Evidence of meeting #19 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 43rd 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

Paulette Senior  President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Women's Foundation
Angela Bonfanti  Senior Vice-President, Foundation Programs, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Marie-France Lafleur
Elizabeth Cahill  Committee Researcher

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

Mr. Chair, I don't really understand how the proposed date of December 15 is a good balance, as MP Vaughan has just said. In previous years, applications have gone out to employers in December. If this study is going to finish in December, the analyst has said it's going to take about a month to draft and finalize a report, get it into both official languages, so that's going to take us to the middle of January, by which time employers are already going to be applying or have already applied. I think it misses the mark altogether by have the date of December 15.

My colleague Dan Albas suggested earlier, I believe, August or September. I think October hits that balance. Obviously, COVID isn't going to happen every year. This is obviously a different year as it is. If we are able to do October 31, four weeks would take us to November. That way we could get something out with recommendations. I think the October 31 date is far more balanced than December. If we do this in December, we're going to have employers already applying, unless the government is planning to push it again and maybe have applications be later than in previous years. I think October hits the right balance.

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you, Ms. Falk.

Mr. Housefather, please.

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Mr. Chair, in brief, to respond to what my colleague Ms. Falk just said, the motion as amended by Ms. Young's amendment says that the committee is to report back by December 15, not that the committee finish its work and then it goes to the analysts. December 15 is setting the date by which the analysts will have completed the report, the committee will have amended it and approved it, and it will have been translated and sent to the House. That requires, to be honest, a month, as the analysts have told us. This means we would have had to hear from all the witnesses by the end of October in order to work on the report over the month of November, to have it properly translated and get it to the House by December 15. That is the delay. It's not that we're finishing our work and then starting the report on December 15. It's that the report is submitted by December 15.

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you, Mr. Housefather.

Is there any further discussion on the motion to amend the date of completion to no later than December 15, 2020? That's the amendment before the committee. Is there any further discussion on it?

Seeing none, I would ask Madam Clerk to do a recorded vote on the amendment.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)

We're now on the motion, as amended. Is there any further debate on the amended motion? I'm seeing none so I would ask Madam Clerk to please conduct a recorded vote on the main motion, as amended.

(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

I recognize Ms. Kusie.

3:45 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Chair, with that motion's passing, can I move on to the next order of business? I want to put forward a motion that I had put on notice, please.

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

I was hoping you would. Go ahead.

3:45 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

That's what I like to hear. That's the spirit. Thank you, Chair.

I move:

That the Committee call upon the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and the Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development, to appear before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities with department officials, separately for one hour each to discuss the spending priorities outlined in the Main Estimates 2020-2021, and that this meeting occur before July 31st, 2020.

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you, Ms. Kusie. The motion is in order.

Members, if you wish to speak to the motion, I would ask that you use the “raise hand” function at the bottom of your screen.

We'll move to debate.

Mr. Vaughan.

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON

Mr. Chair, I would like to ask the mover how she thinks this would work in terms of order of appearance, whether they would appear at the same time, different times or what have you. I'd like her to unpack the more general request for an appearance, which I'm not concerned about, but she sees the structure of that appearance.

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Ms. Kusie, can you clarify that?

3:45 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Sure.

It's based upon their availability, but since the main estimates have now been released, the motion is quite clear that it should occur before July 31. I recognize that we are currently in the last week of scheduled sittings within the House. I know we're going to have a further discussion as to our meetings going forward, which we started within the subcommittee, but again, this should occur before July 31, with the two ministers slated for one hour each. I feel that's quite clear. It's one hour for each of the two ministers, as mentioned, before July 31.

If there are any more specific questions, I'm happy to take them.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON

For clarification as well, would they be appearing with ministerial staff, or how would that look?

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Yes. It states that they're appearing with department officials. Generally, of course, staff usually accompany the minister but do not sit with the minister. Usually it's the minister and the department officials. We are at the point where we've had several appearances by ministers, so I would expect it to follow the format that we have had to this point.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you, Ms. Kusie.

Mr. Albas, please.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC

Mr. Chair, again, we have had ministers.... I do understand there being some complexity, because there are four different ministers that we could call for, but as a member, all I would like to see is to have the employment minister with her officials for an hour and then have a second hour with officials, because I always learn something. Then I would like a second meeting with the minister of social development, Minister Hussen, following the same format, whereby he comes for an hour with his officials and then the officials stay for an hour.

We could do that, and I would also be mindful that Mr. Vaughan may decide that he wants to come as a witness, along with the minister, or to appear as a member.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON

Thank you.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you, Mr. Albas.

Ms. Kusie, please.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Yes, Mr. Chair, that's what I was referring to previously on the format: one hour with each minister and then one hour with the officials. I guess, then, that's a total of two two-hour meetings.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you, Ms. Kusie.

Is there any further discussion?

Ms. Chabot, you have the floor.

3:50 p.m.

Bloc

Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC

Why do we need the exact date of July 31?

I hear the estimates will be tabled this week.

Look, I will not oppose the motion, but why does it have to be before July 31? It is not clear to me.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Mrs. Kusie, could you answer that question?

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Yes, I certainly can.

The analysts will be able to clarify this, but I believe we have until the end of August to receive the two ministers. So I have decided to have a meeting with the two ministers before the end of July, because I am sure we will have a deadline. I chose the end of July because, as with the supplementary estimates, I know that there is a deadline.

That is why I decided to go with the end of July, Mr. Chair.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Mrs. Kusie and Ms. Chabot, I can let the analysts or the clerk comment, but I can add that the deadline for the House to adopt the main estimates, the subject of this motion, is November 27, 2020.

Having said that, Mrs. Kusie spoke of deadlines for the ministers' availability, and I am not aware of that. I wonder if the analyst or the clerk could add something in that regard to clarify Ms. Chabot's question.

3:55 p.m.

The Clerk

I can confirm that the reporting date for the 2020-21 main estimates is indeed November 27, 2020.

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

I think that's clear enough.

We have Mr. Housefather and then Ms. Kwan, please.