian people, including women and children.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you.

Before I go to Mr. Pacetti, there have been some questions raised about witness lists. I just want to clarify that the committee decided this as a whole, all four parties. I don't think there's been a suggestion by any member of the committee--not one suggestion by any opposition party--that's been denied.

If there are groups that do want to be heard, I suggest they contact committee members. I just want to be clear that nobody is out there denying people the opportunity to speak. I believe the groups that were added were suggested by Mr. Brison, if I'm correct. The clerk can correct me if I'm wrong.

So that's how we operate. All four parties agree on the witness list. I would just clarify that for members' information.

Mr. Pacetti, you have a five-minute round, please.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

For the record, I agree with you, Mr. Chair: this has been non-partisan. I think we all agreed, when people submitted the witness list, on whatever name they submitted. There were no arguments. I think the challenge has been that we've had too much success. The problem is not that we've been excluding people, but having a difficult time including people.

We all have your briefs. I know that I speak to colleagues--I'm just speaking for the Liberal Party--who have better expertise than I do on different issues. So we've done this on a consultative basis. There's also been some change in our critics.

Again, on behalf of my party, I'd like to apologize, but I think it was Anita who spoke to me and to Scott's office.

We appreciate that at the last possible second, Ms. Day, your group was able to appear.

I'd like to change the tone a little bit and go to the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association. I don't think you've gotten a question yet.

Ms. Kenny, I guess I'll come out and say it: why should government, taxpayers, help with the cleanup or pay for the retirement, as you would say, of the pipeline assets when your members are the ones who have profited from the resource or from the ability to transport whatever resource you did transport?

[Brenda Kenny]

The main premise for the qualified environmental trust that currently exists just for mining is a look at long-term industries where you want to ensure that there's a stable funding mechanism in place and that there is encouragement--like the RRSP--to ensure that the savings accrued are handled in a tax-efficient manner.

We certainly take responsibility, as this industry, in terms of putting the money aside. What we're asking is that through the qualified environmental trusts and a modification to the Income Tax Act, as money grows in those funds they're tax-protected. The recipients of this, I would point out, are not actually the pipeline companies; they're the energy consumers. Our costs are fixed tolls that are regulated by the National Energy Board. It's a flow-through cost mechanism.

At this point in time, I think it's important to signal to Canadians that we're altogether serious about--

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

So a separate fund does exist. Who funds that fund?