Finance Committee on April 2nd, 2019

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

I'm an MP from Calgary.

Corrections is one I'm really interested by. I don't have many prison guards in my riding, but I've gotten to know a few over the years. The type of work they do is very difficult. It's not an easy job. I've come to know what they deal with.

I'm sorry to hear about your postpartum depression. The way you described it is exactly the way my wife described it to me after our first child was born—the cloud around you. I'm really sorry to hear that, because it was just as difficult for her. Just know that we guys here.... I feel for you, because I saw it.

I want to ask you about the correctional services. I feel like we're not doing enough to deal with the mental health issues people have going in. There are a lot of people who get put into the correctional system and then it becomes a revolving door. They get out; they don't get the help they need; they go back in; they get a bit of help sometimes; then they go back out again.

In your experience, having two family members who are guards, is there any insight you can give us on what types of changes you'd like to see beyond just more funding. Is there something more structural we could change?

[Cyara Bird]

Definitely. My mother suggested having specific correctional facilities to accommodate those with mental health illness, because in that way they would be getting the resources they need. They would be with other people who are going through the same thing, and that way we could train correctional officers in dealing with stuff like that. They are not professionals; they are not doctors, so they could work alongside therapists to help reinforce what they're teaching and help them develop and foster healthy coping mechanisms.

A lot of people, when they're dealing with mental health issues, turn to addiction, and that's when it starts to become a huge cycle. Then, when you have people on reserves on welfare, it's an even bigger cycle, because they only have so much in funds to work with and living on reserve.... I'm very against the welfare system, because I see it first-hand, and I know, because I struggled with my own addictions back in my younger days, that when you only have so much funds, you're not going to spend that money on being responsible. You're only getting $200-and-something a month, so that's not enough money to buy a vehicle, to get your driver's license and go to work, so you spend it on a good time.

If we can foster those healthy coping mechanisms and help the correctional officers enforce that, it would be really beneficial.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay, thank you.

Mr. Dusseault.

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the witnesses for attending today's meeting and for participating in the daughters of the vote program.

You each pointed out, in your own way, some of the double-speak of the current and previous governments regarding climate change, the integration of newcomers, human rights in Canada and around the world, or reconciliation with indigenous peoples. We must do much more than what the government is currently proposing.

Since I can ask only one question, I'll focus on an issue that struck me in Ms. Hasan's presentation. The issue concerns the perception that an Islamophobic and anti-Muslim movement exists, not only in Canada, but around the world, and that we must recognize Islamophobia, which is very real in Canada. You spoke of funding that may be used to fuel this anti-Muslim sentiment in Canada.

Could you elaborate on what you meant by that? Are there any more specific issues that the committee could address to prevent this from happening or happening again?

[Tasnim Hasan]

I think I was pretty specific about the ways in which we fund different countries and their governments to perpetuate this kind of oppression towards Muslim populations. I would say that the Canadian government choosing to invest in countries that do things like that is taking away from the investments, as I said, back into our own communities.

We are displacing people, bringing them in as refugees into Canada and then spending twice or three times that much in Canada to make sure they feel at home here. I would say that it would be important to think about how we're spending our money, redistributing our money into these countries that are perpetuating systemic violence towards Muslim populations.

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We're chewing at the bit. Do you have a quick question?

[Pam Goldsmith-Jones, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

It is really short. This is also for you, Tasnim.

I think Canadians are very concerned about Islamophobia. Our legislature has passed a motion, M-103, in support of Iqra Khalid, another young woman leader like yourselves.

What are your recommendations for how we address that head on?

[Tasnim Hasan]

There are many ways in which we can unpack Islamophobia and the white supremacy that is being perpetuated in Canada and across the globe. Like I said, one area is the fact that we are putting money toward these governments and these organizations that are systemically abusing and killing Muslim people around the globe, and then simultaneously we are talking about celebrating Muslims and that we are investing in these communities.

There are various ways that we can approach this, one being that we organize as a community and speak adamantly against the bills that are talking about our inability to have an identity while still wearing the hijab and working and doing positions of power still. That is one are we can certainly push against.

I'm sure there are other ways on the the ground, but through legislation I would say we make sure we are pushing against and speaking out on the kind of legislation that promotes Islamophobia.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay.

Thank you, Ms. Hsu. You didn't get a question.

Do you have any last words you want to add to confirm your point?

[Annie Hsu]

Sure.

I think I will specify the three points I would like to make in terms of recommendations.

In terms of funding, there are three ways that the government's funding on settlement services and integration services could be more effective.

First of all, I think there should be more funding allocated to local organizations that have provided these services in the past and are currently providing these services. As someone who emigrated to Canada at a young age, I wasn't aware of these programs until recently, when I had to start my own organization and was doing research and outreach to these organizations. I think it's really important that there is more publicity and funding for these programs to remain existent.

The second point I would like to make is that funding could be allocated for more youth-initiated and youth-run programs. That could actually provide youth mentorship for young people who have just come to the country and who need support from their peers to foster intercultural dialogue.

The third point, I think, is that funding could be used to work with provincial and municipal governments that currently have initiatives in supporting these programs, as well as school boards to provide more funding and training for service providers and teacher-educators in schools. We need to make sure we're all fostering a curriculum that encourages intercultural dialogue and also a culture of empathy among our kids.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay.

That's a good note to end the first panel on.

I thank each and everyone of you for your presentation.

We'll bring up the next four.

Thank you very much.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

I think that's the first applause at finance committee ever.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

It might be.

Greg said he thinks that's the first applause at the finance committee ever. We don't applaud the tax experts.

It's true.

Okay, we're into our second panel with the Daughters of the Vote. Welcome.

As I think you've seen in the previous panel, we'll take a few minutes to give your opening remarks. Then we'll go quickly to questions because we've got a two o'clock hard stop.

Ms. Yeo, would you like to start?

[Annie Yeo, As an Individual]

Good afternoon. My name is Annie. I'm the delegate for the riding of Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle in Montreal, Quebec. I'm currently finishing my undergraduate degree at Concordia University.

I'm here to talk about exploitation that's happening in my province, in my city and on my campus. This past March in Quebec, more than 40,000 students across CEGEPs and universities in Montreal, the Laurentians, Sherbrooke, Gatineau and the Outaouais have gone on strike in opposition to unpaid internships and demanded their right to a full salary, standardized working conditions and full protection under Quebec's labour code.

My university student union even made challenging unpaid internships one of its main campaigns of the year, with our journalism, community and public affairs, and communications students going on strike.

Working without pay is explicitly worker exploitation. This is a labour struggle that extends to students across this country. Employers have squeezed every penny of profit at the expense of interns who receive no compensation and no standardized working conditions.

How is it 2019 and it's still acceptable to work without pay? We're told that this is all for exposure, experience or course credit. The truth is that exposure doesn't pay the bills, experience doesn't pay the bills and course credit certainly does not pay the bills.

Students are struggling to keep their heads above water to balance academics and work, and they are trying to network to get their foot in the door for a career, all while hoping their rent is paid on time.

Working class and lower-income students are feeling the brunt of this exploitation. The most economically disadvantaged cannot afford to work for free and hopes of displaying experience on their CV. This leaves them behind, while others who are capable of working for free and are privileged in this position can excel in this competitive labour market that we must all dive into after graduation. The struggle is also intersectional for feminism because women are disproportionately affected by this issue. Most unpaid interns work in traditionally feminized fields such as communications, social work and education, while internships in male-dominated fields such as engineering, accountancy and finance are paid.

I support my student union's call to action that the government remunerate all internships tied to school work and evaluate the quality of internships based on standardized criteria.

This is exploitation. It shouldn't be accepted, and it should be illegal. All workers, especially students, are entitled to their fair wage.

In solidarity with all students, I thank you for your time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you very much, Ms. Yeo.

Ms. Szafran.

[Andréa Szafran, As an Individual]

Thank you very much.

Good afternoon. My name is Andréa Szafran. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you today.

I'm pleased to have the opportunity to talk to you today and to share the issues that are close to my heart.

I am proud to live in a country that takes gender equality in cabinet seriously and that strives to change the status quo. However, there is still a large gap between where we are now and where we need to be in terms of equality in positions of leadership.

We currently have women now accounting for 26% of the seats in the House of Commons federally. Canada is actually in 62nd place as of 2019 for international ranking of the percentage of women in Parliament, and many stereotypes and barriers still exist for women in politics and other leadership roles.

As of 2018, women occupying top corporate jobs were still under 10%. This isn't the only place where women are under-represented in leadership roles. Fewer women graduate and work in STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—and they have a higher unemployment rate in these fields than male counterparts.

As a young woman studying health sciences, I often feel that I have to justify my choice of university program and have even been asked why I hadn't chosen a subject that would be more appropriate for a female, whatever that means.

With this kind of mindset and culture, it is evident that we need to continue to move forward, breaking down barriers and asking why women aren't at the table. In cases where women are at the table, perhaps we need to look at which women are still missing from this conversation.

I want to use my time today as a point of advocacy, activism and encouragement to young women to live their passions and to take challenges as opportunities, because ultimately, it will be young women today who will need to shift our current societal culture to the more gender-inclusive, equal and fair place where we all desire it to be.

The conversation inevitably follows of what you can do as the finance committee and as members of Parliament to encourage women, invest in women and support women. Continue to allocate resources to programs that give women the chance to obtain roles in their respective fields; fund to help continue to promote gender equality; and of course, use your voice on the Hill and in your ridings to mentor and encourage young women to participate.

I want to remind the committee that, when we invest in women, we prosper. More women in the workforce means more economic growth. More female involvement creates gender diversity in all fields. It promotes peace. And of course, investing in women promotes limitless possibilities.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you, Ms. Szafran.

Ms. Dini.

[Yasmin Dini, As an Individual]

Hello. My name is Yasmin Dini. I am representing my riding of Brampton East.

Today I wish to speak about a topic that is close to my heart: pharmacare.

I will begin by sharing my own story. Just last year, at the age of 20, I had an aneurysm burst, which resulted in a hemorrhagic stroke.

After receiving some of the most underfunded resources and hallway medicine in my home of Brampton, I was transferred to Toronto Western, where I received probably the best neurosurgical team in the country, and to this day I receive rehabilitation at Toronto Rehab.

However, I am stuck. Allied health services, such as mental health services, physiotherapy and pharmacare, are not covered by my province's health care plan.

Today I wish to speak about the most pressing issue—pharmacare.

Globally, every nation that has universal health coverage has a universal pharmacare program, except Canada. Polls have, time and time again, shown that universal health care is embedded in the fabric of our national identity and is a source of national pride. In order to receive federal funding, the provinces and territories must meet the mandate of accessible, portable, comprehensive, universal and publicly administered health care, as stated by the Canada Health Act.

However, what we currently have is a deeply fractured system that leaves Canadians vulnerable and that, I believe, does not live up to the mandate of the Health Act. Two-thirds of Canadians pay all or part of their pharmaceutical costs. One in 10 Canadians cannot afford their prescription medications. This translates into one's quality of life being significantly affected, as they do not fill or refill or they skip doses. This does not include the number of Canadians going into debt to cover drug costs or forgoing other necessary important expenses.

The current 2019 budget that has just been tabled has fallen short on addressing this issue. This is not merely disappointing but systemically continues to entrench people in cycles of poverty and creates real, tangible, emotional, mental and physical harm.

This issue must be addressed, so today I am humbly asking that a national pharmacare system be funded, one that operates on the principles of fairness—primarily financial security—and truly fulfills the mandate of the Canada Health Act.

There are a number of health care professionals and academics who have endorsed Pharmacare 2020, a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to a national pharmacare program.

It is my vision to see all Canadians having equitable access to health care services.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you very much.

Ms. Dhaliwal.

[Rabiah Dhaliwal, As an Individual]

Good afternoon.

My name is Rabiah Dhaliwal. I'm from Surrey, British Columbia, and today I'm representing the federal riding of Delta.

First of all, I would like to say thank you to the committee for allowing me to be here. As a Punjabi Sikh woman, it is an honour to be here today and represent my community.

“She's faking it.” “She's doing it all for attention.” “It's all in your head”. “You'll get over it.” These are all things that have been said to me throughout my battle with mental illness.

I am a survivor. I am a survivor of post-traumatic stress disorder and clinical depression. In the eighth grade, I began to self-harm. On October 2015, at the tender age of 16, I attempted to take my own life twice. On the second attempt, I almost succeeded. I woke up in a hospital bed, unsure why I was still alive and wishing I wasn't. I spent a month and a half recovering in an adolescent psychiatric ward. I hadn't planned on living to see another day, yet here I was. Today, I believe I survived for a reason, and that reason was to share my story, in an effort to hopefully inspire change and bring reform to the Canadian mental health system.

One in five Canadians will experience mental illness in any given year. The national average of the health care budget spent on mental health is only 7%. This, when compared with England's 13%, shows a startling difference that needs to be addressed. I ask you, if you had broken a leg or an arm, there is no doubt you would go to a doctor right away, correct? Mental health is no different. Early prevention is key.

The World Health Organization's constitution promotes the right of everyone to health, and health services, without experiencing financial strain.

My mental health is my right. There need to be comprehensible and clear-cut commitments to funding to battle battling this nationwide epidemic. By the year 2020, depression will become the leading cause of disease in Canada, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association. There needs to be some form of legislation, such as a mental health parity act, to ensure that mental health is acknowledged as equivalent to physical health, and that an adequate number of health care dollars are set aside for treatment and front-line services, such as evidence-based therapies, and services by psychologists that should be publicly funded.

There is a dire need for a functioning and organized mental health system in Canada that addresses socio-economic barriers, and makes vulnerable and minority populations a priority. There's a disparity in our Canadian universities in regard to mental health coverage, and a greater one in our universal health care system that fails to adequately and concretely address that there is a mental health crisis upon us.

There are holes in the system that need to be filled. I am more than a statistic. My indigenous brothers and sisters are more than a statistic. We are more than a percentage or a ratio that only ever sees the light of day in a medical paper or a journal, and is never spoken of again. This is not a matter of politics. It is a matter of the well-being of all Canadian citizens. Mental health does not discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender, age or ethnicity. We all have mental health, and we all have the right to care.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you to each and every one of you, as well.

Who's on? Mr. Sorbara.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Thank you, Chair. I will try to be as succinct as possible.

First of all, welcome. It's so wonderful to have you here. I have a Daughters of the Vote delegate here from my riding, but not with us in this forum.

I want to say that all of your stories are very powerful, unique in different ways and, obviously, shared with Canadians from coast to coast to coast. You four young individuals have a heck of a bright future ahead of you. I'm so impressed, listening to the stories.

Ms. Dhaliwal, your story of your mental health journey that a lot of Canadians have faced.... I truly believe life is special and that we're here for a purpose. Continue that journey. Continue it with as much positivity as you can. Ms. Dini, your story of your aneurysm.... I'm glad that you're here with us today, 150%. I'm sure your family is even more so. Ms. Szafran, your comments, and Annie, your comments, as well....

We're at committee, so I'm going to ask a question.

Do you think we, as a society, have made progress with regard to gender equality, advancing women's rights, participation in the labour force, a gender-neutral cabinet and funding organizations like Equal Voice? We have to make more progress, but do you think we're going in the right direction?

All four of you can answer very quickly, if you wish.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Go ahead. We'll start with Andréa.